Stat stealers

Never minded fans or parents looking over my shoulder at boxscore printouts, but I quickly learned to hate the ones who simply took the sheet if I made the mistake of turning my back to them.

Same here, on both counts. The same fatass who several times ripped my stories off our web site only took pictures at games, not play-by-play (or indeed, even enough info so he could figure out what his pics actually showed later). I'd be juggling my notebook and an SLR rig while fat boy would ask me for stats. The concept of getting them himself apparently never occurred to him.

 

I've done high school football games (and minor league indoor football) with a guy who works for our competition. Guy used to work at my shop before I got there, actually.

We actually help each other out at games. We've been known to get quotes from different people (for example, he might get the home coach and I might get the visiting team coach) and then we'd feed each other quotes. Then again, he's a good guy.

 

I never had a problem with someone looking over my shoulder or asking me for a stat. Now, if someone had taken my sheet, I'd have been pissed. But never had that happen either.

And we're generally cool with giving other papers information as long as they're willing to help us out too.

 

If these are the kind of problems that keep you up at night, you're going to be downing 25 rolls of Rolaids a week before you hit 30 and maybe you should consider another career.

Seriously. I've worked in several markets and have always called other papers to get a box on a local team playing in their area, and vice-versa, we were glad to help out. These included papers whose coverage areas overlapped ours. So what! It's a frigging high school box score!

As for the fans wanting box score info, big whoop. There are hundreds of worse things to get your panties in a wad about in this business.

 

I have at times, when there are extra stats sheets, etc., on hand, handed them to fans seated nearby. Good PR. Humanizes us. What's the big deal about that? But I have also told fans to get the fuck out of my face when they're trying to bother me on deadline. And I also get pissed off when they grab for stats sheets at the press table without asking.

 

I'll share my stats with fans if they ask - as long as they understand I can't really answer while the game is going on.

Rare is the time when I'll share my numbers with another paper. With our direct competitor, we assist each other in compiling stats and I've helped them when I didn't think it was that big of a deal (BigPern, you might want tell you No. 2 man to get his 'Towns straight ...) but if someone at a rival paper asked me for total rebounds when he or she was there from the start of the game, I'm not giving that up. Keep your own stats.

In fact, one of favorite things to do is give the others guys bogus numbers. If all you're going to do is keep track of who scores each bucket while I'm getting possessions, shots, baskets, o and d rebounds, assists, turnovers, blocks and steals, you can bet your ass I'm giving you misinformation - unless you're going to give me credit in print.

 

We have a good working relationship with our competitors. We trade box scores and scores when it is needed. I'll give info out to help out, in 7 years I don't think the sides have abused it.

If one coach calls you and he forgets to call the other paper, it's not like you got some big scoop there. We'll share info and make sure our coverage is exhaustive. Trust me, a good working relationship (at least at the prep level) really helps.

Obviously there is no help on stories or any type of info. But,if it is just a simple coach call in, I don't really find that really guarded and secret information.

 

Bingo. We have a good working relationship with a lot of our competitors when it comes to box scores, especially stuff that has a team of fringe interest playing a team of heavy local interest to another paper and we don't get that call. Usually, if I have to make a call to one paper, I make sure to try to give them something in exchange during that call to make it up to them (and make sure we're both benefiting).

When it comes to stats in the press box - How long was Jones' catch? Where did Smith hit that ball, left or center? - I'll ask someone if I miss it. I've never had a problem. And while I do feel bad about missing a play, it's usually because I'm so deep in writing my story that it's excused (and plus, being slightly obsessive compulsive means my notes have to be perfect).

The only problem I've had as of late are the local TV stations that call in at the peak hour and ask for a score. More often than not, I'll say I don't have it - and turn the tables on them by asking them for scores, which I know they don't have. I understand the early deadlines, etc., but phone time is often at a premium, and I don't have the time to go through my files and look for the score of a game between two small schools when I have other phones ringing off the hook.

 

Trading call-ins with nearby papers is OK, as long as it's a two-way street.
But damn if I hate those people who reach over the rail and take the printed stats right from my stuff. Then you ask the SID or one of their minions why security isn't stopping those fans and all you get is: "Well, we'll get you another copy. If they let the fans take stats, will they stop them from snagging my laptop? And worse than that, will they get me another copy of my laptop when some fan exits the arena with it?
Incompetent SIDepts. suck.

 

I don't have a problem with letting fans glance at stats, especially when it's a printed off box, but the closer it is to deadline the more I get annoyed with it. At halftime I don't care if someone asks to see a box, right after the game, cool. While I'm working, not cool.

I'm like zebracoy in the pressbox. I'll sometimes ask how long a play was or who made a tackle to double check. I don't mind asking because usually the person I ask will have a few plays where I'll be able to help them out.

What annoys me is when fans ask to use your computer or want you to look up a score for them. If I have a gamecast open or a scoreboard I'll share. This weekend I was at a high school state tournament and a women asked to use my computer. I said no and she got upset. I told her I was on deadline and needed to finish my story before the next game started. She gave me an angry look when I said I was on deadline even though it was in the afternoon.

 

I'm usually very cordial with in-game score updates from fans. I'll pass box score sheets into the crowd after I finish with them if I'm not needing them. Except one night last week, when a parent was asking for the stats of three players midway through the fourth quarter of a very, very close game. I gave her one and after she said "what about xxx and yyy?" I nicely told her to come back after the game. When she did, she apologized and said something to the effect of that she should've realized that I was working at the moment. That made me feel good.

 

I do the same thing -- but only if it's really a hit.