Wednesday night was one of those cases in which timing is everything.

Timing as in it had to be one of the coldest nights in recent memory in Northeast Ohio.

Timing as in it was not ideal to be waiting for almost three hours in a car for a meeting to complete in a building some 100 feet away.

That's what the throng of media was forced to do while parents of the Richmond Heights boys basketball team, its coach, Jason Popp, and Superintendant Linda T. Hardwick met at the Board of Education building.

No one besides school officials, parents and players were allowed in the building. On a night such as Wednesday, I say the decision to keep the media at bay was a bit unfair, but rules are rules. I would have had no problem sitting on the floor if that meant staying warm.

Back to the issue. On the line is the future of Popp, who has been accused of racial slurs against the varsity players. It's a touchy situation, and getting information has been a challenge this week.

As members of the media, our job is to obtain that news and deliver it to you. Unfortunately, getting that information can sometimes mean waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting.

With a wind chill that made it feel the temperature was way below zero late Wednesday night, waiting out the meeting was not pleasant. Upon reaching home, I felt as if I was thawing out for about 15 minutes.

Sometimes, that's what it takes to deliver the news. Speaking of delivering, I have a new respect for mail men and women, especially during the winter.

- Mark Podolski