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!

Embarrassing

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Comma Chameleon, Jun 6, 2008.

  1. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    This reminds me of Mizzou's famous post back in the day, I believe it was: "If cheerleading is a sport, then most beat writers in the SEC are athletes."
     
  2. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    Ha! I'd forgotten about that. It did make me laugh (and cry) at the time.
     
  3. JackReacher

    JackReacher Well-Known Member

    Solid. Damn solid.
     
  4. MacDaddy

    MacDaddy Active Member

    [​IMG]

    Yes, commissioner!
     
  5. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    yes, you should be. welcome to foofdom.

    the stuff on commissioners is classic, too. crap, imagine interviewing springsteen and calling him "mr. springsteen" or "boss." these are SPORTS FIGURES, for cryin' out loud, fanbois loosers.

    commisioner goodell is "roger." commissioner stern is "david." commissioner selig is "bud." the commissioner of the nhl is whatever the heck his first name is. geez, it's not as if you're addressing them as, "hey, a--hole."
     
  6. finishthehat

    finishthehat Active Member

    As with the "Get a Brain Morans" guy, I wonder if these folks are aware of their Internet celebrity.
     
  7. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Shockey, I normally agree with you.
    But calling a commish "commissioner" is a simple, common courtesy. I don't know Roger Goodell. I'm not going to call him Roger. It's like calling a Colonel "Colonel" or a General "General" or a police chief "Chief (name)."

    It's a title. It doesn't make you a fanboi to use it. And being a reporter doesn't excuse one from using common courtesy.
     
  8. chilidog75

    chilidog75 Member

    Bobby Bowden was 50 years older than me at the time (well, he still is I guess) and I didn't feel comfortable calling him "Bobby." If that makes me a fanboi, so be it. Like I said though, I certainly wasn't the only one in the presser calling him "Coach."
    Just like if I somehow, someway was in a room with John Wooden, I don't think I would say "Hey, John. Got a second?"
    It would be "Coach Wooden" or "Mr. Wooden."
    I thought that was called being respectful of your elders, instead it turns out I'm an embarassment.
    Damn.
    That sucks.
     
  9. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    agree to disagree, i suppose. i simply don't find using a non-elected (by the public) official's first name as "disrespectful." never have, never will.

    would you call a GM of a team "GM?" or "Mr. GM?" i've ALWAYS called them by their first name, while being sure to ALWAYS behave respectfully.

    same thing with team owners. sorry, these are all just people like myself. i've never understood the ring-kissing. to each his own, i suppose.
     
  10. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    I call every adult I don't know socially by a title - business and non-business - until they tell me otherwise. Brought up that way. My kids are the same. They call someone Mr., Mrs., Dr., Whatever until that person tells them to use something else.
    So I would indeed address a GM as Mr. Schuerholz or whatever. An owner as Mr. Whatever.
     
  11. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    with an age difference like with wooden, who's been retired forever, i'd agree i'd first address him as "mr. wooden." when he was an active coach, however, i still sould've called him "john." just as i'd call bowden as "bobby" today.

    i'm sure several of you see this as a fine line i'm straddling, but it's worked just fine for me over 28 years. no coach or commissioner has EVER looked at me crosseyed for not addressing him by his title or job description.

    i simply contend folks in the biz walk on eggshells around the people we cover unnecessarily, as long as we work hard and with respect. to me, respect is conveyed by how you conduct yourself when talking to them, not by their job title. i'm not "reporter shockey." i'm shockey.

    i'll be 51 in two days. we have kids at our paper who are 22. if they called me "mr. shockey," i'd shoot 'em.
     
  12. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    They'd best call you Mr. Shockey once. Then you say something like, "Aw, that's my dad. Call me The Shockster."

    My line was always "It's Mike (and the answer)" to any of the youngsters who used Mr. Harris.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page