Texas Happenings 2007, No. 17
Week of August 20, 2007TEXAS HapPENINGS is a biweekly advisory to AP member editors on upcoming stories or projects of special interest and a source of news about other AP developments.
ARON’S OLD LINEBACKER STORY HUGE HIT
Texas sports editor Jaime Aron went to West Texas to track down an interview for a story. At a restaurant in Alpine, Aron bumped into longtime Texas AP correspondent Mike Cochran, and one of his friends shared a lead on another story worth pursuing: a 59-year-old football player at Sul Ross State.
The first problem was getting past the coach, who didn't want the story told. He'd already threatened to sue reporters who were asking about it. Aron appealed to the school president and to the coach. He wound up having to settle for a story strictly with quotes from friends of the grandfather-linebacker. Then, before that version hit the wire, Mike Flynt himself called.
Aron got the early version spiked and came back with a story filled with Flynt's first-person tale of how the remorse of being kicked off the team his senior year ate at him for years. He mentioned it to some former teammates at a reunion in June and one of them told him he should go back and made up for lost time. Flynt didn't think he had any eligibility left, but it turned out he did.
Reaction to the story was immediate and lasted for more than a day. Prominent play on Web sites, in newspapers and over TV and radio broadcasts prompted phone calls from Hollywood producers (including the folks behind "The Rookie" and "Invincibles") and several documentary makers, plus untold interview requests from other media outlets.
EYE ON THE STORMS
When Tropical Storm Erin was making its way across the Gulf of Mexico toward Texas’ coast line, Associated Press writer Elizabeth White and photographer Matt Slocum were ready in Corpus Christi for whatever might develop.
The brunt of the storm came in the form of heavy rains and flooding from Houston to San Antonio and into West Texas.
The Houston staff, led by News Editor Wendy Benjaminson, jumped in when the storm’s deluge moved into the city. San Antonio Correspondent Michelle Roberts added developments from there.
As Erin moved inland, everyone topped off their gasoline tanks, restocked their hurricane supplies and prepared for Hurricane Dean. Harlingen Correspondent Lynn Brezosky, the Houston staff and Austin staffer April Castro all had a hand in covering the state’s preparations for the huge Category 5 storm.
In the end, Dean moved farther south and everyone went back to waiting for the next storm to develop.
FORMER PLAYER’S TRAGIC DEATH
The tip came in from a Minneapolis radio station - former Timberwolves forward Eddie Griffin may have died in an SUV-train accident.
With just that little bit, staffers in Houston, Dallas and Minneapolis went to work to track down whether this was true. AP sports writer Chris Duncan got a news release from the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office with the identity of Eddie Griffin.
Thomas Peipert in Dallas got confirmation that Griffin was indeed the former Timberwolves player and Night Supervisor Linda Franklin filed the NewsAlert about the death. Dallas staffer Matt Curry talked to an attorney who had represented Griffin and AP sports writer Jon Krawczinski added crucial comment from the Timberwolves for Duncan’s story.
LOOKING FORWARD
Here’s a look at some of the stories coming up for this weekend for Texas members:
SATURDAY-SUNDAY:
LUCY ON TOUR
HOUSTON - In the Ethiopian language, she is called Dinknesh - a name that connotes something wonderful and precious. But to most of the world, she is known as Lucy, a 3.2 million-year-old fossil whose discovery 30 years ago yielded then-unparalleled insights to the origins of humankind. Now, against the outrage of the world's scientific community, the delicate fossil is coming to the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Museum officials and the Ethiopian government says Lucy will offer a rare glimpse into the history of mankind, but paleontologists and museums around the world say the risk of damaging the precious remnant isn't worth it. AP Photos. AP Video. By Monica Rhor. Moving Friday.
MEMBER EXCHANGE: BUILDING BONDS
AUSTIN - The five sisters had been through a lot. Now it was time, as one of them said, to get their sexy back. Inspired by their mother, who died last year after a decade-long battle with emphysema and breast cancer, Sarah Latham Perez, 43, of Austin and her four sisters changed their eating habits, lost weight and grew muscles _ lots of muscles. After training rigorously for seven months, the sisters entered the Europa Super Show, an international bodybuilding show, in Dallas recently. They competed in the figure competition _ a combination of bodybuilding and beauty. As newcomers to the sport, they didn't place. But their dedication has earned them plenty of other rewards: Smaller dress sizes. Muscles. The discipline to say no to junk food. And of course, the compliments. By Ricardo Gandara, Austin American-Statesman. Moving Thursday.
