Dear dimwit on the phone

Those cheer camps and competitions seem like a money-making gold mine, Yowsa.

 

Four days? Most places, including mine, that's a godsend. See earlier posts on anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours' notice.

 

Like mine a bit back. Remember? Four hour's notice?

And said swim team tried to guilt me today:

"This pretty important to about 80 kids in our community and sad that we don't get any coverage. We called and sent e-mails ahead of time hoping we could get somebody interested in this story."

Um, there were two e-mails and no phone calls. Said e-mails arrived no more than 6 hours before the banquet (one 4 hours before). I arrived at work at 2:30 because I was expecting a slow day and I'm on my 17th month of interim managing editing as well. There was no way to make this work.

"The swim team works hard all summer...and are dedicated with caring loving coaches...that is why we have the success we have had. HARD WORK."

Other teams work hard too. Hard work by a parent or two would have gotten them some coverage this year. You know, like, maybe telling me when your team was doing things?

"Someone said they had no idea our town even had a swim team."

Bet they wouldn't have said that two years ago when there were people who were working to let me know what was going on and I showed up to all the home meets, took pictures and ran the agate when it was delivered. Just sayin'.

"Some of the other towns get coverage without asking for it."

Bullshit. They probably have to beg for it. Most of the eds around here wish summer swimming didn't exist. But I'll wager that they got coverage because someone let the paper know what was going on.

"We elected someone to try to work on communication with The (Press) for next year. Maybe that will help."

You used to do it every year. What the hell happened?

Attached to the letter were four pictures ... all of them too small to print without turning them into blocky mosaic-looking things. Thanks guys.

Sad thing is, this came from a parent who knows what I can do when I have the resources. She's had kids on this team for years. Ah, selective memory.

I don't know. Maybe I got spoiled when the chosen media contacts did a good job in the past few years before these last two and took it for granted that it would get fixed.

 

That would have been my response. That's why I don't make these decisions, and forward these types of calls/e-mails should they end up in my possession.

 

Cheerleading isn't a sport.
If you're going to say Competition Cheerleading isn't a sport, than gymnastics, track and field and figure skating aren't either.
Of course, I say that, so what the hell do I know.
I understand the bias, but my problem with everyone's hate on the competition cheerleading is it's such an uninformed bias.

 

Track and field not a sport? How does that add up? It's boring as all hell, I'll give you that, but the other stuff is judged. Track and field is the most basic non-judged competition imaginable. It's the purest sport there is.

 

I would be sorely tempted to reply and ask just how well this mom wants me to know these cheerleaders. SORELY tempted.

 

I'd say cross country is the purest sport. No level, rubberized track, just the lay of the land.

 

And some high-tech running shoes.

 

My definition of sport includes defense. You can't do anything to stop your opponent. There's no gamesmanship. Talent wins every time.
They're still athletes. I just call it competitive exercise. Same as swim.

 

My argument to cheering as a "sport":

I can (and sometimes do) do the same things these girls do on Friday nights. I start cheers, a la "De-fense" or "Let's Go ____", so am I an athlete because of it? No.

 

Athlete? No.

Fanboi? Yes.