Creepy voicemail of the year

Stopped into work today and found an interesting message on my voicemail.

A little background _ last year, when we selected our all-area girls basketball team, the parent of one of our second-team selections sent an e-mail complaining that his daughter should have been a first-teamer, and then proceeded to rip on his daughter's teammate who was on the first team.

A couple of months later, this guy sent an e-mail nominating his daughter for our Prep of the Year selection, and in the process made insulting comments about some of the other female athletes from the area. Then, last spring, he complained that we didn't interview his daughter when her junior-college team played the local JUCO in softball (she went 0-for-4 and her team was swept).

Sadly, this guy has another daughter, and she was named to our all-area second team when we announced our team last week (Iowa plays prep baseball and softball in the summer).

So, this guy calls in and leaves a voicemail complaining that his daughter was second team, that her batting average was wrong (even though we got the stats from the coach), and then said this _ "I am NOT HAPPY with this. Maybe it's time I do something about it."

Creepy.

 

Get an intern to start your car from now on.

 

When someone calls and complains that their kid was underrepresented on an all-area team, they have my ear -- until they start ripping other players, then I tune them out and make soothing sounds back at them till they hang up.

 

you're taking it all wrong...perhaps he meant that he would savagely beat his daughter until she performed better.



I'd certainly think about getting a large, mean dog though...just in case.

 

Four words: Conceal and Carry Permit

 

"Jerry, Joe Divola. *Pbt* *Pbt* *Pbt* I have a hair on my
tongue, I can't get it off, you know how much I hate that? Course you do,
you put it there. I know what you said about me Seinfeld. I know you
badmouthed me to the execs at NBC, put the kibosh on my deal. Now I¹m gonna
put the kibosh on you. You know I¹ve kiboshed before, and I will kibosh
again."

 

Call him back, tell him you disagree with him, and that if he truly wants to be a good parent, he should stop complaining about his daughter's stats and just enjoy her playing career. and address him as "crazy fucking parent who ruins kid's life without realizing it." Oh, and tell him to stop living his life through his kids.

that should do it.

 

I know you didn't try that at your last job Breakyoself. Those folks ride around with gun racks. I just transferred them to Shawn. (/insidejoke)

 

In all seriousness, you should make sure your sports editor and any executive editors/managing editors hear the voice mail. Make sure you provide them with a written report of the history of this parent's actions/calls. The guy was probably blowing off steam, but you can't be too careful. I once had a parent of a girls basketball player show up at our front desk, without an appointment, and demand to speak to me. He was mad because his daughter was an honorable mention selection instead of first team. He had called me several times before to complain, and I referred him to my editor. I went down and talked with him -- but I brought someone else with me. You can't be too careful.

 

Set up a 3-way call from your office (if your phones are capable). Call the guy and tell him you have a police detective on the line and you would like him to clarify exactly what he meant by "doing something about it."

Of course, if in law enforcement, you're fucked, but otherwise it might work. ;D

 

I'd go pre-emptive. Arrange to meet him somewhere and when he shows, savage him with a baseball bat or, if you prefer, nunchaku.