Asking for an autograph

Just heard a story about a sportswriter at a medium-sized paper asking a pro athlete for his autograph.

Highly unprofessional. Should this reporter be reprimanded, or at least talked to?

 

Yes, he should be reprimanded. He should lose the beat job for being so unprofessional.

 

He should lose his credential.

 

The reporter in question lost nothing, except some respect among his collegues. Though he did get a scolding.

It wasn't his beat, though. He was just on assignment while home in NYC to cover the golden child Drew Henson. His real beat is preps in the Midwest.

 

Nothing beats an old sports editor of mine covering the Indians and getting autographs while covering them.

Got real tired, real fast. Got his when the Indians manager at the time told him to shove his baseball up his arse.

 

In my first year at Missouri, I once asked Nick Collison and Kirk Heinrich for their autographs.
My father nearly died and was still in the hospital. Him being a huge Jayhawk fan, I thought it might make dad feel better.
I waited for about an hour after the interviews ended and they were getting on the bus. I followed them out there, politely explained the need for their Hancocks on a KU media guide, and thanked both.
No, I wouldn't do it now, but I still don't feel the least-bit shamed for doing it then.

 

Dammit. No autograph seeking? No staring at 17-year old girls boobs or flirting? You guys are taking all the fun out of sportswriting!!!

 

Wasn't he a major college men's basketball beat writer at the time and then got bumped down?

And why did Mr. ziffel post this today? It's like three years old if it's who I'm thinking it is.

 

Dang, Hank ... you are correct, sir.! He indeed was on the Michigan basketball beat at the time. I completely forgot. I just always think of him as a preps writer only.

But he was going down anyway. This just greased the skids.

Geez, Alzheimer's must be starting early.

And no, don't comment, Hank. LOL

 

I was once told that on Richard Petty's last season in Winston Cup, without asking, he'd take the credentials of the writers that had one-on-one's with him and sign the back of them.

I thought that was pretty cool. I'm not an autograph person, but I think it would be cool to have just a couple of iconic-type people that you covered. Especially on something besides a football or baseball. On something that meant something.

But I wouldn't dare ask for one.

 

I had my sports editor ask me to get an autograph of a college football coach I was interviewing and I just made up a lame excuse to get out of it. I thought it was truly unprofessional. Funny thing is, the sports editor crossed paths with the coach in the future and got his autograph. Everyone in the office just laughs at the photo on the wall. That is one of many reasons why nobody respects him.

 

No one will ever criticize you for your intentions, but there's a better way to do that: Go thru the KU SID staff and explain your situation.

Yeah, you might not get the autograph if KU wants to dick you over. But you could have given yourself a bad name for good if someone saw you get those autographs.