Quick parent rant

[gandhithegreat]

Not much to see here, though feel free to chime in with your own experiences if you see fit. I just need to vent a little.

Got an email from a parent today about the soccer story I wrote for this morning's paper. "Today's article on the Podunk girls' soccer game is wrong," she writes, already getting my attention. Quick background: The star of my story is normally a defender, but last year for the game against this team moved up to forward, and scored a hat trick. Yesterday, she scored two goals, including the game-winner.

Now, here are the two things that I apparently got wrong. A. Katie Kicker did not have a hat trick in yesterday's game, as I apparently wrote (untrue: I wrote that she had two goals, but did mention last year's hat trick). B. Christie Cornerkick had the winning goal, not Katie. (This one's also false, as the team scored three goals to the opposition's one, and Katie had the first two). Anyway, I'm right, the parent's wrong, but that's really not a big deal. It could have gone the other way. The shirt that REALLY bothers me, though, is at the end of the email, where Mom made sure to chime in with the ol' "These girls works very hard all of them and it is very upsetting when they are misrepresented." (Yes, that's a direct quote, and no, I didn't forget the punctuation.)

Alright, FIRST OF ALL, lady, get your damn facts straight. I probably screw up a dozen times a week, so nail me on that, but don't tell me I'm wrong if I'm not. But more importantly, don't forking try to GUILT TRIP me into correcting or responding because "these girls works very hard all of them." I hate that crap, whether it's on a hostile email like the one I got, or even just a, "hey, just wanted to let you know Jimmy's little league team is playing in a big tournament this year. These kids work very hard, and they deserve to have some publicity just as much as the high schoolers and the pros."

Give me a G-damn break.
[/vent]

you're missing the real statement the parent is making, "I need to get laid so bad, I'm considering voting Democrat this time around."

I'd see if she'll buy you a drink.

 

[JBHawkEye]

Another story (it's been a fun weekend):

Apparently there's some parent who goes to a message board devoted to the state's preps after every Friday football game and benches because we weren't there covering it (team is 4-4 going into the final game of the regular season).

Seriously, this guy needs help.

 

[Flash]

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.

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.

Will take this to PM, Tom. Let me gather my thoughts and get back to you.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

Youth football parent ends a submitted brief with "Great job to the whole team, keep up the great work." Then he/she/it (doesn't sign the damn e-mail except with a first initial and last name) asks if I could leave that last sentence in if possible.

Well, theoretically it's possible. "Great job to the whole team, keep up the great work." is accepted by my word processor and design program as readily as "The Eagles shut out the Cougars", "mix three eggs into the cake batter and set the oven temperature to 400 degrees" and "sieg heil!" Possible, sure. Happening? How about no.

 

[JBHawkEye]

Youth football parent ends a submitted brief with "Great job to the whole team, keep up the great work." Then he/she/it (doesn't sign the damn e-mail except with a first initial and last name) asks if I could leave that last sentence in if possible.

Well, theoretically it's possible. "Great job to the whole team, keep up the great work." is accepted by my word processor and design program as readily as "The Eagles shut out the Cougars", "mix three eggs into the cake batter and set the oven temperature to 400 degrees" and "sieg heil!" Possible, sure. Happening? How about no.

Got one of those last year. Local Christian school played in a tournament. This is what the release said, "XXXX XXXX Christian School played in the XXXXX XXXXX Tournament last weekend. They did a great job! Way to go girls!" THAT WAS IT.

Two days later, guy who sent it in called and complained that we didn't print it. When I explained why, he still didn't get it.

 

[Cadet]

Youth football parent ends a submitted brief with "Great job to the whole team, keep up the great work." Then he/she/it (doesn't sign the damn e-mail except with a first initial and last name) asks if I could leave that last sentence in if possible.

Well, theoretically it's possible. "Great job to the whole team, keep up the great work." is accepted by my word processor and design program as readily as "The Eagles shut out the Cougars", "mix three eggs into the cake batter and set the oven temperature to 400 degrees" and "sieg heil!" Possible, sure. Happening? How about no.

Got one of those last year. Local Christian school played in a tournament. This is what the release said, "XXXX XXXX Christian School played in the XXXXX XXXXX Tournament last weekend. They did a great job! Way to go girls!" THAT WAS IT.

Two days later, guy who sent it in called and complained that we didn't print it. When I explained why, he still didn't get it.

Here's what I don't understand: you never see anything like this in the newspaper, so why would parents think we would run something written that way?

I mean, do you put "Way to go Steelers!" at the end of your NFL wire copy? Or rewrite the Michigan State football gamer to say "the Spartans tried really hard this season"?

 

[JBHawkEye]

Youth football parent ends a submitted brief with "Great job to the whole team, keep up the great work." Then he/she/it (doesn't sign the damn e-mail except with a first initial and last name) asks if I could leave that last sentence in if possible.

Well, theoretically it's possible. "Great job to the whole team, keep up the great work." is accepted by my word processor and design program as readily as "The Eagles shut out the Cougars", "mix three eggs into the cake batter and set the oven temperature to 400 degrees" and "sieg heil!" Possible, sure. Happening? How about no.

Got one of those last year. Local Christian school played in a tournament. This is what the release said, "XXXX XXXX Christian School played in the XXXXX XXXXX Tournament last weekend. They did a great job! Way to go girls!" THAT WAS IT.

Two days later, guy who sent it in called and complained that we didn't print it. When I explained why, he still didn't get it.

Here's what I don't understand: you never see anything like this in the newspaper, so why would parents think we would run something written that way?

I mean, do you put "Way to go Steelers!" at the end of your NFL wire copy? Or rewrite the Michigan State football gamer to say "the Spartans tried really hard this season"?

Agreed.

It's just like parents who submit group photos. We don't run them, haven't run them in the 15 years I've been here, and our policy for submitting results is in our sports section once a week. And yet they still bring them in, and act surprised when we explain we don't do that.

One time, woman brings in a photo of an ASA softball team after they had won one of the eight million tournaments they play in each year. All of the kids are making goofy faces in the photo. I told her we don't run group photos, and she said, "But this would mean so much to them. And it's showing kids having fun. People need to see more of that in the paper."

 

[Flash]

Don't forget 'a good time was had by all.' My first stop in the industry was at a really rural weekly and, although I was the sports reporter, I was also tasked with editing the contributions from the community correspondents.

 

[Della9250]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/10/22/MNGTILTVRT1.DTL

This story isn't parents vs. media but parents vs. coach -- and she's got pretty darn good credentials. Love those prep parents.

 

[Cadet]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/10/22/MNGTILTVRT1.DTL

This story isn't parents vs. media but parents vs. coach -- and she's got pretty darn good credentials. Love those prep parents.

Wow. Kudos to the coach for sticking it out. And kudos to the writer for explaining how the sense of entitlement is created by the for-profit programs and how parents freak when they don't see a return on investment.

 

[KP]

Good find. Times have certainly changed.

 

[kingcreole]

Got an email last week from disgruntled parent regarding the big county soccer game story I wrote.

Podunk High was hovering around .500, but had played a tough schedule. Boonie High was having a great season at 12-2. Ranked in the state's smallest class for soccer. Podunk won 3-1, and has never lost to Boonie. I wrote in the story that Podunk may not have the best record in the county, but it proved it was the best team.

Mommy couldn't believe I called Podunk the best team in the county. Boonie had a better and was ranked (Podunk plays in a larger class). I opened the reply email with this: Podunk 3, Boonie 1.