Once again the lousy Demo-zette came through. The Travelers played and lost a double header last night at D-S Park and no article of the games. They did put the boxes in on the next to the back page. I realize that the Travelers are terrible again(that's deserving of another post), and only got six hits in the doubleheader losses, but once again the newspaper showed it's lack of support for the local team by not writing a game article. They did print an article on a player for the NW Arkansas' Naturals(the Travs opponent)on another page, and it did mention that they had whipped the Travelers in a doubleheader.

They have plenty of room for a front page article about a washed up reportedly alcoholic golfer(a former hog of course)but they can't even give us an article about the Travelers games. I also noticed that the last time the Twisters, or Diamonds I think they are called now, played a home game, they managed to get a little blurb out two or three inches high in the 'State Sports Brief'.

That sorry ass paper is determined to try and kill any sports teams in Arkansas that don't have pig in their name.

I wonder if the time the game got over had anything to do with it? Don't they have to submit a story by a set time to get it in the paper? Now, that is not to say they could not have run some coverage of the 1st game.

(06-10-2010 09:40 AM)insideualr Wrote:  I wonder if the time the game got over had anything to do with it? Don't they have to submit a story by a set time to get it in the paper? Now, that is not to say they could not have run some coverage of the 1st game.

I believe the paper may have effectively "killed" the Arkansas Diamonds by their total lack of coverage this year. Not sure if I would have gone to a game or not, but the likelihood was certainly greater if I had any idea when they were playing. I believe the tiny blurb in the paper said they were 10-3 (or something like that). So they have a good team. Yet know when knows about it and I've heard their attendance this year has been awful. I believe the argument "we'll give them coverage when they deserve it" is simply bogus. You can have successful athletic teams (i.e. attendance-wise) without decent local media coverage.

Sounds like they need to advertise. It's not the paper's primarly responsibility to promote.

(06-10-2010 01:54 PM)Scotto Wrote:  Sounds like they need to advertise. It's not the paper's primarly responsibility to promote.

Looks like they don't have any problem promoting the pigs. Think of how much money the Travelers generate each year for the local economy. Twenty some odd players, a manager, coaches, and trainers, living here for five or six months. Other Texas League teams spending 60 something nights here in hotels, and eating in the restuarants. Then you have visitors from other state cities coming to town for games and spending money. Isn't that worth doing a little PR for? Think of all the franchises they have helped fail here. Now it looks like the Twisters or Diamonds may fold too.

The bottom line, there is NO ******* EXCUSE for not having a Traveler game article in the paper this morning, for at least the first game of the doubleheader, if the second one ended past a deadline. No excuse other than that they only support pigs.

(06-10-2010 02:31 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  

(06-10-2010 01:54 PM)Scotto Wrote:  Sounds like they need to advertise. It's not the paper's primarly responsibility to promote.

Looks like they don't have any problem promoting the pigs. Think of how much money the Travelers generate each year for the local economy. Twenty some odd players, a manager, coaches, and trainers, living here for five or six months. Other Texas League teams spending 60 something nights here in hotels, and eating in the restuarants. Then you have visitors from other state cities coming to town for games and spending money. Isn't that worth doing a little PR for? Think of all the franchises they have helped fail here. Now it looks like the Twisters or Diamonds may fold too.

The bottom line, there is NO ******* EXCUSE for not having a Traveler game article in the paper this morning, for at least the first game of the doubleheader, if the second one ended past a deadline. No excuse other than that they only support pigs.

They covered the Rimrockers just fine when their roster was loaded with washed-up pigs, and even though they played in a joke of a league they drew big crowds. Then they moved to the NBADL, the highest level of professional sports ever in Arkansas- however, no ex-pigs no coverage. And of course they folded their tent and left after a year or two. The "cart before the horse" argument is continually used to explain lack of coverage in the paper- i.e. "we'll cover it when the fan interest shows it deserves to be covered". How many people would attend the hog baseball games if they got no coverage? How many more people would have attended Arkansas Diamond games if they got decent coverage? We'll never know, but there is no doubt in my mind that the papers coverage effects attendance significantly.

The paper is a business that sells papers. The Demozette apparantly believes they'll sell more papers covering the Hogs.

You guys seem to forget Econ 101. Supply and demand.

