Calling sources on a holiday

[Dick Whitman]

Just had a high school coach get testy with me for "calling on Mother's Day while I'm trying to relax with my family."

Was I in the wrong? I guess I'm just irritated because writing about Johnny Schoolboy isn't exactly how I want to spend my Sunday, either, but the show must go on.

 

[write then drink]

I would try not to.

 

[Moderator1]

Yes, try not to but sometimes it can't be avoided.

"I'm trying to do the same coach, but duty calls so how about you just help me out here so we can both get on with it."

 

[JBHawkEye]

If it's breaking news, it can't be avoided.

If you're working on a feature or something else that isn't time-sensitive, I'd wait.

 

[Mark2010]

I agree. If you know the person really well and they're not high-strung it might not be so bad.

Otherwise, I wouldn't unless I'm really tight on deadline and it can't wait.

 

[Point of Order]

Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter; maybe he's got a valid point. But Mother's day? C'mon! Sounds like the guy is either just a **** or he has some other beef with you.

 

[JBHawkEye]

Several years ago, the owner of the local race track died on Christmas Eve. I was working the desk the next night, and I was a little apprehensive about calling some of the drivers who raced at the track for a comment on the story I was working on. I called three I knew pretty well, and they were more than happy to talk to me. I apologized to all of them for calling, and all of them were pretty cool about it. One said, lowering his voice so no one could hear him at his house, "Hell, I'm glad you called. My ****ing in-laws are here and it got me out of being around them for a few minutes. I owe you a beer when I see you next season."

 

[Rockbottom]

I see both sides. On one hand, a spring-sport coach gets about 3.8 seconds per year with their family -- and they are likely winding down from coaching two other sports along with teaching.

On the other hand, I would have to resist coming back with "hey, coach, no problem ... I'll call your rival and get their kids some pub instead."

RB

 

[BillyT]

I don't know what time you called, but I would have no issue calling after, say, 5 p.m.

It's his choice to be a coach. He needs to deal.

 

[jambalaya]

Forgive me if this is a little off-topic: I was a young high schools reporter at the time for a major paper out east. It was Sept. 12, 2001. I told my sports editor I felt bad about calling coaches and players so soon after the events of the previous day, could these interviews wait a day. And yes, it would have meant holding a typical feature story for our section...he told me "Oh come on, [the terrorist attacks] won't affect anyone outside of New York." I didn't have the balls to tell him I could still see the cloud hanging over the city from my house, even though we were two hours away. By the way, the editor at my next stop would have called me to say, hold tight on this one.

 

[CarltonBanks]

If this coach is not an actual mother (literally, not figuratively) I don't see the problem with calling on Mother's Day. Christmas, Easter, etc. I would not call, but Mother's Day ... fair game. I look at it this way, if Home Depot is open it isn't really that big of a holiday (Home Depot is random, I know).

 

[Rhody31]

Forgive me if this is a little off-topic: I was a young high schools reporter at the time for a major paper out east. It was Sept. 12, 2001. I told my sports editor I felt bad about calling coaches and players so soon after the events of the previous day, could these interviews wait a day. And yes, it would have meant holding a typical feature story for our section...he told me "Oh come on, [the terrorist attacks] won't affect anyone outside of New York." I didn't have the balls to tell him I could still see the cloud hanging over the city from my house, even though we were two hours away. By the way, the editor at my next stop would have called me to say, hold tight on this one.

If you had a story to do, you should have called.

 

[jemaz]

It's amazing how many of you apparently don't have mothers. Obviously, you can make the call, but it is insensitive and I don't blame the guy for being upset. Polite reporters, I have found, usually do far better than those who just don't care about such things.

 

[Fredrick]

I agree what you do is try to call later in the day. I'd call at 7-8 p.m. on Mother's Day if at all possible. Christmas Eve, call earlier in the day. Christmas, call at night. If people still get upset, that's pretty weak. I mean Christmas night, the hoopla generally is over; people even go to movies. Thanksgiving, you call at 8 p.m., most people eat in the afternoons and watch the games, etc.
I would make calls on holidays, just try to make it at non peak holiday times. I mean calling at 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve is pretty dumb. At noon or 1 p.m., not so bad.

