An interesting thing happened at the 2012 Olympics. Reporters from other countries participated in something U.S. reporters typical avoid: cheering.
Typically in Olympics coverage here in the U.S., you’ll never catch any celebrating going on in the press box. In fact, Tom Bowles, a Sports Illustrated freelance writer, lost his job for reportedly “breaking the cardinal sin of being a sports writer” by clapping in the media box at the Daytona 500.
So who was the first to rebel and start the public celebration? Surprisingly, the BBC reported tweeting their celebrations during the 2012 Summer Olympics, including this one: “It’s gold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” followed by: “Huge cheer in the BBC Production office as Team GB clock up their first gold in the women’s pair”.
Mongolian broadcasters also celebrated during their Olympic coverage by dancing in the aisles of the bleachers and holding up their country flag.
I think it’s interesting that out of all the countries, the United States is the most strict about cheering on sports in the press box. Sports are a beloved past time in this country, and I think we should follow suit and begin cheering on our athletes, even from the press box.
The Global Gator 