My least favorite lede cliche

In the distance, a child is crying. Fatherless ... a bastard child, perhaps.

 

You're right, Doc.
Every time I see that damn lede, I just cringe.

 

I hate ledes that speak some vague truth about sports in general. Completely lazy.

"Conventional wisdom in football is that the team that asserts itself early will generally win. That's exactly what Podunk High did last night."

I see this type of shit way too often.

 

It's AP deadline stuff. It's meant to be thorough and quick. If it happens to be clever and original, that's good, but it's well down on the list of priorities.

How many threads are there on these boards screaming. "Where is the lead on (whatever)?" The idea is to get product out as quickly as possible.

In that context, sometimes the writer falls back on something that's too familiar. Or else the writer tries something creative, the desk decides that doesn't work and changes it to something that's too familiar. That happens, too.

The people who work for the AP know they'll get screeching phone calls from Terry Taylor saying, "Where is the lead?" not, "Why isn't this lead more original?"

 

"No _____, no problem, as the Blanks rolled to 35-24 victory."

 

Suddenly, a pirate ship appeared on the horizan.

 

"It was a tale of two writers at the AP..."

 

Somewhere, Joe Jerkwater is smiling.

 

Somewhere, Bo Schembecher is frowning.

 

It's official.

 

I agree wholeheartedly. I'd rather just see the story start: Jimmy Smith scored a season-high 45 points as Team A beat Team B 88-75.

The ledes that speak in vague truths are so trite and bad.

 

If John Madden were a reporter:
Conventional wisdom in football is that if you throw the ball and you catch it in the end zone and it's not out of bounds, than that's gonna be a touchdown.