At what point should you as a reporter point out the wrong call was made?

[93Devil]

You should not cheer, either.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I can't find it on Google, but didn't a reporter once report a golf penalty in a major?

 

[MisterCreosote]

It wasn't that long ago that MLB used sports writers as official scorers.

Sure, they couldn't affect outcomes, but they could affect an awful lot.

 

[LongTimeListener]

I can't find it on Google, but didn't a reporter once report a golf penalty in a major?

I'm not sure about that, but I do know Michael Bamberger of SI got Michelle Wie disqualified from her professional LPGA debut for an illegal drop a day earlier.

 

[boundforboston]

100 percent sure is impossible.

Go see how many baseball coaches, or reporters, or fans are "100 percent sure" that the runner beat the throw to the bag at a high school game. Some of them would even be from the other side.

It is absurd to think you can sit there and be the undisputed word on something like that.

100 percent sure is not impossible. Don't be ridiculous.

In baseball, I've seen players called out at home when they touched the base before the ball even got to the plate. Foot on plate, ball not there.

In football, I've observed a player step out of bounds, then go on to score a touchdown because the referee missed it.

In hockey, I've seen a high stick hit a player's face that wasn't called.

In basketball, I've seen a basket called as good when it clearly came up short and moved the net, but the referee had the worst possible angle at it.

This reporter saw a ball in a tennis match land clearly in bounds. If you're not reporting that, you are not doing your job.

If you reported those things, did you couch it by saying something like "the shot appeared to hit just the rim and not go in" or did you report the official blew the call? Thoughts from others on what's right in this situation?

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I had this happen to me while covering a prep hoops game my first year on the job. The coaches were arguing with the scorer's table and someone pointed out that I was taking running scoring and they asked me what score I had. I had 26-24 and the scoreboard said 26-22, but I said, "Don't get me involved in this, you're the official scorer."

Fortunately, the game was decided by more than one basket, but the coach of the losing team was pissed and called my preps editor. He was assuming (correctly) that my notes would have given him the extra basket. Fortunately, my preps editor put him in his place and said, "It's not our job to fix mistakes the official scorer made."

 

[MisterCreosote]

Reporting that an official blew the call is not in any way libelous, presuming there's video or photos to prove it, so I don't know why you wouldn't report it as such.

 

[93Devil]

Reporting that an official blew the call is not in any way libelous, presuming there's video or photos to prove it, so I don't know why you wouldn't report it as such.

If you are willing to say a ref blew the call, are you willing to ask the winning coach if he feels the win means less because the other team would have won if a call was not blown?

There are many possessions, at bats, swings and other things in every game. If you played a perfect game, then complain about the refs.

 

[MisterCreosote]

If you are willing to say a ref blew the call, are you willing to ask the winning coach if he feels the win means less because the other team would have won if a call was not blown?

No, because all wins "mean" the same in the record book no matter how they come about.

 

[93Devil]

Good and bad calls are part of the game just like bounces of the ball. You don't want a single call make you lose a game? Win by 10.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Reporting that an official blew the call is not in any way libelous, presuming there's video or photos to prove it, so I don't know why you wouldn't report it as such.

I'd be very surprised if there was photo or video of this high school tennis match that started the thread.

 

[MisterCreosote]

So be it. Still, I'd likely insist on such proof as a CYA move, not because I don't trust my reporter.

 

[MisterCreosote]

Good and bad calls are part of the game just like bounces of the ball. You don't want a single call make you lose a game? Win by 10.

Armando Galarraga wanted to pitch a perfect game. If he didn't want a single call to make him lose it, he should've told Miguel Cabrera to field the ball and throw it to first base three seconds earlier.

No need to report that.

 

[DeskMonkey1]

I think the impact of the call plays a role in if it gets reported. A ball called for strike 1 in a 4-1 game shouldn't be reported.

A called strike 3, clearly outside the strike zone, to end the game, causing the batter and manager to lose his ****, report that.

However, if nobody disputes it, then let it go in your gamer.

But in most cases, I'd say leave it for your column.

 

[trifectarich]

Maybe this was the only missed call in this match and others had several; it's a slippery slope to point out one when you have no idea how much of problem this is or isn't.

 

[mjp1542]

If you have ever covered high school tennis, you would see that all players call their own lines. At least that's the case in every state I've come across. Even if there is an official watching the court, he doesn't intervene unless a player asks him/her to.

Here in Jersey, you'll see officials at major regular-season matches and at state tournament matches. But this is ONE OFFICIAL covering all five courts. He/she is there "just in case" they are needed.

When there is no official, you're at the mercy of your opponent. Maybe surprisingly to some, tennis players are pretty fair. Most will give their opponent the benefit of the doubt on a close call because they don't want to be questioned. You can challenge a call -- which is basically one player asking the other, "Are you sure about that?" If the player is sure, that's it. It's done. A 50/50 call cannot be overruled (although I've seen coaches overrule their own players a couple of times if it's an especially egregious call).

And with regards to this being part of the tennis culture, it certainly is all over the world. Even watching the pros, you'll sometimes see them see a close shot and they'll raise their pointer finger (the universal sign for an out-call in tennis). It's instinctual.

As a reporter, and I've been there many times, if you see a ball called out that was clearly in, and it has a poignant effect on the match, you have to discuss it in the story. Something like, "The match turned at 4-all, 30-all in the second set. Smith curled a forehand down the line that appeared to fall inside the baseline, but Jones saw it as out. Jones earned the break one point later and went on to a 6-4, 7-5 triumph." Then get a quote or paraphrase the player's view of the point. Much like golfers, tennis players remember almost every shot/point.

 

[LongTimeListener]

mjp, "appeared to" is the key there and sounds like a good way to write it. It isn't the 100 percent declaration that others were suggesting.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I can't find it on Google, but didn't a reporter once report a golf penalty in a major?

I'm not sure about that, but I do know Michael Bamberger of SI got Michelle Wie disqualified from her professional LPGA debut for an illegal drop a day earlier.

That's what it was. Are you all arguing that he was wrong?

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Our style at my first job was always "disputed call" I got used to that and used it the rest of my career.

 

[LongTimeListener]

I can't find it on Google, but didn't a reporter once report a golf penalty in a major?

I'm not sure about that, but I do know Michael Bamberger of SI got Michelle Wie disqualified from her professional LPGA debut for an illegal drop a day earlier.

That's what it was. Are you all arguing that he was wrong?

He was actually doing that "anyone can call in an infraction" thing that is very common to golf, which I personally hate but which is accepted in the sport. And in truth, all he did was tip off the rules chief that something may have happened; only after interviewing Wie did the rules chief issue a ruling. But yes, to answer your question, I think he was acting out of his boundaries as a reporter. There was a pretty big Poynter-style ethics debate about it at the time.

It's quite a bit different from most or all of the examples cited on this thread, though.