Preps Football Questions and Venting

NO! Can never run a "partial" score in the paper.

Pro example: The Yanks-Red Sox meaningless game at Fenway tonight starts after 9 because of rain delay then goesmore than 4 hours -- made no edition of our paper. All our readers will get tomorrow is a reefer to our Website for the result of last night's Yankees-Red Sox game... not that it was 12-5 Yanks in the sixth at press tinme.

 

But what of this time machine?

 

pro stuff that runs late, if it is big enough in your area, have a photo with info in the cutline saying score at press time was xx-xx with xx left to play. see bumfuckpress.com for the full story.
you can also send in a running with the xx-xx at xx and have them place the thing. then, soon as game's done, you're on the phone with the final score. they sub it in and hit the button.

 

Stallion,

If your game ends at 10:38 and someone doesn't understand why you missed your 10:15 deadline, there is a definite disconnect there that needs to be dealt with. It's not all that uncommon for a 7:30 game to end after 10:15 or even, say, 10:10, which would make it nearly impossible to meet the deadline.

I know you said Verizon didn't have a wireless card the last time you checked, and that it was pointless to pay $60 per month for something you use 10-12 times per year. But if Verizon eventually does get one that's compatible for you, ask your editor if the higher-ups will pay for it. I did, and they said yes. Hell, it's a tax write-off as a business expense for them anyway. The little boogers are handy. The only time I had trouble using mine was when the rements of hurricane Ike hit our area, and the weather was bad.

 

and to the original question, you were screwed from the start. used to cover a spread team that would fill my stat sheet and make me switch to a second sheet for passing. several 7:30 games one season finished past 10:30. those went quoteless with a running story, essentially.

shit happens once in a while. they'll get over it - especially if you have a track record of beating deadline. if it were an all-the-time thing, you're in trouble. but if you're my writer, I probably give you a pass here for the most part. though I would have probably also found out immediately after the game if they wanted to dictate a 10-inch story or if they wanted to wait 45 minutes to get a real one.

 

FWIW, the preps editor told me that I need to speak directly with him next to work out how to handle it. My two phone calls at the end of the game went to the wrong people. One of them was some sort of night editor. Being a stringer, though, I don't recognize voices and don't ask many questions. Next time, I'll ask to speak directly with the person whose ass is on the line. Then we can work out something. I probably should have dictated from the car in the parking lot.

 

And there you go.

 

Good advice. I'll take it next time..

 

There's the old fashioned way that a couple of our staffers had to use to make deadline because they couldn't send from the site -- dictation.
Someone one the desk (or someone in the office) types in your story as you read them/tell them your gamer. That way you have something to fill the hole without needing to leave the game to file.

 

stallion,

i'm using a verizon internet anywhere card right now with my macbook pro. they have a plan for $40 and one for $60.

 

A 10:15 deadline for Friday night football is a setup for failure. Get a pizza delivery job instead. It'll probably pay better.

 

Sorry Bat, our deadline for Friday night FB is 10:20 for copy. Most games start at 7 so it's not usually a problem.

Stallion's biggest problem was lack of commnication. He has to call the editor -- and make sure he talks to the right guy -- long before that game ends to let him know there is no way in hell this game is ending by 10:15... how should we handle this?
Adnd as soon as he knows he can't send from the site he has to let that editor -- again, talk to the right person -- that he'll probably have to dictate. You don't go running around for a half-hour trying to find a hot spot to file from.