It was late last week. We were minding our own business, mostly, and moseying through the newsroom in search of caffeine. We happened to be on the other end of the floor, where the box scores, 40-times, and win-loss records are frequent topics.
An editor in Sports was standing by his desk, phone in his hand, relaying information. He spoke. Excitedly.
"Wow," somebody answered him.
And around the horn it went. The men in our Sports department weighed in on the news. You're kidding. Say that again. Wow and more wows.
What was the big news coming in over the phone? Why had the Sports guys stopped mid-sentence in their own stories to chatter about someone else's? Was there a big trade in the NFL, or an injury in the NBA? Did the Travs pull off a triple play? Or the Hogs land a top wide receiver out of Florida?
No.
The story was about high school track. Actually, the story was about Lexi and Tori.
Lexi and Tori Weeks, twin sisters from Cabot, Ark., had already been featured in a large spread in Sports a few days before. They were competing in the heptathlon in the state high school track and field championships. In the last event, Tori Weeks held off her sister to win the 800 meters by a few seconds. Only a few. But it turns out Lexi Weeks still ended up winning the overall event.
Because Lexi scored 4,481 points.
Tori scored 4,480 points.
And the men back in Sports put down their coffees and had to talk that one through. As did 'most everybody else who read the story the next morning.
Our considered editorial opinion is much the same as what the Sports guys said: Wow.
Thank you, ladies. For about 48 hours, you gave sports fans in Arkansas something to talk about that didn't have a thing to do with cheating pitchers, suspended players or deflated footballs. Consider this a tip of the hat.
Editorial on 05/27/2015