Types of sports stories: Writing that captures the action by Bobby Hawthorne Types of sports stories: Pregame or advance Post-game Individual sports Sports briefs Sports features In-depth stories Columns

Pregame stories: Two teams’ records Results of previous matchups Strengths and weaknesses Expected type of play Quotes from coaches Analysis of scoring records vs. common opponents Date, time, and location

Game or post-game stories: Outstanding characteristics of the game Basic information: type of contest, name of teams, score, date, location The “newsmagazine diamond”—a lead, a narrative body, the end Additional information: how scores were made, unusual plays, types of play, outstanding players, significance of the outcome, opinions of coaches and players

Individual sports: How or why the person won or lost Recent successes or failures Meaningful quotes

Sports briefs: Crisp and concise Season synopses with examples from specific games

Sports features: Focus on people Personality profiles of coaches, team physicians, trainers, bench-warmers, etc. Then and now approach Focus on fans Lifetime activities or recreational activities Strive for a balance of different sports

The in-depth story: Topics that cut across individual program lines. For example: The propensity of parents and booster club officials to go to court if a player was ruled ineligible How state eligibility standards were adopted How boys and girls receive the same treatment, but they don’t have the same prestige The use of smokeless tobacco

Sports Illustrated ESPN The sports column: To praise, criticize, analyze, or interpret Not to cheerlead, nit-pick, second-guess or air personal grievances Should show honesty and fair play All opinions should be supported with facts Can be serious or funny; a detailed look at one subject or a collection of short insights Rick Reilly Sports Illustrated ESPN

Beware: Don’t be a cheerleader Avoid jargon (“the team switched from a box-and-one to a three/two match up zone”) Avoid cliches (“a tough loss” “a great win”) Avoid weak verbs (the team won, not the team is a winner) Avoid nicknames Avoid false titles (use “Jane Jones, a co-captain,” not “co-captain Jane Jones”) Don’t begin the lead with an article (a, an, the), the name of the school or its initials and the name of the team Give attribution for opinions (“Coach Smith said that he thought they should have won,” not “Coach Smith believes that they should have won”) Avoid dumb, predictable quotes (“We are looking forward to the season” or “I’m very proud of this team”)