In-house criticism

Two weeks ago, I got a scathing e-mail from someone in our circ department; he's a fan of the local NFL squad and felt that my bearish column (borrowing an economic phrase) on said squad was B.S. So I got the whole nine from this guy - how could I say what I said, did I watch the same game, how could I be so negative about their offense which put up big numbers (which neglected the fact they had a couple of big plays and were garbage inside the 20), how everybody was laughing at me and he was too, how I pulled the same stuff last year and it's starting all over again.

Best yet, it was unsigned, sent from a personal e-mail account. I know who it was because I'd had more rational discussions with this same person last year; he always CC'd the same group of people and he did so on the last one. Plus I asked one of those people. I just did what I'd do if the e-mail came from someone I didn't know - I ignored it.

So today there's a new batch of e-mails waiting, all CC'd to the same people, plus a few new folks and our SE. He wants to know where my negative column was (we don't travel), guesses about possible topics I would've written about, then surmises that I'm saving all my ammo because this team plays my once-favorite team next week. More goodness: He can't wait to see what I have in next Monday's paper (again, ignoring the fact that we don't travel and this too will be an away game), why I can't be more supportive, how his grandparents cancelled their subscription because of it. I am happy to note that my SE was kind enough to write back that, essentially, he is in no position to question my credibility and that an immediate apology is necessary. He did later apologize.

But the e-mails are getting tiresome. I fully expect that from the public; I'm happy to respond to any complaints, so long as they're rational and not insulting. Clearly, this is not the case, and it does grate me more than usual coming from someone working at the same place. Am I just better off deleting them as soon as they arrive? Anyone have a better idea?

And, having a feeling what's coming, you should know I won't be upper-decking him.

 

I would respond saying thanks for reading (and in the future any complaint year hear from the public or from neighbors or people accidentally calling sports about circulation problems I would send directly to him.)

 

Huss, it sounds like the circ dude is a unabashed fanboi. Nothing short of writing "The Local 47 Is Going To Win The Super Bowl" is going to appease that idiot. So the only thing you can do is delete the e-mails.

 

don't waste your time with a response. it'll get you nowhere

 

Yup... and if you don't get the paper the right way, 4 a.m. is an excellent time to call him at home...

 

Have your boss upper deck him.

 

If you've talked about it once or more than once, I have to fall on the side of "hit the delete key."

You can't win by continuing a dialogue where neither party is going to budge.

 

That would be awesome.

 

He's a fanboi, but he's also an employee who's ripping Hustle in an e-mail to his boss. It's inappropriate behavior. Hustle has good reason to be pissed.

 

Email him back and tell him instead of worrying about your job, he should be figuring out ways to keep your circulation from dropping so you all have jobs next year.

 

I tried that once with an ad sales guy. Didn't work too well.

Explain what's up to your SE and let him talk with the guy's boss. Otherwise it will deteriorate into a bad situation.