Gannett papers using AI for high school football

Don't tap too hard. You'll brake those breaks!

 

“Close encounter of the athletic kind” sounds like a Poin File starring a girls’ basketball coach.

 

This happened long before the cell phone, obviously. On Friday nights, Mickey Humphrey (RIP), the longtime high school writer at the Waco Tribune-Herald, would come back to the office after covering his game, get that story written, and then start tracking down scores, usually from smaller schools. He would call the field house first, then try calling the coach at home. If he couldn't find the guy at those two places, then he would call the Dairy Queen located closest to the high school, and more times than not, would find the coach he was looking for.

 

Absolutely, totally agree. Which is why you still have to take it as a small, though meaningless, victory that somebody said, "Hey, this was really fucked up."

 

I was told by several people who have filtered in and out of the big Gannett shop near me that whatever effort they put into HS sports should be on recruiting coverage. No gamers. If they're at a game at all, it's to further the recruiting coverage.
I used to cross paths with their high school guys all the time. Now, I honestly have no idea who is on that beat and haven't known for some time.

 

Impressed — and surprised — that the coach could be found at the DQ postgame instead of the local bar.

 

Today's content creators and engagement specialists:

"What's a field house?"

 

Don’t need AI for such phrases:

Close Encounter of the Rookie Kind

 

The late, great Marshall Johnson of the Virginia Associated Press office was fanatical about getting every last score for the scorelist. "Hi, this is Marshall Johnson, AP in Richmond ....." He would call sheriff's departments in rural counties for games not reported to one of the newspapers, figuring they would have people at the game or be able to tell him who to contact.

 

I enjoy comparing my "scoring" to the kid with GameChanger duties in the dugout.
Me: errors.
Student: No errors, ever.
And we all know softball ... one bad throw often creates chaos that clears the bases.
But, no. That was an inside-the-park home run.

 

That's frickin' cool. An era long gone, but still cool. Cool you shared. Thanks.