The "Homer" sports writer

[Diabeetus]

It started with a high school internship that basically turned into a full-time gig once the sports editor abruptly designed.

That's a pretty good typo there.
The guy paginated all of a sudden and it cost him his job?

You should have seen it. Bumping headlines, jumps that didn't match up, trapped white space...it was pure chaos!

 

[DemoChristian]

He didn't leave a dangling participle in the dominant headline, did he?
In that case, just shoot him and get it over with.

 

[Your Huckleberry]

Fremon, good story. I can pretty much envision everything you wrote.

So tell me this,though. What did the former SE *homer* die from? Heart attack? And how old was this guy? I mean, it sounds like if he was an SE 16 years, he mighta been in his 40s at the most at a small paper like that. Just curious what did the guy in because it sounds like he died young.

 

[Some Guy]

Why do you seem to have different standards for music and sports?

I don't. If a music critic goes to review a concert, I would expect him/her to get in for "free" just like the basketball writer does at his games. If they have a press room with food, I would expect them to reasonably partake, just like the football writers.

All I'm saying is, an advance CD is not a "gift". It's part of the review process, a legitimate part of the job. Whether you take it home after you review it is up to you. It's still not a gift.

Besides, most music reviewers seem to hate everything they review ... taking the CD home would be a punishment, not a benefit

 

[fremont]

Heh.....that typo was pretty apropos considering we had quite a few of them when he suddenly...uh....resigned.

Fremon, good story. I can pretty much envision everything you wrote.

So tell me this,though. What did the former SE *homer* die from? Heart attack? And how old was this guy? I mean, it sounds like if he was an SE 16 years, he mighta been in his 40s at the most at a small paper like that. Just curious what did the guy in because it sounds like he died young.

What can I say, really....OK....think of the most unhealthy eating/living habits you've seen of any sportswriter type. Magnify by five and you had this guy. Heart problems, diabetes etc. This guy actually fell out of the bleachers once at a Texas City basketball game during his brief "comeback"

It got better too....two months after he resigned (not designed ) the ME who canned him got canned himself. He came back looking for his job back, and actually had Texas City's head football coach call the paper and say he wanted him back at the paper. I'm sure he did. However, he didn't get it....not that time with that ME....that football coach himself resigned the next year and went across the state to another job. I never got to ask if it was because he lost his media mouthpiece.

 

[Italian_Stallion]

I'm not sure about the evolution of this thread. I've not read much of it. I just want to say that I know a few guys whose whole lives have been spent covering one city's athletes. One guy has covered something like 300 high school football games.

There's not a doubt in my mind that I'm a better journalist than many of these aforementioned sportswriters. But there's also no doubt that they're much better people. The level of respect they receive is incredible to behold. One guy is in all sorts of local sports halls of fame. He's covering athletes whose parents remember when he covered them, and he almost never misses a game. He even covers JV games and Little League games when he can fit it in his schedule.

The thing is, they're extremely happy people, so it seems. I have loads of admiration for them. They seem to be selfless. No doubt, they made a decision that staying in Podunk, where life is good, is better than leaving for more money and more prestigious.

Of course, I'll also note that there are some hometown guys who maintain more of a professional approach than others. I commend that because I know that they are withholding emotions that certainly exist. But I'm not going to knock those who don't unless they're just overly loud and obnoxious. Then it's not about professionalism so much as common courtesy.

We all start out wishing we were Grantland Rice. At 35, though, I realize that I'd happily end my career as one of these so-called homers.

 

[fremont]

Stallion, I don't think what you describe was really the target here. I for one had loads of fun (if not money in the bank) working high school beats which I did for the better part of six years. I show up every once in awhile now and there are people who remember me, even if it's a new set of players. I did it without "homering." heck, I had people in each of the towns and schools who swore I was "slanted" towards the other team, whoever that may be, often a rival I also covered. In the aggregate, I'd say it was a pretty good sign I was playing everything up the middle. And of course involved in this all was my HS alma mater with people who thought I should be their cheerleader.

The Grantland Rices of the world can be respected by the "home" crowd and the journalism crowd at the same time. But I was dealing with a guy who was not writing about "negative" events (such as sanctions for breaking rules) because Coach Crybaby doesn't want it aired out in public at all.

Here was another scenario - I mentioned Texas City and La Marque. Back in 1995, a few years before I started, there was a chain of events at the end of a La Marque blowout (football) at Texas City. The wind was blowing really hard at La Marque's back, and their coach decided to let their kicker try for a record field goal at the end. They were around the Texas City 30 or so and took three or four delay penalties to get backed up to midfield for the try. I think 58 yards or something like that. Well, as they were lining up for the kick, a TC lineman gets pissed off and just lays out a LM lineman, sending him to the hospital.

Neither team looked any good after this, but *Homer's* take in his column (at least he kept this out of the game story itself) was that LM got what they deserved. I think getting their kick stuffed like Dikembe Mutumbo on a Muggsy Bogues layup would have sufficed, which was exactly what ended up happening when they got that meaningless kick off.

 

[Your Huckleberry]

Stallion, I agree with much of what you say except the end. I'd rather be washed up and worthless than a homer at the end of my career.

Talk about unprofessional. There is a major difference in the two sides. You can be liked and appreciated and not be a fanboy homer. Being likes though takes longevity because people see you, read you and get to know you over decades of their lives. If you are fair with them throughout, they're going to like you. If you are a pawn and write fluff you'll become the butt of their jokes.

 

[Italian_Stallion]

Fair enough. For the record, I doubt anyone would label me a homer. Also, I've never asked anyone whether homer-like qualities are a choice or just the result of not knowing better. So there's that to ponder. I'm just not much of a label person. It's as if we're scolding this person, as if they're supposed to have a level of shame. I'm not sure I support that. It seems awfully elitist.

As for what readers want in their sportswriters, I'm not sure there's an easy answer. At my first stop, I replaced a guy who was iconic in that he was nearly the school mascot. I tried to give readers the same depth that he provided, but I never sensed that anyone gave two shirts about my objectivity. In fact, I wrote a column about the school's odd mascot my first week, and the publisher went ballistic. He was pathetic. But I didn't want to be fired after just a week.

In any case, it's a fine topic of debate. There are many different perspectives on this, and all deserve much merit.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

You rang?

 

[Your Huckleberry]

Elitist? Sports writers? How could you even think such???

 

[slappy4428]

You rang?

Thanks. Now I;ll have nightmares