Page 3
Story: Wild Catch
CHAPTER 3
ROSE
T he marketing and broadcasting department of the Orlando Wild team has twenty one people, including me, and we meet every Friday morning in plenum. There’s nothing remarkable about this because, unlike the players, we don’t have off season down time.
But there’s something different today, and it’s not just because it’s my first department meeting after serving my very short suspension.
I half wonder if someone spiked the coffee with something stronger. Yet, I know it’s not because of that. The team won its first series against the Denver Riders, who are a World Series contender. Tonight is game three of the second series against a weaker team, and so far we’ve won all games.
It’s too early to get excited about what this means, but anyone who has worked for this organization for more than a year knows that we’ve never had as strong a season start before.
Like, ever.
And if anyone should be capitalizing on this, it should be this department.
“—Ramp down the mic’ed up interviews?” one of the producers is asking. “Polls from fans say they’re not very popular in the middle of the broadcast because it distracts players.”
My boss, Dave Rogers, director of social media, chimes in, “And this is what we have social media for, ladies and gentlemen.” He turns to put me on the spot. “Rosalina, what do our followers say?”
I collect myself while clearing my throat. “Posts on TikTok and Instagram that prominently feature the players are the most viewed, liked, shared, and commented on by far. Unfortunately, much more than replays or team advertising.”
“What kind of posts?” one of the marketing managers asks.
“Interviews, Q&As… just anything that shows their personalities,” I explain.
“Hmm.” She leans back in her chair. “That’s great but we need to make sure that whatever we do is to grow the Orlando Wild brand, not the individual players.”
“And yet it’s the players who are popular,” says one of the promotions folks, speaking truth to power. He makes a very indiscreet ahem . “Especially the lookers.”
I freeze in the middle of a smile. I was just about to agree when that reminded me of something. Or rather someone.
The lookers. This is the designated name that the marketing team has for the most handsome players in the Orlando Wild. And boy, is this team blessed with some outstanding specimens.
Sure, we historically we haven’t been the best team but no one, not even the most spiteful internet troll, can deny that we pack the top hotties of the league. And at the very top of them is…
Logan Kim.
The guy I spilled all my embarrassing secrets to in a moment of anger.
Thus, the guy I’d love to avoid for the rest of my life if I could. Except he’s the most popular player across all our social media.
In fact, this one time I posted a five second clip of Logan removing his mask after tagging out a runner, and I don’t know if it was the sweat dripping from his skin or the fact that he had some hair plastered on his face, but he ran his tongue across his lips as he smirked down at the runner.
That was last year’s most viral video on our TikTok account, and it was only surpassed this year by Cade Starr’s interview about his ideal woman.
Dave places his elbows on the table and leans forward. “And that’s why my proposal is to use the lookers to increase the value of the Orlando Wild brand. We need to create a lot more content centering them.”
“Thirst traps?” a woman from the digital content team asks with a sly smile.
“Yes,” Dave hisses in a dramatic voice. “Thirst traps with the Wild logo everywhere. That’s how we cement the brand.”
I choke in the middle of taking a coffee sip, which brings a lot of attention to me. One of the managers points at me with her pen. “Rosalina, can we trust you with the thirst traps?” She seems to be as on the verge of laughter as half of the other people around the conference table.
The other half appear to be annoyed that this is really part of our jobs.
“I—uh. Yes.” I set my cup of coffee down so I don’t spill it on myself.
“Just make sure they’re approved first, okay?”
That’s a clear dig at me going a bit rogue last week to help Hope.
Yeah, it set me back professionally. I didn’t need Dave’s approval for anything before this but now I’m on probation. So, would I do it again?
Abso freaking lutely.
As a broadcast journalism major turned social media manager, I know the power that media holds.
As a huge baseball fan who is a woman and now works for a professional baseball team, I also know how little power women have in this world.
If power is a bit like video games where certain activities drain it and others replenish it, my actions basically depleted my reserves. I have to build them back up, and that means running absolutely every thought by my boss from now on.
I’m more than willing to play that game because I’m here for the long haul, until one day I’m the face of the team during live broadcasts. Me, a mixed Afro Latina.
Go big or go home and all that.
“Trust us, we know that.” My boss slices the air with his hand to drive the finality of the point home. “Now, can we talk about Mexico?”
I stand corrected. I thought that everyone was buzzing about how well the team’s been performing this week, but everyone turns from interested to electrified at the mention of Mexico.
“Thank you, Dave,” says Tom Waterman, the head of marketing and effectively everyone’s boss here. “Do we have all the preparations completed?”
