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Very intrigued by this, re: PD reporter finding Riley in Cleveland hotel

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by JoelHammond, Jul 2, 2010.

  1. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Early in my career I was coming back from covering a press conference when our beat writer got a call on his cell that a big-name free agent was coming into town. He knew what hotel the team usually put guys up in. He called the hotel and asked for the player. He was told nobody by that name was there. He then called back two or three times until someone else answered the phone.

    "Hi, this is X from (the team). I forget what name we have (the player) registered under, but I need you to transfer me to his room."

    30 seconds later, he had the guy on the phone.
     
  2. JackReacher

    JackReacher Well-Known Member

    The local morning sports radio show used to do a segment called Bother the Pro, where they'd call these random athletes at their hotel and interview them on the spot. One of my favorite segments.
     
  3. Scoop returns

    Scoop returns Member

    Are you guys serious? This was a great get. While the other "journalists" in Cleveland were sitting on their asses at home, including PD beat writer Brian "Sloppy Ass" Windhorst, Branson was doing what good journalist do. He was working angles and staking the places where the stories are. The story is not at IMG. It was at the Ritz Carlton where Riley and LeBron's agent felt the need to meet before the official meetings. Now we have confirmation that Miami is a serious contender for LeBron. Great work Branson. Hopefully the Plain Dealer will get its head out of its asses and put the Wright man back on the Cavs beat.
     
  4. JoelHammond

    JoelHammond Member

    That's awesome. And scoop's Windhorst bashing aside -- Windhorst is awesome, and Scoop clearly has a long-established dog in this fight -- he's right, I think: This was a pretty darn good find.
     
  5. TheSportsPredictor

    TheSportsPredictor Well-Known Member

    Nothing in that article says Branson wasn't sitting on his ass at home and someone called him to tell him what was going on.
     
  6. Shaggy

    Shaggy Guest

    False representation of yourself? Is that cool, even if it's just to a hotel front desk guy?
     
  7. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    Breaking News: A group of swarthy men dressed as firefighters were spotted setting up what witnesses reported to be artillery shells on a barge in the river - intelligence chatter has turned up repeated references to July 4th.
     
  8. Scoop returns

    Scoop returns Member

    SportsPredict,

    The way the story reads to me, sounds like Branson walked up on Riley and they talked face to face. But get this, say he was at home sitting on his ass, that makes Windhorst look even more like a sloppy lazy ass that a dude not even on the beat can sit at home and work his NBA sources better than him...LMAO! Stop, you are not helping Windbag. He has been getting his ass kicked on every Cavs story this offseason. He hasn't broke shit and everyone on this board knows that is true. I don't think he has a source in the Cavs front office and he damn ain't connected to LeBron and his people. I read the Cleveland section daily and the coverage is worse than it has ever been, even under two-word lede writing Mary Shit Boyer. But I don't want to bash Windbag as much as I want to praise Branson for a job well done.
     
  9. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    So it's confirming that Miami is a serious player for LeBron ... which we've known for about six months now. The four frontrunners have always been Miami, Chicago, Cleveland and the Knicks.
    Don't get me wrong. It's good beat work by the reporter to check out the hotel, and I suppose a blog post is an appropriate place to put something like that. I just don't see why we should be blown away that Riley and LeBron's agent met informally a few hours before their "official" meeting. It's not like the agent isn't returning Riley's calls or the Heat have suddenly come out of the blue to chase LeBron.
     
  10. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    It's not like he's making fake IDs and sneaking past security guards and physically going to a room. I'm good with some phone sleight-of-hand.

    If you're against it that's fine, but ask yourself if your editor would be sympathetic if your tails got beat.
     
  11. 21

    21 Well-Known Member

    Lara Logan thinks it's none of your damn business.
     
  12. Armchair_QB

    Armchair_QB Well-Known Member

    When I was in college one of the radio stations used to do a bit called "Wake the Enemy" during baseball season. One morning they called Cal Ripken Sr.'s room and woke him up after Baltimore got into town late the night before.

    Much like Ralphie's dad in Christmas Story, Cal Sr. proceeded to weave a tapestry of profanity that to this day is floating somewhere over Lake Mille Lacs.

    I don't recall for sure but I believe that was the last time they tried to Wake the Enemy.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 1, 2015
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