So, our paper isn't going to remake for Bonds' 756th...is yours?

We may or may not have it. I have no idea. I'm just a lowly writer who has no say. But I can say that we've rarely torn up a front for national. It's been made pretty clear to us that the paper doesn't revolved around the sports section.

 

At least the Giants had the decency to take Bonds out after 7 innings last night. ... Can you imagine if Bonds hit 756 in extra innings, long past 1 a.m. on the East Coast?

 

No remake here.

 

Due to a production agreement, our paper is printed by our sister paper. We can't chance front page color after 9 p.m. Eastern unless our managing editor (or editor in chief) calls to request it and their managing editor (or editor in chief) gives the ok. Plus with earlier deadlines (since the paper is being printed about an hour away) if he hits it after 11:30, it's not getting in at all. For No. 755 we were lucky we were able to get a lift/replate so we could get a story about it on page 1 of sports and a teaser (no photo) on A1.

 

We have a front page centerpiece ready to slap on the page as soon as he does it. Even if it's at 1 a.m., we make the switch and get it in as many papers as possible. If it were just about anyone but Bonds, there wouldn't be a question here, and it's a shame it's come to this point for one of the greatest records in sports.

 

we pretty much have to. Right now, we're just hoping he does it in the first half of the game.

 

I've been giving Bonds 3 or 4 at-bats a night to do it. With a 12:30 a.m. EST deadline, I'm fairly flexible and will remake front if it comes down to it. I'll rearrange, but won't cut local copy however.

 

Funny, filing in on the sports desk and this baby lands in my lap.
I designed a skeleton cover with a big head, just plug in the story and pic and its basically good to go.
But of course there's the "real" cover, with a Giants gamer stripped on top as long as he sits on 755 and our local centerpiece and other local/wire copy.
If he hits it, it creates a "fun" problem being a PM and waiting for all that optional copy which I hope to get by 2:30 a.m. EDT. Hope is the key word.
I'm not even going to get into jumps if he hits it.
I have a hunch tonight's the night.

 

The sad thing is, in this day of "Local, Local, Local" a lot of smaller papers don't have the luxury of putting Bonds anywhere. We will hold for his first three at-bats here in the central time zone, but if he doesn't before then, to bad. Publishers and the like don't give a damn about records or anything newsworthy, they care about papers getting out and money coming in.

 

Time to get busy, busy, busy

 

Seeing as though he did it before deadline... We got it.