Keeping an Eye Out

If you need proof that spying is serious business in college sports, as well as the pros, consider the BYU basketball program.
At practices, spectators are asked to sign a log, stating their name and where they’re from. (Practices are open to the public several days a week.)
Even media who have previously attended practices already have their names on a list, but must sign in anyway.
Coming soon to a gym near you: fingerprinting, body cavity searches and urine tests.
Actually, closely monitoring visitors is becoming fairly prevalent. The University of Utah has a person assigned to watch for visitors at football practice. Whenever someone walks within viewing distance, the ‘hall monitor’ comes over to ask who he is and what organization he’s with.
The schools probably can’t be blamed for being cautious. Near the end of his career, LaVell Edwards discovered that someone had watched his spring game and put every play on the Internet. And only the na’ve would think that there aren’t lowlifes who would happily cheat to win (please reference Bill Belichick).
Still, whether such vigilance actually prevents spying is anyone’s guess. It’s easy enough to lie.
In any case, it’s a sign of the times.
Thanks to the age of information, the days when you and your buddies could cruise over to check out your favorite team’s practice will soon be a thing of the past.