The frauds among you

Was just reading a thread on my softball board. A story/column ran in a Podunk Press, detailing why the writer was giving up slopitch softball. It was a typical rant of my slopitch playing ilk ... the state of the game, wah; this other guy, wah; and so on.

It's a pitiful read to begin with.

But then the original poster adds this to the conversation:

You just have to know the guy. he thinks he is better than everyone at everything and got lucky to get this job as a sports writer. He been fired from every other job he has had. he basically just made a bunch of stuff up for the paper and called and individual out for no reason. This guy didnt even say "here comes the thunder" Its completely made up.

Why? When good writers and reporters are losing their jobs on a regular basis, people still have the nerve to make shit up?

I just imagine, however, that this hack is too arrogant to realize the damage that is done by assholes like him.

 

Is it spelled slopitch in Canada? Down here, we keep the 'w' in slow.

I think writers who make things up aren't giving any thought to the state of the industry or their effect on it. It's just like dirty cops who don't care about their honest co-workers or slimly lawyers who don't care about their counterparts. It's just all about them and what they can get.

 

Regardless of the status and strength of an industry, there will be lazy people in it. And that laziness permeates their life. They are too lazy to work hard, they are too lazy to see how that will affect others, they are too lazy to look past their own ignorance.

 

"Who's going to know he didn't say this?"

I'm sure that's what goes through some people's heads. I did it for college journalism classes, and I'm sure I'm not alone. I'm sure it's spilled over into the "real world" for some.

 

Jim Rome on Softball Guy still rules:

 

How do you know the reporter really made it up?

I have people try and discredit my reporting all the time. Doesn't mean it's true.

 

The guy who posted the story said he watched the entire game the guy is referencing in his story and nothing of the kind happened.

Here's the story, minus the byline ...

That was the quote that officially ruined slow-pitch softball for me. I wasted nearly 10 hours of my life last Saturday on a softball field in Jackson to battle it out with the ‘big boys’ of softball from the area. I’m not knocking anybody’s talent, or lack there of in some cases, I’m just stating the obvious. These are grown (some artificially grown) men, out there making a name for themselves in front of other men to prove who’s who in the softball community. If you have to take steroids to make a case for yourself on the slow-pitch diamond then I don’t even want to know what measures you go to in order to succeed in the rest of your life.
I was all fine and dandy with playing and I love the game, but when a guy who strolls to the plate with longer hair than my wife, and a handlebar mustache that’s seven different colors of black and gray, and blurts out “Here comes the THUNDER!” that’s my cue to find another hobby.
The tournament was fine, no complaints there. I’m not even calling anybody from the immediate area out, but some of the opponents we faced that day just really summed up what that lifestyle is all about. Here is their objective in a nutshell…
Grab a bat, or in some cases two or three, swing them really hard to show off your fresh ‘tat’ and then spit a nice slop of chew towards the ladies. They obviously love it, because they keep coming back, week in and week out.
Next, strut to the plate like you’re a high-roller, and dig in deep in the box. Twirl the bat a few times and point out towards the fence, a slight tease to the pitcher.
Watch the first pitch because we all know you really would rather walk… Hey, you’ve got to keep your average up right?
On the next pitch, give it a good grunt and hit a hard liner the opposite way, foul of course, to fool the opponent’s defense. That’s your courtesy swing (which in my opinion is the worst rule ever). The next foul is an out, so be prepared, you’ve got some work to do.
The next floater coming in is your pitch… release the THUNDER. Veins are busting through your arms and the growl is under your breath. Ding-dong the pitch is dead. You just took a guy deep on a 300 foot fence. It’s time to head back to the cooler for a swig, your ninth of the day and it is just 10 a.m. Proud of yourself yet? What an example for little Johnny. “I wanna be just like my daddy, gut and all!”
This is the routine for a slow-pitch tourney, and I must say that it’s been quite entertaining to say the least - at least Saturday’s experience was for me. And for years, yes years, I have paid good money to witness the fella stroll in out of the woods, put on a good show for his wife and kids, then get back in the mini-van and head home.
I realized Saturday that this active part of my life should’ve been inactive long before it got this far. I love the guys I’ve been teammates with over the course of my softball ‘career’ but it’s time for a change. I wish I had it videotaped last weekend so when I get the urge again I can remind myself of the ‘good times.’ I even witnessed a small animal, we’ll just call it a cat, because that’s what it was, being used as a skateboarding demonstration. The cat definitely loved being scraped across the concrete dugout floor when it had a ‘wipeout’… it had it written all over its face. Maybe its eyes were bugging out of its head because it was ‘catching some air.’ PETA would’ve had a great time with that one, but boys will be boys right?
Well, the ‘THUNDER’ didn’t happen, but rain sure would’ve been nice. That’s when it’s time to call it a day… when you’re wishing for bad weather. I’m hanging it up, and I’m sure they’ll miss my sub .500 batting average that I’ve been carrying as of late, but Team Redneck Central as I’ll call them ruined my overall softball experience for good I’m afraid. Special thanks go out to my cousin for opening my eyes to the reality that is ‘the softball lifestyle.’ I owe you one. You saved my life and you saved me a ton of money.
I’ll see you next week. Good luck today Podunk. Make the area proud.

 

Funny. Not a mention about hooters bouncing all over the place.

 

this appeared in a newspaper?

 

Where I come from, slimy has only one l, sometimes even an e, but never two l's.
As for slow pitch softball, it has to be a rung lower than youth rhythmic gymnastics. That is a hell unto its own.

 

The overseeing organizations do drop the W from the word up here but I'm failing to see how that's relevant in this thread.

 

The one thing I miss about slowpitch softball is you can cover a 13-12 game in about 45 minutes.