Quick parent rant

Talking shit about sports parents has to be one of my favorite pasttimes.

Yes, I'm fully aware that I need to get a life. But still, it's fun.

This week's Loser winner: the soccer mom who corners me during a game (one I'm paying attention to) to ask me to write a story about Senior Appreciation Day. She wants a whole story on the kids and parents being honored at halftime. And it would be nice if it had a picture.

 

"Why don't you write anything about our cheerleaders? They were 8th in the nationals last weekend. They work just as hard as the football players."

Please just kill me now.

 

Isn't there one national championship event per cheerleading team?

 

Cheerleading organ-eye-zations = 10 times worse than boxing

In my 10-mile radius of Podunkville there are at least 3 different high schools that say they are state and/or national champions.

 

In regard to that "you're costing my kid a scholarship" by reporting the facts of whatever kid, whatever team, do recruiters actually read local media on players? It seems to me that they'd contact coaches and ask for stats or ask if they have kids that are worthy, but then again, that might open up a can of worms itself.

I seriously doubt recruiters scour small town, weekly and thrice weekly media for kids to recruit. I imagine they have in mind who's good and who's not before the season even begins.

 

Yeah, parents/coaches/ADs who think this are idiots. With basketball and volleyball kids aren't getting recruited for their H.S. stuff so much as summer camps and traveling teams, anyway. But generally for these kids, the season ends with the last prep game...and generally they suck.

 

Smallpotatoes' Rule of College Recruiting: If your kid is good enough, he/she doesn't need my help. If your kid isn't good enough, I can't help him/her.

 

i've read your stuff flash and have to believe you aren't working by now only because you don't want to.

 

Thanks, Tom. I've had a few offers but I'm not in the mood to leave Calgary. Thus, I have sold my soul and gone over to the dark side. Am doing PR now.

 

meat - this has taken me many years to perfect, but i think i have it down to a T.

once a parent corners me and i hear the key words, "your paper, my kid, college and scholarship," i quickly throw my palm in the general direction of the douchebag offender's face to let him or her know to shut their ass and then look them square in the eye before deadpanning: "let's get one thing straight before this discussion veers off topic. i get paid to sell papers, period. i can not find securing your kid a college scholarship anywhere in my job description.

the conversation always stops there. better yet, a few of those douchebags thought they'd go over my head with a few of my editors at a different different shops, and both editors emphatically had my back in both instances ... i mean how can an editor not support that line?

basically, it shuts everyone the hell up and allows you to get back to biz as usual.

 

flash - am considering the same when i leave this stop. more time with mre. petty and the young heartbreakers, less work and possibly better coin.

please tell me your thoughts of that profession without pulling any punches.

 

i said it before and i;ll say it again. i fucking hate parents.

got chewed out on my voicemail because this bitch misread the story and thought i was dissing her daughter. whatever, i hope she says something to me at their game on tuesday, so i can tell her she was wrong.

i don't mind someone telling me i'm wrong if i fucked up, which we all do, but to be disrespected because she read the story wrong isn't sitting well with me.