Rick Alonzo - The Worst SMU Beat Writer in Years

[PonyTime]

I am getting fed up with the Dallas Morning News -

On Sunday, I was looking for the WAC tournament seedings in the DMN, as I was pretty confused about who played who - and when - Nothing - Nada. Plenty of brackets for the Big 12 mens and womens tournaments. Also a nice Southland Conference Tournament Bracket. Still - Nothing Today.

I found it interesting that Ross and Hopkins sweeping the Individual awards in the WAC were not Noteworthy for the Sports section (left hand column on front of sports) but burried in the middle. Seeing as these are not only TWO SMU players, BUT they represent TWO area high schools (Kimball and Lincoln) I would think that this is pretty big news for the Dallas area - at least bigger news than the Texas Tech Radio announcer.

1.) Alonzo's game stories are basically upchucks of play by play with a token quote thrown in. Some writers can write a game story that will give you a bit of the emotion of the game - a more in-depth analysis - Not this Alonzo guy. He gives you a bunch of crap that is not even worth reading - esp. if you were at the game.

2.) Ross and Hopkins story today - Right off the WAC press release. No effert whatsoever.

Unfortunately it looks as if the DMN either puts their washed up writers on the SMU beat, or their lowest person on the totum poll.

Keith Whitmire, Steve Davis, the girl from Northwestern that is now doing the Mavs, Darryl Richards, . . . even McNabb were all better writers.

Does anyone else agree with me on this?

BTW - Whatever happened to Steve Davis - I notice he is no longer doing the morning Line??????

[Corso]

Not so fast, my friend!

Rick Alonzo is a good writer. Please remember that he's facing the same obstacles that Rana Cash, Jodie Valade, Ken Stephens, David McNabb, Debbie Fetterman, Darryl Richards, and the rest of the former SMU beat writers faced: the sports editors view SMU as an afterthought. They shill for the Big 12 because the DMN is among the sponsors for the Big 12 tournament. (Of course, the DMN also is lauded as a sponsor of SMU athletics, which is the biggest running joke in sports at the moment. But that's a different issue.)

Rick frequently writes stories that never make the paper. SMU gets squeezed for space because of the Mavs, Stars, even the sad-sack Rangers and even sadder-sack Cowboys. And in that "news"-paper, SMU will always be second fiddle behind UT and A&M.

PonyTime, you make a great point - I hadn't thought about the Dallas HS connections with the Q/Hop story that should have been on the front page today. Hell, look at all the space they waste on HS basketball. It's nice for the kids playing HS basketball and their friends and families, but that's an event that should be covered by their local papers only, at least up until the championship game. Quinton Ross and Bryan Hopkins are FAR more important than any high school team. I don't care if Lincoln beats Kimball or Carter beats Highland Park - high school is not as important.

I like Rick Alonzo's writing. I just wish the morons who run the DMN sports section would give him the space he deserves. That's why I cancelled my subscription, and until they give SMU the coverage they deserve, I urge everyone else to do the same.

For the record, Steve Davis is a general assignments writer with an emphasis on soccer, both the Dallas Burn and the U.S. National Teams.

[PK]

You can't really blame Rick Alonzo for where his story is tucked away in the sports section. The real problem right now is that the Big 12 tournament is going to be in Dallas this year and the sport's editors are going to give them the major headlines.

If we take care of business and get to go dancing this year, maybe then we will get some front page attention. The same can be said for our football program...start winning some games against better ranked teams and we will get more press.

I've never met, nor would I recognize, Rick Alonzo so I haven't really formed an opinion about his reporting...I'm always just glad to see those big S M U letters in any report headline. I think he is more interested in covering us than was Jodie what's-her-name who preceeded him....even if his reporting isn't the most creative.

[This message has been edited by PK (edited 03-10-2003).]

[PonyTime]

You are right - with the Big 12 tourney in Dallas, the DMN will be devoting a lot of space. Also - Alonzo DOES not have input on where his stories end up - my beef is with the DMN as well as Alonzo. I still think that anyone could write those game stories that he puts out.

But - don't you all think that the HUGE story on the Texas Tech Radio announcer is a story for a Lubbock newspaper - not Dallas?

Can anyone in Dallas even hear this guy?

You are both right - The DMN is a joke. I will be canning my subscription soon.

[Fingers]

While I share your frustrations with the DMN and its lack of space for SMU athletics, I will say that Jack Dale is a broadcasting icon in this state. I can still hear him naarating many of the old "Southwest COnference Highlights" as they rolled the film in one of the exhibit buildings at the State Fair. I used to drive the highways on autumn Saturday nights, trying to get the radio tuned just right so I could hear him doing play-by-play. His style made him very unique and fun to listen to. Jack is much more highly though of than Dave South, the only other long-term broadcaster associated with a specific school. So, I think a story on Jack Dale is warranted. But I also think at least printing the WAC bracket is even more warranted.

[IslandBoy]

The "problem" lies in the goal/vision of the DMN.

The DMN considers itself a "regional" newspaper and covers things in that manner. They do not consider themselves a "local" paper like, say, the Star-Telegram.

[cowboypony]

Islandboy is exactly correct. The Star Telegram is a much more local based paper. Their coverage of local events, from city to city, is drastically different from the DMN. The Star Telegram also covers UT and A&M, just like the DMN, however, they give so much more ink to local events - not just sports. Again, we're simple stuck with being a small fish in a mighty big pond. Our only alternative is to win and win big. The Star Telegram gives the Froggies ample coverage whether or not they are winning or losing.

