LLWS 2010

[DanOregon]

Read a story about a regional semi. The losing coach explained that he should have kept his son in to pitch instead of trying to "save him" for the final if they won. The guy went on to say his team just couldn't handle the pressure and "it made him sick."

I realize a lot of these stories are written by freelancers who mostly just have the coach as a contact point and often have to get the stories out quickly on deadline - and they may not have access to the kids - especially after a loss.

But do you owe it to the coach to try and keep him from coming off as an a-hole? Do you push him to focus on the positive? Leave out stuff that makes him sound like the douche that he probably is? Back in the day I remember having to wait 10 minutes for a coach to finish holding forth on his "coaching philosophy" before forcing some quotes out of him to save him from himself. And save me a few hundred angry phone calls.

 

[ringer]

Kidding, right?

A PR person might "Push him to focus on the positive... protect the coach...owe [something] to the coach," but those are the LAST things a trained journalist would consider.

The interview was on the record. The coach is an adult. He was being honest.

It's not for you to judge whether he's a douche. Let the readers do that.

 

[poindexter]

But do you owe it to the coach to try and keep him from coming off as an a-hole?

**** to the no. These are assholes. Coaches. Parents.

A parent from the Halfway, MD All Star team got into a fist fight with the manager this year at the state tournament. Lets see what was involved:

Alcohol? Check
Idiot parents second-guessing coaching decisions? Check


This event brings out the worst in everybody involved. I wish it would go away.

 

[MileHigh]

I don't think the event per se brings out the worst in everybody. Maybe the fact there are 30 cameras around and the games are aired nationally have more to do with it.

 

[poindexter]

Let me re-word it.

These are some of the most horrible people on the planet.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

What you should do is just make up quotes from the coach that paint all the kids as hunky-dory, if-you're-happy-and-you-know-it-clap-your-hands players. And if they actually lose a game, just make up that they won. Everyone will love it!

 

[Bristol Whipped]

I don't think the event per se brings out the worst in everybody. Maybe the fact there are 30 cameras around and the games are aired nationally have more to do with it.

Nope. The district, sectional and state tournaments are just as bad, and those don't have all the TV cameras around.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

They put too many games on TV now, yet this upcoming 30 for 30 film looks interesting:

http://30for30.espn.com/film/little-big-men.html

 

[DanOregon]

I don't know. Do you really treat Little League coaches like everyone else you cover? I always saw Little League coverage as something that maybe 100 people care about, but they care about it a lot (if their kids are on the team).
If a coach calls out a player, there is no point in quoting him saying Jimmy pitched like crap when it is obvious Jimmy pitched like crap.
The coaches are volunteers, likely don't have much experience with the press, especially after a big loss.
I'm not talking about making stuff up or covering for a coach who goes Vic Morrow - I'm talking about whether you cut a coach/and player some slack who may or may not understand how bad his quotes will sound in a paper.
I'd liken the situation more to a player who didn't grow up speaking English or "cleaning up" a quote - not to make the player look good, but to aid in the readers understanding of what they meant and not to distract from the overall story.
I thought this might be an interesting jumping off point. I last covered Little League long ago, pre-ESPN showing the LLWS regional coverage and every LLWS game. I figure 90 percent of the print coverage is done by people in their first few years in the business. I was curious to find out their attitudes. I honestly don't think it's worth the headache.
Maybe the interest has grown and people now expect it to be covered like actual sports rather than just something to keep people busy and put some local copy on the front until two-a-days start - and to get parents off the SE's (and probably the editor's and publisher's) back.

Call me wrong if you will, but I'm not going to assist a guy who may or may not realize how bad Jimmy might feel when you type "Jimmy cost us the game," said Coach A-hole.
Everybody who really cares about it knows it. It will be evident in the story. No need to pour gas on the fire.

 

[MileHigh]

I don't think the event per se brings out the worst in everybody. Maybe the fact there are 30 cameras around and the games are aired nationally have more to do with it.

Nope. The district, sectional and state tournaments are just as bad, and those don't have all the TV cameras around.

Oh, I have no doubt it exists. But having just come from a regional tournament -- and one I have covered for many years -- I haven't seen the horror stories unfold. At least there.

 

[Starman]

I don't think the event per se brings out the worst in everybody. Maybe the fact there are 30 cameras around and the games are aired nationally have more to do with it.

Nope. The district, sectional and state tournaments are just as bad, and those don't have all the TV cameras around.

Actually, they do -- rather than JUST afflict us with the LLWS itself, ESPN was showing REGIONAL-round games this year. Next will come state tournaments.

