Horrible New York Times correction?

Any correction is regrettable and it sucks — but if this falls as "horrible" on your scale, I'd like to see what you think of actual horrible corrections. ... The type that make Romenesko and such.

 

I bet none of you have quoted a man who'd been dead for more than two years....

 

Wasn't there an obit of a famous person awhile back that was written by a dead guy? You know how papers often have obits written ahead of time for certain older high-profile types so they can plug them in quickly when that person dies. I seem to recall one of them running with the byline of a writer who had himself passed away before the obit was used.

Am I losing my mind or does anyone else remember that?

 

It seems I remember hearing about that but like you I can't place where I heard it

 

Elizabeth Taylor's obituary, written by Mel Gussow

New York Times Obit Writer for Elizabeth Taylor Died Six Years Ago - Speakeasy - WSJ

 

Thank you. I feel better now.

 

Was that supposed to be in blue font? How he supposed to recognize players who come into town once a year, at most.

I used to cover NHL and visiting team writers and team PR staff were usually helpful in IDing guys, especially the rookie who scored his first goal or the third-liner who had a strong game.

 

Settle down, Beavis. If he's anything like me, I'm sure he knew names, positions and favorite foods but didn't necessarily spend an hour staring at the Lions media guide like Liam Neeson on the plane to Paris in "Taken," burning their faces into his brain so he'd recognize them on sight.
Shoot, I cover a handful of high schools for a living and there's people I have to remind myself who they are when I see them in the wild, without a jersey on.

 

Another obit writer dead before the obit's subject: Red Smith, died January '82, on Jack Dempsey, died June '83....also in the Times.

 

Doing an American Legion ball preview one summer, called one player by his brother's name. The brother had played for the same team before. Alas, I fed the story to a paper in our chain in the player's hometown, and no one caught it except the editor, when it was too late. When she called, I told her, "I've known that family for years, when we see each other at the ballgame, we'll probably both have a good laugh." And, we did.

 

You don't have to burn faces into memory, but you could pick out one or two guys before you go into the locker room instead of shuffling around like a mope asking "talk about" questions and then bothering other reporters with "Hey, who was that guy?" But that's just me. To each their own.