[Stallion]

there is nothing wrong with the DMN running a story about Dale a broadcasting legend completing 50 year career at a Texas state school-(besides I can still hear the replay of his broken little homer heart as Bobby Leach retuned the throwback play 96 yards for the touchdown). SMU doesn't get covered because our administration deemphasized athletics 15 years ago and we suck! Don't suck and we might get some coverage. Seriously considering our performance and small following I am sometimes surprised we get the coverage we do.

[giacfsp]

Two things:

1. "But - don't you all think that the HUGE story on the Texas Tech Radio announcer is a story for a Lubbock newspaper - not Dallas?"

Unless an announcer is named Keith Jackson or Chick Hearn or Jack Buck, it doesn't merit a story outside the listening area. Just because he's been at Tech for a million years doesn't mean I want to read about him any more than I want to read about Dave Campbell slobbering over Baylor for his whole life.

2. "The "problem" lies in the goal/vision of the DMN. The DMN considers itself a "regional" newspaper and covers things in that manner. They do not consider themselves a "local" paper like, say, the Star-Telegram."

You're right - the Star-Telegram does a MUCH better job covering its local community. The vision of the Star-Telegram is to cover its readership area. The vision of the Morning News is to sell papers, and nothing more.

[Bergermeister]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Corso:
[B]Not so fast, my friend!

Rick Alonzo is a good writer. Please remember that he's facing the same obstacles that Rana Cash, Jodie Valade, Ken Stephens, David McNabb, Debbie Fetterman, Darryl Richards, and the rest of the former SMU beat writers faced: the sports editors view SMU as an afterthought. They shill for the Big 12 because the DMN is among the sponsors for the Big 12 tournament. (Of course, the DMN also is lauded as a sponsor of SMU athletics, which is the biggest running joke in sports at the moment. But that's a different issue.)

Rick frequently writes stories that never make the paper. SMU gets squeezed for space because of the Mavs, Stars, even the sad-sack Rangers and even sadder-sack Cowboys. And in that "news"-paper, SMU will always be second fiddle behind UT and A&M.

PonyTime, you make a great point - I hadn't thought about the Dallas HS connections with the Q/Hop story that should have been on the front page today. Hell, look at all the space they waste on HS basketball. It's nice for the kids playing HS basketball and their friends and families, but that's an event that should be covered by their local papers only, at least up until the championship game. Quinton Ross and Bryan Hopkins are FAR more important than any high school team. I don't care if Lincoln beats Kimball or Carter beats Highland Park - high school is not as important.

I like Rick Alonzo's writing. I just wish the morons who run the DMN sports section would give him the space he deserves. That's why I cancelled my subscription, and until they give SMU the coverage they deserve, I urge everyone else to do the same.

I'd cancel mine, too if the Star Telegram would carry even the minimal SMU news. The Star Telegram has outstanding HIGH SCHOOL coverage and features. They do a good job with TCU and still manage to include NTSU and UTA. Then you got your Hicks-owned teams: UT, Stars and Rangers. Then there's Ricky Ricardo's Mavericks and Rug-boy's Cowpokes and the Bum Bright Aggies.. The ST covers it all and they do a very good job. I don't read the TCU stuff because I just don't care about them, whatsoever. In regard to HIGH SCHOOL coverage in the Dallas paper, that's all most HIGH SCHOOLERS can get since Belo took over all of the suburban newspapers and turned them into once-a-week, 4-page tabloids. They're pretty sad with the Arlington Morning News being the exception... it is a "daily" with Grand Prairie included. As long as Dave Smith is pulling the strings from the 19th Hole, things ain't gonna change. Maybe we could get more print if an SMU player or coach caused a ruckus at a city council meeting or debated Laura Miller on the crucial pothole issue.

[Rambo]

I know for a fact that Dave Smith, the editor or the DMN Sports section does not feel that SMU is what people in the area want to read about. He came and spoke to a class that I was in when the men's soccer team was ranked #1 and was undefeated. I asked him point blank why there was no mention in the DMN until after the NCAA tourny started. He said, bluntly, that he didn't think people in the DMN readership area wanted to read about SMU. I posed the same question about the 2001 College FB preview that included other TX teams such as SWT, TT, TCU, UT, Houston etc, but NO SMU! He gave me the same response.

Take what you want from this post...but I think Rick is doing a fine job. Keep it up Zo!

[ponyte]

Put more people in the stands and the DMN coverage will improve.

[50's PONY]

I have been on the Mustang club for a few years and I guarantee you that Dave Smith will never changed. He has been asked about S.M.U. so many times that he probably has an answer that he memorized 20 years ago. His son went to S.M.U. and we hoped that that might help to change things -- but it never did. After listening to him so many times over the years I really believe that deep down he loves to tell S.M.U. people that nobody cares just to see their reaction.
Even though we want to tell him what we really think there is no doubt in my mind that it will do any good. But, God willing, maybe there are better days ahead.

[giacfsp]

Do we have to get Smith hired at another paper to get a new sports editor? I don't think he's old enough that he can talk retirement any time soon, is he?

'Zo does a fine job considering the handcuffs Smith puts on him, and all previous SMU beat writers.

We need to figure out a way to get rid of Smith. He's at the root of the problem.

[Peruna88]

I don't have a problem with Rick Alonzo. It's not his fault they don't run his stories. He is light years ahead of Jodie Valade. She was just irritating and I'm glad she's gone. I wish we could get Juliet Macur to write some more feature stories. Her Phil Bennett profile when he arrived was excellent along with everything else she writes.

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