Denver Post Hockey Writer Wins Stanley Cup!

I think a lot of journalists have probably had an awkward exchange with a well-intentioned team official who is still on a championship high. About 10 years ago, a podunk high school in our coverage area won a state championship in boys basketball. A few months later, the coach gave me a call and asked me to meet him at the state track meet that we were both at. When I met him, he thanked me for all of our coverage that season and handed me a framed plaque that contained the same gold medal that all of the coaches and players received. He also handed me another plaque to give to our other high school reporter. I wasn't about to give the coach a lecture in ethics and why I couldn't accept such a gift. I thanked the coach and eventually hid the plaque away in a desk in my office.

Aside from my co-worker, I don't think that I ever mentioned that gift to anyone. Perhaps I should have tweeted out a picture of me smoking a cigar with those 17-year-olds.

 

Slight aside: Last year I covered one of our local high school baseball teams when they won a state championship. After the clincher, which was on their home field, the crowd had cleared out and the seniors were all hanging around soaking in the moment. They broke out some victory cigars and lit them up in the dugout. They were all over 18, had already graduated and probably wouldn't have cared if I took the picture and ran it, but I strongly fought the urge to take it. As great a photo as it would have been, it didn't seem worth the angry phone calls from parents and the school about showing a bunch of high school kids smoking on school grounds.

 

That would have been an awesome photo that you and your bosses loved, the players loved and most of your readers loved ... but the handful of people who hated that photo absolutely would have made sure that you received a two-week headache, numerous e-mails and a meeting or two with school officials.

 

I saw a radio guy take a victory lap with a girls track team after they won the conference meet one year. Saw him at a high school softball game this season wearing a shirt of the team he was covering, and after they won the first game of the doubleheader he hugged a bunch of the girls. The parents thought it was the greatest thing.

Would I like to see the Stanley Cup some time? Sure. It's the coolest trophy. Do I touch it or take a photo with it? No.

 

Which is exactly why I didn't take it. I already had about 30 great photos from that day. I didn't need one more that was going to turn a feel-good story for everyone into a miserable experience just for me.
As one of our locals famously said, I might have come over on the turnip truck but I was drivin' that mo'fo when it crossed the county line.

 

And now that she covers the Sharks, it'll be a while.

 

About 12 years ago, there was a local kid who did some video work for the Fresno Grizzlies, when they were still in the PCL and the Giants' top farm. The Giants gave him a ring (not one like the players got, but a damn nice rock) and had him ride in the victory parade down Market Street. Next season, went to Fresno to do a feature on him and he let me wear his ring oh-so-briefly. Don't feel bad about it ... but I do have a picture of the moment on Facebook.

 

This is genuinely some of the dumbest shit I’ve ever read on here.

 

CrowdTangle?

 

Mr. Barf, the other beat writers from that day are all dead. None left the industry before they died. To your point, it wasn't a high horse. It was how professionals do business. Reputations are forever as well.

 

Yes. Yes you are.

 

He probably stepped on the logo, too.