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Last night was the first Friday in seven years I had no calls to take . . . . .

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Piotr Rasputin, Sep 1, 2007.

  1. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    Indeed, I missed the camaraderie of the Friday night, the adrenaline rush, the friendships with co-workers, the satisfaction of a job well done.

    But . . . . . . as for the rest . . . . .

    No scores to track down, no writeups to do.

    No dealing with statboy hangers-on, long since out of high school, calling in and trying to squeeze in every defensive player who had a tackle in a 70-0 game.

    No losing coaches failing to call in their scores and forcing us to track them down.

    No groups of dork alums in their early to mid-20s calling to find out if their powerhouse team did indeed beat the hell out of the pansy they played, then celebrating madly over the phone when I told them the score.

    No "fans" calling for the scores, prompting me to want to remind them that if they really cared about the kids, they should blow the five bucks and attend the damn game.

    No older fans taking a break from trying to survive until their next proper bowel movement to call us on deadline looking for the score, then asking "to speak to your supervisor!!" when we know their favorite team won big, but we don't have the score in front of us and we can't look it up because WE'RE ON F#$%ING DEADLINE.

    No Friday night phoneboys taking at least 20 minutes to take each call while discussing football and the players at length with a coach or statboy who calls in.

    No on-deadline loud conversations started by the freelancers coming in from their games and acting like they just saw the greatest game ever. STFU and help with phones, or leave.

    No mommies calling the following Monday to let us know that their little sophomore boy ran for 45 yards on 15 carries Friday night in garbage action in a game that had long since been decided, and why didn't we write about him?

    No management responding to that call by mandating a 10-inch feature to lead the weekly notebook, which has 50 inches to cover as many schools.

    No idiot fans calling the paper and asking the Managing Editor (!!!!!) and wondering why we didn't cover local powerhouse's 50-point win the previous Friday, followed by the dude mandating that we waste some of our already depleted manpower to cover that team every week, no matter where they are.

    No dreading the aftermath of the following Friday, when those who would ruin our coverage (AKA "readers who are fans of their own high school team because their kid is a third-string wideout") pick up the phone and dial with righteous indignation from their office buildings where they make more than double what we pull in to listen to their BS.

    Etc.

    Words cannot describe how good it feels. I just tried, but I think you all know what I mean.

    Hell yes, it felt great. And will every Friday this fall.
     
  2. Would you like a few of us to call you for old time's sake?
     
  3. zeke12

    zeke12 Guest

    Just wait until you see that typo in West Bumblefuck's box.
     
  4. WHERE THE HELL'S MY KID'S (BURP) GAME?"
     
  5. wickedwritah

    wickedwritah Guest

    Wow, how did you last in this business for so long?

    Friday nights are the ultimate rush: in making deadline, in busting your ass to make deadline, in the challenge of cranking out your 40-line story before the 10 p.m. one-star.
     
  6. So what are you doing now? I assume/hope it's not customer service ...

    "I already told you: I deal with the goddamned customers so the engineers don't have to. I have people skills. I am good at dealing with people." [/Smykowski]
     
  7. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    Indeed, the first part of my post mentioned that part of it. Of course, I have found that there are other ways, other sports, other venues that provide that same deadline-writing rush without the list of shame I typed above.

    I stand by the rest.
     
  8. joe

    joe Active Member

    Re: Last night was the first Friday in seven years I had no calls to take . . .

    The Friday night rush was always followed by the Friday night drink as much as we can until the bar closed an hour later rush. Fucking 1:30 a.m. closing times.
     
  9. FishHack76

    FishHack76 Active Member

    That's a candidate for Post of the Year
     
  10. joe

    joe Active Member

    As long as we make $900 one night and $625 the next night, I'm in.
     
  11. Angola!

    Angola! Guest

    Re: Last night was the first Friday in seven years I had no calls to take . . .

    That's why you have house parties. We drink until 5 a.m. and do it all over again next Friday.
     
  12. fishwrapper

    fishwrapper Active Member

    They used to close at 3 in Chicago. Found a place where he would hold it till 4.
    Man, those were long mornings.
     
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