'I Covered the Braves for a newspaper that didn't exist'

I left the sportswriting business a few years back, but I remember getting those requests all the time. The other day, I was talking with a friend of mine who's coming to my area for the college football national championship game. He wants to get together dinner and a beer while he's in town. I jokingly said, "Hey, get me a credential and I'll be your spotter."

He thought I was serious.

Truth of the matter is, I'd much rather be anywhere other than at a major sporting event. Too bad most folks don't realize the best seat in the house is their living room sofa.

 

Sorry I wasn't clear about that.

I got a promotion that allowed me to write whatever the hell I wanted about hockey and another writer took my place to cover the local hockey team. The media coordinator for the club was happy to give the guy a season press laminate and I went on my merry way to cover things like the retirement of the last active former Nordique and the anniversary of Harvey the Hound losing his tongue in a skirmish with Craig MacTavish. Some time around mid-season break, an editor asked me if I knew if T. was still in the press box at B-stone. He mentioned that he hadn't heard from him since pre-season. I checked the social media accounts of some of the other denizens of my former/his row in the press box. T. was in almost every group picture for every home game.

Editor had the same idea, saw T. had his happy ass up there just to watch hockey and hang around because he considered them "his family" or some such nonsense, and based on the fact that we both live in Nashville, ordered me to to go tell him to get to work.

I gave T. a heads up that he needed to, oh, I don't know, actually think of something entertaining to write about the Predators and then stayed as far away from that situation as I could.

 

Truer words were never spoken when it comes to watching a game. HST had the right idea when he told his overlords he wanted subscriptions to premium cable feeds.

 

Yeah, I've had similar questions asked of me. Perhaps I'm just so used to the experience that I don't value the experience like a fan would. Still, I never wanted to do that when I was a fan anyway. And if I quit in the near future, I sure as hell won't anytime soon. I don't think there's a sports figure on the planet, or person for that matter, that could make me a act like a fanboy.

 

Great story. Thanks for sharing. I remember the days of stringing for three different papers one high school football game every Friday to the Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-T, and the Arlington paper. I'd make $275 for 3-4 paragraphs and a boxscore and it took me all of about 15 minutes. That's how I managed to survive on $6.25 an hour my first 16 months in the biz.

 

I triple-dipped on my first high school football story. Got paid by the Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Waco Tribune-Herald when a Fort Worth team played in Waco.

 

Did a bit of double-dipping in my day. Don't know if I ever triple dipped.

 

I doubled a ton, never tripled. Anyone ever change up things just enough? One time, fairly early on in my career, I pretty much did a word-for-word with two and one of my friends also in the biz questioned me on it. It was also early internet and that's how he saw both but it wasn't common yet for people to go crazy looking for every bit of info, especially on a random high school game. After that I never did the same "exact" story when covering something for more than one.

 

When I double dipped, I'd tweak the lead for each paper and move quotes around, or use different ones.

The game narrative remained the same.

 

I was the only person in my area for a stretch of time who prodded (annoyed?) editors at multiple papers for work. District tournament season paid for my Christmas.

 

I worked a college baseball regional a few years ago and was covering all four teams for at least one paper and the host team for two. I made a good chunk of change, but was fucking exhausted by the time it was over.

 

I did one of those regionals once and between my various assignments covered every game.