Parents ... again

[Hammer Pants]

At one place I worked, there was a good high school rivalry. One team was blue, the other red. I wasn't a prep writer, but I heard our guys bitching about their parents all the time, and I had to deal with them a few times for various reasons. The parents of these two schools were beyond ridiculous ... the worst I've ever seen, certainly.

I always wanted to say something like ... "Listen, we don't normally talk about these things, but I like you, so here's a secret — you're right, our management hates your blue school. If you notice, our masthead is red. That's not a coincidence, sir."

Sometimes, the best way is to show people exactly how stupid they are. Especially if they're way ****ing stupid. Unfortunately, we would get fired for giving these dip****s what they deserve.

The general stupidity in our culture makes me really sad sometimes.

 

[Hammer Pants]

I'm sorry, Calvin. When I think of all the family and friend stuff I miss because of work, it makes me sad. Good luck with everything. I can't imagine (and fortunately don't yet know) what that's like.

 

[doctor x]

We somehow got roped into covering drill team in our sports section.

Another thing that happened a few years ago was the local church league championship game.

Now there's a push toward community sports.

Does the phrase "can of worms" mean anything to you guys?

Often -- though not always and not at my place -- some news-side management type will consider this a brilliant idea, "thinking outside the box" and all that crap because, after all, the toy department refuses to get out of its comfort zone.

Former ownership had this roving design expert who was very good at redesigns, but had a tendency to appoint herself publisher for the month she was in town. She could be counted on to get on the "particapatory sports" soap box. We bided our time, she would leave and we went about our business.

 

[BertoltBrecht]

What I really hate is when they call you to complain about coverage of a certain team on the day you were planning to cover said team.

I got a voicemail last Friday from an anonymous caller saying, "You know, I haven't seen any coverage of the South Podunk volleyball team lately. Just so you know, they're playing North Podunk tonight at 6:30 at the high school. It would be nice if you had a reporter and a photographer there. I've seen a lot of football and a lot of soccer coverage, but no volleyball lately. The girls deserve some coverage, too, ya know."

Of course, since it was a rivalry match, we were obviously going to be there, but I'm glad the parent called to give me their schedule since, you know, obviously I don't know how to do my job and figure out when teams are playing.

It sucks because now that parent thinks their voicemail did some good and got their team a reporter and photographer, even though the reason we hadn't covered them recently was that their prior games were against ****ty teams and they had the big match coming up with North Podunk. Argghhh.

The last part of the voicemail really burned me up, too, insinuating that we cover the boys more than the girls, which is almost impossible this time of year anyway. The only boys sports going on right now are football, soccer and cross country. The girls, meanwhile, have field hockey, soccer, volleyball, tennis and cross country. There's pretty much no possible way for the boys to get more coverage than the girls.

If anyone should be complaining, it's North Podunk's boys soccer team, which really hasn't gotten enough coverage considering they're undefeated and favored to win the state title.

**** anonymous parents.

Holy **** Pern, this happens to me once a month. Smug ****s.

 

[Colton]

Calvin: Check your PMs, buddy.

God bless...

 

[txsportsscribe]

what's a furgo?

 

[TrooperBari]

what's a furgo?

Like a Furby, but more active.

 

[BigJim5190]

I also can't stand the calls about covering a team the day before the article was going to win. It always happens with girls' volleyball around here. It's just not a big sport in our coverage area (we maybe have two or three "good" teams a season and they always get trounced once the state playoffs start), so every year right before the tournament we do a preview, topping it with 15 inches on the best team. Last year we were going to do it on Richkid High with their 18-0 record, but of course, the day before the story ran, we got the "parent militia" sent to us. It was obvious they were all sitting at the game together and they were complaining about the coverage because I got three e-mails and a phone call from the parents wondering why we don't care about their team.

I tell them all that, as luck would have it, the article comes out tomorrow. I just hate them thinking they made me do it. As one parent e-mailed back, "If all it took was an e-mail to get you to do something, I would have done it sooner." No.... no you wouldn't.

I also love the e-mails from parents complaining about our football coverage. We recently EXPANDED our coverage to include a new gameday tab, a magazine suppliment that comes out once every other month with football prominently featured in the fall, six to seven games a Friday night covered - then five on Saturday, plus new football videos and notes on the website exclusive.

So, of course, Monday morning I get some mom e-mailing me about how we used to be good at covering football but we have cut back this year, saying we covered more games last year and other inaccuracies that made me want to punch my fist through my monitor. Of course, four sentences in to the e-mail, "I haven't seen a story on Smalltown High all year and the kids are working really hard".

So, I check the e-mail name and the roster of the team and her son is a WR on the 0-5 Smalltown High team. A team we've also covered twice in 20-point losses. Just get to the point and say "Cover this team more" rather than slagging our coverage - that just gets the e-mail deleted and ridiculed in the office.

In Calvin's case, if it was a LOE, I love nothing more than to run those with a disclaimer at the bottom mentioning how our coverage really is. I keep track of all covered games just for that purpose - to have a letter say one thing and the facts at the bottom.

 

[Dan Hickling]

Seen a teenager read a newspaper recently? (I didn't think so)....and Calvin...my thoughts and prayers are with you....Lost my Mom a few years ago, but I know she was proud of me and the path I followed...Moms being moms, it wouldn't surprise me if your's felt the same way....

 

[The Big Ragu]

Calvin, You handled it fine. Idiot readers are easily forgotten, so I normally don't post to these threads. But I am really sorry to hear about your mom. Hang in there.

