First, let me get this out of the way. We blew it. Big time. Readers of Monday's Sports front saw the score for the Super Bowl as Colts 31, Saints 17. The mistake was repeated on Page 9. It doesn't get much worse. The whole country watches the Super Bowl, the whole country knows the score, and we get it wrong? Preposterous. Unbelievable. Embarrassing.
How could this happen? Many of you asked that question Monday in e-mails and phone calls to The Pilot. No, the sports department is not filled with Indianapolis Colts fans. Yes, we proof the paper. No, we did not have a Super Bowl party here.
It was, as simply as I can put it, human error. It's hard to believe we can make a mistake like this when at least a half-dozen veteran journalists were involved in producing Monday's Sports section. It's hard to believe we can mess up what is arguably the biggest sporting event of the year, but we did.
The reason I am writing this column and the reason this mistake is so disheartening is that I know it will make you question our credibility and professionalism. I imagine many of you asking, "If they can't get the score of the Super Bowl right, what can they get right?" My answer to you is that we publish massive amounts of copy every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We get it right 99.9 percent of the time. But that's not news - the mistakes are news. And as far as errors go, this was a whopper.
We have great people producing the Sports section every day. They've worked tirelessly on our Super Bowl coverage for two weeks. Their track record is unassailable. I am as proud of them today as I have ever been. I met with them Monday, and believe me, they feel awful. But we are human, and we make mistakes.
To our loyal readers and sports fans, I apologize. To the New Orleans Saints fans who might have wanted a keepsake edition of The Pilot, I apologize. We did remake the page for those who want to buy a Sports front suitable for framing. Just go here to order it. This is not a reprint of the actual newspaper. It’s too late to print that. It’s a glossy poster of the Sports front only, just like the other front pages we typically sell after they are published.
Tomorrow is another day. I trust it will be better than Monday.
Thanks for listening.
- Denis Finley, editor, The Virginian-Pilot
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I wouldn't
have known there was a mistake if someone didn't tell me since I never look at the Sports section.
Copy Editor Job
I've applied twice for openings the Pilot had for copy editor positions. Twice I've been turned down. And I have experience.
Maybe I have too much experience for this paper. I think I'll take my skills somewhere else.
re: eBay
I stand corrected, there are 2 copies listed. I must have overlooked them the first time, as they have been up 19 hours as I'm typing.
no reserve:
No one will be profiting from the error on e-bay, right?
re: eBay
I checked around lunch time and didn't see any listed.
The whole country
does not watch the Super Bowl, a large number yes but not the whole country.
The whole country
does not watch the Super Bowl, a large number yes but not the whole country.
what is fair
Will you accept the same excuses from local politicians, police, or company owners when they make an "honest mistake".
I appreciate what you said but lawyers sue companies for less with no compassion for honest mistakes.
Really?
Are you REALLY charging for a new correct copy? Seriously? I have been a Saints fan for many years, this is history, and you want to make fans pay $40 -$80 to get a correct copy? Your out of your mind. You are absolutely crazy if you think someone is going to pay for that. I would rather gladly take my money else where to purchase a $100 copy of the right thing, rather than pay for something you messed up. You should be handing these corrected versions out. No selling them. Absolutely Ridiculous. Chalk up another lost customer.
It is
a high quality glossy poster, not an actual reprint. One can order one of pretty much any page of any day's paper. They shouldn't make them free just because of an error.