Today's screwy sportsdesk call

Oh, yeah, this guy clearly has cash riding. It's always different games, different teams.

I've been tempted to give him bad scores. Very tempted.

 

I don't mind the drunk bar bets either...some of them are fun. You hear things like this:

"Hey my buddy and I have a bet. Who hold the record for points in a season? I say it's John Doe. He says it's Joe Schmoe."
"You're buddy is right, it's Schmoe. Sorry man."

"okay thanks man.....(then right before he hangs up) ....see man they said it was Doe."

We don't even try anymore, we just make crap up half the time if they don't give us choices, or agree with the caller if they do.

The ones I'm starting to hate are the ones you know aren't reading the paper. "What time does do the Yankees play tonight?" that's when i say hold on one moment. put the phone down and continue doing whatever the heck i was doing before they called. then about 5 minutes later if they havent hung up yet "well according to page 2 of today's paper and also page 3....looks like 6 p.m."

 

Here's an all-time great, from a thread on the J-board:
http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/posts/1829455/

 

Me: Sports, how can I help you?
Caller: Where's the coverage of the NHL Finals? I see coverage of other pro sports teams on the front page, where's hockey?
Me (desker at paper far from an NHL team): Well, we don't really have a team in our area, and it's kind of out of my control.
Caller: Does the Daily Bugle care about hockey?
Me: Yes, but we have other major local sports going on right now, too.
Caller: I just renewed my subscription!
Me: Uh... thanks.

I can't remember what else he said after that, but luckily I had another call come in.

 

One Saturday night lo these many years ago, a fairly slow to catch on fella who worked at the grocery store across the street calls in wanting to the know the score of a football game.
Our veteran in the shop at the time asks, "Jeff, aren't you watching it?"
Turns out "Jeff," the bagger, was watching TV but was watching a movie and didn't want to have to turn the channel to check the score.

At my last shop, we'd invariably get the call from some guy wanting to know the starting QB at some high school in 1970. It would always be me and a couple of our copy editors.
I'd have to tell them, frankly, we don't know. I'm not from here. I went to high school 300 miles away, and I couldn't tell you who the starting quarterback at my alma mater was when I was 3 years old. One of our desk people isn't from here either and the other doesn't know either (she was very talented but not much crazy about sports, unless it was Dale Jr., then she was all fired up).

 

This reminds me of a story. One of my friends works for technical support for cable companies. (She told me if they took a shot for every idiot that called, they'd all be trashed by their first break.) One night, someone called up there and said that her cable wasn't working. She had the cable box on and could see the channels changing, but nothing was happening.

My friend was like, "Okay, is your TV on?" Customer: "Oh.....no."

 

At the Sun, we had a regular caller who was ... er ... developmentally delayed. We entertained him when we had time.

Without fail, he would call us on game night: Can you tell me what the score of the Flames game is?

Us: Uh, we can hear the game on in the background, can't you just look at the TV?

He liked to tell us about his girlfriend and his floor-hockey tournaments.

Of course, then the Flames went to pay-per-view for 10 or so games of the schedule and every idiot on the street would call us and say 'hey, what's the score?'

My SE, who was always very intense, but in a lovable way, would say, 'If I tell you, you won't buy a paper in the morning,' and then slam the phone down.

 

Floor hockey?

 

If the guy was developmentally disabled, he probably played what they call "Adapted floor hockey." it's actually a high school sport in Minnesota, along with adapted bowling, softball and soccer...

I know it sounds awful, but to those kids, it is THE WORLD. It's their Friday Night Lights, and it's pretty awesome to cover, especially at the state tournament. Last year, the team I cover lost in the finals and the kids were crying like someone killed their dog in front of them.

I cover it just like I would a regular hockey, football or basketball game. I wish more states had it, but as far as I know, Minnesota is the only one.

 

I've seen and played floor hockey ... used to think I was a damned good goalie (no pads, just a mask and a glove) in college too. Until we played the club ice hockey team and my teammates decided they didn't want to block any shots. Never had so many welts along my arms and legs in my life. Think we stopped the fight about 5 minutes in after going down 8-0 or so.
But I gotta ask, what is "adapted" floor hockey?

 

Please tell me you stuck a recorder right in their face.

 

Sled hockey, I believe.

They play it in the Paralympics (someone correct me if I'm wrong).