Local Sports
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
Well, it must be basketball season. How can I tell? Because once again our local hometown newspaper's sports section has a big front page picture of a Duke player and a half page article covering, in detail, their thrilling 35-point rout of Miami of Ohio in what basically amounted to a preseason warmup game. So, so exciting.
Meanwhile, the very same day, our hometown Lady Tiger basketball team - who just happened to be playing a No. 1 ranked team - get their usual 1-5/8" wide column on the side. No pictures, of course, that would be asking too much. The Lady Tiger swim team? Even worse. They're probably lucky to even make it on page two.
But hey, I understand - where else could anyone possibly expect to find out how the Blue Devils did? Oh wait, that's right - anywhere! ESPN, the Internet, major newspapers, etc. Any other sources for Lady Tiger basketball? I guess the Fort Wayne paper might have a box score if we're lucky.
Of course, it's not only the girls teams. The boys get the same treatment much of the time. And as someone who played for Warsaw in the past, I feel a little sorry for today's Tigers. The Times-Union sportswriters used to understand that the main reason people read it was to find out about LOCAL sports - the Tigers for sure, the Warriors, the Vikings, the Trojans. That's what it had to offer that no other paper did. And although that wasn't why any of us played, it was nice to open up the paper the next day and read about the game in a featured article accompanied by some nice game pictures. Now days, your sports section seems more concerned with covering big national events (the same ones every other news outlet carries) than being a hometown paper covering and supporting our local hometown athletes. I guess that's why a lot of people don't bother with the Times-Union anymore.
By the way, I have nothing against Duke or any of their players. I don't wish them ill and I'm glad when they win. But I certainly don't feel any special loyalty to or interest in players who didn't feel any of those things toward Warsaw. Instead, how about some quality coverage of current college players who actually played for the Tigers? You could have featured that very nice page 2 item about Tyler Akers and Leonard Wells on page 1. But I guess that would have cut into your comprehensive Duke coverage.
Maybe I'm being too judgmental. Maybe you just don't have the resources to cover the Warsaw games/meets. Tell you what, I'll volunteer. I've got a decent camera and I take pretty good pictures. Send me a press pass and I'll go take some pictures for you to put in the paper. Deal?
Herb Bailey
Warsaw Class of '83
Warsaw, via e-mail
Editor's Note: Be sure to check out today's edition for lots of local sports coverage and a recap of defending national champ Duke's win last night over Marquette - featuring a 25-point, 12-rebound, 6-blocked shot peformance by Warsaw native Mason Plumlee.[[In-content Ad]]
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Well, it must be basketball season. How can I tell? Because once again our local hometown newspaper's sports section has a big front page picture of a Duke player and a half page article covering, in detail, their thrilling 35-point rout of Miami of Ohio in what basically amounted to a preseason warmup game. So, so exciting.
Meanwhile, the very same day, our hometown Lady Tiger basketball team - who just happened to be playing a No. 1 ranked team - get their usual 1-5/8" wide column on the side. No pictures, of course, that would be asking too much. The Lady Tiger swim team? Even worse. They're probably lucky to even make it on page two.
But hey, I understand - where else could anyone possibly expect to find out how the Blue Devils did? Oh wait, that's right - anywhere! ESPN, the Internet, major newspapers, etc. Any other sources for Lady Tiger basketball? I guess the Fort Wayne paper might have a box score if we're lucky.
Of course, it's not only the girls teams. The boys get the same treatment much of the time. And as someone who played for Warsaw in the past, I feel a little sorry for today's Tigers. The Times-Union sportswriters used to understand that the main reason people read it was to find out about LOCAL sports - the Tigers for sure, the Warriors, the Vikings, the Trojans. That's what it had to offer that no other paper did. And although that wasn't why any of us played, it was nice to open up the paper the next day and read about the game in a featured article accompanied by some nice game pictures. Now days, your sports section seems more concerned with covering big national events (the same ones every other news outlet carries) than being a hometown paper covering and supporting our local hometown athletes. I guess that's why a lot of people don't bother with the Times-Union anymore.
By the way, I have nothing against Duke or any of their players. I don't wish them ill and I'm glad when they win. But I certainly don't feel any special loyalty to or interest in players who didn't feel any of those things toward Warsaw. Instead, how about some quality coverage of current college players who actually played for the Tigers? You could have featured that very nice page 2 item about Tyler Akers and Leonard Wells on page 1. But I guess that would have cut into your comprehensive Duke coverage.
Maybe I'm being too judgmental. Maybe you just don't have the resources to cover the Warsaw games/meets. Tell you what, I'll volunteer. I've got a decent camera and I take pretty good pictures. Send me a press pass and I'll go take some pictures for you to put in the paper. Deal?
Herb Bailey
Warsaw Class of '83
Warsaw, via e-mail
Editor's Note: Be sure to check out today's edition for lots of local sports coverage and a recap of defending national champ Duke's win last night over Marquette - featuring a 25-point, 12-rebound, 6-blocked shot peformance by Warsaw native Mason Plumlee.[[In-content Ad]]
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