Is This For Real?

Not exactly sure why, perhaps morbid curiosity, but I was browsing Journalism Job's Web site yesterday, when I saw this job posting:

"Description:
Softball Reporter

"Roll Call seeks an energetic reporter/blogger for a three-month, part-time (10 hours/week) position covering Capitol Hill’s summer softball season for RollCall.com’s new softball Web site. The successful candidate will have: experience in and around the Congressional, House and/or Senate softball leagues; news reporting experience, preferably sports-related; an engaging writing style; and the flexibility to work evening hours. Send or fax resume with cover letter, and writing samples to: Roll Call Inc., Attn: HR Dept., 50 F Street, NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20001 or fax: 202/824-0475 or e-mail hr@rollcall.com. No phone calls please. EOE."

I realize Washington, D.C., largely closes for the summer -- your tax dollars hard at work! -- but does Roll Call really need reporting, snarky or otherwise, on summer softball leagues? How does one gain experience in the Congressional softball circuit? How does someone apply to this job while maintaining a modicum of self-respect? Can you imagine having "softball correspondent" printed on a business card? Perhaps when your industry is dying and laying off anyone it can, you'll accept the job of softball correspondent as long as it's a paying gig.