Dear dimwit on the phone

[sgreenwell]

Local racetrack guy, nice as can be, calls to tell me they're having a big 100-lap feature race and might we be interested in covering it. Sure, when is it? "We're gonna try to get started about 5 p.m. tonight."

Good luck with that.

Henry: I know you are good at this business, but I gotta ask.

Assuming the track is local and there's reader interest. don't you have a schedule and possibly do previews?

I mean, of course the guy should have contacted you earlier for a major event, but was he on the fringes?

(And points to him for being nice. I hate the people who are unreasonable *and* rude).

They called the day of, only giving him a few hours' notice. No way in heck is that getting in the next day's paper.

I think what he's saying is that, like high school sports, is it reasonable to think, "Hey, it's about that time that we get horse racing going up, maybe I should look into that..."

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Local racetrack guy, nice as can be, calls to tell me they're having a big 100-lap feature race and might we be interested in covering it. Sure, when is it? "We're gonna try to get started about 5 p.m. tonight."

Good luck with that.

Henry: I know you are good at this business, but I gotta ask.

Assuming the track is local and there's reader interest. don't you have a schedule and possibly do previews?

I mean, of course the guy should have contacted you earlier for a major event, but was he on the fringes?

(And points to him for being nice. I hate the people who are unreasonable *and* rude).

They called the day of, only giving him a few hours' notice. No way in heck is that getting in the next day's paper.

Only way it should is if you're planning on just leading with wire stuff because nothing else is going on. You do have to allow for some room for "breaking" news or things that happen that day.

But "try to get started" at whatever time isn't good enough. What if that 5 p.m. turns into 7 or 8 or even later due to circumstances unseen? If it was my paper's deadlines, no way would that get in the next day.

 

[HejiraHenry]

Local racetrack guy, nice as can be, calls to tell me they're having a big 100-lap feature race and might we be interested in covering it. Sure, when is it? "We're gonna try to get started about 5 p.m. tonight."

Good luck with that.

Henry: I know you are good at this business, but I gotta ask.

Assuming the track is local and there's reader interest. don't you have a schedule and possibly do previews?

I mean, of course the guy should have contacted you earlier for a major event, but was he on the fringes?

(And points to him for being nice. I hate the people who are unreasonable *and* rude).

Honestly, I had not heard from this guy in three years. One of our college beat writers is a bit of a gearhead and keeps up with a lot of area racing, but these folks had kinda dropped through the cracks. A good way to stay top-of-mind, of course, is to buy some ads.

 

[flexmaster33]

Speaking of bridge scores...we don't run them. But last summer I heard about this "baseball bingo" tournament held at area assisted-living centers. Basically ring toss with a baseball scoring format.

I ended up going, thinking it would make a cute old-timers piece and I'd be able to uncover some fun stories. Ended up being a sad, sad, sad day...the old-timers were just too far gone, making any sort of interviews impossible. Tough to see that many people in that bad of a state. I guess, I came away with some fun photos and ended up doing largely a photo spread instead of a story, but sad still.

 

[BillyT]

Local racetrack guy, nice as can be, calls to tell me they're having a big 100-lap feature race and might we be interested in covering it. Sure, when is it? "We're gonna try to get started about 5 p.m. tonight."

Good luck with that.

Henry: I know you are good at this business, but I gotta ask.

Assuming the track is local and there's reader interest. don't you have a schedule and possibly do previews?

I mean, of course the guy should have contacted you earlier for a major event, but was he on the fringes?

(And points to him for being nice. I hate the people who are unreasonable *and* rude).

They called the day of, only giving him a few hours' notice. No way in heck is that getting in the next day's paper.

KY: My question to him was not about why he didn't cover it, but whether he had a season's schedule and whether he knew it was coming.

I can tell you when my local track's big races are.

He answered my question, and I appreciate that.

Flex: But you couldn't have known that. I am seriously thinking about a croquet league feature. Might be great. Might suck. Don't know if you don't go.

 

[flexmaster33]

that is true BillyT...hope it works out...in our area, believe it or not, we have a professional croquet course that brings in a group of 4-8 pros each summer for a wine-tasting, croquet championship event. It's interesting. And they are really, really, good.

 

[mrbigles01]

Dear Lady who calls in bridge scores (yes I have to run forking bridge scores). The reason they weren't in this week's paper was that you never reported them to me. Furthermore, I sent you two emails and left you a voicemail asking for said results, and you neglected to respond to those as well. So when you call me to tell me how "disappointed the seniors were that they didn't see their names," just be aware that it is 100 percent your fault.

Oh and go fork yourself.

Bridge scores? Really?

The unadulterated joy of a weekly with 10K in circulation. The most exciting thing that happens here is when the VP stops in for Thanksgiving.

 

[gloves28]

Here's one we get at my shop...

The coach lets a random kid call in the scores. No idea how to spell the players' names, no idea what the team's record is and my personal favorite...no idea who they play in their next game.

I'm all for youth empowerment, but geez!

 

[schiezainc]

Here's one we get at my shop...

The coach lets a random kid call in the scores. No idea how to spell the players' names, no idea what the team's record is and my personal favorite...no idea who they play in their next game.

I'm all for youth empowerment, but geez!

DON'T CALL IT A SHOP DOUCHE!!!!!!!!! </cross>

 

[gloves28]

Here's one we get at my shop...

The coach lets a random kid call in the scores. No idea how to spell the players' names, no idea what the team's record is and my personal favorite...no idea who they play in their next game.

I'm all for youth empowerment, but geez!

DON'T CALL IT A SHOP DOUCHE!!!!!!!!! </cross>

If it'll help get your panties out of a bunch, I won't call it a "shop." I'll call it an "office." Will that help you sleep at night?

 

[SF_Express]

We had to do the Speedway brief every single Friday night. Exact same story, different names:

http://www.costamesaspeedway.net/

Every Friday. Every.

 

[Petrie]

Here's one we get at my shop...

The coach lets a random kid call in the scores. No idea how to spell the players' names, no idea what the team's record is and my personal favorite...no idea who they play in their next game.

I'm all for youth empowerment, but geez!

DON'T CALL IT A SHOP DOUCHE!!!!!!!!! </cross>

If it'll help get your panties out of a bunch, I won't call it a "shop." I'll call it an "office." Will that help you sleep at night?

1. He was cross-threading, a popular comedic practice in these parts. He wasn't serious.
2. Fetch him a beer while you're at it, newbie.