Sports Team

Sportswriting today is unimaginative, sentimental, superficial, and sensational. At least, those are some of the claims made by Utne's Michael Rowe in "How Sportswriting Lost Its Game." Rowe ponders: Does sports journalism suck? Overall, he seems to believe that opinion suffocates analysis, that stats derail stories, that analysis is empty, and that profiles are vacuous. On the other hand, Rowe cites several exemplary stories as well, such as Chuck Klosterman's piece on the Boston Celtics' transformation -- a story that is self-aware and which invokes first person, approaches that are usually eschewed in journalism classes and news rooms. Using 'I' is a no-no everywhere except in the blogosphere, or so it seems. (I know, I know. You're saying, 'Joe, that's an obvious statement.' But, like other bloggers, I had to find a way to insert myself into this post.) Actually, using 'I' in a news story may jolt some editors, prompting them t...

You're covering a game, taking notes and faced with the following scenario: A runner is on second with no outs. The batter slaps an easy grounder to the pitcher, who, instead of firing the ball to first for the easy out, turns and starts to throw to third, where the base runner is headed. However, the third baseman does not get back to the base in time so the pitcher turns back to first. But she does not throw the ball since the hitter is only a few steps from the base. So now runners stand on first and third. How do you score this? I faced this scenario last weekend during a girls softball game. At the time, our scorekeeper asked: "How the heck do you score that one?" He immediately received two conflicting answers. I said: "E-1," denoting that this play should be scored an error on the pitcher. The other coach said, "Fielder's choice. You can't score this an error if she didn't throw the ball." Both of us have played and watched baseball ...

Just received the following information for an Associated Press Sports Editors scholarship. Check it out and send something in. Here's the information from the release. The Associated Press Sports Editors are sponsoring four $1,500 scholarship for collegiate sports journalists. APSE, a national organization of sports editors, is awarding four scholarships to help motivate talented students to pursue a career in sports journalism. Collegiate sports journalists entering their sophomore, junior or senior years are eligible for the scholarship which will awarded based on the students' journalistic work, their academic record, financial need, and geography. The scholarships will be awarded to students from four different regions of the United States. The winners will be chosen by the APSE scholarship committee, which is chaired by Joe Sullivan, sports editor of the Boston Globe and includes editors from all sections of the United States. Please have them include the following info...

Several conferences will hold their tennis championships during the next few weeks. A conference championship is always big news, but, sometimes, sports like tennis get dismissed because they are not perceived as 'major' sports. That's a shame. Just because 10,000 people do not pack the local courts does not mean we should dismiss this sport. We should cover tennis just like we would do basketball and football. That means you could put together a package that includes capsules, a well-researched preview and, perhaps, a column. During the tournament, you could also write daily gamers (which can be published online during the weekend.) Next season, you might want to develop a tennis blog as well. (I'd recommend you start a blog for every sports team on your campus.) There are many ways to cover the ACC tennis championships this weekend. First, you might want to determine match-ups. Georgia Tech, for example, plays its first match Friday when the Yellow Jackets will face...

You learn how to write by reading. How else can you learn to craft a great lead, to develop a compelling anecdote, and to write fluidly and precisely? Read, take notes, analyze, repeat the process endlessly. All writers need to keep a journal. In mine, I take notes from books and articles, citing phrases and words that I try to infuse into my own writing. I learned that areas can be scalloped with natural harbors, that a light fog can make people appear wraithlike , and that an insecure man may offer a maladroit joke. Without such diligence, your own writing may also become clumsy. Always push your writing to the next level. That means reading good writers. There are few better than those writing for Sports Illustrated , still the premiere sports magazine anywhere in the world. S.I. offers some requisite smaller features like news to note, Q&A and a Who's Hot list, but these are really filler for the main course -- in-depth, compelling features that offer insights into athlet...

The Sports Institute is again seeking applicants for its terrific summer sports program held in Boston from June 2-27. Sports reporters from the Boston Herald, Boston Globe and the Providence Journal will offer seminars on a wide variety of topics. Here is the information from the institute’s web site. You may want to check it out. Participants in the program will take four courses over the period of study, meeting a minimum of four hours a week per course. The intensive area of study will be open to current Boston University students as well as students from other colleges and universities. College students must have at least junior or above status. Graduate students are welcome as well. Professionals seeking career advancement are encouraged to enroll. Tuition for the four week program is $4,000. Living expenses are not included in this fee. Contact Prof. Shorr via email with further questions:fshorr@bu.edu. The Sports Institute at Boston University is affiliated with sportsmediagui...