The director of broadcasting, Julien Chen, joins in for the first time since the meeting started. “Everything’s confirmed on our end. I personally flew out earlier this week to make sure the contractors know what they’re doing, and I’m pretty satisfied with the quality of their equipment.”
“Excellent.” Tom nods before addressing everyone. “I trust you all know how significant it is that the league selected our team for the World Tour Mexico City series, right?”
I sit a little straighter after that, and I’m not the only one.
It’s a pretty big deal. Usually the teams that are selected tend to be popular abroad and?—
“It’s because of the lookers,” one of my coworkers murmurs, setting off a wave of giggles and coughs.
Tom breaks into a grin that takes him from a sixty-something-year-old man to fifty for a few seconds. “That’s right folks, make sure to get a lot of thirst traps in Mexico.”
After the wave of laughter ebbs away, the conversation moves to a new product sponsor we have to place. Aside from the ad board spaces they purchased, we have to make sure to incorporate it into media snippets. It shouldn’t be hard because it’s a sports drink—we can just have players drink from it during social media clips and fulfill the contractual requirements that way.
I take some notes on my iPad about how we can do this, while in my mind making a mental note about excluding Logan Kim. I’m sure followers would love to see more of Cade’s pretty face even if he’s now taken.
Some forty minutes later, we spill out of the meeting room to head back to our respective cubicles. My head’s buzzing with ideas for content when Dave catches up to me.
“Ready for Mexico?”
“I think so.” I slow down for him to catch up because I’m a tall girlie and my boss is a short king. “I got a bunch of cool facts from the team historian that I’m using for a series of videos to hype the match against the Miami Hurricanes.”
“They frankly couldn’t have chosen a more fun matchup, huh? Two regional rivals with history.” Dave chuckles and instead of stopping at his cubicle, he follows me to mine.
“Totally,” I agree with a smile. “I’ll send you the first three clips this afternoon.”
“Looking forward to it.” He leans back to glance up and down like he’s trying to ascertain that the coast is clear. Then he leans forward again and lowers his voice. “I need to ask you for a big favor, though.”
“Okay?”
He rubs the back of his head, his face scrunching into something that looks like embarrassment. Which is totally uncharacteristic. We’re talking about a guy who went so viral on Vine—RIP—that it basically landed him this job.
“I need you to cover for me and go to Mexico.”
I do a double take. “Dave, may I remind you that I’m on probation? I’m not even allowed to fly with the team right now.”
“I know, but it’s either you or I hire a freelancer who won’t know squat about the team, and may screw up even worse than you.”
“Geez, thanks for the vote of confidence.” I shake my head.
He lowers his voice even more. “The thing is, I need to have a little procedure done and it can only be next week.”
“Oh my gosh.” I also lower my voice after the initial spike of surprise. “Are you okay?”
“I think so but this is a better safe than sorry type of thing.” I don’t detect whiffs of fear, which makes me think this isn’t about something that could turn tragic any time. Going by his embarrassment a minute ago, I deduce we’re talking about something NSFW so I don’t prod.
“Well, I would love to sub in. But the fact is that I can’t.”
“I already talked with Tom.” He shrugs. “Listen, the reason we put you on probation was more about sending a message than it was about you. I personally enjoyed having another viral moment for our KPIs.”
Amused, I mumble, “Thanks?”
“The point is that he agreed to let you fly with the team and create content while keeping you on probation.”
My eyebrows rise. “How does that even work?”
“I take away your posting rights and do the posting myself up until my surgery, which is scheduled for the day the team flies back. And then Tom takes over.”
“Tom,” I repeat. “You mean the head of the whole department?”
“That’s right.”
“And he already agreed to this?”
“Yep.”
Sighing, I take a seat and my shoulders sag. For the first time since I mounted what is basically a little social media coup, I feel some shame at having done it. I wouldn’t be inconveniencing my boss or my boss’s boss if I had just…
But no. Who knows what would’ve happened to Hope if I hadn’t put pressure on the organization with that video.
I’m sick and tired of seeing women be at the whims of the powers that be. I did the right thing and now I have to deal with the consequences, and that includes my chagrin right now.
“Of course I will sub in for you in Mexico,” I say at last.
“Great, thank you.” Dave straightens up and breathes out in obvious relief. “This is going to count positively toward your record, by the way.”
Well, that’s good to know, and certainly softens the blow. I had found the silver lining of my probation in that, unable to travel with the team again, this would’ve halved the amount of time I could spend with the team throughout the season. And that would’ve meant less sightings of a certain catcher.
After Dave leaves, I drop my face in my hands. Things just never go my way, do they?
Table of Contents
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- Page 3 (Reading here)
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