A field of dreams
Between the Tar Heels and the Grasshoppers this weekend, we're going to have an extra dose of sports in the paper. Tomorrow features our reader's guide section on First Horizon Park. In it you'll find out just about everything you'll want to know about the new baseball stadium, from the field to the locker rooms to the luxury boxes to the cup holders in the seats. (By the way, the seats vary in widths to keep the rows aligned so if you want the extra room, go for a wider seat.)
We give you advice on where to park and where to sit. We even include photographs of the sight lines from home, first base and third. Plus, there's a page with photos and stats of the Marlins that includes space to collect player autographs.
Ed Hardin writes: We've never played a game on this field, but it's already part of our past, already part of what makes us Greensboro. We've been in the news a lot lately, mostly about events in our past, great events and sad events that people outside Greensboro use to color us one way or another. That's fine. We understand how it works. Our history is who we are. But there are those who believe Greensboro isn't a happy place, and nothing could be further from the truth. The story of this ballpark, from an idea to a reality, is one of the best we’ve ever told. We should all be happy we can still do big things like this and live to tell stories about it.
Special kudos go to staff writer Bill Hass, who did much of the research, writing and planning of the section, and sports editor Joe Sirera. The highlights of the section are the excellent graphics by staff artists Douglas Cox, Tim Rickard and Margaret Baxter. They make the stadium feel up close and personal. Here's Doug's cover of the section.
Comments (11)
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What a great weekend for sports in Gso! Especially looking forward to the baseball game and a full house in the stadium. Thanks for all you do to promote sports in the Triad. Is there any chance of adding a syndicated columnist to go along with Ed Hardin?
Posted on April 1, 2005 2:42 PM
How many times have articles or pictures or free promos about the new baseball stadium appeared on the front page of the News & Record in the past year? How many times on the front page of the local section? How many times on either of these pages and in the sports section on the same day?
Just wondering.
Posted on April 1, 2005 2:48 PM
Coach, do you have someone specific in mind?
Diane, I don't know the specific numbers, but we've published many, many articles and photos of the new stadium on the front page. Many fewer on the front of the local section or on A1 and the sports front on the same day. And we've run zero "free promos" on the front page. Obviously, we think the ballpark is news, not only because it was built essentially without tax money or that it was controversial, but because it is new and, judging by initial ticket sales, is energizing people.
Posted on April 1, 2005 4:26 PM
Coach: On Sunday, we do run snippets of various columns from the week before on C2. Occasionally, we'll run columns inside the section when we have space. That's the key: There's not usually a lot of room, and what room we have is taken up this time of year by college basketball, racing and all of the local and high school sports we like to include.
Diane: I'm not sure I can answer your question. But tomorrow, we'll have an A1 top-of-the-page promo AND a Sports front promo on the special section we're running Saturday about the stadium. Why? It's a terrific section, the result of a lot of hard and good work, and we don't want people to miss it.
- John Newsom, assistant sports editor
Posted on April 1, 2005 5:54 PM
I think sports fans would love to read a different syndicated columnist each day if it was possible. Specifically, Tony Kornheiser, Mike Wilbon, and Tom Boswell from the Washington Post would make the list. Mike Lupica, Bob Ryan, Mitch Albom, William Rhoden, and of course many others...not trying to leave any out. The point is, sports fans would enjoy a wider variety of commentary on a consistent basis, IMHO. No disrespect to Ed Hardin; maybe Jim Young,Jeff Carlton, or any others would want to take a shot at it.
Posted on April 2, 2005 12:01 AM
Today's commentary from Jack Wilkinson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is a fine example. I appreciate reading it and I thank you for putting it into the paper. A rather well-known topic, but a good read nonetheless.
A commentary from a Chicago writer would have been a good choice also, giving us some insight on what the Illini faithful are thinking about.
Nice job on the Wojcik article also. Not too long ago Kansas beat UNC in Final Four game and the Tar Heel players expressed admiration for the opposing teams coach.
Posted on April 2, 2005 9:41 AM
Mr. Robinson,
Please be aware that one of your education reporters has been lying to your readers. I must say that I hope that this is not the usual way that your reporters go about seeking news.
By claiming to live in the controversial High Point High Schools district, this reporter has falsely represented himself and to someone that truly HAS to live in that district, I am truly offended.
I'm not sure if I should be bringing this to your attention, but you are the editor and I feel that you should be aware of this farce that has been going on now for OVER one year.
I hope that you will agree that this is unacceptable. To those that have not had to live this lottery in High Point, it may be hard to understand my anger. I can assure you that for those of us that have had our neighborhood school ripped away, forced in a lottery, etc...that this is NO joking matter and to have a reporter playing games is not only unethical but it's reprehensible.
Posted on April 2, 2005 9:53 PM
We've covered this ad nauseum over at The Chalkboard, but this post is completely off-base. I didn't "falsly represent" anything to anyone.
Sorry this nonsense has spilled over to your blog.
Posted on April 3, 2005 9:20 PM
Coach:
JR and my direct boss, sports editor Joe Sirera, probably can give you a better reason why we don't regularly run sports columnists from outside the N&R fold. (We have Ed Hardin, of course, who hits the Masters next week after leaving St. Louis: and Rob Daniels, whose column runs every Tuesday.)
From what I've seen in my short time in Sports, we'll run outside columnists when we have extra space in the section (which isn't often) and the sports copy desk finds a better-than-average column on an in-the-news topic. The sports desk does a good job keeping its collective eyes out for those kinds of columns.
- John Newsom, assistant sports editor
Posted on April 3, 2005 9:22 PM
John,
Thanks for your response. Will keep reading and hoping there is extra space for commentary!
Posted on April 3, 2005 11:19 PM
Coach, thanks for the comments. John is right. We try to run insightful columns by national writers whenever we can. Often they are inside the sports section rather than on the front page. We defer to the columnists particularly when they write about issues on the national scene where our writers have less expertise.
Janette, our school reporter explains the misunderstanding on The Chalkboard. It's hardly a lie, particularly with the intent you're abscribing.
Posted on April 4, 2005 9:20 AM