New Perspective
I know. I usually write Thursdays, but I'm heading out of town without internet connection. Besides...wow.
Yesterday was a big day for Minnesota Sports. The Wild won their home opener! I also recall there was a baseball game played. But to change things up, let's focus on the sports writers for the Minnesota teams, as well as Detroit and Anaheim. They're very important to us--both as fans, and as writers of this blog. For how would Ryan be able to posts links of the day if it weren't for the intelligent, hard work (or senseless babble) of sports writers?
When covering a game, a writer writes his story as the game progresses. It's easiest when there's a clear winner early in the game, and nothing changes. Tense games are more difficult, but the tension can be written about until a victor emerges.
Let's start first with the game that ended last. I went to the grocery store last night for a few items. In the car on the way there, I listened to the Wild/Ducks hockey game. As I entered the food-purchasing establishment, the Wild were behind, 0-3, with 15 minutes left in the third period. Well, drat, I thought. They're going to start the year 0-2, after they lost the season opener in Columbus this weekend. Sports' writers for the Ducks and Wild probably started their stories about how Koivu the Elder's team triumphed over Koivu the Younger's team (although neither is captain of their team, if I understand correctly, and face it, am too lazy to look it up, since I should be packing). When I got back in the car after scouring the grocery store for Beef Jerky (you'd think it'd be easier to find. Incidentally, it's by the cookies, not the chips and popcorn and peanuts). The radio was still on, and hockey was still being played. I heard the word "overtime". Eventually, Andrew Brunette scored the winning goal in sudden-death overtime. All the stories had to change from "Koivu the Elder dominated Koivu the Younger" to the exact opposite. Stories--likely on tighter deadlines on Minnesota because of the late start (Anaheim had a couple hours to play with because of the time difference, but I'm sure the writers were hoping to be done earlier--the more time the better when writing).
Yes, I'm aware that not every story--in fact, possibly none--focused on the Brothers Koivu facing each other. But they should have! With lots of pictures!
Now let's get back to the other story of the night. The team that was written off on September 6 because they were seven games out of first place. The team that was written off one week ago because they were three games out of first place with four (which turned into five) to go. The Twins. In their typical fashion, wouldn't give up and achieved the, if not impossible, at least highly improbable: They won the division.
Looking at my scorecards from last night--my scorecards have 11 innings, so I had to pull out a second sheet for each team to continue scoring--I counted seven times when I thought FOR SURE one team had the game won.* And this is the seventh inning and later--earlier in the game there's just too much opportunity for "error" (whether playing error or an "oops" pitch or fielding alignment that becomes an extra-base hit). You can bet the sports writers in the Herb Carneal Press Box at the HHH Metrodome started writing their stories each of those times. And each of those times, either a great play would mean the run didn't score, or that the tying run did. A four o'clock start meant everyone thought they'd be home at a reasonable hour. Sure, if you could 9:30 a reasonable hour, then maybe we did. (I suppose it's a reasonable hour for a baseball game, but the game started at 4. We all expected to be home hours earlier!)
*I'm not counting the "Bobby Keppel is pitching?! Do we want to lose?!" moments, either. No offense to Mr. Keppel, but he hasn't exactly shined in high-pressure situations this year. Of course, he hasn't been given high pressure situations because he hasn't really shined in mop-up work either.
Something for Twins fans to think about: If I told you before the game that Delmon "I never met a pitch I didn't like to swing at!" Young* would be intentionally walked, and then Carlos Gomez would going to score the winning run, on a hit by DH Alexi "I finished the year above the Mendoza line!" Casilla, and the winning pitcher would be Bobby Keppel, what would you have said? Well, I'm pretty sure the conversation would've ended with me saying "No! I'm perfectly sober! It's going to happen! I am NOT on drugs."
I wouldn't have believed me, either, though. I'm not sure I still do, and I have a scorecard for proof.
*He's been much better lately. I'll give him that. It makes me wonder what his 2009 season would've been like if he hadn't started it out with the pressure, stress, and emotional pain of his mother's fatal illness. My sympathy goes out to that very young man.
Incidentally, after the game, the girls I sit with an I realized we could not remember where Alexi Casilla's hit actually went. We just saw it was a hit, and our brains froze knowing that Gomez was going to score from second. After all the "could've beens" it was too shocking to have it actually be a "did".
I'm sure the sports writers felt that way, too, as they re-wrote their stories for the eighth--and final--time.
