The post read as follows:
----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Oly Rollers
Date: Nov 18, 2008 11:54 AM
according to the Oregonian that is.
Apparently a friend called the paper to ask why the WFTDA Nationals were not covered and she was told "because roller derby is not a sport."
How insulting to every skater, fan, volunteer out there.
PLEASE call and/or email the Oregonian and voice your displeasure and maybe even challenge the douche bags to a bout:
503-221-8548
sports@news.oregonian.com
I put in a call this morning to the sports editor to get answers for myself. No word yet...
Please repost this and spread the word.
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Now rarely do I trust a story that includes "a friend" in the set up but given my personal loathing of the Oregonian I bought in and launched my email to the editor.
This morning the response to my email salvo arrived.
------------------------------
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sports MailBox [mailto:sports@news.oregonian.
> Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 10:18 AM
> Subject: Roller derby
>
> Roller derby players, supporters and enthusiasts,
>
> Thank you for your concern regarding The Oregonian's coverage of roller
> derby. In what appears to have been a misunderstanding, here is a
> statement from our Sports Editor, Mark Hester:
>
> "What I said is that 'roller derby is not a sport The Oregonian covers.'
> There are a lot of sports we don't cover. We cover those with the most
> interest with the most emphasis - by far - on football, basketball,
> baseball, soccer, track and cycling. The last three don't receive much
> coverage in most newspapers, but we cover them because interest in Oregon
> is much higher than in most parts of the U.S."
>
> - Mark Hester, Sports Editor
>
> Sincerely,
> Marshall Mills
> Sports Editorial Assistant
> The Oregonian
> p: 503-221-8161
> f: 503-221-8168
> e: sports@news.oregonian.com
------------------------------So now we know...
Our lack of interest is why the sport section is not covering Roller Derby. It's our fault. Of course my thought is maybe they don't know how many people DO have interest in the sport.
So, I leave it to you, Heartless ones...Let the Oregonian know there are Oregonians that love this sport and would like a simple mention, especially when the local league is hosting a MAJOR event like Nationals.
Posts
4 comments:
My favorite thing that happened at the Oregonian recently was when that whiny-assed conservative airhead David Reinhard took the buy-out, then pretended in his whiny-assed farewell column that he was leaving because he couldn't win arguments with the liberal columnists at the paper.
Old news here... but i assume everyone voted on this poll posted by the Oregonian:
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2008/11/poll_what_do_you_think_about_r.html
97% of nearly 3000 people who took the poll agree that roller derby is a sport. pass it along!
While The Oregonian still does not realize us as a sport, RCR DID land on the cover of the sports page this August when Sol Train, No Namey, Rectifier (and Kevlar) and I did Flugtag with our flying roller skate! Ryan White, the sports reporter, came out to interview us several times prior. I think it's a step in the right direction. Also ran into an Oregonian photographer at a Toys for Tots party this weekend and told him I'll get him a press pass if he'll come photograph our opening bout. I also picked him up and carryied him a few feet, so I think he's scared of me - in a good way - and will come through. We'll see!
Roller Derby was born out of entertainment in the '30's but grew to be a sport. Unfortunately the editor at the Oregonian has a hard and fast belief that it should only be covered on the entertainment pages. Perhaps we should let him in on the little secret that there are presently 348 Roller Derby teams, WORLD WIDE. Seems to be some interest in this sport wouldn't you say? You go TeqKillYa!
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