Flash Babies.

I was deep into a boys high school basketball game between the visiting Arundel Wildcats and the Meade Mustangs, halfway through the fourth period to be exact. I was using on camera flash to shoot the game. It is not the best flash setup for a game, but it works and I have been doing it, on and off, for the last 15 years. That is when I saw the guy running the clock call over the school's athletic director, Dave Lanham, who is a great guy and very helpful. Next thing I know the AD is walking over to me, saying someone at the scorers table complained about my flash. I said fine I won't use it anymore, as a matter of fact I won't use the camera anymore since I had enough shots.

I did ask him who in particular complained, since I have only had maybe five complaints in the last 15 years and it usually was the team losing, doing the protesting. He said he would find out...which will be another blog post.

When I started shooting the game, I was focusing on the Wildcats, I was told they were the favorite. I shot them for the first half of the game. I figured that I would shoot Meade when they came to my side for the second half. Arundel got off to a good start, but let the Mustangs take the lead right before the half.

After the half the Mustangs were coming towards my basket, my time to shoot them. I was happy, the Mustangs were leading and I was getting some nice shots of them, better than the shots I got of the Wildcats in the first half. Then the Wildcats started to come back and I started to think I needed to switch sides to get better Wildcats shots in case they won, so I switched sides midway through the third period.

So I start shooting the Wildcats again and they start playing better, I make some nice shots and I am confident that I have it covered either way. This is when I am asked to stop using the flash. OK. I sit there for the final 5 minutes and wait. The Arundel Wildcats win 80-74. So the team that won is the one that I have been shooting most of the game. I guess the flash could not have bothered them too badly. I have a feeling it was not the Wildcats who complained, but I will have do some investigating after the game to find out for sure...

To be continued in my next post...Flashgate or All The Coaches Men.