Advantage Disadvantage
Page 19
“What the hell are you doing here Ronnie?”
After apparently getting away with killing the bookie, and stowing $1.5 million, Frank was feeling quite emboldened. “I have a proposition for the board of directors,” he replied.
“Ronnie, you idiot! If you want time with the board, you have to follow protocol and work though your management chain: the head of the sports department, then me!” she scolded.
“Nancy, they are going to want to hear what I have to say.”
“You don’t know what you are doing, or how to prepare for this group. Leave the politics to me, Frank.”
“Nancy, you’ve made so many unfulfilled promises to me – who could trust you?”
She decided to try a different tact. “Ronnie, if you go in there right now, the planetarium will be permanently closed.”
“You wanna know something? I’m bored with your Astronomy classes!” he boldly replied.
“Are you quitting the newspaper or me tonight? I’m confused,” said the shocked editor.
“Both,” answered Frank.
Suddenly, the door to the boardroom swung open. Chairman Arthur said, “Nancy, we need you in here. Let ‘s go, oh Frank Worrell. I did not see you out here. How is our number-one revenue-producing writer doing?
“Very well, sir.”
“Frank, come in here. Nancy, introduce him to the rest of the board members. Some of them have never met Frank.”
Nancy cringed as they went back into the board of director’s room. She went around the room and introduced Frank to each of the board members. Department heads already knew Frank.
“Frank,” Chairman Arthur inquired. “What brings you up here tonight?”
“Well sir. As many of you know, I have wanted to write for the crime desk for a long time,” Frank started.
“This is neither the proper time nor the place, Frank,” Nancy growled.
Chairman Arthur intervened. “Nancy, let’s hear him out. He has been such a contributor to the paper’s profits the least he deserves is our attention. Frank, I’ve been led to believe that you love the high school beat – hell you’re so good at it.”
Nancy sensing an awkward moment chirped in, “Frank goes through phases after every basketball season – he gets a little burned-out, then he recharges over the summer, and you all know the rest, his work is remarkable and profitable.” She attempted to cover her rear end by minimizing Frank’s power play.
“Nancy, please stifle yourself,” shouted the chairman. “Go on Frank.”
“I’ve been promised a shot at the crime reporter’s job for several years now, but I believe that these promises have been false pledges. I really came here tonight to get an honest outlook at moving over to the crime beat. It’s something I’ve always wanted.”
“Nancy, what the hell is going on here? This guy has been so valuable to us why haven’t we accommodated him?” the Chairman inquired.
Backed into a corner, Nancy fired back. “I never wanted to discuss this in front of a crowd, but Ronnie since you brought it up … It’s true that he’s wanted to move over, but I have two reservations about promoting him to the crime beat. First we have not done anything to backfill his position, and second, we haven’t seen any non-sports reporting that demonstrates his capabilities.”
Frank was fuming. She just confirmed that she never really considered him for the crime desk. Although he suspected that she was just stringing him along, the reality was quite hurtful. The other meeting attendees were appalled that this was happening in front of them. Low-level personnel matters were never on the board’s agenda.
“I had a suspicion that you would rebuff me like this Nancy. You have kept me down my entire time here. I anticipated that you would once again try to put me down, but allow me to make my point. I have developed unique informants and contacts, which I believe, would translate my high school reporting successes to covering a crime beat. To prove it, I have prepared a full article and an outline of six other articles; all relating to the shooting death of the guy at the South Shore Cultural Center. That is right, I said shooting death. Everyone reported it as a stabbing, but on good authority, I know that he died because he was shot five times. May I pass this around for your review?”
“Sure let’s take a look,” encouraged the chairman.
After a couple minutes the crime-desk department head started, “Is all of this true, Frank? This is fantastic and it has been largely unreported. Like everybody else, we reported that he was stabbed to death. You say here, according to police informants several times. Are your sources reliable? Who told you that a blue gun was used or that there were five shots? Neither has been reported by media in the entire town!”
“Well, folks. I have great sources with the police and others just as I have on the high school scene. The origin of this information is rock solid, but must remain confidential. I am dead serious about all of this. All of this is true, and there is more. But as you know, I want to move departments, or I’ll see if the Tribune across the street is interested in these articles.”
Chairman Arthur became red in the face. “Ms. Kapist, how the hell did we ever let it get this far. A fine reporter like this should not have to threaten the board to find a just reward here at Windy City Daily. That is not our style here. Frank, unless the department head has an immediate objection, I would say you pack up your desk tomorrow and move over to the crime beat. Our crime desk, not the damn Tribune’s!”
