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Did I mess up in any way?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by kingcreole, Feb 11, 2007.

  1. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    But that's not unusual for a team to have a slow start. Not something to ream them about.
     
  2. kingcreole

    kingcreole Active Member

    I didn't ream them on the slow start, the coach did. I reamed the team for cowering against an undefeated team that should have been defeated, and also against the three teams ahead of them in conference play. I made no mention of falling behind 11-0. They are clearly a different team when they play the bottom feeders. They want to win bad. Against the upper teams, it's almost like a "Let's just keep it respectable" attitude instead of going for the kill.
     
  3. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Let's keep it respectable is hardly cowering, though.

    During the game, what specifically did they do or not do that demonstrated cowardice besides losing?
     
  4. kingcreole

    kingcreole Active Member

    Once again, lazy passes against a high-pressure zone, trying to beat defenders off the dribble (the ranked team has incredible athletes. Dribbling won't solve it), nobody moving, poor passes, forced passes, terrible shots, not looking inside, not diving on the floor after loose balls, etc.

    BTW, talked to the coach today and he apologized for his players' behavior. Said he would address it tomorrow before practice and tell them they better start learning to take outside criticism. Said he would handle "no comments" from now on in practice.
     
  5. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    King, what this seems to come down to was 2 girls not liking what you wrote?
    Big fucking deal. Who cares. Nothing to worry about.
    If both coaches and the rest of the players on both teams seemed OK with it, why worry about two players?
    Done. Move on.
     
  6. shotglass

    shotglass Guest

    Easy to say, but he's the one who must endure the withering stares when he comes in the gym. And he's the one who must deal with the terse no-comments for the rest of the season.

    And he's the one who must cross two more names off his list for the spring formal. ;)

    I think you like one of them like that. :)

    Methinks he doth protest too much.
     
  7. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Seriously, what about that is "cowering?" Sounds just like poor play.
     
  8. kingcreole

    kingcreole Active Member

    Well, of those two girls, one is the best player who I've had a great relationship with. And no Shottie, not in THAT way, but yes she's blazin' (but that's neither here nor there ;))

    And those are just two girls of the 10. There are six I don't know how they feel. Two agreed to talk with me. I would venture a bet that at least five or six of the 10 would have no-commented me too.

    I think it's all going to settle down by the next game, especially if they win.
     
  9. kingcreole

    kingcreole Active Member

    I've done what I can to explain it. Either I'm not doing a good enough job, or something else. The coach thought it was a good description, and at least half a dozen people have told me they too thought it was an accurate description.

    Poor play is one thing if it's a one-time thing. But when it happens almost every time against teams with equal-to-better talent, it's more than just an off-night.
     
  10. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    The point I am trying to make is in your writing you should be precise and descriptive and accurate.

    Just because a handful of people agree with you doesn't make it right.

    And I haven't read your column, but a story saying the team is scared doesn't do much for me.

    Now, if you could get players or the coach to specifically say what they are scared of ("I don't know. This team has beaten us 10 times in a row and we just freeze up." Or "In big games, no one wants to take the shots.") That's different.

    Dumping on a women's juco team doesn't accomplish much, but actually trying to get in their heads and mix in some of your opinion would seem a better way to go.

    You have an advantage over most college beat writers in that I assume that you (at least previously) have tons of access. You should use that.
     
  11. Mystery_Meat

    Mystery_Meat Guest

    A few thoughts:

    There's a subtle but significant difference between commentary and analysis. A good reporter can cooly analyize a team (s)he covers without having it evolve into an opinion piece. Yes, analysis is a branch of the commentary tree, and maybe I've consumed with semiotics, but I think the two are still distinct. It's appropriate for a beat writer to analyize. But to commentate is another side of bacon.

    To shottie and tom petty's point about beat writers being the most equipped to write strong columns: I'd modify that to read that the best columns come from the columnists who think like beat writers. That's the difference between a strong column and a call-in show transcript. But to me it still comes down to the idea that you can't express a public opinion in writing about someone or something you cover, then expect nobody to be suspicious of your motives when you return three days later to write a straight news story.

    I knew an ME at a non-daily who talked about it being okay for reporters to write columns about the things they cover, because they're wearing different hats -- a reporter had and a columnist hat. Okay, fine, but if I tell you to go fuck yourself with an acid-tipped coat hanger while wearing a red hat, then replace it with a blue hat and go "hey bro, wanna grab some wings?" how would you take me? Probably not very seriously.
     
  12. Tom Petty

    Tom Petty Guest

    meat - just a sidebar: i said "most knowledgeable."

    just wanted to be clear about my point.
     
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