The infamous all-area team

We've always picked our own all conference team, sometimes it agrees with the coaches' team, sometimes it doesn't. But the readers would rather have our focus be on the all conference team rather than an all-area team.

 

do both

 

My old paper's all-area teams were done by ballots from coaches. We just totaled up votes, and that was it.

 

Tide,
Trust your gut, dude. If Mr. Baseball is Mr. Football, nothing can be done about it. If the SE -- or anybody else for that matter -- can't make a better case for another player, then what are they whining about.

Make a command decision. Damn the torpedoes.

 

Stick to your guns or Abandon ship! Regardless, turn on your SE like WWE does to its fan base!

 

We pick all-area teams based on coaches votes also. Ties are broken by SE. What if Bo Jackson was in high school now? Who pick someone else but him for both football and baseball? Pick the best player and don't worry about the readers. They probably realize how good he is at both sports, they've read about him for months.

 

coaches votes are too political. go with coach nominations and then you pick.

 

Go with coach "suggestions."

Calling them "nominations" gives the coaches the idea they have some kind of veto power over the process. I've had coaches tell me they weren't nominating guys who rushed for 2,000 yards or averaged 25 ppg in basketball, because they "didn't like their attitude."

Well hey coach, if you didn't like his attitude that much, why didn't you suspend him or kick him off the team? What did he do that was that awful?

"I just didn't like his attitude. Now my senior captain, Cal Caucasian, now HE was a gutty little competitor. Put HIM on your all-area team."

Yeah, OK. Cal Caucasian, averaging 7 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds, is All-Area, while DeJamma Dunkarama, averaging 25 ppg, 13 rebounds and 8 assists, is honorable mention. Sure.

 

The coaches vote system can save you from upset callers. The first year I picked All-Area teams, I fielded several calls from upset parents about their kid not being on the team. The next year I changed to the coaches vote system and for the past eight years (at three different papers) have been able to tell irate parents, "We don't pick the team. Our area coaches vote on it and we just count the votes." The usual response I get is, "Oh, I didn't know." Many of them sound apologetic. It's great. Yes, it can be political, so I do break ties in the voting, but I don't tell our readers that!

 

i guess that is fine, but i would hope you then call it the coach's all-area team, because it's not yours if coaches are making all the decisions. it certainly gives you an easy out though.

as for suggestions vs. nominations, that is why it is up to me to decide who eventually is on the team, taking into account what the coach says.

 

SE's -- or reporters, for that matter -- that have no balls really make me sick. Just like the guy/gal that is afraid to ask the "tough" questions during post-game.

"Well, we like to have good relationships with our coaches," they say in their defense.

Spineless bastards.

Stick to your guns, Tide. If it comes to it, jet. Although, that would be unfortunate for everyone involved.

 

Frankly, this sounds like more of a management problem than a problem with your all-area team. It's obvious this issue was coming to a head and this happens to be the issue it exploded on.

I don't envy your position. Sounds like your SE is a tool. Quick question: Is your union pretty strong? If so, you need to meet with your union rep ASAP.

Either way though, I think you need to be very strategic about the situation. Line up your arguments, get everything in writing and take your case to the ME. If the ME has any journalistic backbone, he/she will make a move.

I hope you don't leave your job over this. Definitely start looking for a new one, but you shouldn't be the one leaving over this crap. Even if you end up having to pick an undeserving PoY, by complaining to the ME/union, you'll be setting the wheels in motion and things will get better.

Good luck!