Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Have lost another alumni

FOUND ONLINE: The Miami Dolphins have lost another alumni at a far too young age but it brings up questions about the players from the 1991 team as Chuck Klingbeil passes away.

Chuck Klingbeil was just one man, so he was an alumnus, not an alumni (the plural of alumnus). I'd also change passes away to has passed away. And I'd put a comma after age.

The Miami Dolphins have lost another alumnus at a far too young age, but it brings up questions about the players from the 1991 team as Chuck Klingbeil has passed away.

ALSO FOUND ONLINE: The New Mexico State alumni has kicked well enough in pre-season but there is still a lot of speculation on whether or not he will be on the roster at the end of the year. 

This may be from the same writer as above. And, yes, it's alumnus, not alumni here. Alumni is plural.

I'd also put a comma after preseason (not pre-season).

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Monday, June 18, 2018

A new story at the top of the page

Years ago, I was the slot guy a few days a week at the local newspaper. That meant I decided what went on each page, and I handed out assignments to the other copy editors.

I also laid out the sports front and the jump page, plus other pages as necessary.

I don't know why I decided to do this, but I was always concerned that a big story would come up at deadline that had to make the paper. So I made room for it. I made sure the top story and bottom story were the same size, and the bottom story was one that could come out of there if need be.

If a bigger story came along, I'd take out the bottom story and move the top story to the bottom with a new headline. Then I put the big story at the top, replacing the moved story.

I wouldn't be able to jump either story, but that was OK. At least the big story could get on the front.

I don't know if anyone realized I was doing this, but no one ever complained.

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(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
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Anecdotes by Tom Gillispie

Friday, June 15, 2018

Win first World Series

FOUND ONLINE: Astros beat Dodgers to win first World Series

I was searching for information on the World Series, and this was one of the first stories I found online. It caught my eye because the Astros didn't win the first World Series. In the first World Series, held in 1903, the Boston Americans beat the Philadelphia Athletics five games to three.

What the headline writer was trying to say was the Astros played in their first World Series and won it. They could have said this:

Astros beat Dodgers, take their first World Series title

EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com  TWITTER: EDITORatWORK
• Advice for be and would-be novelists

Anecdotes by Tom Gillispie

Entries from The Dog Blog

Blog entries from The Auto Racing Journal
(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
(the book of great NASCAR stories)