Dear dimwit on the phone

So how many calls have you gotten asking for multiple NCAA Tournament scores from people who clearly don't watch sports but you can tell are involved in a bracket pool? I even got one call for the Final Four scores.

 

I just keep getting calls about missed papers.

 

At least someone's still subscribing.

 

Dear coach, the time to tell me about a big swimming meet with your kids is way the hell before midnight on Sunday morning on the last day of the event! Of course I'm not going out there, what's the matter with you?

Signed,
Just Woke Up To This in Cali

 

Ah yes, those late notices about swim meets or any sport. Drives me batty every time.

 

This has probably been said here before...but "Dear news-side people: Please quit asking us when the hockey playoff game will end. The TV is on. Look up. Figure it out yourself."

 

"I hope the team in blue wins. They look cool."

 

Your TV says how much longer the game will take in real time? I want your TV. Particularly on deadline.

A previous executive editor was a big baseball fan, and wanted more baseball coverage in the sports section. I asked how long that night's game would take, pointing out that the soccer match would be over in two hours -- including halftime. And he had previously been a sports editor.

 

I got on the Deputy Editor's shit list when we were talking about off-the-floor deadlines. He asked me "When does the game start?" And my answer was, "Doesn't matter when it starts; matters when it ends."
And then there was the managing editor for the Pasadena paper who began planning for the New Year's coverage in August. She wanted to know which teams were going to be in the Rose Bowl. Yes, she asked this in August.

 

I got an email from a coach at 9:30 p.m., informing me that his game (scheduled for 7 1/2 hours earlier) had been cancelled. Thanks coach. I wish you had something earlier so I didn't have to drive 40 minutes to the empty softball field.

 

I think this is one of those ones that's partially on you, the reporter. If you're driving that far and rain is in the forecast, you probably should have shot him a text or called to make sure they were still playing. Unless it's a sudden thunderstorm that rains the game out, they'll know at least two hours ahead of time -- when the buses have to roll -- if they're playing or not.

 

The ones that bug me are the ones who put on their schedule that the game starts at 4:30, when that's actually the JV start time. Around here, most teams do varsity baseball first and JV plays after until the sun goes down. However, there are a few fields with lights that will occasionally play JV first. Either way, the time that's on the schedule is 4:30.