Dear readers: Your team rules. Love, a reporter

That letter makes me cringe. It reminds me of something that I'd say to a coach of a terrible team to soften them up for an interview.


Yarf.

 

I don't get it. He was so impressed with a losing team he wrote a LTE for the team 200 miles away? I don't get it.

How come I have worked in the business for 7 years and never felt so moved to even remotely think of this? I have watched performances that left me feeling giddy and in awe. I have even felt pride in seeing some of the people I cover who i got to know in my community do well.

It's embarrassing that this guy is a peer. It's just not serious work.

And in short and this is what I really feel-- it's hokey. Kind of dorky. It's just so milk and cookies I can't stand it. This guy is just a community journalist who probably writes for $15 a story and LOVES it.

Listen, if you are on this message board you are a serious journalist (or try to be). We won't find anyone who is hokey like that here. I hate when I run into prep writers who are write this "well the boys tried hard and did their school proud" garbage. These community guys are even worse. They have no interest in being journalists. I actually don't think stuff like that LTE is redeeming or has value.

Just so HOKEY and corny.

 

After stewing on it a day or so, you're right. Most of the papers I've ever worked for had a policy that if you wrote a letter to the editor to another publication, you were fired (or at the very least suspended a good long time).

Luckily I've never been swayed by my dopey reasoning above. Keep your fuzzy-wuzzy thoughts to yourself.

 

Especially if he's a super-nice guy.

 

Somebody's son is probably the starting QB and this is a way to draw attention to his so, er, the team!