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44-year-old writer is treated like a real player on the team

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by ramgrad08, Aug 15, 2008.

  1. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    I would hope I wouldn't have to take the field to have the team I cover respect me or for me to respect them.

    By the way, you can call me Mizzou, we're all friends here... :D
     
  2. TheSportsPredictor

    TheSportsPredictor Well-Known Member

    That article : Paper Lion :: this post : Deep Throat
     
  3. jgmacg

    jgmacg Guest

    Here's the thing about stories done in this model. If they illuminate something unknown to the reader about the team, or about the nature of the way it trains, or about a specific individual, terrific. But most of them do not. They illuminate nothing. They offer the writer a chance at discovery, but most writers discover nothing, even about themselves.

    I'll let others decide the specific merit of the piece in question on this thread.

    And an historical aside for our youngsters: Mr. Plimpton didn't invent this template. He refined it - nearly 40 years after its creation. Its modern inventor was a fella named Paul Gallico.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gallico
     
  4. forever_town

    forever_town Well-Known Member

    I don't think he was trying to make himself the story. I'm pretty sure he was trying to get across what it must be like to be in a football training camp for those of us weekend warriors who never have or never will experience it for ourselves.

    If he were actually trying to make a team he covers, that would be making himself the story.
     
  5. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Excellent point.
     
  6. KYSportsWriter

    KYSportsWriter Well-Known Member

    I don't see that big a problem with it.

    But like someone else said, it would get a negative reaction from the public if this were done at Ohio State or Florida or Alabama or any other big college football program.

    Also, we had a features writer (who is no longer in the biz, fwiw) go back to preschool for a day last school year. Did he become the story in that? No. He did everything he could to make the story about the kids and teachers in the class and not him.

    And it was a damn good read.
     
  7. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    All access stories are always better than "look at me" stories
     
  8. friend of the friendless

    friend of the friendless Active Member

    Mr macg,

    I wonder if his participatory venture was enuf to push him out of sportswriting. I've had a first edition of Farewell to Sport on my shelf since I was in short pants. BTW The Nine Lives of Tomasina was my daughters' favorite kids film.

    YD&OHS, etc
     
  9. KYSportsWriter

    KYSportsWriter Well-Known Member

    And I don't see this piece as one of those. At all.
     
  10. Terence Mann

    Terence Mann Member

    If anyone is an expert on the concept of "look at me," it's Mizzou. Few other posters seem to respond to every post on so many threads as if everyone here is speaking only to him.

    My opinion? Every story stands or falls on its own merits, not according to an absolute rule or policy.
     
  11. Rumpleforeskin

    Rumpleforeskin Active Member

    Gotta love the picture and cutline they have on the Web site.

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 15, 2014
  12. jgmacg

    jgmacg Guest

    Perhaps Dempsey simply knocked some sense into him.
     
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