TV sports guys are idiots

True story, from when I was working in a smaller market...

It's a weekend night, and a reporter is filling in for the weekend anchor. The British Open is wrapping up. In the commercial break before sports the news guy says "Hey, when you wrap up I'll say 'Hey Steve, did you know golf originated in Scotland?' and you say 'Yeah, but back then they called it "goff."'" Sports guy says it sounds good.

So, sports ends.

News guy: Hey Steve, did you know golf originated in Scotland?

Sports guy: That's true, but back then they just called it "goff." No "L."

News guy: Wow, I had no idea. We'll be right back!


They go to commercial. Sports guy gets up, starts taking off his microphone.


Sports guy: Hey, that worked pretty well.

News guy: Yeah, but I just made up that "goff" shit.

 

What I find funny, for instance, is say there is an MLB team in first place in July. Sportscaster ends his segment, then this banter:

Newscaster: I'm so excited. If the Bay City Rollers stay in first, they're going to the World Series!

Sportscaster: Uh, actually they have to make it through two rounds of playoffs to make it to the Series, but I understand your excitement.

 

I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't think the complaint is that they work to report something first reported in the paper. I think the "complaint" if you want to call it that, is that they're always just piggy-backing our stuff and never doing any of the reporting themselves. I'm sure that's not the case everywhere, but I can see why some people feel that way.

 

The problem in my area is the morning show people take stories out of our paper and "report" the news almost verbatim out of it.

 

I've seen people damn near get knocked down by that equipment.

It's not right.

 

There's a TV geek from Mobile who chewed me out because I wouldn't let him shove past me to stick his mic into a post-football game scrum. He tried leaning in (was already no elbow room and hard to hear) between me and a local Fox cameraman. We looked at each other and had the same thought -- no way. So we didn't move and he got pissed afterward.
My response "Get there on time, you don't have this problem. Don't expect me to stop what I'm doing to help you, asshole."

 

"If the coaches are giving up, what does that say to the players?"

"Holly, it's not giving up. It's 49-21, sweetheart."

 

They don't care. It's all about them. One of these days somebody is going to throw down with them.

 

during the bowl season, a female tv "journalist" was talking about her favorite team, ND, during the little bullshit session they sometimes have to wrap up the end of the show. the conversation went something like:

anchor: so, have you ever been able to see the fighting irish play in person?
sports person: no, no i haven't.
anchor: why not?
sports person: well bob, i've never had the opportunity to visit the state of illinois.
anchor: oh.

 

And I don't eat meat because I'm a veterinarian...

 

Same problem here, except it's the evening newscasts.

 

Was covering girls state golf championships today. A local was in the lead group and one of two who had a shot of winning.
I kept every detail imaginable on the front nine. Big state paper shows up on the 11th hole around the same time the local TV news. TV guy asks me for the scores. I figure they have work to do, I'll cut him a break. Three holes later, he asks me how they stand. I tell him I have no idea.
I could have told him the score. But he wasn't doing anything. He was there with the female on camera chucklehead and couldn't manage to keep score.
Oh, and the big in-state paper guy asked me what the score was. I made it up. There's no excuse for that.

And tonight, watching the news, all the moron news people got the score wrong. Girl did shoot a 76 (we do one round, for whatever reason), but it wasn't a 5-over. The course is a par 71 for the men, 72 for the ladies.