AP Photos.
MONDAY:
MUSLIM CHARITY-DOCUMENTS
DALLAS - Prosecutors have produced hundreds of thousands of pages of documents, photos, personal phone books and videotapes in their attempt to prove that leaders of a Muslim charity were a fund-raising arm of Hamas terrorists. Experts in terror-financing say the document haul sheds new light on the origins and organization of militant Palestinian supporters in the United States. By David Koenig. Moving Friday for editions of Monday, Aug. 27 and thereafter.
ARMADILLO BOOK
COLLEGE STATION - For neuroscientist Bill Klemm, it's not the armadillo's brain that intrigues him. "I have an enormous respect for something that's lasted for 55 million years," says Klemm, a retired Texas A&M University professor of neuroscience and veterinary biosciences and author of "'Dillos," an entertaining and informal new book looking at the official state mascot of Texas. A year in the making, "'Dillos" shows Klemm's academic pedigree with a detailed index and 11-page source list. But a mere glance at the cover quickly dispels any notion this is a dry textbook. After all, how many textbooks have a color photo of roadkill on the cover? By Michael Graczyk. Moved Tuesday.
AP Photos.
IN SPORTS
NFL
FBN--COWBOYS-WADE'S CHANCE
IRVING - The locker room has been shuffled so that guys who might not otherwise mingle can get to know each other. Signs discouraging complaints are gone, the practice-field dress code relaxed. There wasn't so much as an eyebrow raised when the mascot revved up his three-wheeler behind the end zone during training camp. Nobody around the Dallas Cowboys is "walking around on eggshells" any more, as Jerry Jones put it the day he hired Wade Phillips to replace Bill Parcells. While Phillips very well might be the anti-Parcells, he laughs off such a label. See, he knows that how he runs the team doesn't matter. It's all about whether he can restore glory to "America's Team," starting with ending a playoff drought that covers 10 years. By Jaime Aron.
Eds: Moving Thursday or Friday.
AP Photo DN101 of Aug. 23.
College
FBC--T25-MCCOY MATURES
AUSTIN - Colt McCoy is bigger, wiser, stronger and, according to his coach, playing better than ever. He's even an NCAA record holder. Now if he could just grow some chin whiskers. But no luck on the beard. The Texas quarterback says he's resigned to "looking like a 12-year-old _ a young 12-year-old." His daddy didn't call him the "baby faced assassin" for nothing when he was slinging those 29 touchdown passes last season. McCoy may still look like a kid but there's little question he's become the leader of the No. 4 Longhorns as they aim for their second national championship in three years. "This is his team now," coach Mack Brown said. By Jim Vertuno.
Eds: Moving Thursday.
AP Photo AT101 of Aug. 22.
MARTIAL ARTS:
CHUCK NORRIS-KARATE LEAGUE
ADDISON - Chuck Norris' infallibility is the stuff of Internet legend. Web wisdom says he can divide by zero, doesn't sleep and his tears cure cancer. For sure, the six-time karate world champion rarely ducked under the ropes an underdog, until now. Norris has taken on the heavyweights of the entertainment martial arts industry by investing $6 million in his made-for-television World Combat League. But after one season, the Texas-based league is battling modest viewership after martial arts' flagship network passed on the show and wrestling with a perception that its stand-up style peaked two decades ago. By Grant Slater.
Eds: Moving Thursday.
AP Photos DN102-DN103 of Aug. 23.
FANTASY FOOTBALL:
FBN--FANTASY FOOTBALL
UNDATED - It doesn't seem all that long ago when the gigantic Daunte Culpepper was bowling over defenders then launching 70-yard passes to Randy Moss, who had already easily glided past defenders or merely soared over them for the catch. If you're getting ready for your fantasy football draft, you'd better remember real quick that those magical Minnesota days are long gone. Because Moss and Culpepper are certain to be drafted way too soon based on fond memories instead of stats, reason and logic, the former pals were unanimous first-team selections to this year's Preseason All Yesteryear Team. By John McFarland.
