Miscommunication can lead to many things.
Musicians write country songs about it, husbands sleep on the couch because of it, and most recently — a local reporter made a fool of himself based around it.
Bright and early Saturday morning at the 2010 Governor’s Fishing Opener on Kabetogama Lake, a local reporter caught a photo (pun intended) of an angler reeling in a 14-inch keeper walleye.
“Can I get a name with that fish?” the reporter asked, excited about the potential photo — the first action fishing photo of the day.
“Virg Pa - (inaudible),” the fisherman replied, muffled.
“What was that?” the reporter said.
“Virg Pa - (inaudible),” the fisherman muffled again.
“Can you spell that?” the reporter replied, asking a simple question used often by reporters in a world filling up with wildly-spelled names. (The reporter would eventually have to get the spelling, right? So this tactic kills two birds with one stone).
However, the fisherman and his two companions decline with a “Is this guy serious?” tone.
Here we go.
The reporter’s community fishing host, Koochiching County Engineer Doug Grindall, quickly informs the reporter that the fisherman said “Pawlenty.” Grindall doesn’t even believe it at first, thinking it’s some wise guy, but ... it’s not.
Turns out, Virg Pawlenty is Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s first cousin. Virg’s brother, Ed Pawlenty, is also in the boat, along with John Bieniek.
Oops.
A few laughs are shared as the reporter tries to reel the foot out of his mouth. Just a footnote on a memorable day, right?
Until it’s time for shorelunch.
Coincidentally, this trio of “wise guys” arrives at the same resort as Grindall and the reporter on their way to lunch. The group is growing, though, and the story does the same on the shuttle ride to the visitor’s center.
While waiting in line for shorelunch at the visitor’s center, the story reaches ridiculous levels when — coincidentally again — this group (which has morphed from a trio into a posse) finds itself behind Grindall and the reporter just a few feet away.
And wouldn’t you know it, a guy named “Jim Johnson” rolls with them in their posse.
The Pawlenty Posse strikes and introduces Jim Johnson to ... the reporter.
“How do you spell that?” one of the Pawlentys chimes in.
“There is only one way to spell it!” the non-reporter Jim Johnson replies.
Asked later about the camaraderie established after the initial miscommunication, and Grindall says, “Ordinarily you’d have to pay money for entertainment like that.”
Or put your foot in your mouth.
NOTE: No reporter’s feelings were hurt in the making of this story.
