Is Your Station Ready for the Ball?
Posted on Fri, Oct 28, 2011 @ 11:07 AM
Did you see the end of Game 6 of the World Series? An amazing game that ended when David Freese of the Cardinals hit a bottom-of-the-11th game-winning homer. The Cardinals weren't the only winners that night. That homerun ball ended up in the hands of Cardinals fan David Huyette. Huyette dove onto the ball after it landed in the grassy "batter's eye" behind Busch Stadium's centerfield. A story on Yahoo.com told of how Huyette and his friend, Jeremy Reiland (a Cubs fan, incidentally), explained that the two fans had a plan. Every time a batter came up to bat with the opportunity to win the game, they got into position, ready to sprint. As planned, when the ball landed not far from them, they were the first to spring to it. And, as planned, Hoyette dove onto the ball, curling up around the ball to keep it away from other fans desperate for the valuable prize. There was no fight for the ball, because he then tucked it into his pants, making it "disappear." Then Reiland insured the success by sliding onto the ground behind his friend, further protecting his friend and the ball.
Despite the long odds it would be needed, the two fans had a plan, and when the opportunity came, it was the execution of the plan that made them succeed. In the competitive world of local TV news, opportunities of different kinds happen constantly. The station that's most ready to jump on that ball is the one most likely to be noticed by viewers. Are you ready for the game-winner?
- Mike Anderson