They have plenty of room for a front page article about a washed up reportedly alcoholic golfer(a former hog of course)but they can't even give us an article about the Travelers games. I also noticed that the last time the Twisters, or Diamonds I think they are called now, played a home game, they managed to get a little blurb out two or three inches high in the 'State Sports Brief'.


Washed up or not, JOhn Daly is a draw. Seems to me this is the first time John Daly has ever spoken to a Dem-Gaz reporter in something like 100 years.

(06-10-2010 03:26 PM)mjs Wrote:  

(06-10-2010 02:31 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  

(06-10-2010 01:54 PM)Scotto Wrote:  Sounds like they need to advertise. It's not the paper's primarly responsibility to promote.

Looks like they don't have any problem promoting the pigs. Think of how much money the Travelers generate each year for the local economy. Twenty some odd players, a manager, coaches, and trainers, living here for five or six months. Other Texas League teams spending 60 something nights here in hotels, and eating in the restuarants. Then you have visitors from other state cities coming to town for games and spending money. Isn't that worth doing a little PR for? Think of all the franchises they have helped fail here. Now it looks like the Twisters or Diamonds may fold too.

The bottom line, there is NO ******* EXCUSE for not having a Traveler game article in the paper this morning, for at least the first game of the doubleheader, if the second one ended past a deadline. No excuse other than that they only support pigs.

They covered the Rimrockers just fine when their roster was loaded with washed-up pigs, and even though they played in a joke of a league they drew big crowds. Then they moved to the NBADL, the highest level of professional sports ever in Arkansas- however, no ex-pigs no coverage. And of course they folded their tent and left after a year or two. The "cart before the horse" argument is continually used to explain lack of coverage in the paper- i.e. "we'll cover it when the fan interest shows it deserves to be covered". How many people would attend the hog baseball games if they got no coverage? How many more people would have attended Arkansas Diamond games if they got decent coverage? We'll never know, but there is no doubt in my mind that the papers coverage effects attendance significantly.

Don't know how you're making a judgement on the levels of professional sports, but the Travelers were a AAA farm team of the Philadelphia Phillies in the Pacific Coast League for a couple of years. AAA is the next level down from the major leagues. If fact, the Travs set a Pacific Coast League homerun record for a season. Don't know if it still stands or not.

(06-10-2010 09:01 PM)ez272 Wrote:  They have plenty of room for a front page article about a washed up reportedly alcoholic golfer(a former hog of course)but they can't even give us an article about the Travelers games. I also noticed that the last time the Twisters, or Diamonds I think they are called now, played a home game, they managed to get a little blurb out two or three inches high in the 'State Sports Brief'.


Washed up or not, JOhn Daly is a draw. Seems to me this is the first time John Daly has ever spoken to a Dem-Gaz reporter in something like 100 years.

He may be a draw, Otis Campbell was a well liked drunk in Mayberry too. How much is a alcoholic golfer going to help the economy of Central Arkansas? Successful professional sports teams can add a lot to the economy. I don't have any problem with writing an article about alcoholic golfer. Just give the local sports teams good and fair coverage.

(06-10-2010 03:36 PM)Scotto Wrote:  The paper is a business that sells papers. The Demozette apparantly believes they'll sell more papers covering the Hogs.
You guys seem to forget Econ 101. Supply and demand.

Give the ******* hogs their two or three pages, but get the local teams some good pub. We can't argue with your "selling the papers".

The Travs and all other sports teams and athletes are just sports. But the Razorbacks are the state RELIGION. Anthropologists 5000 years from now would be convinced that the Red Hog was the most sacred deity in that 200-mile stretch along the western bank of the Mississippi and up 200 miles along and either side of the Arkansas river. The paper should have a separate section called Hogism and be truthful about it. I used to love the hogs until I saw how damned unbalanced this situation was. Now, I still root for them but I'm not too fervent anymore. I hate going off like thisin a public forum--I just need to vent.

(06-14-2010 09:45 AM)Robert C Wrote:  The Travs and all other sports teams and athletes are just sports. But the Razorbacks are the state RELIGION. Anthropologists 5000 years from now would be convinced that the Red Hog was the most sacred deity in that 200-mile stretch along the western bank of the Mississippi and up 200 miles along and either side of the Arkansas river. The paper should have a separate section called Hogism and be truthful about it. I used to love the hogs until I saw how damned unbalanced this situation was. Now, I still root for them but I'm not too fervent anymore. I hate going off like thisin a public forum--I just need to vent.

Tusk is one beautiful creature!