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I was correct afterall :)

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by flexmaster33, Oct 2, 2010.

  1. flexmaster33

    flexmaster33 Well-Known Member

    We run a football pick'em contest for readers each week, and have our sports staff select winners in our "Expert picks", which always gets a big read...I hear about it every where I go. It's intended just to be a fun thing, and we treat it as such.

    Anyway last night's game matched two unbeaten teams at the top of the conference. I chose Podunk High as the winner and ended up standing on the sidelines of Smith High to cover the game (I always stand on the visitors side and follow the chain gang).

    So Smith High gets out to a 27-7 lead early in the second half and I'm hearing all these anonymous comments coming from players behind me and get a few dads offering some good-natured teasing about how I really blew it this week.

    Low and behold (can I still us that phrase), Podunk High scores four straight TDs in the last 12 minutes to win the game and prove me to be a brilliant prep sports predictor...I'll hand it to one dad who sought me out afterward to say "I guess you were right afterall" :)
     
  2. reformedhack

    reformedhack Well-Known Member

    Only if you spell it correctly ... it's "lo." (It's also "use" and "after all" but that's a different subject.) :)

    P.S. -- Congrats on the win.
     
  3. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    My last paper, very high school-heavy, didn't do picks. I thought that was a missed opportunity. People eat that stuff up.
     
  4. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    My first paper, I did picks. I sucked at it. Thankfully there was a big gap in the haves and have nots among the teams we covered.
     
  5. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    At my first full-time job, we had a guy at the sister paper who did picks. The problem was he would often make obnoxious comments in them and he wrote it anonymously, so we all got shit for his comments.

    One time he really ticked off one of his local teams. Of course, I get stuck covering them that week because they were playing one of ours. This leads to some idiot assistant coach for the picks guy's local team screaming at me. Another assistant is actually pulling him away, but glaring at me.

    Good times.
     
  6. I Should Coco

    I Should Coco Well-Known Member

    Glad to see I'm not alone in this technique. It helps to keep track of down/distance/yard line, especially on muddy and poorly-lined high school fields. Plus, you always meet some real characters on the chain gang.

    Congrats on the winning picks, too.
     
  7. apeman33

    apeman33 Well-Known Member

    I've had people suggest to me that I should have a local panel of "experts" along with myself making picks every week.

    I point to two things as to why I won't:
    1) A neighboring paper west of me makes picks. The sports editor always picks the local team to win, even when they suck. I think it makes her a homer.
    2) I've spent 15 years convincing people that I'm neutral. Making picks would, to me, make me appear biased one way or the other.
     
  8. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    I hate picks. I'll give Corso credit for making them fun on GameDay, but unless the guy who finishes last gets the boot at the end of the year - they are a waste of time.
    I'd much rather see a capsule saying: Team A will win if they....; Team B will win if they....."
     
  9. zebracoy

    zebracoy Guest

    Picks make you unbiased. Now, all of a sudden, you appear to have a rooting interest, even if you don't.

    And if you're wrong, and you're on the record, there goes your credibility. Instantly.

    No thanks.
     
  10. I used to do picks on my blog, and I was actually surprised at how well I did through most of last season, but the whole time I hated it. I never had any complaints, at least that I heard, but I just felt so dirty doing it. We all know our picks can simply be unbiased and educated guesses, but a lot of readers think that's what we'd like to happen rather than what we think will happen.
     
  11. writingump

    writingump Member

    I do picks on the website for which I write, but hate it. I do think people's perception is what you pick is what you root for, and I would personally not care one bit if we never picked another game again. I do think it can create awkward and hostile situations such as the one outofplace described.
     
  12. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    There is no redeeming value, absolutely none, in picking high school games.
     
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