Dear dimwit on the phone

To people you trust yes, but at least you should be the one who decides to give it to them. I'm one of the (I'm sure) growing percentage of Americans who have never had a landline, therefore my cell phone is my home phone. And I'm not giving that number out to anyone I don't want to call me at home. I didn't get to say, "Don't give Juco Super Booster my phone number." The receptionist just gave it it him without even bothering to ask who it was. That incident ended up establishing an understanding between the receptionist and I: Take a message.

 

When I started back in newspapers in 2006, I thought it would be "easier" for coaches to contact me via my cell phone.
WRONG IDEA!
On off days I was getting game calls, and any little problem didn't go to my work phone....it came to my cell.
I made sure to take my cell off my card and I stopped sharing with coaches after that fall. The calls dropped pretty much after that and I haven't given it out since unless I tell them to call me...and even then I say "Still, use my work number if you just need something," and they usually understood.

 

My cell phone *is* my work phone.

When we get hired, we get a iPhone (it's a 4), and that's honestly the only number I give out. It's easier to get the call on the cell than at my desk.

In fact, I have canceled my person cell have not had a house phone in the better part of a decade). Hey, that's gonna save me $50 a month.

It has paid off in the past with tips, and it's really not that much of a bother.

Of course, usually people will leave voicemail, unlike the person in this case.

 

Understand I agree this person treated you poorly.

But I hate to see the off-handed "It's only the WNBA," because you're still talking about a professional female athlete speaking to other female athletes.

I know you didn't get enough notice, and I agree.

Full disclosure: I cut my teeth in Connecticut, and that's a place both college women and the WNBA are right up there as major sports. I can imagine in many other places, it is not a blip.

But female athletes are one of their top audiences.

 

Those coaches chose to give you those numbers. I didn't choose to give out my number, somebody else decided for me.

A lot of our sources have my cell. I've given it to them or said it was OK for somebody else to give it to them. I wouldn't have OKed this tournament director getting my cell.

 

You get a cell phone from your company? We don't even have voice mail. If someone calls at night, there's one answering machine. It answers only the main line and someone set it not to answer until like the fifth or sixth ring. Almost no one leaves a message.

 

All of our reporters have work phones. Most of them are pretty nice...a few look like Nokias from 2003.

 

i have given my personal cell number to two coaches and one AD ... all of whom i've had beers with. it's turned out nicely.
i've handed out my number to multiple players for interview purposes, none of which have ever called without me first requesting to do as much.
i think you can trust the athlete much more than the administrator.

 

Lady sees the off key in the betting line, calls to ask if "off" means the football game was cancelled.

And speaking of the betting line, one of our regular callers asked why we didn't list the minor league baseball lines.

 

I don't mind coaches having my cell number. All of our wrestling coaches have it and they call that number to get their results in the paper.

I wouldn't want the guys I work with randomly giving my number out to a reader who wants to complain about something, but I have no issue with them giving it to a coach or athlete who's trying to get in touch with me when I'm not at work.

 

Today: "Hey, will the Mississippi State and Ole Miss bowl games be on TV?"

I was mildly tempted to say, "No."

Instead, I noted that all bow games are on TV. "That's the whole point of them," I added.

 

This.
I sometimes go a day or two without going into the office. I have no problem with coaches calling or texting me with scores or tips. Most of them do. Hell, we might have to call them at 11:30 on a Friday night to get a football score, or in the middle of the school day to check on something, so it's only fair they have my number too. It's not like we're calling each other to chit-chat most of the time.
Every time I meet a new coach in town I exchange cell numbers as soon as possible. When I leave a message to talk to someone for a story, I usually leave both the office and cell numbers, just because it's easier to track me down there.
If I'm covering something, driving or just out with the wife I'll either let it go to voice mail, shoot a quick text back, or answer and politely tell them I'm off tonight, and to please call the office where one of my co-workers can better deal with them. If I don't recognize the number, I let it go to voice mail. No harm, no fuss.

However, there's no excuse for someone at the office to give it to a random reader. That warrants an ass-kicking.