Rosenthal: Why clubhouse access matters

From Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic on March 10, 2020:

Locker-room access is not strictly about us, the reporters. It is about you, the readers. We are your extension into the world of professional sports, your conduit for gaining a deeper understanding of the games we enjoy watching so much.

Before going any further, I will state the obvious: The last thing any reporter wants to do is contribute to a public health crisis. With Major League Baseball exercising “an abundance of caution,” it is difficult for any of us to object to a temporary ban on locker-room access, even the reported six-foot distance baseball will require in interviews in other areas. The question of access also pales in comparison to the serious hardship some will face due to the coronavirus.

My concern, and the concern of many other reporters, is that MLB and the other leagues will find the temporary arrangement rather satisfying and make closed locker rooms the new norm. That would be a problem, and not because we would be prevented from doing our jobs. We could still do them, just not as well, and readers would be less enlightened as a result.

Read the full article here (subscription required): https://theathletic.com/1666182/2020/03/09/rosenthal-why-clubhouse-access-matters/



Originally published: March 10, 2020. Last Updated: March 10, 2020.