Advantage Disadvantage (25 page)

“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.