“We’d welcome Frank to help us rebuild our department, sir,” said the crime beat department head.
The chairman was angry. “Nancy, I want to understand how this evolved. You can discard many of the hack reporters on your staff, but to mess with Frank? You are going to explain this to me in my office tomorrow morning.” He continued, “Frank, you have an open door to my office. If you think something is not working out for you, I expect you to contact me. You are an important resource to us and it should never come to this again.”
“Thank you, sir” Frank beamed.
“Done” said the chairman “Frank, finish writing the articles. I sense an opportunity for lots of media attention for breaking this story, followed by a bubble in circulation and advertising! Let’s get the marketing department moving on promoting Frank’s first series on the crime beat. We go to press tomorrow on Frank’s story. Mike, you will work out the raise for him, and Frank, one condition. You need to train the guy we hire to replace you … try to help the transitioning of your contacts on the high school beat once he or she is on board, ok?”
“Yes sir. I want you to know how much I appreciate this opportunity. I will not let you down.”
The chairman raised his glass of water and said jovially, “A toast to our newest crime desk reporter, Frank Worrell ... Nancy, escort Frank out. We’ve got to get to work to plan how to maximize the impact of Frank’s first set of articles from the crime desk, and how to exploit them…maybe a television interview on our sister station to kick off his expose. I don’t know; let’s get the director of marketing on the phone right away.”
Nancy got up and followed Frank out of the boardroom. She was incredibly angry. “Ronnie, you did not prepare me for this, you went over my head! We could have sorted this out in my office or under the stars.”
“First, my name is Frank Worrell. Ronnie is long gone, and so is stargazing. There is no more planetarium for me. As far as I am concerned, it is permanently closed. You controlled me for way too long. You were caught holding me down – I hope the Chairman kicks your ass tomorrow.”
***
During the next few days, Frank crafted several articles related to the death of Bobby G. He worked with the graphic artist to develop the header for his column. He moved his personal desk stuff to the front and center of the newsroom in the crime beat bay. His peers genuinely welcomed him into his new assignment as a conquering hero. After several revisions, he wrapped up the final article in the series about the murder of Bobby G. with this closing paragraph
:
“…. In basketball as in life, referees and acquaintances should ignore minor fouls, infractions, and indiscretions. However, when these violations become substantial, players and friends should be held accountable. Appropriate punishments must be applied. Opportunity, greed, and most of all arrogance caused the demise of the gangbanger named Bobby G. He was an unfortunate victim of the principal of Advantage / Disadvantage.”
Acknowledgements
This book is entirely and completely a work of fiction. Any references within this novel to actual people in real or fictional places are coincidental and not intended to imply actual events or participation in such events. Descriptions of buildings, parks, schools and other places have been modified in fictional ways. Organizations, companies, and governmental agencies are fictional or attributed with fictional characteristics. The accuracy of all referenced locations has also been modified.
I want to thank a few of the many real people who supported me in the development of this book, which has truly been a project of much joy and satisfaction:
First, my wife Sue, who has occasionally questioned the sanity of my hobby of basketball officiating, nonetheless has been terrific in supporting the necessary commitments that refereeing demands of me.
Next, a sincere thank you goes out to my sons Bryan and Jason, who, over the years, patiently listened (and pretended to be interested) to my repetitious recanting of basketball experiences. They were essential to this book with their critical suggestions. They have given me so much pleasure, as they have grown into incredibly bright, engaging, and independent young men.
To my brother Austin, who I have always looked up to because of his brilliant mind – he is a trailblazer, a rock solid support system, and an inspiring friend; his encouragement for this project was predictably outstanding.
To Jason and Susie C., whose carefully crafted but honest critiques, made this better with each revision. They put in huge, unselfish efforts to assist with both significant and minor details. In doing so, they improved this novel tremendously.
To my lifelong friend, Lee, for providing direct inspiration for some of the anecdotes told within this novel, and for his words of encouragement during a long eight-hour car ride, which got this project moving. Everyone should be lucky enough to have an unconditional friend as Lee has been to me.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the thousands of basketball referees, coaches, players, and administrators whom I have had the privilege of being around in my own officiating career. Most of these people are pure in intention and heroic in action, unlike some of the people depicted herein.