Headline writers have a thankless job. Having to grab the gist of a story in a few minutes, writing an accurate description that fits the space and – with luck – coming up with something that puts a smile on the reader’s face.
We have celebrated the notable achievements of our comrades in the latter category. We tipped our hat when The Roanoke Times wrote about a highway hazard on the fifth of May under the headline “Sinkhole de Mayo.”
So it is with a sense of loss that we search in vain for the obvious headline choice for the story of the day in Southwest Virginia — the sad account of a Virginia Tech place kicker jailed on accusations of taking part in a misguided home invasion.
Despite news coverage across the commonwealth, not one publication jumped on the chance to go with “Hokie in the Pokey.”
The irony trophy goes unclaimed.
