Watching the game at the local bar with regular people stories

Here's my thought on these stories, generally:

If the writer is good enough to make a good story out of this assignment, you probably have a better assignment for her.

 

Nicely put.

 

What did I miss?

 

Nothing to see here, move along people.

 

That's a great way of putting it. Just because a writer manages to pull off a stupid story idea doesn't mean the idea isn't still stupid.

 

True, but there's always the possibility that the rookie reporter may wind up interviewing Haywood Jablome or Mike Hunt.

 

Any readers who care what Joe Schmoe at the bar thinks of the game can go to the bar and ask him themselves.

 

Don't like these kind of stories. They stink, plus most ME's have NO clue what covering sports is or what it involves. My ME actually thinks that chess is a sport. ... LOL. Publisher, who is also the editor, sided with me on that one. I will say, those ME's are very interesting sometimes. Anyone else have the same problem at times?

 

If the writer is good, then the story will be good, generally speaking.
Is it a bullshit assignment? You bet.
Have most of us done them? Yep.
As long as there are editors (and some writers, for that matter) who think they are reaching out to the community by doing these stories, they'll still be written.
It's like any other bullshit assignment. Find the best possible angle and do the best possible job. Until you're the one making the calls that's all you can do.