 

[crusoes]

I had a dad, who I think was drunk, call my house at 11:30 p.m. this past Friday asking if I was going to cover the fencing match at the high school the next day (our local school is pretty good at fencing, I'll admit). I didn't realize there was a match until a day or two earlier (it was only a scrimmage anyway) and had long made plans for Saturday that didn't include going to any events for work. When I told him I wasn't planning on going, he asked "who's your boss?" all angry like. I don't think he ever called my boss, but good grief, why are you calling my house at near midnight on a Friday? For fencing!

The fencers do work hard, you know ... Even the JV guys...

So did the waitress who served him all that courage.

 

[Cosmo]

sweetbreads ... anyone who calls my house/cell to complain about something gets a curt talking to and a hangup. When I was SE at my last job, someone called me at home on a Sunday afternoon to complain about youth baseball coverage or something. I told him politely that I was not working and to call me at work the next day. He started to yell at me and I blew up, basically telling him to **** himself before slamming the phone down. I didn't care if he called my boss to tell me how rude I was. He was out of bounds. I maybe got one day off a week at that job, and it was sacred. These assholes need to understand that. Do I call the mechanic at home if I'm not happy with the service he gave me? I don't think so.

 

[Platyrhynchos]

Sorry to hear of your loss, Calvin.

We recently received an anonymous, full-of-grammatical-mistakes letter from a parent wondering why we don't cover Jr. High football. She went on for about 300 words, and included "they would work harder if they saw their names in the paper." Publisher saw the letter and fairly well erupted (games are on Thursday nights). Nope, we aren't going to cover them.
We then receive an e-mail from a different parent, about 40 words, wondering why we don't cover Jr. High football.
Publisher caves. Wants me to do a feature to go on the front page of the paper. I told her to find someone else to do it, because I wasn't going to. We get into a minor pissing match, and I hold my ground. Tonight, she is off to said Jr. High football game to do a feature on it.

The team is undefeated, largely because of a stud who was held back and should be a freshman in high school this year. He matured early, and is a man among boys.

Raises and bonuses are forthcoming next week. I may have ****ed myself.
And I don't give two ****s.

Best guess is that the publisher was threatened with pulled advertising. That would certainly explain the sudden 180-degree turn in her interest in the matter.

I was off yesterday to help with fire prevention day at the fire department when all the grade school kids come in to be educated on, well, fire prevention. I get back to work this morning, and there's a note on my desk from a parent of the other school we cover wanting me to go to the final Jr. High football game tonight. Am I going? **** no.

 

[Cadet]

Sorry to hear about your mom, Calvin. Hang in there.

In my experience, the kids aren't the ones bitching about coverage. They're not measuring column inches or counting photos. It's the parents, all the way.

If anyone ever called my home to discuss my job, and they weren't signing my paychecks, I would lose it. It's bad enough that I get stopped around town and am never really "off duty."

 

[wickedwritah]

It's the reason why you need to spring for an unlisted number.

People figure your name is out in the public all the time, therefore you're never off the clock.

 

[BillyT]

Sorry to hear of your loss, Calvin.

We recently received an anonymous, full-of-grammatical-mistakes letter from a parent wondering why we don't cover Jr. High football. She went on for about 300 words, and included "they would work harder if they saw their names in the paper." Publisher saw the letter and fairly well erupted (games are on Thursday nights). Nope, we aren't going to cover them.
We then receive an e-mail from a different parent, about 40 words, wondering why we don't cover Jr. High football.
Publisher caves. Wants me to do a feature to go on the front page of the paper. I told her to find someone else to do it, because I wasn't going to. We get into a minor pissing match, and I hold my ground. Tonight, she is off to said Jr. High football game to do a feature on it.

The team is undefeated, largely because of a stud who was held back and should be a freshman in high school this year. He matured early, and is a man among boys.

Raises and bonuses are forthcoming next week. I may have ****ed myself.
And I don't give two ****s.

Best guess is that the publisher was threatened with pulled advertising. That would certainly explain the sudden 180-degree turn in her interest in the matter.

I was off yesterday to help with fire prevention day at the fire department when all the grade school kids come in to be educated on, well, fire prevention. I get back to work this morning, and there's a note on my desk from a parent of the other school we cover wanting me to go to the final Jr. High football game tonight. Am I going? **** no.

I can only shake my head.

Your publisher told you to do something, and you didn't.

And you still work there.

That really surprises me. (Oh, I agree with you on junior high football, but not on insubordination.)

Besides I bet that held-back stud has worked hard. ;)

 

[BigJim5190]

I'm also a big fan of the "You know, she is hoping to get into a good school somewhere and coaches rely on your paper to find out about her stats."

Standard reply is usually, "Look, if a college coach needs to read a newspaper to figure out who to recruit, I don't think you want your son/daughter to go there."

Like Pat Summit is really thumbing through Podunk Press to find a gem.

 

[BillyT]

I'm also a big fan of the "You know, she is hoping to get into a good school somewhere and coaches rely on your paper to find out about her stats."

Standard reply is usually, "Look, if a college coach needs to read a newspaper to figure out who to recruit, I don't think you want your son/daughter to go there."

Like Pat Summit is really thumbing through Podunk Press to find a gem.

Yeah, but shouldn't we talk at length about how Pay Summitt is ducking Uconn.

That is the most important story on earth.

Oh, wait, we are not in Connecticut.