1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Being a fan and covering a team

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by boundforboston, Jan 30, 2012.

  1. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    Being on the sports desk, I find that the one thing we consistently root for is the lack of overtime.
     
  2. BrianGriffin

    BrianGriffin Active Member

    This is a very healthy realization.

    And another realization is that you find more compelling personal stories or personalities on teams you don't cover. Once you get closer to the actual teams, you might like an opposing coach or something about an opposing program, more than than one your cover and sort of "pull" for that team at some level because of some contrast that team offers to the one you cover, if that makes sense.

    As a fan, you'd never do this.
     
  3. schiezainc

    schiezainc Well-Known Member

    Regarding the whole "rooting" for the team you cover thing,

    I look at it this way. I never openly root for anyone, for any reason but I will, in my head, cheer for a particular outcome that makes for the best story. Does that make sense?

    In essence, I'm rooting for me.

    A couple years ago, I got the chance to cover a preps softball championship game where our local team was playing. During the offseason, their coach tied in a car accident. I knew that, win or lose, it was going to be a compelling story but rooted, in my head, for them to win because it would make for the best photos and best quotes afterward and, to me, the winning angle was much more compelling to write so that's what I pulled for.

    If they would have lost, I still would have been objective, still would have done a solid job but that team winning helped me rack up a couple of awards and put together one of my best stories.

    So, again, not rooting for any player/team. Rooting for me.
     
  4. Gomer

    Gomer Active Member

    I found that learning to be unbiased also took the fan out of me for teams I don't cover. I don't cheer for my favourite pro football team the way I used to even though I'll never write a gamer on them.

    It's just part of the business. If you keep the fan hat on it clouds your judgement.
     
  5. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    It was involuntary for me, and I had the "no cheering in the press box" thing down by the time I was 16.

    The last team I openly rooted for was my college baseball team.
     
  6. SoCalDude

    SoCalDude Active Member

    Absolutely no OT or extra innings.

    And one guy I used to cover baseball with proclaimed that he was "cheering" for the home team to win every game, thus eliminating the bottom of the ninth, thus reducing the season by 81 innings and 9 games.
     
  7. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    We have a running gag in our newsroom. When somebody else is in the slot, if there's any chance there could be extra time, I'll say something like, "Oh, there's no way this one's going overtime." And of course, if it does, everyone rags on the jinx.

    And vice versa when I'm in the slot.
     
  8. sprtswrtr10

    sprtswrtr10 Member

    I'm down with this thought.
    I think it describes me.
    I will tell you the times my old allegiances, I think, might present themselves.
    When it's a sport that's not my beat, but still a school I cover (that I grew up rooting for).
    I could be watching it on TV.

    I find myself not as netural as I am on press row (like there are still courtside press rows)
    But the more interesting thing to me, is that I question my neutrality when I'm holding the teams I cover accountable. I don't think I'm overcompensating, but I wonder if I'm harsher because my childhood allegiances have offended me.

    All that being said, I think I'm doing fine.
    I've been where I am for a long time, I unabashedly root for the story - yes, the changing narrative, though I don't think overtly; I guess it's a way of rooting for myself - and am only suspicious of these other leanings I describe. But I am suspicious of them. It's a strange thing.
     
  9. expendable

    expendable Well-Known Member

    When anybody asks me if I'm pulling for Team X, which always comes up when Team X is having a good season, I always tell them that winning teams sell more papers (whether that's true or not, I don't know), but losses are easier to write (I know that's true). In volleyball, I just say that I pull for whichever team wins the first game.
     
  10. nate41

    nate41 Member

    I root for no OT and no televised games. And JV not running into the varsity's start time.
     
  11. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    I'm trying to remember how many times we've actually watched a game that was on the office TV. Usually it's check the score, how much time/innings left, and will it be over by deadline?
     
  12. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    I would always cheer when the pitcher threw strikes.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page