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Does this irk anybody else about preps coverage?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by spud, Dec 30, 2008.

  1. I remember covering a HS baseball team that overachieved mightily all year long and made it to the regionals on smoke, mirrors, two hot pitchers and great defense.

    Unfortunately, the move-in shortstop who played so well all year long committed two errors, both costly. From where I'm sitting in the open-air press box, I can hear parents complaining about him. Of course, I never heard a peep when the catcher threw the ball into center field on a double steal attempt, or the cleanup hitter failing to drive in runs in two crucial ABs, because those were their kids. Coach went before the media postgame and said, basically, we won as a team and we lost as a team.

    A day after writing my gamer, I wrote a wrapup analysis and pointed out how that team never gets that far without that shortstop (I also credited some other key players -- it wasn't a whitewash).

    Coach called me and thanked me. Oh, and the shortstop ended up playing major college ball, only one on that team who did.

    I just realized -- did I cost the other kids their scholarships? Or did I get the shortstop his? ;D
     
  2. BB Bobcat

    BB Bobcat Active Member

    I remember writing about a kid who made a big error in a HS baseball game . Now that kid is a MLB PR guy and he never lets me forget it when I see him in a pressbox.

    As said, the example above is an example of what you can't do on preps. Write the facts, of course, but keep out the snide comments.
     
  3. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    It's crap like this that has me on the verge of giving up preps altogether, forever.
     
  4. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    Prep writing is a balancing act. You're not going to please everyone. I wrote a Legion ball story where the pitcher got into it with the ump, who yelled back at the pitcher (which I quoted) and the pitcher gives up a home run on the next pitch.

    It pissed the kid's teammates parent more than his own.
     
  5. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    Um, it was 72-7, and the losers were scoreless in the second half. I was there.I remember it. That was the game that prompted me to write the column on the virtue of a "mercy rule" similar to the 10-run rule in little league.

    I remember my lede.... "If Tuesday's game between perennial power (Insert name) and (insert name) was a boxing match, they would have stopped it. At the weigh in."
     
  6. daytonadan1983

    daytonadan1983 Well-Known Member

    Three stories I'd like to share

    1) Once had a district soccer game where a bad team was ending its season against a very good team. At the end of a 5-0 game, two players kicked the ball into their own goal -- it's now a 7-0 game and took off their shirts and acted like asses. Of course I put their names in the article. The athletic director thanked me.

    2) Regarding sitting through bad girls basketball. I had one of those 39-31 slobberknockers the other night. The team that scored 31 was averaging 55 a game and the leading scorer was held to two field goals. The coach of the 3-5 team that scored 39 broke down why his freshman power forward played great defense. Turned out to be a good write.

    3) Once had to write a feature at a scrimmage for a summer league team going to state. Coach let me hang around the dugout and picked up that his best hitter was having trouble on 0-2 counts. He got two hits on 0-2 counts during the scrimmage, so I ran with that. Player's dad was kinda perturbed, because of his son's admitted ``struggle.'' Coach loved it. Player got a big 0-2 hit during the tournament.
     
  7. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Who doesn't have trouble on 0-2 counts?
     
  8. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    You can't do that! How dare you glorify a freshman? The seniors have worked hard for four years and the coach has no right to bench them! Their sacrifice must be honored! You're in the coach's pocket anyway! I'll talk to the publisher when I see him at Rotary on Wednesday and you'll get what's coming to you!
     
  9. daytonadan1983

    daytonadan1983 Well-Known Member

    The coach did, not me.

    Might I suggest DeCaf?
     
  10. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    facepalm.jpg

    I didn't think the blue type would be necessary. I was wrong.
     
  11. txsportsscribe

    txsportsscribe Active Member

    you only cover us when we kick the ball on the roof
     
  12. spud

    spud Member

    I guess to clarify, I don't shy away from telling the "story" if the game sucks. If a team's bad, I'll tell it that way.

    But my editors continually get after me for calling out specific players. If a kid, who's the leader of the team, is awful for a game and completely disappears, should I include the quote from the coach railing on the kid (all on record, mind you) or remove it and just tell, sans quote and "piling on," or what have you, that he was ineffective?
     
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