APSE judging

Just want to wish all the judges good luck, and say thanks for doing it.

Oh, and feel free to tell us everything that's going on.

 

My former boss is one of the judges. Not the first time, either. Says he enjoys it.

 

my prediction: lynn hoppes will pop into each room every half hour to "ask how it's going."

orlando will win another triple crown.

endut.

 

Did they buy a new dartboard?

 

Judged once.

It was a lot of work and fun.

 

I judged a number of times.

Once I did the section judging and my own newspaper, in my first year as sports editor, was in the group -- and my frickin' section was right on the bubble between making it into the final 20 or not. And it was impossible for me not to have any body language, even while not officially saying anything. And we didn't make it; finished 21st.

From then on, I told the contest chairman: I'll judge all you want, but I don't want to be anywhere near my circulation category, and they accommodated me.

I feel I was always professional, but frankly, I didn't want to be on that spot again. (BTW, I STILL think we were worthy of the top 20

 

How soon do we start hearing from leaks??

 

The guys who work hard to win those are the ones who target judges without tonsils!!! Think of them as the "Big Gulf" guys. Trust me! ... (sorry, flea has a lotta years logged in this racket, pilgrims... know more APSE swinish stories than a possum has warts.) Wouldn't trust that contest farther than I could throw...well, a lotta donut-inhaling SEs whom a lot of us could name...Won't, though, out of courtesty and fear of the APSE b-fin' cartel. Uh, don't bend over around any of that crew... word to the wise. Oh, and an APSE award means chiefly that the winner was willing to, well, let's say the rest isn't rated PG13.

 

bitter much, flea?

 

Perhaps a tad over the top. I've won dozens of them, and I've never gone to a convention, or been a judge, or known a judge. Did I say dozens? That may have been an exaggeration.

 

Did they hire a new chimp?

 

It's been a while, but in my past experience, these kinds of accounts as to how the judging is done are completely overblown (pun intended) and, despite flea's protestations to the contrary, made by people who don't usually know what the fuck they're talking about.

The committees I served on judged as fairly and impartially as possible, allowing for the fact that they're human beings.

There have been a number of years when a big-time AP personality and former president and whatever has walked out pissed because they didn't get everything they thought they deserved in the judging.

Is it perfect? Hell no. Worthwhile, even? That's worth a discussion.

A corrupt four days of friends helping friends win popularity contests?

Not when I did it. And I'm guessing not now, either.