With apologies to the late Jim McKay, I sometimes refer to this job as “the thrill of victory, and the agony” … of trying to figure out how to cover it.

It was a Saturday afternoon ritual when I was a kid. Around 5 p.m., I would huddle in front of the television for ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.” And every week I would hear the distinguished voice of McKay as the backdrop to the compelling intro to the show, “spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport, the thrill of victory …”.

It was of course at this time every week that we would see what has become the embodiment of the “agony of defeat.” It was the harrowing scene of a ski jumper in his familiar crouch hurtling down one of those huge ramps, preparing to launch himself into the stratosphere. Then he loses his balance, topples off the side of the ramp and takes a horrific tumble into some hay bales.

I was always wondered who that poor soul was. Now I know. His name was Vinko Bogataj (pronounced Bo-ga-tie). He was from Slovenia, but in 1970 he was a Yugoslavian entrant at the Ski-flying World Championships in Oberstdorf, West Germany.

It was Bogataj’s misfortune to have his nasty spill, including careening off the ramp, flipping several times and blasting through a fence as horrified spectators tried to get out his way, captured on film and immortalized by “Wide World of Sports.”

Amazingly, Bogataj suffered only a slight concussion in the fall. But that image has some to become synonymous with the “agony of defeat.”

I can commiserate, in a strange sort of way. I certainly get my share of the agony of defeat in this business. Every once in awhile, I also experience the thrill of victory. If only it ended there.

I am as big a sports fan as you will find. I live and die with the Philly sports teams, just as I have since those days when I spent every Saturday afternoon with Jim McKay.

I am the embodiment of the fan, living and dying with his team. But I’m also a newspaper editor. So every time there is a major sports event, I temper the fan side of my brain with the more even-keeled news guy as I determine just how we will go about covering these big stories.

Last weekend I spent much of Saturday and Sunday fretting over the Phillies. First there was the matter of if they would clinch a playoff spot. Once it became pretty clear that was no longer in question, the issue became who they would play, and when.
All of this is compounded by my new best friend. That would be the Internet. There was a time, not that long ago, when we published once a day, and our deadlines gradually built up throughout the day. Those days are gone. Forever.

Now, through the wonders of the Internet, we literally can publish information 24 hours a day. I decided last week to introduce a “magic number” as we counted down to the Phils making the playoffs.

On Saturday, I kind of felt like my old pal Bogataj. My computer is in the family room in the basement. And it seems like every 10 minutes or so I was running down those steps to udpate our Web site. At least I didn’t fall off the side of the steps.
My Saturdays and Sundays now start online, as I check our Web site and add and delete information as it becomes available.

Last Saturday afternoon, I immediately posted an update after the Mets won their game, meaning the Phils would still have to win if they wanted to clinch the National League East. The Mets played at 1; the Phils were on the Fox national game starting at 3:55.

The Phils won, making them National League East Division champs for the second year in a row. Back down to the basement for another update.

In the meantime, I knew that would create the need for more coverage of the playoffs. I knew that the National League Division Series would start Wednesday, but I didn’t know who they would play. That wouldn’t be decided until Sunday.

Both the Brewers and Mets were playing Sunday afternoon. I posted a story Sunday indicating that if the Mets won, the Dodgers would be coming to Citizens Bank Park. If they lost, however, and the Brewers won, then Milwaukee would be our guest. If they both won or both lost, they would need a one-game playoff Monday to determine the Wild Card winner, and in the process who the Phils’ opponent would be.

I could feel the knot in my stomach getting bigger with each minute ticking off the clock knowing we would be doing a special playoff preview section in the Wednsday paper. It always helps to know whom you’re playing in such circumstances.

Luckily, the Mets gave us an instant replay of their epic collapse from last year. On the last day of Shea Stadium, their fans could “Shea” goodbye to the playoffs. Milwaukee won and the Mets lost. Along the way we reported online that the Phils won their game on Sunday and awaited the outcome of the Mets and Brewers games. Then we updated with the Brewers winning. That left only the Mets.

Talk about the agony of defeat. Can you say choke? For the second straight year? I couldn’t help smiling as I updated the Web site with news that it would indeed be the Brew Crew coming here on Wednesday.

But my brow quickly furrowed as I thought about the tight window we’d be operating in for our special playoff section.

Thus the thrill of victory, and the agony of trying to figure out out our coverage.
I think Vinko Bogataj would understand.




Philip E. Heron is editor of the Daily Times. Call him at (610) 622-8818. E-mail him at editor@delcotimes.com. To visit his daily blog, the Heron’s Nest, go to www3.allaroundphilly.com/blogs/delcotimes/philh/blog.html.