Deep Thoughts

Dude… It’s officially “Dry Season”

I like to think of the period of each year from May through July as “Me” time.  It’s when I like to get out and shoot some stories we would not ordinarily put on the air--find some fun things to share.  It’s time to test our journalistic skills. And it’s time to actually sit down and eat at dinner break!

All right.. I’m gonna level with you here.  We got nothing. Nada.  Blank.

In sportscaster land, it’s hibernation time. I mean it’s after spring football and the actual football season’s still 3 months away.  You know what that means?  We get to make it up!  Don’t get confused--that doesn’t mean we just make up stories.  We get to do all the stuff that gets put on the back burner during Buckeye football and basketball season.  As weird as it sounds, it’s my favorite time of year in this job.

What I love about journalism is storytelling.  Whether it’s the BCS Title Game or a youth football team in Pickerington (which we featured Sunday night), telling the story is the challenge.  That’s why I love this job--I look at both those aforementioned stories with the same critical eye--how can each be told to its fullest potential?  All summer, Omar and I will be out finding those cool stories off the beaten path.  And if you have a great idea, email me… I mean, we got nothing but time.

Ya know, I hear the Capital city has a blossoming underground amateur bowling cult you may want to feature on a future newscast…

I’m just saying.

It’s not that Columbus DOESN’T have sports teams, clubs or events that would be newsworthy no matter WHAT month it is, it’s that we (and by WE, I refer to you Bucknuts out there...a term I use in the friendliest of manners, of course..) cannot resist placing all things Buckeye on a pedestal.  Well, maybe not ALL things Buckeye...just our boys on the football field. 

A crass accusation on my part, you think to yourself?  Absolutely not.  In fact, you stated that May-July is the “me” time to hone your journalistic craft.  But, I think to myself..."Self, I wonder how many other OSU student-athletes may feel slighted the other 9 months of the year due to lack of coverage on their respective programs?” I also ponder, “Self, could there POSSIBLY be a reason other semi-professional and professional teams don’t show more of an interest (cough...FINANCIALLY..cough cough) in our great town?  Could it POSSIBLY be that the rest of the known universe believes that we will never care as much about another sport, hobby or interest as we do about “our” beloved Buckeye football?”

I’m just saying.

So, continue to scour the streets with Omar to find your “cool stories off the beaten path”, as they deserve just as much recognition and airtime as Buckball does.  But I challenge you to excerise your journalistic abilities all 12 months of the year, as these “cool” stories can be found year-round and should be brought to light for Central Ohio to see.

I’m just saying.  :-)

Here are a few ideas:

NHL playoffs
NBA playoffs
Baseball
College Baseball
High School Baseball

Wow--I love the reponse to this blog so far… People somehow thinking we get lazy ‘cause it’s “me” time?  Or that we’re lazy the other 9 months of the year. What??  This is the time of year we work the hardest---we hate going to news conferences and media events. We enjoy covering stories from the ground roots.  And giving OSU student athletes more coverage would be nice in the summer--it would be perfect. One problem--they’re not in school! We’d love to do stories on them during their regular seasons, and we sometimes do.  But why do you not see as many pieces?  You don’t want to.  Viewer research shows in the Columbus market if it’s not OSU Football, you lose interest. Of course, that’s a generalization and I’m bothered by it, but it’s true. So it’s up to you--demand more stories outside the realm of “Buckeyes” and you’ll see more.  When you speak, I’ll listen--promise!

PEACE!

Woah there, Smalley....WOAH.  Are we reading the same blog?  Was there any insinuation that you were “lazy” in some way?  Just because I threw out the challenge doesn’t mean you should feel the need to blame the viewer for your lack of initiative to delve into the city’s sports scene?

FYI...some collegiate sports seasons do extend into the summer months, sir.  ;-)

Smalley, maybe...just MAYBE I was wrong.  MAYBE the challenge should not have been directed towards you.  MAYBE the challenge should be directed towards our Buckeye loving viewer.  You make a very valid point that the majority of the viewing public doesn’t place a priority on non-Buckball coverage.  However, is this through their own conscience thought?  Not as much as you would like to admit on a public forum though, I’m sure.

The local media has trained the viewer to crave Buckball coverage, and yearn for nothing but Buckball coverage in its absence.  I’ve even seen some people twitch and huddle in corners when there is no Buckball coverage to report. 

And they say this type of addiction is merely an inner-city problem....HA!

Bottom line, Smalley, is that isn’t that Columbus viewers don’t WANT to see fresh stories.  It’s that they have been trained NOT to.  So, MAYBE this challenge should be tweaked.  I challenge you to use your forum, be it via television or blog, to reach out to Columbus and re-train them to want something new.  Something fresh. SOMETHING NON BUCKBALL!

I’m just saying…

Hey Smalley I’m one of the guys that works in CBO in the far back of the station.  I get to watch sports coverage from all the Media General stations, and here’s an idea for you.  WNCN does little league heroes once a week.  It’s a cool show where they go out and film little kids playing any sport and treat it like a serious sports event.  It plays for about 4 min. and they do the announcing, slow motion, plays of the game, and so on.  The kids are really funny and I think local communities would like watching it.