The Argus loves Beresford

[JBNJBQ]

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...03/1002/SPORTS


Can someone tell me why the Argus is so infatuated with the Beresford Watchdog football team? I have noticed numerous stories on the team this year, possibly weekly? At first I thought there must be great expectations for the team this year, but they are currently 0-5. What gives?

[jackmd]

Re: The Argus loves Beresford

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061005/SPORTS01/610050303/1002/SPORTS


Can someone tell me why the Argus is so infatuated with the Beresford Watchdog football team? I have noticed numerous stories on the team this year, possibly weekly? At first I thought there must be great expectations for the team this year, but they are currently 0-5. What gives?

Best as I can tell, Randall wanted Stuey and Micky to do something more "journalistic". So, someone dreamed up this idea to follow a once prominent but now struggling Beresford team from the first fall practive through the trials and tribulations of a "grueling" high school FB season. Each week they have an article entailing the drama and emotions surrounding the struggles these athletes and coaches face each day.

Oh wait, thats what they were dreaming. In reality its an extremely boring take on a bad FB team and best as I can tell, nobody cares. Not trying to offend those who do care. I like Beresford.

[Haldersham]

Re: The Argus loves Beresford

I don't get either and if I was the Beresford coach, I would tell them to write about something else. I sure those who have coached know what it feels like with an 0-5 record.  It can't be fun and trying to motivate under that kind of enviroment takes a great deal of energy.

A more interesting story about Beresord and from the past would be how the late Joe Thorne lead the Watchdogs past the Yankton Bucks in  the Sectional Playoff and on to the1958 Class A tourney. Back in those days there were 32 Class A teams and high schools like Beresford, Canton and Milbank who had enough students to be Class A never had a chance of making it to the State Tourney.

Yankton was one of the top ESD teams and guess who was a Yankton Buck? None other than NBC News Anchor Tom Brokaw. He mentions this game his book as people still want to what happened that year. They played the Brookings Bobcats in the first round and Beresford could not pull another upset, but Joe Thorne was the team. He was maybe 6'3" with a herculean build. Later he was an all time great at SDSU at fullback. Ralph Ginn loved fullbacks and built his running game around a big guy with speed. Joe lost his life in VietNam and had gone to a Green Bay Packer camp prior to going on active duty. Vince Lombardi, wanted to get him out of his military committment to play with the packers but that never happened.

Now would that be a better story about Beresford?

[filbert]

Re: The Argus loves Beresford

It sounds like our new best friend, new Argus sports editor Eric Bursch, is getting heat for his decisions:

# It's not just about the diehard sports fans. While I need to appeal to those folks, there is a much wider audience that stretches beyond wins and losses and why a coach called for a running play or a passing play on third down. I often think of this as the "Grandma Rule." We need to come up with story ideas that the grandmother who has no interest in watching a live sporting event would want to read. We try to do this with stories such as our Beresford football package this fall or our weekly high school notebook that usually runs on Tuesdays.

# I can't be fair on any one night, so I have to be fair overall. I decided not to shoot a photograph of the Stampede season opener Friday night. We ran a big spread the day before previewing their season, and I figured it would be better to shoot another football game Friday than run another Stampede picture. The Stampede have at least 29 more home games this season. They will get their pictures. The Washington and Lincoln football teams might play at home only once more.

Of course, there is more that goes into it than those two rules. We guess at what games fans are most interested in, and playoff games or games with postseason bearing are more important than ones with none.

The 'Grandma Rule' is utterly incoherent. You're not the Lifestyle editor, buddy, you're the Sports Editor. I'm not sure what they taught you at Cal State Chico, but if you're editing your sports section on the basis of what grandmothers with no interest in sports want to read, that explains a lot about the ineffable lameness of the Argus' sports coverage.

And, the fact that you're guessing "at what games fans are most interested in" is astonishing. Maybe you need to get out and talk to people more to find out what people are interested in. Or just talk to your staff who've been in the area for a while.

Wow.

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Re: The Argus loves Beresford

It sounds like our new best friend, new Argus sports editor Eric Bursch, is getting heat for his decisions:

#  It's not just about the diehard sports fans. While I need to appeal to those folks, there is a much wider audience that stretches beyond wins and losses and why a coach called for a running play or a passing play on third down. I often think of this as the "Grandma Rule." We need to come up with story ideas that the grandmother who has no interest in watching a live sporting event would want to read. We try to do this with stories such as our Beresford football package this fall or our weekly high school notebook that usually runs on Tuesdays.

# I can't be fair on any one night, so I have to be fair overall. I decided not to shoot a photograph of the Stampede season opener Friday night. We ran a big spread the day before previewing their season, and I figured it would be better to shoot another football game Friday than run another Stampede picture. The Stampede have at least 29 more home games this season. They will get their pictures. The Washington and Lincoln football teams might play at home only once more.

Of course, there is more that goes into it than those two rules. We guess at what games fans are most interested in, and playoff games or games with postseason bearing are more important than ones with none.

The 'Grandma Rule' is utterly incoherent.  You're not the Lifestyle editor, buddy, you're the Sports Editor.  I'm not sure what they taught you at Cal State Chico, but if you're editing your sports section on the basis of what grandmothers with no interest in sports want to read, that explains a lot about the ineffable lameness of the Argus' sports coverage.

And, the fact that you're guessing "at what games fans are most interested in" is astonishing. Maybe you need to get out and talk to people more to find out what people are interested in. Or just talk to your staff who've been in the area for a while.
Wow.

Or, just check the attendance figures every weekend. Hmmm, maybe you should give SDSU (12,000 plus Saturday) and USD (10,000 plus Saturday) more coverage than USF (5,000 plus Saturday)?

I guess I can't totally rip the Argus for covering USF this weekend as two top 5 NAIA teams faced off. But, it still should have been the 3rd story of the day.

[Jacks99]

Re: The Argus loves Beresford

I just don't understand the whole HS football coverage. I understand many have friends relatives involved, but not on the same TEAM! Pages with scores, rankings and a few playoff articles should be it. I understand a few key SF games are worthy for the Argus, but local papers and built on the HS let them write about it. You can't tell me more people buy the paper for an article on small school team X versus in depth aritcles about the two big colleges in SD and their team (if that actually happened). Ok, rant from someone who cares zip about HS football is over.

[Jacks99]

Re: The Argus loves Beresford

I see the Beresford story today was on the last page....

[NightHawk78]

Re: The Argus loves Beresford

The Argus' favorite high school team finished its season 0-8 after a 28-14 loss to Elk-Point Jefferson. Beresford scored 14 in the first quarter and held a 14-6 lead after three, but EP-J scored three touchdowns in the fourth to get the win.

Now, the Argus will probably keep its eye on them until they get a win again.... : : :

[awooso]

Re: The Argus loves Beresford

The only reason the argus covered us was because the coach knew someone there and arranged it.

[jacksfaninne]

Re: The Argus loves Beresford

Wow! Talk about digging up an old thread ... and with your first post! I'm not sure whether that deserves giving or taking rep points?

[filbert]

Re: The Argus loves Beresford

Wow! Talk about digging up an old thread ... and with your first post! I'm not sure whether that deserves giving or taking rep points?

I really don't want to have to go back and close old threads . . . talk about a PITA.