ACC Tourney, a young writer, impressions of sports media

tl/dr

 

I agree with a lot of what he said, but I don't understand what's so hard about watching a game objectively and not caring about who wins.

During my sports journalism stint, I rooted for one thing and one thing only: The game to end as quickly as possible so I could write my story or stories and get home to my wife.

 

And then to write a column a month complaining about long games.

 

One excellent point this writer makes: the frivolity sportswriters cover. If you're in a town dominated by a local college, you've got to produce stories on that school's team. That doesn't mean you need seven stories about how the coach is pleased with how the team is progressing through camp or disappointed about being a 12 seed and how it motivates the players to do so and other cliche storylines.

How much of your own sports section do you actually read for enjoyment the next day?

 

I don't care if he is right about this point or that point.

The mean-spirited personal attacks on professional men and women he has never spoken with was absolutely disgraceful. He should be ashamed of himself.

It is possible to enjoy sports without cheering like a 20-year-old with a basketball on his head. I don't cheer for a winner or a loser. I'm not cynical enough to merely cheer for deadline. I enjoy the games. Same way I enjoy a movie or a good television show. I don't hoot and holler during those, either.

 

The tried and true "act like you've been there before" is pretty good advise in any new situation that you are in.

 

So...let's ignore an area in which we can improve?

 

The blog was more interesting than I expected. The writer and the radio guy both sound in the wrong to me, if the account is how I picture it.
It is hard to trust the writer when he was saying he wasn't really cheering for Duke when he concedes he threw his hands in the air and said "wow." It might not have been that unprofessional if it, like he said, was more about an unusually athletic play than the jersey he was wearing, but it's hard to just take his word for it. Still, going into the event he should have realized he needed to control himself. Saying that cheering for Duke is in his blood makes it clear to me he is not able to separate himself from the event the way he needs to.
But I can picture a radio dude (which often are tied to their school) being kind of weird to someone of the rival school, if the guy just has a bad personality to begin and if the account is true. The kid should have known, though, that radio guys are hired by the school. At some places talking with a radio guy somewhere is the same as talking to an SID or other school officials...a red flag should be waving not to say anything stupid that could draw attention to yourself.
But just the same, the radio dude doesn't have to be that confrontational. Is a blogger kid or student journalist, whatever, really worth your time if he's not that annoying? It's not like his goal is to produce the same thing a traditional journalist produces... If I see a student journalist or a blogger cheering for a team it gets my attention, but if it's just a thing or two here and there I just ignore it. Maybe I say something in a very non-confrontational way if it's a student newspaper guy. Otherwise I wouldn't say much unless it was interfering with what I was doing. One "wow" in a game would be something I'd probably ignore. When the radio guy clearly has a bias as well, it seems more annoying that he's getting on his high horse about ethics/journalism/etc.

 

I think this exchange in the comments section sums up Punky Hoopster the best. The guy's just a fan who weaseled his way into the event without paying for a ticket. The shame is the giggly followers of his blog who think he's great because of it.
When I want to cheer for a team I like, I pay for a ticket. When I am a professional at work, I carry myself as such.

 

I just don't get why this was labeled as being about "sports writing" in the title, when he proceeds to call out a radio guy.

Don't lump us with radio assholes.

 

When I started writing, I used to root for the best story. Now, with my days in journalism likely numbered, I'm just hoping for the game to end as quickly as possible.