What's wrong with this story?

You don't even have to log in to see why this story is sorely lacking in fact-checking.

http://mckinneynews.net/news.php?nid=7372&cat=1

 

Well, it reads that they all signed one letter. That's what I saw that was wrong.

Did I win?!?!?!?!

 

No. Although that is a very good catch.

 

instead of signing a letter of intent into the Air Force, you enlist into the service?

 

Very close.

Service academy appointments are done congressionally; you do not "sign" a letter of intent to play football, basketball, baseball, etc. at Air Force, Army or Navy.

This writer allowed his high school to stage a bogus photo-op and was utterly none the wiser.

 

Hmmmm, I wonder how many readers caught that in McKinney.

 

none

 

I wrote a story 2-3 years ago about a local kid going to the Air Force Academy, one of only 7 New Hampshire kids to get the Congressional appointment. Great kid. Going to be the general of the joint chiefs of staff one day.

 

This guy started it!

http://mckinneynews.net/news.php?nid=6738&cat=1

 

None of the players is listed on Air Force's 2008 baseball roster:

http://goairforcefalcons.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/afa-m-basebl-mtt.html

 

Perhaps that's because they will be finishing their senior year of high school.
I'd guess - by the dates of the stories - they will be at the AFA in 08-09.

 

I covered a kid who played football at Navy. Instead of announcing his signing on signing day, we wrote that it was his intention to play football at Navy when his appointment came through, which it did later that spring.
And we stopped doing signing day photos when one kid, who was a 17-year-old high school senior, wanted his three kids in the picture with him-- ages 3, 2 and 1 -- found out later, three moms.
Kid never made it to the league, so I wonder how much child support they're getting from his job at Wal-Mart.