Tag Archives: sports journalism

Some March Madness cliches are more wretched than others

Posted on March 13, 2019 by

I used to rail vs clichés like “Cinderella” and “bubble teams.” Those words, though, have been used so pervasively in discussions about the NCAA Basketball Tournament that they are now as endemic to coverage as March Madness. That’s what makes English … Continue reading →

Posted in Covering basketball, Sportswriting: Language, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Don’t fear asking the right questions

Posted on September 3, 2018 by

Don’t let coaches intimidate you from asking questions. If you believe the biggest controversy revolves around whom will start at quarterback, then ask about that scenario — even if the coach becomes agitated, surly or even angry, as Tide coach … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviewing | Tagged , , , ,

UMBC’s historic win in NCAA tourney generates some terrific stories – and another upset

Posted on March 17, 2018 by

So how did the country cover No. 16-seeded UMBC’s implausible, crazy victory over No. 1 Virginia? Here’s a sampling of the stories that addressed what might be the biggest upset in the NCAA basketball tournament – and the first time … Continue reading →

Posted in Covering Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Journalists are ready for the ‘Big Cliche’

Posted on March 8, 2018 by

March Madness kicks off in less than a week, which means that everybody’s dusting off their cliches about the Big Dance. So I’ll shake the rust off a piece I published back in 2008 on Blogger where I lamented, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports Language, Sportswriting: Language | Tagged , , ,

There’s no better way to teach sportswriting than to bring students to cover live events

Posted on March 6, 2018 by

You can grill students all you want on interviewing techniques, keeping score, taking notes and writing game stories, but they won’t really learn until you throw them into live event coverage. Everything makes sense until one has to cover a … Continue reading →

Posted in Covering Games, Teaching sports journalism | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Why do athletes feel as though they are under attack? What can journalists do to address this?

Posted on February 27, 2018 by

America feels as though it is under siege right now. The students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who are eloquently, candidly and smartly addressing the concerns they have about gun violence in America, certainly do. As does the NRA, … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports Media Ethics, Teaching sports journalism | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Statistical analysis can be far more fun than beat coverage

Posted on December 22, 2017 by

If you’re interested in diving into the statistical side of sports coverage, look no further than FiveThirtyEight, which offers compelling analysis that’s clearly articulated. You can find top-notch analysis at FanGraphs, Beyond the Boxscore, and FootballOutsiders.com. You can also regularly find fantastic coverage … Continue reading →

Posted in Sports Analytics | Tagged , , , , , , ,