As a Charlotte 49ers basketball season-ticket holder, I think columnist Scott Fowler (“Good ball, bobbleheads – empty seats?,” Feb. 17) makes many good points, but I find his appeal for fans to attend games ironic considering the way the Observer covers the 49ers. He shouldn’t have to look far for one of the answers. It’s under his nose.
The Observer has had a casual approach to the 49ers’ beat the past several years. Unless it’s the day of the game or day after, the team usually has no presence in the paper.
We’ve got a nationally ranked, major-college basketball team in our city – not Columbia, Chapel Hill or Durham. Let’s show them the attention they deserve and then let’s see if the fans act accordingly.
Yeah, it was me. The problem was they only used about 25% of the letter and edited out all my key points. Here’s the full letter I sent.
I felt compelled to respond to Scott Fowler’s column on Thursday asking, “Why the Empty Seats at Charlotte?” As a Charlotte basketball season-ticket holder, I think Scott hits the nail on the head with many of his points, but I find his appeal for fans to attend games very ironic considering the way The Observer covers the 49ers. He and his staff shouldn’t have to look far for the answer. It’s right under their noses.
On the day of the DePaul game Scott writes about, the Observer ran the game preview on the last page of the sports section, while stories on the front page included a new high school football field with artificial turf, a column on George Karl and a recap on the S.C-Kentucky game.
As someone who worked in the Charlotte Hornets’ media relations department for several years, I understand how peoples’ perceptions in this town, especially the casual fans, are created entirely by what they read in The Observer and hear on sports-talk radio. If the Observer considers Niners-DePaul “back page news” on game day and their upcoming schedule isn’t run on page 2 similar to the way Charlotte’s other major teams are, many folks aren’t going to realize there’s a big game until after it’s played.
The Observer has had a very casual approach to the Niners’ beat over the last several years. Unless it’s the day of the game or day after, the Niners usually have no presence in your paper. Other than a very occasional feature, there is nothing thought-provoking ever written. The previews and recaps are very generic with little analysis and there is no buildup to games during the week.
C’mon, guys! We’ve got a nationally ranked major college basketball team in our own city. Not Columbia, Chapel Hill or Durham. But right here in Charlotte. Let’s show them the attention they deserve and then let’s see if the fans act accordingly.
Thank you for showing the Niner Nation the uneditted version of your email. I am sure there will be a few posters here will disagree with what you wrote. Then the editor will come back with the routine fancy excuses such as. . . the dog ate the email you have sent. And, how they have to dig it out of their memories and a few. . . hunderd lines got lost in reconstruction. B) By the way does the dog excuse still holding water these days?"
I saw that letter – good points no doubt. It was way more beneficial than the first 1/2 of the game write up that was on page 1C… oh wait a minute, my copy did not have the beginning of the write up on 1C… only the2nd half of the recap on page 9!!!
But I am glad to know that a drug dealer out at Ok. State is doing OK…
[i]Originally posted by krow[/i]@Feb 20 2005, 09:48 PM
[b] [i]Yeah, it was me. The problem was they only used about 25% of the letter and edited out all my key points. Here's the full letter I sent.[/i]
I felt compelled to respond to Scott Fowler’s column on Thursday asking, “Why the Empty Seats at Charlotte?” As a Charlotte basketball season-ticket holder, I think Scott hits the nail on the head with many of his points, but I find his appeal for fans to attend games very ironic considering the way The Observer covers the 49ers. He and his staff shouldn’t have to look far for the answer. It’s right under their noses.
On the day of the DePaul game Scott writes about, the Observer ran the game preview on the last page of the sports section, while stories on the front page included a new high school football field with artificial turf, a column on George Karl and a recap on the S.C-Kentucky game.
As someone who worked in the Charlotte Hornets’ media relations department for several years, I understand how peoples’ perceptions in this town, especially the casual fans, are created entirely by what they read in The Observer and hear on sports-talk radio. If the Observer considers Niners-DePaul “back page news” on game day and their upcoming schedule isn’t run on page 2 similar to the way Charlotte’s other major teams are, many folks aren’t going to realize there’s a big game until after it’s played.
The Observer has had a very casual approach to the Niners’ beat over the last several years. Unless it’s the day of the game or day after, the Niners usually have no presence in your paper. Other than a very occasional feature, there is nothing thought-provoking ever written. The previews and recaps are very generic with little analysis and there is no buildup to games during the week.
C’mon, guys! We’ve got a nationally ranked major college basketball team in our own city. Not Columbia, Chapel Hill or Durham. But right here in Charlotte. Let’s show them the attention they deserve and then let’s see if the fans act accordingly. [/b]
Those are excellent points. Especially the ones that were left out (game preview & media’s influence). I sent an email to Scott Fowler asking for his thoughts on both. Haven’t heard back yet.
Those points that were conveniently left out are also some of our biggest complaints. How ironic.