Yesterday was a big day for Minnesota Sports. The Wild won their home opener! I also recall there was a baseball game played. But to change things up, let's focus on the sports writers for the Minnesota teams, as well as Detroit and Anaheim. They're very important to us--both as fans, and as writers of this blog. For how would Ryan be able to posts links of the day if it weren't for the intelligent, hard work (or senseless babble) of sports writers?
When covering a game, a writer writes his story as the game progresses. It's easiest when there's a clear winner early in the game, and nothing changes. Tense games are more difficult, but the tension can be written about until a victor emerges.
Let's start first with the game that ended last. I went to the grocery store last night for a few items. In the car on the way there, I listened to the Wild/Ducks hockey game. As I entered the food-purchasing establishment, the Wild were behind, 0-3, with 15 minutes left in the third period. Well, drat, I thought. They're going to start the year 0-2, after they lost the season opener in Columbus this weekend. Sports' writers for the Ducks and Wild probably started their stories about how Koivu the Elder's team triumphed over Koivu the Younger's team (although neither is captain of their team, if I understand correctly, and face it, am too lazy to look it up, since I should be packing). When I got back in the car after scouring the grocery store for Beef Jerky (you'd think it'd be easier to find. Incidentally, it's by the cookies, not the chips and popcorn and peanuts). The radio was still on, and hockey was still being played. I heard the word "overtime". Eventually, Andrew Brunette scored the winning goal in sudden-death overtime. All the stories had to change from "Koivu the Elder dominated Koivu the Younger" to the exact opposite. Stories--likely on tighter deadlines on Minnesota because of the late start (Anaheim had a couple hours to play with because of the time difference, but I'm sure the writers were hoping to be done earlier--the more time the better when writing).
Yes, I'm aware that not every story--in fact, possibly none--focused on the Brothers Koivu facing each other. But they should have! With lots of pictures!
Now let's get back to the other story of the night. The team that was written off on September 6 because they were seven games out of first place. The team that was written off one week ago because they were three games out of first place with four (which turned into five) to go. The Twins. In their typical fashion, wouldn't give up and achieved the, if not impossible, at least highly improbable: They won the division.
Looking at my scorecards from last night--my scorecards have 11 innings, so I had to pull out a second sheet for each team to continue scoring--I counted seven times when I thought FOR SURE one team had the game won.* And this is the seventh inning and later--earlier in the game there's just too much opportunity for "error" (whether playing error or an "oops" pitch or fielding alignment that becomes an extra-base hit). You can bet the sports writers in the Herb Carneal Press Box at the HHH Metrodome started writing their stories each of those times. And each of those times, either a great play would mean the run didn't score, or that the tying run did. A four o'clock start meant everyone thought they'd be home at a reasonable hour. Sure, if you could 9:30 a reasonable hour, then maybe we did. (I suppose it's a reasonable hour for a baseball game, but the game started at 4. We all expected to be home hours earlier!)
*I'm not counting the "Bobby Keppel is pitching?! Do we want to lose?!" moments, either. No offense to Mr. Keppel, but he hasn't exactly shined in high-pressure situations this year. Of course, he hasn't been given high pressure situations because he hasn't really shined in mop-up work either.
Something for Twins fans to think about: If I told you before the game that Delmon "I never met a pitch I didn't like to swing at!" Young* would be intentionally walked, and then Carlos Gomez would going to score the winning run, on a hit by DH Alexi "I finished the year above the Mendoza line!" Casilla, and the winning pitcher would be Bobby Keppel, what would you have said? Well, I'm pretty sure the conversation would've ended with me saying "No! I'm perfectly sober! It's going to happen! I am NOT on drugs."
I wouldn't have believed me, either, though. I'm not sure I still do, and I have a scorecard for proof.
*He's been much better lately. I'll give him that. It makes me wonder what his 2009 season would've been like if he hadn't started it out with the pressure, stress, and emotional pain of his mother's fatal illness. My sympathy goes out to that very young man.
Incidentally, after the game, the girls I sit with an I realized we could not remember where Alexi Casilla's hit actually went. We just saw it was a hit, and our brains froze knowing that Gomez was going to score from second. After all the "could've beens" it was too shocking to have it actually be a "did".
I'm sure the sports writers felt that way, too, as they re-wrote their stories for the eighth--and final--time.
Labels: G-g-g-girl
posted by thisisbeth | 8:18 AM
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