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My new boss

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by flexmaster33, Mar 22, 2010.

  1. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Very true. And if you use that as your out, be prepared to hear about it if you DO cover hockey or lacrosse or cornhole or whatever.
     
  2. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    Or they may start an orgy. Think very carefully about what may result.
     
  3. bigblueman

    bigblueman Member

    OK, I'll fall on the grenade.

    They work just as hard as the football kids do.
     
  4. jlee

    jlee Well-Known Member

    In either case, they won't call you any more. But in the latter scenario, you might want them to.
     
  5. flexmaster33

    flexmaster33 Well-Known Member

    Our basic policy is that dance team and cheerleading are considered "activities." We'll put in results on rare occasions, but leave the feature-type stories to our schools/feature reporters.

    The next level is club sports such as water polo and bowling in our area, which get middling coverage, while we concentrate our efforts, like most, on the main school/state-sanctioned sports.

    This time dance ended up with a two-paragraph brief, and I squeezed in a nice photo that one of the parents (a professional photographer) took. It will be enough to appease most, but I doubt it's the grandiose coverage that this lady I've been dealing with is expecting. :)
     
  6. flexmaster33

    flexmaster33 Well-Known Member

    should also mention it's tucked inside in a corner on our Scoreboard page.
     
  7. schiezainc

    schiezainc Well-Known Member

    So, got a message today on our phone system.

    "Um, hi. My name is "Idiot Parent" and I just wanted to complain about something. In this week's paper, there's a small article on the Podunk High Cheerleading team winning at states and a much larger article on the Bumfuck girls basketball team making it to the semifinals. I don't know why this is. The Bumfucks always go to states and the Podunk Cheerleading team did really well. I think they should have had a huger (sic) article and wonder what you're going to do. Also, I've noticed you guys don't acknowledge middle school sports and I wonder if you know that middle schoolers are the high schoolers of tomorrow."

    First off, huger? Really?

    Second, fuck you.

    Third, cheerleading is not a sport. That we even acknowledged the cheerleading team's performance at states (They won the 'Small School' title and finished eighth overall, not first overall you stupid c**t) is a miracle in and of itself and if you don't like it, feel free to turn to the other weekly newspaper in town, which by the way hasn't covered any kind of cheerleading in at least five years, and or the state's daily newspaper, which didn't even mention your local school.

    Lastly, no, we don't cover middle school sports. Want to know why? Because no one gives a shit.

    -SchiezaInc

    P.S. Next time leave some contact info so I can call you and let you know just how dumber you really are.
     
  8. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    I love the middle schoolers are the high schoolers of tomorrow line.

    If he has said that over the phone, I would have replied:

    "You are absolutely right. And we'll cover them tomorrow."
     
  9. rpmmutant

    rpmmutant Member

    I had an AYSO coach tell me the same thing about the players of tomorrow. I told them we barely have enough space to cover the players of today, meaning kids in high school and college. When the AYSO players of tomorrow start playing in high school and college, then they will get their coverage.
     
  10. flexmaster33

    flexmaster33 Well-Known Member

    Good stuff guys...our new phone system allows us to "reply" to those anonymous complainers by dialing the number the call came in on...you can't imagine the shocked people I've called back saying "Yes, I heard you had a complaint about coverage...", followed on the other end by either a click or more often "Uh, um, yes, uh..."

    love it.
     
  11. I love the moment when you ask a question that makes people realize how trifle their things like dance championships are. Like when some dance mom calls and pitches a story about how the local team won a national championship. And then you ask through what organization. Oh, The Southeastern Dance League? Ok. How many teams were at the national competition? Oh, nine? OK. Oh, and did you have to win regional tournaments to get there, or how did you get a berth there? Oh, you did car washes? To raise money to pay to have the chance to win a national championship? Between eight other teams that were good... at washing cars? And all from three different states? Oh, OK. Yes, I understand they still had to work hard.

    I used to work at a small-town daily where every three months, like clockwork, a local dance and gymnastics studio would buy a national championship.
     
  12. Inky_Wretch

    Inky_Wretch Well-Known Member

    I'll trade your dance team mom for the homeschool basketball parent wanting coverage for the national* championship her kid's team won#.

    * - If by "national" you mean "teams from 11 states competed."
    # - If by "won" you mean "the local team was one of 15 boys teams named national champions in the same age group, since each age group had three divisions which were then subdivided into five classifications."
     
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