It should be ****ing illegal to show a sports competition featuring players younger than high school age on any TV outlet larger than local cable.

Unless you have a direct relative or neighborhood acquaintance in action, not only is there no particular reason any adult should care, there are plenty of good reasons why they should NOT care.

 

[MileHigh]

I don't think the event per se brings out the worst in everybody. Maybe the fact there are 30 cameras around and the games are aired nationally have more to do with it.

Nope. The district, sectional and state tournaments are just as bad, and those don't have all the TV cameras around.

Actually, they do -- rather than JUST afflict us with the LLWS itself, ESPN was showing REGIONAL-round games this year. Next will come state tournaments.

It should be ****ing illegal to show a sports competition featuring players younger than high school age on any TV outlet larger than local cable.

Unless you have a direct relative or neighborhood acquaintance in action, not only is there no particular reason any adult should care, there are plenty of good reasons why they should NOT care.

Regional games have been on ESPN for many years, back to the 1990s. New this year under the new TV contract are regional semifinal games.

 

[DanOregon]

Read Heistandt's column in USA Today. New this year - instant replay challenges!

 

[ringer]

I don't know. Do you really treat Little League coaches like everyone else you cover?

Yes, absolutely. And if the coach had said it on live TV, there would have been no recourse.

Just because a writer's deadline is (slightly) longer, it's not a license to sugarcoat. If anything, it's an opportunity to find junior and get a comment from the kid...and/or ask the coach to elaborate (which gives him an opportunity to make his point differently or to say something even worse and prove that he's even douchier than he originally seemed).

 

[LongTimeListener]

I don't know. Do you really treat Little League coaches like everyone else you cover?

Yes, absolutely. And if the coach had said it on live TV, there would have been no recourse.

Just because a writer's deadline is (slightly) longer, it's not a license to sugarcoat. If anything, it's an opportunity to find junior and get a comment from the kid...and/or ask the coach to elaborate (which gives him an opportunity to make his point differently or to say something even worse and prove that he's even douchier than he originally seemed).

You would really put a 12-year-old kid on the spot like that, a public pissing match with his coac for all his friends and neighbors to see?

 

[OnTheRiver]

I'm a board member for a Little League-sanctioned league. We went to the state finals tournament in the 12U age group this year (the age they show all those games for on TV).

Trust me, it happens every step of the way, from the opening game of District pool play through the finals in Williamsport.

Asshole parents exist EVERYWHERE in youth sports.

 

[ringer]

Longtime,

I think you're extrapolating too much here. (See especially point 3)

First: the players are 12, their games are on TV, they'are already on the spot.

Second: seeking players' opinions about what contributed to a loss is legit.

Third - in the initial post, the douchiest part of the quote was the coach said he felt sick that his players couldn't handle pressure. That's not a tit-for-tat. Yes, he implied that his son would have been better, but that's not terribly incendiary. I'm saying, get a quote from the losing pitcher to balance it out. And you know what? The kid might agree with the coach's assessment.

 

[qtlaw]

"Makes the coach look like a douche"; shouldn't you leave that conclusion to the audience and not censor it for them?

Guy is a piece of work.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Longtime,

I think you're extrapolating too much here. (See especially point 3)

First: the players are 12, their games are on TV, they'are already on the spot.

Second: seeking players' opinions about what contributed to a loss is legit.

Third - in the initial post, the douchiest part of the quote was the coach said he felt sick that his players couldn't handle pressure. That's not a tit-for-tat. Yes, he implied that his son would have been better, but that's not terribly incendiary. I'm saying, get a quote from the losing pitcher to balance it out. And you know what? The kid might agree with the coach's assessment.

A 12-year-old kid just cannot do public speaking in a way that conveys sensitive thoughts appropriately, and he shouldn't be asked to do so.

 

[ringer]

Longtime,

I think you're extrapolating too much here. (See especially point 3)

First: the players are 12, their games are on TV, they'are already on the spot.

Second: seeking players' opinions about what contributed to a loss is legit.

Third - in the initial post, the douchiest part of the quote was the coach said he felt sick that his players couldn't handle pressure. That's not a tit-for-tat. Yes, he implied that his son would have been better, but that's not terribly incendiary. I'm saying, get a quote from the losing pitcher to balance it out. And you know what? The kid might agree with the coach's assessment.

A 12-year-old kid just cannot do public speaking in a way that conveys sensitive thoughts appropriately, and he shouldn't be asked to do so.

Maybe so, but 12-year-olds sure seem to Twitter a lot. And that's a public forum, right?

This question is for anyone: if the losing pitcher Twittered about the game, would you quote the Tweet to balance out the coach's comment?