Beat THIS nut-ball parent...

Tell them just what you told us, that Johnny's mom sent a pic of her kid's opponent in an ambulance and wanted a story. Just give them a heads up. It's possible that Mommy broke a signed parent code of conduct (some of these extend to parents contacting the media, some may just have a moral turpitude clause) and could be disciplined by the school. At the very least they should know they're dealing with someone beyond garden-variety psycho.

 

Call the parent up and tell her that the kid her son injured died. Ask if she'd like to buy an ad for the occasion.

 

Don't run the picture.

But when little Johnny gets lit up like Chad Johnson, run it big. If possible, run three or four shots -- one just before the hit, one during the hit, one right after and one when they're putting the collar or aircast on her son.

Then give the player who hit Little Johnny your player of the year award.

 

Just think .. someone, somewhere, at sometime ... hit it

 

Thanks for that horrible visual.

 

You don't know that. It could have been in-vitro.

 

And when you call the AD, you dont have to make it a formal deal. Dont know what kind of relationship you have with him/her, but it could be as simple as "Hey, who is Mrs. Nuthead. You're gonna love what she did last night. Took a picture...."
Or you could approach it this way (which might be best): Since it came from a cellphone, odds are good that her cellphone number is part of the email. Call up the ad and ask if he has a cell number specifically for Mrs. Nuthead. When he asks why, tell him the story and say you're not going to run the photo, but you want to be sure it came from her as opposed to someone playing a prankusing her name...

 

I appreciate the suggestions.

Running the photo never entered the universe furthest from our thought process.

The only way the photo ever "sees" print is in a column somewhere down the road. I'm discussing our options re: contacting the school's AD with my editor.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I am truly appalled by this.

 

What kind of relationship do you have with the AD. Does this need to be a formal deal -- at first? And can you prove it's her. Could it be someone who didnt like the mom and decided to send the photo knowing it was her son and sending the text to burn her. Maybe ask the head coach, if you think he's cool, "say, what's Mrs. Nutcase like? Why? Well..."
Before you make this an indignant formal deal, test the waters and check up on her first.
But without mentioning names and with a couple of other examples in hand, feel free to use this as an exhibit of overzealous parents. And under no circumstances run the photo. Keep a copy, so if people call you on the column, you have proof of its existence. But it never runs -- even in that column down the road/.

 

Zimbabwe, you work in Ohio, no?

 

No.


Oh, I thought you said Angola!. Whatever, we are all African countries.

 

I was thinking the same thing regarding the thread title -- is it asking us to top her behaviour or to introduce her to Mr. ville Slugger, first name Louis?