Those same points are the ones that probably make the Observer the most sensitive because they expose the truth, otherwise they would not have been left out.
The pre-game coverage is really a stink because not only do Charlotteans not know we have agame, but an Observer employee will often go on the radio & criticiize our lack of support afterwards.
MP, please do not respond that it is not the Observer’s duty to promote our games. You do not hesitate to promote tarhole games & televised acc games (place lightbulb icon here). Hmmmmmmm.
All fun and games when it comes to supporting the hometown team. Niners are always filler stories compare to acc. What is all of this editting the full length letter. And, what was that I read? This is no mean a conspiracy. Keep on singing there Purr . . . singer. Another “technical” problem I presume. The “Charlotte” disturber sucks the big fat [SIZE=4]GREEN[/SIZE] weenie. That is all I have to say about that.
[i]Originally posted by GoNinersGo[/i]@Feb 21 2005, 10:19 AM
[b] I play against Garinger High for football for 4 years................ it sucked, but they suck more :D [/b]
????????????
Maybe I read that wrong, but I don’t know what you said.
[i]Originally posted by Niner89[/i]@Feb 21 2005, 11:02 AM
[b] All fun and games when it comes to supporting the hometown team. Niners are always filler stories compare to acc. What is all of this editting the full length letter. And, what was that I read? This is no mean a conspiracy. Keep on singing there Purr . . . singer. Another "technical" problem I presume. The "Charlotte" disturber sucks the big fat [b][i][SIZE=4]GREEN[/SIZE][/i][/b] weenie. That is all I have to say about that. [/b]
glad you mentioned the pirsenger's "conspiracy" theory. none of us have mentioned anything about a conspiracy. he is the only one to use it and that bothers me a little. i immediately get suspicious when my kid tells me he wasn't reading my magazines or playing with my golf clubs or in the liquor cabinet orlooking at porn on the net when i haven't made any accusations.
Wow!! I live at the Lake and definitely want to party with your kid.
It might have been mentioned already but how do you get the last half of the story in and not the front page part. I could understand omitting the whole story but obvisouly the story was ready to run. Sorry. I am trying to stay positive this week so I did not read the threads on the Observer, If it has already been answered…carrry on.
the point i tried to make is pirsenger came on the board yesterday saying the mistake was not part of the conspirency. my point is this. what conspirancy? none of us have mentioned a conspirancy. 90% of us thinks the coverage sucks but no one has mentioned a conspirancy.
pirsenger is the only one talking conspirancy. what was he talking about?
[i]Originally posted by TheShowDawg[/i]@Feb 21 2005, 01:57 PM
[b] Wow!! I live at the Lake and definitely want to party with your kid.
It might have been mentioned already but how do you get the last half of the story in and not the front page part. I could understand omitting the whole story but obvisouly the story was ready to run. Sorry. I am trying to stay positive this week so I did not read the threads on the Observer, If it has already been answered…carrry on. [/b]
It was a major malfuntion TSD. Ok, production error, aka technical glitch (see thread). They re-ran it today in it’s entirety.
Let me try to make myself clear. The cover for the Niners on Sunday got messed with is one thing. I can kind of let it go. But, coming on our board and patronizing us is what I do not appreciate.
How was it that last week the Depaul game was not cover at all? They were a top forty team. Last week they were also in the race for top twenty five just like we did. We need all the fan we could coming to the game. Instead of helping with a few lines to get fans out filling Halton since Monday the beginning of last week.May be until Game day would be nice. All we had was the article from Fowler " Good Ball, Bobbleheads, Empty Seats" on the 17th which was a day “after” the game with Depaul. My theory is “If you do not want to help, let’s leave it alone”. Pardon me for not clearly understood the “get lost in translation” part. I am not making excuses for what I wrote. But, I thought that is what freedom of speech is all about. Why hack Keith Kroehler letter apart, bother to print a third of it and made it such as we are nothing but a bunch of “whinner”. Is this suppose to be Russia before the iron curtain went down? Besides, look at what the kettle calls the pot . . . Support ? what support the hometown paper sure as heck did ist part. What a laught. I forgot it was not their job to cover us. It was the Gaston Gazette turn last week.
. . .Conspiracy ? Only the one who brought it up knew exactly what it was all about. I guess once the letter got hacked up did strike a nerve when something closed to it was mentioned again.i.e complaints about the 49ers coverage this past Sunday got messed up from this board. All I ask is to be fair to us and quit putting up an act as if they care or something.
I was trying to hint that how nasty it was for the “hometown paper” to do such “good deeds” in helping a local team with publicity. I am sorry but they can not treat me as if I am some kind of dumb as a door knob acc walmart fan watching the games from the trailor park. If they do not like what I have to write or have problem with it. They can kiss my 49er [SIZE=4]Green[/SIZE] butt. And, that is all I have to say about the disturber and the conspiracy theory.
