How do I respond nicely to this parent?

[Cadet]

My paper's policy is to run non-varsity prep submissions (club teams, JV and freshman teams, etc.) as agate-style briefs. They are rewritten for brevity and style. It is usually limited to who scores, how they did it and who prevented the opponent from scoring.

There is one local club U19 boys soccer team, and a dad has been sending in submissions. They are poorly written and of the "whole team played hard" variety. He tries to list every player.

Tonight I got an email from him saying that it's OK that the briefs are rewritten, but he doesn't want me to take any of the names out. His reasoning is it's a nice way to "reward" the kids for their "hard work" and that he's trying to make sure each kid has his name in the paper X amount of times this season. These are not small children, these are high-school age players who I'm sure won't get their feelings hurt.

Now that we are into spring sports, I'm at the end of my rope with parents. I know we've all heard this crap before, but my brain is fried. Please help me come up with a civil response before I lash out and say something I'll regret.

 

[HoopsMcCann]

when you can't write anything nice, don't write anything at all

 

[Cadet]

Not an option. I'm expected to respond to stuff like this, per the higher ups.

 

[Clever username]

My paper's policy is to run non-varsity prep submissions (club teams, JV and freshman teams, etc.) as agate-style briefs. They are rewritten for brevity and style. It is usually limited to who scores, how they did it and who prevented the opponent from scoring.

Explain that. That's all you need.

 

[spnited]

Short and sweet, Cadet.

Thank him for providing the information and explain that the paper's policy is to keep the briefs short and to the point because of space limitations and the volume of game results that you must get it. Tell him that you treat each result the same, trying to keep a consistency in the length of each so no one gets preferential treatment.

If he still doesn't get it, you're response to his next complaint can be that if he doesn't like the paper's policy he doesn't have to submit his results any more.

 

[21]

Dear Dad, Thank you for your note. I wish we had room for all the names of all the kids who play so hard in this community--all 4000 of them!--but I'm sure you can understand that it's just not feasible. Whenever possible, we'll try to make room for your submissions, space permitting. Regards, Cadet
PS, if you have a problem with this, please log on to sportsjournalists.com to express your opinion, the folks there understand completely.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

There has to be a nice way to say you're running a news publication, not a phone book.

But lump me in with the "brain-fried" crowd. Been that way for too long ...

 

[dooley_womack1]

Give him a hug.

 

[Cadet]

I've been traveling too much. It really wears you down. I don't see how people on MLB beats do it...


(and dooley, I think you're just projecting your own frustrations there )

 

[dooley_womack1]

Nah, just taking the gimme.

 

[chazp]

Cadet,
Does you paper run photos from these same type of non-varsity sports? If so, tell the dad at the end of the season he can submit a group photo and all the players names will be listed in the cutline.
This has worked to calm down the crazies at most of the papers I've been at.

 

[Cadet]

Well played, then, dooley.

Chaz, that is an excellent suggestion. Pacify dad while allowing me to edit.

See? This is why I need you all to be my brain tonight. Thanks.

 

[EStreetJoe]

Short and sweet, Cadet.

Thank him for providing the information and explain that the paper's policy is to keep the briefs short and to the point because of space limitations and the volume of game results that you must get it. Tell him that you treat each result the same, trying to keep a consistency in the length of each so no one gets preferential treatment.

If he still doesn't get it, your response to his next complaint can be that if he doesn't like the paper's policy he doesn't have to submit his results any more.

That's the best way to handle it.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

I'd expect this from U12 soccer, but not U19. These players are not kids. This **** must stop.

Good luck.

 

[EStreetJoe]

One of the best complaints we got was from a Little League parent complaining that one game writeup in agate-sized type was four lines long, but her kid's game was only three lines long.

 

[Bob Loblaw Law Blog]

Just do what Songbird would do and **** him in the ass with some cancerous testicles. That should shut him up.

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/posts/1072432/

 

[Jor El]

Now there's something you don't read everyday.

 

[WS]

Two strong American Legion baseball teams in our area. Coaches despise each other, a lot of the kids are friends with each other but there's some that aren't, and the parents want to kill each other.

In the state legion tournament, which is hosted in our area by one of the teams, the "historically dominant" team loses when we have the photographer there, and the "other" team wins, when he is shooting assignments for news. No way in hell should a photographer be there for 7 hours of legion ball.

The next day, when "other team" wins, we have a photo there. But wait, it's a SQUARE INCH smaller than the picture of the "historically dominant" team's the day before.

How do I know this? Parent of the "other team" sends me a typewritten letter (not signed) with the measurements and the articles cut out, telling me I'm biased. Yeah, since I've lived here just a year and a half to that point.

Funny how I don't get much related to the mid-major team I cover , but am bombarded with crap regarding American Legion baseball. I hate the organization and the old farts that run it around the country.

 

[Tom Petty]

Just do what Songbird would do and **** him in the ass with some cancerous testicles. That should shut him up.

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/posts/1072432/

depending on which ****age you speak of sir, the finale must be referred to as: **** him in the ass with a cancerous testicle.

remember, this is a journalism site. we do have standards.

 

[sartrean]

I'm getting sick of this too. At a game last night, dip****, ugly fatass mom waddles over to me as I'm walking up the stairs to the press box.

"How come you don't cover the girls softball team."

"Mam, I'm a part-timer, I go where my editors tell me to go."

"Well, the girls work just as hard as the boys. The girls deserve some credit, too."

"Aren't they like 3-13?"

"But they work hard. They should be able to get an article, too."

"I think you've got the wrong idea about newspapers."

"How's that?" she asked.

"Papers provide information, not rewards or recognition. Most people who are quoted in the paper would rather not be quoted in the newspaper. In some cases, people lose their jobs for talking to newspaper reporters. And sometimes, this applies to athletic programs as well. But for the softball team, I'm just a part-timer and I go where my editor tells me to go. Maybe you should take it up with them."

"I wish the old sports writer, Mr. Sartre, would come back. He cared about the girls. He wrote up articles on the girls almost every week because he cared about how hard they work."

"Lady, I'm Mr. Sartre. They fired me only to rehire me as a part-timer."

"Oh."

What a friggin' idiot.