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Here's a quickie

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by FireJimTressel.com, Jul 14, 2006.

  1. You're covering a local golf tournament - be it a high school tourney or a city tourney - and someone in the group you're walking with loses a ball. Is it OK for a sports reporter to help that person look for the ball?
     
  2. DyePack

    DyePack New Member

    No, but it is OK to kick it farther into the rough.
     
  3. Especially if that guy's opponent would be a better story, eh DP?
     
  4. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    I don't see a problem with it. Fans will help the golfer find the ball anyway. If the rules stated that only the participants could look for it, I'd have an issue with it. But that's not the case.
     
  5. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    This actually happened to me last weekend. I found the ball under a branch, way away from where they were looking for it, and didn't even think about not telling them. Of course, it was a scramble so they weren't using that shot anyway, but still...
     
  6. Hank_Scorpio

    Hank_Scorpio Active Member

    I don't have a problem with it either. It'd be like if the ball came to rest 15 feet from where you were standing, you'd point it out.
     
  7. John

    John Well-Known Member

    I know it's the nice thing to do, but aren't you potentially affecting the outcome of the event?

    By finding a ball that might otherwise not be found, you just saved the guy a couple of strokes.
     
  8. Mystery_Meat

    Mystery_Meat Guest

    We're not supposed to affect the outcome of an event, but helping find a missing ball doesn't fall under that heading. Unless we're talking John Kruk ...
     
  9. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    Not really. Again, anyone else on the course (fans, rangers, officials, etc.) would help the player find the ball. I just covered three days of match play, and the opponents were helpful to each other in finding balls. It's a courtesy. Even if you find the ball when they can't, it's likely going to be in a bad place (deep rough, behind a tree, etc.), so it'll be like a penalty anyway.
     
  10. Overrated

    Overrated Guest

    I'd just half-ass it and if I happened to see the ball, I'd point it out.
     
  11. 85bears

    85bears Member

    Ask Michael Bamberger.
     
  12. Cosmo

    Cosmo Well-Known Member

    Definitely, though, it's not your place to point out rules violations. That's up to the players. Helping to find the ball is innocent enough, but as Bamberger found out, you shouldn't tattle to rules officials that a player was doing something wrong. Now if you just report on it, well, you did see it ...
     
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