Unhappy preps

Ace was right about his assertion that before we just tell people to slag off, to maybe try reasoning or see if there's actually something there. I had a local church league basketball team call me up asking for a story. My first instinct was to tell them to hit the road. But after asking two questions, I realized there was a story there.

This church team hadn't lost a game since like 1977. And a large majority of current players (not to mention several former players) were also players on the local high school basketball team, which by itself was pretty damned good.

In all, for a community newspaper, it was a nice story that gave some coverage to a group which usually doesn't even get listed in the community calendar.

 

It's hard to win this argument. I've always tried to be professional as much as possible. There's nothing good that comes out of it if mom/dad/superjock gets really pissed and then calls your boss. Yes, he/she may side with you, and most of of the time, we're right. But sometimes behavior can turn things the wrong way quickly.

At my first job out of school 10 years ago, I had a parent scream at me for not covering the city little league championship when the local high school baseball team competed in the state semifinals. After hearing her yell at me, I hung up. She bypassed everyone and called my publisher. She didn't complain about our lack of little league coverage. She bitched about me hanging up on her. So I got in trouble for hanging up on a customer, which wasn't the original issue.

I say, hear them out. Don't promise anything but maybe it's a story idea "to consider and I'll talk about with my editor/staff." That at least deflates the moment and allows you to do your job.

 

Since we're sharing stories...

Working at small-town paper #1 several years ago when Michael Bishop and K-State faced A&M in the Big-12 title game. Bishop, a local high school legend, had like six touchdowns in that game but a turnover in overtime cost K-State the conference title.

Now because we're a small-town paper, we were going to use AP's cap of the game and do a locally-written follow-up a day or so later. However, some unidentified ex-coach called me up and demanded that I call Bishop a choker on the front page of sports. I calmly told him I wasn't going to do that because a) he really wasn't a choker (he was second in Heisman voting beyond, of all people, Ricky Williams) and b) that's an editorial comment that has no place in the story.

The guy railed at me for a while, asked my full name, then said he was going to find out where I lived and he was going to kill me.

Never mind the criminal aspect of that phone call. Sometimes, no matter what happens, you just aren't going to win.

 

Threatening to kill you because you refused to call a guy a choker is different. I like that.

And in my defense, I was drinking a lot that day and that damn choker cost me a $50 parlay.

 

Per usual, Ace nails it.

Sometimes, they're the ones with the right idea and not us. So don't approach every phone call with the idea that these people are clueless dolts. Listen to them. You might find something you'd missed.

 

So it was YOU who called me!
*&%#@!

 

I can only cover the events I am assigned to cover. My company does not approve overtime, limiting how many events I can attend.

If they don't believe it, that's their problem.

 

We've already started. Local tourneys too. Kill me now.

I respond to people saying something is a sport because it's on ESPN by explaining to them what ESPN stands for: Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. Entertainment and sports aren't always the same thing.

 

When the parent won't quit, I use one of these...

"Since my last story, your kid has reached rock-bottom and has started to dig."

"I would not allow this son/daughter to breed."

"Your kid is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definite won't be."

"When you open your mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet."

"This son/daughter has delusions of adequacy."

"He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them."

"You are depriving a village somewhere of an idiot."

"You should go far, and the sooner you start, the better."

"You don't have ulcers, but you're a carrier."

"Your son has been working with glue too much."

"You must brings a lot of joy whenever you leave the room."

"When his/her IQ reaches 50, he should sell."

"If you see two people talking and one looks bored, he/she is the other one."

"You're prime candidate for natural de-selection. "

"He/she has got two brain cells, one is lost and the other is out looking for it."

25. "If he were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week."

"If you give him/her a penny for his thoughts, you'd get change."

"If I stand close enough to you, I can hear the ocean."

"It's hard to believe he/she beat out 1,000,000 other sperm."

"Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; you only gargled."

 

Could be like the SE at a small paper I know who decides coverage based on the hotness of the women complaining and what they are willing to do lil' Bobby's picture in the paper.
You'd be surprised, or maybe not, but some are up for some Boots-style action.
If you aren't willing or able to go the sexual favors route, you could just listen to their complaint.
If you aren't from the area, they provide some insight as to why it is meaningful and if it doesn't work for sports, it might work in another section.
One of my favorites is the school that won a cheerleading championship, big whoop you say, but if you had listened you would have heard that the win was dedicated to the sponsor whose national guard was activated along with with a couple of the parents to Afghanistan.
That at least makes for an interesting angle. And then you could do a larger story on how athletes are handling their parents being gone to Iraq or someplace.

 

It's good to be the sports editor.

 

Is this man hiring?