 

[Point of Order]

It's amazing how many of you apparently don't have mothers. Obviously, you can make the call, but it is insensitive and I don't blame the guy for being upset. Polite reporters, I have found, usually do far better than those who just don't care about such things.

When did Mother's Day turn into one of the High Holy Holidays? Call your mom, buy her some flowers, take her to lunch. It's over. ****.

 

[LongTimeListener]

To the original poster: What was it, a news story that had to go in Monday's paper or something that could have waited even if that would inconvenience you? It may be your Sunday, a part of your weekly workweek, but to the coach it's probably the day he has promised his wife he'd take the kids and give her some free time or a family event in exchange for all the dinners and bedtimes he has missed all spring.

It sounds like lots of people on this thread aren't married and/or don't have kids, because I have a hard time believing any dads would say "forget it, no biggie, he signed up for this when he accepted the glory of coaching high school for $4,000 a year." Hawkeye's post was good; if you HAVE to call and it can't wait, you do it, but start with an apology and explain why the call had to be made now.

 

[podunk press]

I agree with most of the posts.

You're lucky he answered the phone. My experience is trying to reach someone on just about any holiday is difficult.

Can't let it bother you, though.

 

[Point of Order]

To the original poster: What was it, a news story that had to go in Monday's paper or something that could have waited even if that would inconvenience you? It may be your Sunday, a part of your weekly workweek, but to the coach it's probably the day he has promised his wife he'd take the kids and give her some free time or a family event in exchange for all the dinners and bedtimes he has missed all spring.

It sounds like lots of people on this thread aren't married and/or don't have kids, because I have a hard time believing any dads would say "forget it, no biggie, he signed up for this when he accepted the glory of coaching high school for $4,000 a year." Hawkeye's post was good; if you HAVE to call and it can't wait, you do it, but start with an apology and explain why the call had to be made now.

So is your rule that all Sundays off limits unless there's a strict next-day deadline? Regardless, getting testy with someone for "calling on Mother's Day while I'm trying to relax with my family" is pretty dickish.

 

[Killick]

I've rarely had a problem, doing sports, news and obits (calling family members) on holidays. The only time anyone's gotten testy with me, I've simply asked if I can call later, so whatever they're doing will be over. Unanimously, they said okay. I call later, get what I need and everybody's happy... well, except for the dead person.

 

[LongTimeListener]

To the original poster: What was it, a news story that had to go in Monday's paper or something that could have waited even if that would inconvenience you? It may be your Sunday, a part of your weekly workweek, but to the coach it's probably the day he has promised his wife he'd take the kids and give her some free time or a family event in exchange for all the dinners and bedtimes he has missed all spring.

It sounds like lots of people on this thread aren't married and/or don't have kids, because I have a hard time believing any dads would say "forget it, no biggie, he signed up for this when he accepted the glory of coaching high school for $4,000 a year." Hawkeye's post was good; if you HAVE to call and it can't wait, you do it, but start with an apology and explain why the call had to be made now.

So is your rule that all Sundays off limits unless there's a strict next-day deadline? Regardless, getting testy with someone for "calling on Mother's Day while I'm trying to relax with my family" is pretty dickish.

I think I answered the Sundays question by noting that this was probably the one day the coach had been promising his wife. Reading back, I see I didn't use the words "Mother's Day" in there; apologies if that made it unclear. But yeah, now that you mention it, I do work most Sundays and I do try not to call people that day unless I know they're at a game or doing something else related to why I'd be calling. Heck, for a lot of people that's a church day.

Regarding "dickish," I don't know -- coach might think it's dickish that someone intruded on his family time. You have to put yourself in the position of the person taking the unexpected call and saying to himself, This really couldn't wait till Monday morning?

The single, childless sportswriter is a rare animal. It moves unnoticed in its habitat, foraging for food while the rest of the world is asleep, beginning to rest just as the sun's regenerative powers revive the land around it. While other worker ants devote the same eight hours for five consecutive days to their task, then fall flawlessly into one unbroken line stretching miles until they reach their colonies, the sportswriter ant will often choose the exact opposite pattern. It is believed that only a monogamous lifestyle and offspring can retrain the sportswriter ant to come and go from the colony at the appropriate time.