Hey Telfer, you might want to read the LA Times

To learn a bit about Sports Journalism and to learn about class.

You see in the LA times, a Basketball Journalist wrote after game one of the NBA finals, (an event that is slightly bigger than trans tasman netball) That Paul Pierce faked his injury. He said after writing this there was a ton of email that not only hurled abuse at him, but told him he may not have a house to go home to.

How did he handle it?, did he start to read the letters out loud in a smart alec manner, giving out the person's full name? Did he call them a clown and told them they should go to North Korea?

No, as a Journo, he wanted to see why they had so much hatered, so he emailed them back and asked them some legitimate questions.

The guy explained to him he was venting some steam, and went on to say, generation after generation of Boston fans have been let down by their team, so there is a deep seated hatered for the Opposition.

The Journo knew, that the guy was just joking about burning down his house and waited for the man to say sorry, which he never did, but the jounro explained in a calm way, that every sport must have a moron or two and then said sorry to the guy for calling him that, but he thinks he overstepped the mark.

The phone call was ended.

This is what you get from American sporting Journos, they are professional in their views, and respect others, and if some moron goes over the top, they try to find out why.

Perhaps its because we are from a small country, and once you have your foot in the door in a big news organization here, well ya never leave, and Mr Telfer you have been at the top of TVNZ or Sports radio for 35 years, but Im afraid your stuck in your own little sports world, the amount of emotion you show and sheer hate, to people who ask legitimate just astounds me.

Thank God for the internet, where you can access all sports Jounros from around every corner of the globe and find out that most of them, like the NBA writer for the LA Times, know what the word "CLASS" means.

If you havent figured that out in 35 years, you never will, but Im sure your happy in your own sporting world of Netball and Boat racing.

PS: You still haven't sent me my air ticket to North Korea.

Posted in: New Zealand Sport Journalists