Last Friday, I had a runing with some supervisor (aka Jack Ace) from the athletic department. The university has purchased pads that go around the basketball court for advertising purposes, anyway, when I arrived at the game, I went past the ad pads and took up position underneath the basket. The game hadn't even started yet when I hear the aformentioned "ACE" yell, "Excuse me"! Of course I ignore him, pretending not to hear because I know that he's just going to tell me that I can't shoot there. On his way over to me, I just ignore him as he yells to me a couple more times. Finally he arrives and taps me on the shoulder and tells me that I'm not allowed to shoot there.
I say, "Well, why not?"

He says, "Because you could get hurt, or break your camera."

I think, grow a pair of balls and say, "Because I say so" or at least pretend you care about the welfare of the players. I say, "That's a chance I'm willing to take."

He says, "What am I supposed to do if you get hurt?"

I say, "Laugh and say I told you so. Even if I do get hurt, you've mitigated the University's legal resposability by telling me that it's dangerous to take pictures there."

He says, "These pads are here to keep people out."

I say, "No they're not, they for advertising. See all those signs and the phone number to call if you want to place an ad?"

He says, "If I let you shoot there, I have to let everyone shoot there."

I say, "No you don't. Tell them one at a time, or that I am with the university so I get special priviledges."

He tells me, "NO".

I say, "Then I'll publish all crappy pictures and have the athletes talk to you about why they get crappy photos, and why you can't give me good access to the court."

He says "Fine".

That's why he's a Jack Ace. So I shoot the girls game, and the best photo I got was of a girl shooting and her arm was in front of her face. The worst of it is, he won't even know why that photo is ugly, and post it on hiw wall of fame in kineseology.

Anyway, this story has a happy ending. I know both the coaches for the Dinos. Brad, the assistant coach, was my apartment manager in Bowness, and Dan, the Head coach purchased two or three 8x10's from me when he coached in Medicine Hat. As luck would have it, Mike Connelly had become the coach of the pronghorns in Lethbridge, and I knew him from Medicine Hat as well. I asked all the coaches if they cared if I was on the inside of the pads and they all said that they didn't. Mike actually asked that I email him some photos if I got any good ones. So I shot the Men's game from inside the pads, and got good photos.

I went to play floor hockey two nights ago and I still haven't recovered completely. We played 3 on 3 in the church with no goalies. After the first 15 minutes of light playing, I thought that I was going to die. We took a short break, then I knew I wasn't going to die, but just wished that I would. Then after another 30 minutes or so, I stopped longing for death's sweet release and was actually ready to do some hard playing. But by then it was time to go home.