Things that bug sports journalists

[KYSportsWriter]

Never been locked in a stadium before, but did have a cop stop at a high school football stadium and ask what the heck I was doing in the press box with the stadium lights out and no one else around. I was finishing up a track story and emailing my story in when I saw his flashlight shining in my direction. Guy was nice enough once he figured out why I was still there, but that's the closest I've come to being arrested before.

 

[JohnHammond]

Talking about anything other than sports.

 

[Killick]

The promo for the Friday Night Super Football Blitz/Drive/Gridiron coverage that features students yelling incoherently into the camera.

There is very little on a local TV newscast anymore that isn't hackneyed cliche, from the live shot of reporter standing outside a place where something happened hours ago (but there is absolutely no sign of it now) to the "fat story" b-roll of overweight people (shot from the neck down) walking around town.

 

[old_tony]

Let's see...

"I knew that" guy - beat writer who's never surprised by any development, even if he never writes about it, and does most of his enterprising work on other people's radio shows, opining at length on how much he knew about it but never reported. A sub category is "coach was obviously a bad fit" guy after said coach is fired.

The over his skis coach - usually a prep coach - who tries to retroactively take all of his mouthy quotes off the record after your story is printed.

Quirky coach whose quirks wear off pretty damn fast once you're no longer enamored with their quirks, and he knows you're not.

The promo for the Friday Night Super Football Blitz/Drive/Gridiron coverage that features students yelling incoherently into the camera.

Spot on. We have one station here that calls it "Friday Football Frenzy!!!!!!" You can guess how awful it is.

 

[Buck]

Let's see...

"I knew that" guy - beat writer who's never surprised by any development, even if he never writes about it, and does most of his enterprising work on other people's radio shows, opining at length on how much he knew about it but never reported. A sub category is "coach was obviously a bad fit" guy after said coach is fired.

I find this especially annoying with regard to sports-talk radio.
I listen to KNBR out of SF every day, and they play this all the time.
Show hosts claim to have known things after some big news happens, but they apparently fail to talk about it before the event takes place.
I don't consider sports-talk hosts to be hard journalists, but they still should consider the audience as their primary responsibility rather than their sources.
And listeners never seem to be upset by this.
Drives me crazy.

 

[Killick]

Not sports journalists, but all journos: Got a PR today for "a BIG event" on Sept. 18, a cancer benefit. Time and place mentioned. Ticket prices, swag, where people can donate money if they can't make it. Tee shirt sales, cute little candles, etc.

Now, tickets are $100. You think people might want to know what's going on at the venue? Celebrity chef catering? Dancing? Visits from local celebs? Auction/raffle? Blowjobs from nubile cheerleaders? Nothing. Absolutely no description of what the event entails. Oh, and media contact isn't answering her phone or returning calls.

Guess what press release just got shirt-canned.

 

[Buck]

Hey now, don't get me started on things that bug PR folks about journos.

 

[SportsGuyBCK]

Phone calls/emails from parents claiming we're costing their kid a scholarship ...

 

[TyWebb]

Hey now, don't get me started on things that bug PR folks about journos.

Please start. I'm curious.

 

[Spartan Squad]

I find this especially annoying with regard to sports-talk radio.
I listen to KNBR out of SF every day, and they play this all the time.
Show hosts claim to have known things after some big news happens, but they apparently fail to talk about it before the event takes place.
I don't consider sports-talk hosts to be hard journalists, but they still should consider the audience as their primary responsibility rather than their sources.
And listeners never seem to be upset by this.
Drives me crazy.

Listening to KNBR I have to make a concerted effort to remember that a) these guys are reading and commenting on news by journos b) they are the official station to three of the six major sports teams in the area and c) some of these guys are actual announcers during those games. Basically, I'm tuning in for analysis, stupid banter and to turn my brain off. That said, Gary Radnich is the masturbatory blowhard who loves to hear himself talk, often allowing guests/callers just to say "hi, Gary" before he starts pontificating for 30 minutes straight. His partner Larry Krueger is the "I am going to pull out the most obscure factoid about anything" guy. I don't care that you know the name of the guy who washed Rollie Fingers' jock when he moved to the Brewers from the Padres in 1981 (I had to look that up, I didn't actually know that).

 

[Buck]

Please start. I'm curious.

To start, the idea that media relations is all there is too public relations.
I'm not just sitting at my desk waiting for a reporter to call so I have something to do.

 

[TyWebb]

To start, the idea that media relations is all there is too public relations.
I'm not just sitting at my desk waiting for a reporter to call so I have something to do.

Liar. All you do is wait for that phone to ring.

But honestly, it is interesting to hear what the other side thinks. I've always thought there was a huge gap in understanding each other's jobs, except for those of us who have been on both sides.