Parents ... again

Sorry, where are my manners? My condolences, Calvin.

 

My condolences to you and your family, Calvin.

Ever hear from a marching band parent? They get extra-angry when they hear you laughing.

 

We somehow got roped into covering drill team in our sports section.

Another thing that happened a few years ago was the local church league championship game.

Now there's a push toward community sports.

Does the phrase "can of worms" mean anything to you guys?

 

As an athlete, I was fortunate.

My mother, no matter how batshit crazy she's become since my dad died (cancer, 12 years ago, year and a half battle. Calvin, I wish I could tell you it gets easier but some days it feels like it was just yesterday), was a great sports mom.

She didn't understand sports much and was aware of that. She sat and watched our games and, whenever our names appeared in the paper, she dutifully kept clippings.

As a sports writer, it sounds like I was even more fortunate. I dealt with my fair share of loonies but nothing that you guys have faced.

Wow.

 

At one place I worked, there was a good high school rivalry. One team was blue, the other red. I wasn't a prep writer, but I heard our guys bitching about their parents all the time, and I had to deal with them a few times for various reasons. The parents of these two schools were beyond ridiculous ... the worst I've ever seen, certainly.

I always wanted to say something like ... "Listen, we don't normally talk about these things, but I like you, so here's a secret — you're right, our management hates your blue school. If you notice, our masthead is red. That's not a coincidence, sir."

Sometimes, the best way is to show people exactly how stupid they are. Especially if they're way fucking stupid. Unfortunately, we would get fired for giving these dipshits what they deserve.

The general stupidity in our culture makes me really sad sometimes.

 

I'm sorry, Calvin. When I think of all the family and friend stuff I miss because of work, it makes me sad. Good luck with everything. I can't imagine (and fortunately don't yet know) what that's like.

 

Often -- though not always and not at my place -- some news-side management type will consider this a brilliant idea, "thinking outside the box" and all that crap because, after all, the toy department refuses to get out of its comfort zone.

Former ownership had this roving design expert who was very good at redesigns, but had a tendency to appoint herself publisher for the month she was in town. She could be counted on to get on the "particapatory sports" soap box. We bided our time, she would leave and we went about our business.

 

Holy shit Pern, this happens to me once a month. Smug fucks.

 

Calvin: Check your PMs, buddy.

God bless...

 

what's a furgo?

 

Like a Furby, but more active.

 

I also can't stand the calls about covering a team the day before the article was going to win. It always happens with girls' volleyball around here. It's just not a big sport in our coverage area (we maybe have two or three "good" teams a season and they always get trounced once the state playoffs start), so every year right before the tournament we do a preview, topping it with 15 inches on the best team. Last year we were going to do it on Richkid High with their 18-0 record, but of course, the day before the story ran, we got the "parent militia" sent to us. It was obvious they were all sitting at the game together and they were complaining about the coverage because I got three e-mails and a phone call from the parents wondering why we don't care about their team.

I tell them all that, as luck would have it, the article comes out tomorrow. I just hate them thinking they made me do it. As one parent e-mailed back, "If all it took was an e-mail to get you to do something, I would have done it sooner." No.... no you wouldn't.

I also love the e-mails from parents complaining about our football coverage. We recently EXPANDED our coverage to include a new gameday tab, a magazine suppliment that comes out once every other month with football prominently featured in the fall, six to seven games a Friday night covered - then five on Saturday, plus new football videos and notes on the website exclusive.

So, of course, Monday morning I get some mom e-mailing me about how we used to be good at covering football but we have cut back this year, saying we covered more games last year and other inaccuracies that made me want to punch my fist through my monitor. Of course, four sentences in to the e-mail, "I haven't seen a story on Smalltown High all year and the kids are working really hard".

So, I check the e-mail name and the roster of the team and her son is a WR on the 0-5 Smalltown High team. A team we've also covered twice in 20-point losses. Just get to the point and say "Cover this team more" rather than slagging our coverage - that just gets the e-mail deleted and ridiculed in the office.

In Calvin's case, if it was a LOE, I love nothing more than to run those with a disclaimer at the bottom mentioning how our coverage really is. I keep track of all covered games just for that purpose - to have a letter say one thing and the facts at the bottom.