Dear dimwit on the phone

Do you mean to say that every single word that's hyphenated over two lines comes out with a hyphen in the online version? If so, that's terrible.

 

Now Wrestling Mom will think it was her e-mail that made the difference, so be prepared for many more! I'll likely be dealing with the same thing from the anonymous older-sounding man who calls every couple of weeks to urge coverage of our girls ice hockey team.

"Don't you know they're undefeated?" Uh, yes... and when there's in-state competition, that might be relevant. But right now there are still the same handful of teams which existed when this team was formed, and all the others -- except the prep school team -- are still comparatively awful.

 

And this is what I love about SportsJournalists.com ... I now know I am not alone when it comes to not getting wrestling results. Yeah, I put out the section without them, with a little more love for soccer and the small-school basketball teams in outlying precincts who are faithful callers/emailers. But it would be nicer to have them.

First three years in this post, I'd get at least one email a year to the effect, "Wrestling is dying here and the Podunk Shopping News isn't doing anything about it" and wondering why we weren't going to the big tournaments in Springfield and Shelbyville (Uh, they're in Springfield and Shelbyville. And they're on Saturday, when we're closed except for special occasions). Didn't get one this year. Maybe his/her kidlet graduated. But anyone who does ask gets the standard speech: Your coach was sent my card at the start of the season ...

 

I'm really not trying to be critical here, just curious. Your reporting hours actually line up with the times your office is open?

 

It's a matter of priorities. I've got a two-person staff, including yours truly. We don't have a Sunday paper and we've got a limited travel budget. Overtime? What's overtime?

So instead of spending that budget going to every little tournament (regardless of sport) on Saturdays, I prefer to hold off on travel until the postseason. Thus, the early-season East Podunk (insert name of service club here) Invitational is a phoner, I've got the resources to send someone to regionals later in the season, and I can juggle the schedule so we have someone to cover (as well as tweet and live blog) a Saturday regional final. Despite what some parents may think, not every tournament is The Biggest Event In The History of Mankind.

 

Especially the ones that are called "Classics." Yeah, right.

 

Dear Overenthusiastic Basketball Parent,

Just a guess here, but I'm going out on a limb to say this is the first game you've attended this season. With your graying hair, douchey face and leather jacket, you have the look of a 45-year-old divorced dad trying to score points by showing up at your daughter's game with his new girlfriend. That's great and all, but you'd score more points (with your daughter and your girlfriend) if you got there earlier than halfway through a game that started at 7:30.
And speaking of scoring points, or the lack thereof, please rein in the celebratory fist pumps, "Yeah Babys!" and loud "C'mon, we gotta have this!" and "That's awesome!" cheers.
Enthusiasm is nice, but your tone makes you sound like a fraud and a total douche. The fact that the basket that just made you exclaim, "Yeah! Now we've got it!" made the score 21-18 early in the fourth quarter, and the teams are on their way to shooting a combined 16 percent for the game* is only making it worse.

Thanks,

Batman

*Sadly, this is an actual stat from an actual game. It is not an exaggeration.

 

We have an area girls team for whom 16 percent would be an improvement.

 

Yes HanSan...we're on the same page with scheduling...paid for 40, work your 40. That means limited if any weekend work during the regular season, and in the playoffs, don't expect to see me in the office on a Thursday

 

For the team I was covering (not the one the obnoxious parent was cheering for), it was by far their best game of the season.

 

Exactly, Flex. Newsside is in during the days (except for those covering night meetings) and we work nights, since, even though we're a p.m., that's when sports happen (not to mention a 6 a.m. press run). And while I'm on salary and the writer is hourly, I still get two days off. Don't mind the extra time during the playoffs, since it's the best time of the season, but for sanity's sake, lines must be drawn.

 

Not meaning to pile on, but how far away are Springfield and Shelbyville from your office? If it's 5 or so minutes away, what's keeping you from popping in there and getting a picture or two and getting results?