Why is this a story? (napping)

[ringer]

This might be the biggest non-story I've ever seen in the NYT sports section: napping on game day. And it's on the front page of the section. Is there some shred of news here that I'm missing?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/07/sports/basketball/07naps.html?src=me&ref=sports

I can already see Part 2 of the series: Athletes Eat Light Meals on Game Day

 

[shockey]

if this was a new fad, maybe i'd get it. but nba players -- and coaches, beat writers, etc. -- have napped in the afternoon before games probably forever, i'd imagine.

i know the knicks and nets often did when i covered them in '82-'83. heck, i was just 25 and i had to catch naps, too.

why is it a story? most likely a young beat writer mentioned it in passing to an eager, sheltered, inexperienced assistant editor who reacted like this: 'WOW! I HAD NO IDEA! WHAT A GREAT STORY!'

 

[MonsterLobster]

"It's a trend a small but growing number of professional athletes..."


Was it on this site that someone posted a link to the blog of some guy who had been counting the times the NYT trend pieces used the same ambiguous phrases over and over? I thought I bookmarked it but can't find it.

 

[sgreenwell]

"It's a trend a small but growing number of professional athletes..."


Was it on this site that someone posted a link to the blog of some guy who had been counting the times the NYT trend pieces used the same ambiguous phrases over and over? I thought I bookmarked it but can't find it.

Maybe someone else does it, but Jack Shafer at Slate rips the NYT and other places each time they do a stupid trend story. Normally it's on fake drug hysteria like robotrippin' or pharm parties.

 

[playthrough]

Obviously it's only an NBA thing, since all their players are ball-hogging, no-defense thugs. In a word, NAPPERS!

 

[MonsterLobster]

"It's a trend a small but growing number of professional athletes..."


Was it on this site that someone posted a link to the blog of some guy who had been counting the times the NYT trend pieces used the same ambiguous phrases over and over? I thought I bookmarked it but can't find it.

Maybe someone else does it, but Jack Shafer at Slate rips the NYT and other places each time they do a stupid trend story. Normally it's on fake drug hysteria like robotrippin' or pharm parties.

I think you're right, it was Shafer on Slate. I remember having an Onion-quality laugh reading the long list of examples he culled and then picked apart in one of his links.

 

[MileHigh]

Here's the NHL angle.

From 4 1/2 years ago.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4722807

 

[Gator]

Tom Brady napped before beating the Rams in the Super Bowl. Worked out well for him.

 

[DanOregon]

Breaking News: A lot of NBA players have tattoos.

 

[sgreenwell]

Veronica and I trying this new fad called uh, jogging. I believe it's jogging or yogging. it might be a soft j. I'm not sure but apparently you just run for an extended period of time. It's supposed to be wild.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Tom Brady napped before beating the Rams in the Super Bowl. Worked out well for him.

Heck, before the second Max Schmeling fight, Joe Louis fell asleep in the dressing room and his trainers had a problem waking him up.

 

[dirtybird]

To call it a trend is silly. I know Gawker takes great pride in poking fun at the NYT's preponderance of trend stories.

On the other hand I find stories about gameday routines kind of interesting. I guess stories of odd daily routines just appeal to me.

/realizes he may be the most boring person on earth

 

[Mark2010]

News flash: Copy editors do it, too.

 

[lone star scribe]

News flash: Copy editors do it, too.

Especially during a long, boring story like this one. ;D

 

[fishwrapper]

Cross-section packaging opportunity missed here: The Spanish also take naps.

 

[HanSenSE]

Not to forget the Reagan years ...

 

[Some Guy]

There were actually some interesting nuggets, if not interesting Nuggets, in there.

* Kobe Bryant checks into a hotel before home games, just to nap.
* The quote from Adam Silver, about how everyone at the league office knows not to call a player at 3 o'clock.
* The stuff from the sleep doctor.

I think the story was fine.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

You guys don't get it...

Napping must be a euphemism for "****ing the women who hang out in the lobby at the team hotel."

 

[shockey]

There were actually some interesting nuggets, if not interesting Nuggets, in there.


* Kobe Bryant checks into a hotel before home games, just to nap.
* The quote from Adam Silver, about how everyone at the league office knows not to call a player at 3 o'clock.
* The stuff from the sleep doctor.

I think the story was fine.

'interesting nuggets,' perhaps. a new trend or recent twist? no. and it was written like it was. that's the issue we're examining. heck, next thing ya know the times will 'break' the story about all the wacky things -- including napping -- d.h.'s do to kill time between at bats.

this story, like napping, is as new as my first car. again, reeks of an inexperienced writer guided by a newbie assignments editor. like the pitch on reruns one network spun a couple of years back: 'if you didn't see it the first time around, then this show is NEW TO YOU!!'

that's all. not saying an old feature can't be revisited with fresh 'nuggets.' just don't try to sell it as a new trend you're breaking open....

 

[Some Guy]

There were actually some interesting nuggets, if not interesting Nuggets, in there.


* Kobe Bryant checks into a hotel before home games, just to nap.
* The quote from Adam Silver, about how everyone at the league office knows not to call a player at 3 o'clock.
* The stuff from the sleep doctor.

I think the story was fine.

'interesting nuggets,' perhaps. a new trend or recent twist? no. and it was written like it was. that's the issue we're examining. heck, next thing ya know the times will 'break' the story about all the wacky things -- including napping -- d.h.'s do to kill time between at bats.

this story, like napping, is as new as my first car. again, reeks of an inexperienced writer guided by a newbie assignments editor. like the pitch on reruns one network spun a couple of years back: 'if you didn't see it the first time around, then this show is NEW TO YOU!!'

that's all. not saying an old feature can't be revisited with fresh 'nuggets.' just don't try to sell it as a new trend you're breaking open....

That's fair, although I didn't really read it that way.

All I'm saying is, it was worth the story in some respects, because I learned some things from it I did not know. I imagine casual fans did as well.