Okay, so the X Games aren’t called the Extreme Games anymore, but maybe they should be. After all, there are so many extremes going on at X: Extreme Heat, Extremely Long Walks, Extreme Hassles (ie security), Extremely Frustrating Parking Situations, Extreme Distances Between the Two Venues (Staples Center and Home Depot Center), and, you get the idea.

It’s been a few years since I’ve braved the X. I gave up going largely based on the reasons above, though mostly for the Credential nightmare that always ensues. No type of credential is ever good enough to get you where you want to go. Athletes have trouble getting credentials for wifes and kids, never mind friends and family, and the media… forget about it.

This was my first year with a media credential. In the past I’ve had “higher level” credentials, but this year. I didn’t really plan ahead. I was not prepared for how little access a Media credential gets you, but once you’re inside the gate… well that’s about all it gets you.

Really I should have known, and it’s my own fault for not ensuring a proper credential to get things done. But now I remember why the endemic media stays away — it’s simply not worth it.

Fortunately I did not make the trip X-clusively for the X Games. If I hadn’t had to be in LA last week anyway, I wouldn’t have bothered. We all make mistakes.

So far my favorite photo that I’ve seen from the games is one that appears on Chris Nieratko’s blog on the X Games site. Scroll down to the photo of the camera man that received a “shark bite” care of Bucky. Apparently that guy had better credentials than I…