Eds: Moved Wednesday.
AP GRAPHIC FANTASY FOOTBALL LOGO.
With:
• FBN--FANTASY FOOTBALL-LIST.
• FBN--FANTASY FOOTBALL-MOVES.
ON-CYCLE ON THE WIRE
Robby Byrd, news editor of The Huntsville Item, shared a tip with the AP in Dallas, allowing the staff to get a brief out that a warden had drowned at a prison unit near Huntsville.
Then Byrd made sure the AP had his paper’s story as well. It was just another example of great member help on-cycle in Texas.
The El Paso Times shared its stories on speakers at a border security conference in El Paso. The newspaper’s exclusive interview with National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell made national news.
The Brownsville Herald sent a brite about a couple of music teachers who preferred donations for a harpsichord instead of kitchen appliances for wedding presents.
Remember that we love those tips about news in your areas just as much as complete stories. So give us a call if you’ve got breaking news in your regions.
We can be reached at 1-800-442-7189 or 972-991-2100.
APME CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
The APME conference in Washington, D.C., in October will be another in a long line of great events.
Here are some of the highlights for the Oct. 3-6 event:
• A sneak peek at the new Newseum. While the building won’t be fully completed by the time of the conference, editors will see and experience plenty reminding them of the value of a free press and the First Amendment.
• 500 Great Ideas editors can take back to the newsroom.
• Presentations on doing video online.
• A ground-breaking study on online ethics.
• A live satellite link from Baghdad to learn what it’s like covering the war.
• A discussion of the 2008 election, led by COB Sandy Johnson.
• An appearance by a major newsmaker or two.
And much, much more. Too much, in fact, to list here.
Watch your mail for a 12-page marketing tab that is being sent to your newspaper with highlights of the conference schedule and the attractions of Washington.
You can also go to www.apme.com for more details, including how to register for the conference and book a room at the conference hotel, the JW Marriott on Pennsylvania Avenue. Sign up now: the cut-off for APME’s tremendously discounted room rate is Sept. 12.
SUPER-CHARGED BOXES COMING FOR NFL SEASON
A box score is a great way to give readers a tremendous amount of information about a game without taking up too much space in the newspaper. And the newspaper is really the best place to examine a box score.
But as space becomes more and more valuable, continuing this tradition gets harder and harder. As the NFL season approaches, the AP has solutions to this crunch, both for the entire league or for at the very least the Cowboys and/or Texans.
The solution is a super-charged box score that will help you provide the sophisticated, complete football coverage your readers expect from you. Both the full league expanded boxes and the one-team option are affordable and address tightening space.
It’s a simple way to show that you mean business when it comes to the NFL, the most popular professional sport in the United States.
A further offering for your statistics-minded readers is weekly individual statistics for players on each team. This includes stats in 12 categories, including passing, rushing, receiving, returns, interceptions, sacks and kicking. These move on Monday and again on Tuesday with the Monday Night Football results.
If you’re interested or would like to know more, please contact Dale Leach or Barry Bedlan in the Dallas bureau at 800-442-7189. The exhibition season is here.
SPECIAL EDITIONS
The special edition package on cars will move Sept. 11..
INDUSTRY NEWS
The AP Industry News summary is now available on the new AP Exchange system, a free system offering you Web-based access to the AP report. On AP Exchange, media industry news items will be available immediately, rather than transmitted once a week. For more on AP Exchange you can visit www.ap.org/apexchange.
If you do not have AP Exchange access yet, please contact AP Texas Chief of Bureau Dale Leach.
An AP Exchange account will permit you to access and search industry news, along with all your AP text, photo and graphics services. Until an AP Exchange account is created for you, we can add you to an e-mail list for distribution of media industry news items as soon as they arrive. If you would like to be added to the distribution list, please send your request by e-mail to talkback@ap.org.
If you’ve got news to share for TEXAS HapPENINGS, please send the material to Linda Franklin at lfranklin@ap.org.
PREVIOUS ISSUES:
• April 16, 2007
• April 30, 2007
• May 14, 2007
• May 28, 2007
• June 11, 2007
• June 25, 2007
• July 13, 2007
• July 27, 2007
• August 6, 2007
