When your competition e-mails about middle school coverage

My sports ed and I get to the office about the same time today and in his inbox is an e-mail from this lady (who now writes and takes photos for a free competing monthly magazine devoted to youth and recreation sports in the community), blasting myself, him and the rest of our staff for not doing more about the recent middle school state track and field meet (which was held during the prep postseason we were busy covering for baseball, softball, tennis and track).

Granted, it wasn't actually a state meet (since there is no qualifying to get there), but rather an open invitational all-comers meet for anyone who wants to show up. There weren't prelims either earlier that day or the day before. And there isn't a governing body for middle school sports in Kentucky.

My paper did run complete results for all 50+ kids (in agate format on our weekly youth/rec/outdoors page) that competed in the meet, regardless if the kid finished first (which one did, who the e-mail lady just so happens to be close to) or 50th.

No other paper around here, even the little weeklies that the parent company runs, even mentioned the big state meet.

My SE was nice about it, but should the lady have been told to buzz off? Not care what the competition does?

 

Buy her a Southern Tenant Farmers Union shirt, a big coffee mug and smile -- see if she understands.

 

Is it possible to get that expensed? ;D

 

If you do it right...

 

Her pub has different priorities from yours. That's just a way of life.

I don't know if I would have even responded to her e-mail. If I had, I'd have told her something as simple as "I'll keep it in mind" and leave it at that.

 

Geez, Ky, just ignore it. There's no reason to get upset at stuff like this.

 

Look for the STF Union label ...

 

She should mind her own fucking business and worry about her own publication.

 

My SE responded to her by e-mail, not me. And he was nice about it, saying something along the lines of "we will try to improve in the future, but our main concern is the high school postseason."

 

She has no business telling your SE how to run his section, but this really isn't anything to get upset about. It is just like a parent complaining because you didn't mention little Johnny's single. You've just got to roll with the punches (CLICHE HOORAY).

 

Central, feel free to tee off on this guy as well.

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/42027/

 

Statewide middle-school track meets even exist? Who knew?

Now I feel so uninformed. Guess I should've picked up a copy of that birdcage-liner...