When Micah Rucker caught a one-handed touchdown pass by reaching around Murray State corner back Derrick Parrott in the first half of Eastern’s 27-24 victory against the Racers, I wanted to jump out of my seat and cheer.

When Ademola Adeniji rumbled through the entire Racers’ defense on his way to the end zone, I wanted to cheer.

When Ke’Andre Sams intercepted Racers’ quarterback Jeff Erhardt for his first interception of the season, I wanted to cheer.

If I was merely a fan at the game I could have jumped up and cheered. But I wasn’t just a fan. I was working; covering the game from the press box.

There’s a sense of professional stoicism that exists in the press box. It’s unreasonable to think I would not have invested interest in Eastern’s football team because I am an Eastern student and cover the team at each game. The same can be said for professional and student journalists who cover other football programs as well. Having invested interest, however, does not mean there should be a bias in the press box.

When I’m on the job I refrain from being a cheerleader in the press box. The most I’ll say is an occasional “wow” or “what a play” because there is no reason not to acknowledge a good play made by either team. Nonetheless, I take the journalism standard of press box stoicism seriously. I’m there to do my job.

The same cannot be said about two men who shared the press box at Roy Stewart Stadium Saturday afternoon. When Murray State running back Charlie Jordan broke free for his first touchdown run of the game, a man in the press box started cheering.

I was shocked. Sort of. This man also talked on his cell phone during the playing of the national anthem, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised he would also cheer in the press box.

I wasn’t the only reporter who was astounded by this behavior. Another reporter in retorted with something along the lines of it was the damn press box not the cheering section.

I don’t know if the cheering man was a professional reporter or not, but not cheering in the press box is a standard of sports journalism.

Sometimes, there are even announcements made before a game begins. When Eastern played Purdue in early September in West Lafayette, Ind., an announcement was made in the press box at Ross-Ade Stadium that security personnel would remove anyone cheering in the press box. That was enough to keep me quiet.

The Racers’ fan was not the lone member of the Murray State cheering section in the press box. There was another man-a professional journalist-that cheered on another big play by the Racers.

I could not understand then, and I do not understand now, how a professional journalist would think it was OK to start cheering in the press box. It may be an unwritten rule, but there definitely is a standard. The press box is a working environment. The people there are credentialed to do their jobs.

I can almost understand cheering in the press box if the person doing so was not a journalist. Football is an exciting sport, and big plays can stir emotions in a heartbeat. The question remains, however, of why they would be in the press box in the first place.

Regardless, I have no respect for a journalist cheering in the press box. Leave the cheers at home when you’re working. Professional, student or otherwise, there should be no cheering in the press box. If you want to cheer, buy a ticket.