Death Threats

Other than on SJ, did you ever get a death threat after you wrote something unpopular?

Did you take it seriously?

How does your paper handle 'credible' threats?

 

something you want to tell us?

 

HELP! HELP! I'M LOCKED IN A (thump)...I mean, um, no, why do you ask?

The subject came up on the Saban/Darlington thread...I can't recall a discussion here about this, but it's a bizarre reality of the business.

 

I've had one death threat. It was not a proud occasion.

I was assigned to the Molson Indy in Toronto (this was the same day David Cone pitched his perfect game). I fucking hate autoracing. It was loud, 4,000 degrees outside, and I was surrounded by dunderheads. I decided to write an atmosphere story. Not surprisingly, perhaps, it came out a little nasty. There was one scene in particular, involving a few Hooters girls posing for photographs with drunk geartards and then sneaking behind a trailer for smokes. I quoted one of them, talked about her giggling the whole time I spoke with her, and made fun of her fake boobs.

Next day, I'm in my cubby, phone rings. Hooters girl's boyfriend, irate. Like, I could hear his neck bulging. Said that now he knew where I was, he was coming to kill me. Got off the phone, told my boss. He kind of laughed it off, which I did, too. But I kept one eye on the front door that whole week.

Boyfriend never showed up, and I never heard from him again. After, I actually felt kind of bad about what I'd written. The girl was nice enough, just not too bright. I'd apologize to them today if I knew who they were, even though the guy scared the poop out of me at the time.

 

Fake or real, boobs are nothing to be trifled with.

 

had one -- from a high school football coach. i didn't do anything about it

then like a year later, i get a call from his brother left on my answering maching threatening me (not my life, just simple physical violence). i don't do anything and erase it. come to regret that when i find out the guy is a sheriff's deputy. i wish i would have saved it and reported it. but nothing came of either, so it was no big deal

 

never a death threat, but i did have one parent threaten to kick my ass after a game once. I wrote a story that his kid's team lost, and in the story said that his kid gave up the game winning homer. The father told me all about how I have hurt his kid's self-esteem and he told me that now he was going to hurt me. I laughed it off and told him to meet me at my car and that would make for an even more interesting story. Needless to say, he never showed and I never heard him bitch again. I see him at games from time to time and he rushes over to shake my hand and ask about the family.

 

Someone called you a Canucklehead?

 

It must be the 'e' at the end of Elliotte--they think you're black.

 

Laugh all you want, funnyboy. Maybe you can make fun of giggling, jiggling Hooters girls in Canada, but try that in America and you will be reaching for the Polident.

 

only from my sports editor