Sports Reporting Class: September 27, 2011
Quote for the Day: “The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.’’ – Morrie Schwartz
Attendance: Reminder of attendance policy.
Assignments:
For tonight: Article #1 is due
For next week: Article critique #3
Class topics for tonight:
--Informal class discussion about your reporting so far, including your reporting on your first assignments. How did it go? What were some of your roadblocks?
--In-class writing assignment, to be announced in class. Note: It will be FUN and it will NOT BE GRADED. I will give you 20-25 minutes to write this in class. We will discuss this in the second half of class.
Also, in the second half of class:
--Discussion on articles posted on blog. Please read in advance and be prepared to point out flaws or good points in these articles. We will do this on a weekly basis, and we will start using current materials from this year’s class, starting next week.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sept. 27 class: Article samples for in-class critiques
Here are 5 leads from articles taken from last year's Sports Reporting class. Please read them and critique them. I will expect everyone in class to have at least one thing to say about every article, in an effort to stimulate discussion about writing leads and about style points.
Example #1:
Senior day. It happens once a season for each team at Marist College.
It is the celebration and culmination of the four years of hard work put in by the athletes who have dedicated their time and effort to their respective teams. It is the opportunity to send those individuals out on a high note to end their careers in front of the home fans.
The Marist College volleyball team did just that by defeating Fairfield University 3-1 (25-20, 25-16, 15-25, 25-14) in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match from the McCann Center on Saturday afternoon. Senior Lindsey Schmid put on one last show for the Marist fans by recording team highs in kills (12), blocks (7), and aces (7). Marist’s defensive spark came from another senior, as Emily Brosky finished with a team high 15 digs. Fairfield was led by senior Lauren Hughes, who ended with a team high 12 kills.
Example #2:
The Marist women’s soccer team could not have asked for a better conference start. The Red Foxes are currently 8-6 overall but 4-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), winning out this past weekend at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field by beating Rider 2-1 on Friday and defeating the 2009 MAAC Champions, Loyola, 1-0 on Sunday.
The Red Foxes 4-0 MAAC start is their longest streak since 2001.
“We are off to an amazing start,” senior Merrilyn Esteve said. “I feel like in past years there has been a rift or a separation between the starters and other players and it hurt us, but this year everyone is so positive and pulling for each other, which is why we are playing like a team.”
Example #3
Perfection.
That would be the word best to describe the Marist College ultimate frisbee team.
On Sunday the Red Foxes hosted the Frisbee Tournament on the Gartland Field, which included 7 other colleges as well.
The Red Foxes went on to go undefeated throughout the day and defeating Wesleyan in the championship game 13-7. The day started out well for the Red Foxes as they were able to beat Wesleyan and Hampshire both by the same score of 13-7.
“It was definitely a great day for our whole team,” said Matt Wilensky, senior and co-captain of the team. “It was a long day playing so many games, but we just kept on pushing through and played really well all day.”
Example #4
The Marist College Club Hockey team has been a streaky team all season, starting the season on a five game losing streak, followed by a four game winning streak. Now, following its fourth straight defeat, a 7-3 home defeat against Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) Friday night, Marist finds itself in need of another winning streak.
Marist started the game strong, coming back from a 1-0 deficit in the first period to take a 2-1 lead on goals by Mike Chiacchia and Brendan Cuddihy, both assisted by Kyle Lukas. CCSU would score once more in the period, evening the score at 2-2 heading into the second period.
Example #5
Putting others first seems to be the theme in Pat Massaroni's life.
Whether it's waiting on players of the basketball team he managed for four years or risking his life to run into a burning house to help his friends, Massaroni is one that can always be counted on.
Massaroni graduated from Marist College last spring with a degree in Sports Communication and was a manager for his first three years with the men's basketball team, and spent his final year with the women's team. His duties as a manager consisted of basically waiting on others.
During practice he ran the clock while doing the laundry so the players had practice gear for the next day. When other managers were at practice with him he filmed the practice and even at times edited the videos of plays that the coach wanted on film. On game days Massaroni hung up the jerseys neatly for each player in their locker. For the women's team, his duties didn't stop there.
Massaroni was used as a practice player for the women's team and took special pride in bringing energy to the practice. “It was just really fun for me to get out there and help the girls get better,” Massaroni said. “I also took a little pride in getting a steal or block.”
Example #1:
Senior day. It happens once a season for each team at Marist College.
It is the celebration and culmination of the four years of hard work put in by the athletes who have dedicated their time and effort to their respective teams. It is the opportunity to send those individuals out on a high note to end their careers in front of the home fans.
The Marist College volleyball team did just that by defeating Fairfield University 3-1 (25-20, 25-16, 15-25, 25-14) in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match from the McCann Center on Saturday afternoon. Senior Lindsey Schmid put on one last show for the Marist fans by recording team highs in kills (12), blocks (7), and aces (7). Marist’s defensive spark came from another senior, as Emily Brosky finished with a team high 15 digs. Fairfield was led by senior Lauren Hughes, who ended with a team high 12 kills.
Example #2:
The Marist women’s soccer team could not have asked for a better conference start. The Red Foxes are currently 8-6 overall but 4-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), winning out this past weekend at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field by beating Rider 2-1 on Friday and defeating the 2009 MAAC Champions, Loyola, 1-0 on Sunday.
The Red Foxes 4-0 MAAC start is their longest streak since 2001.
“We are off to an amazing start,” senior Merrilyn Esteve said. “I feel like in past years there has been a rift or a separation between the starters and other players and it hurt us, but this year everyone is so positive and pulling for each other, which is why we are playing like a team.”
Example #3
Perfection.
That would be the word best to describe the Marist College ultimate frisbee team.
On Sunday the Red Foxes hosted the Frisbee Tournament on the Gartland Field, which included 7 other colleges as well.
The Red Foxes went on to go undefeated throughout the day and defeating Wesleyan in the championship game 13-7. The day started out well for the Red Foxes as they were able to beat Wesleyan and Hampshire both by the same score of 13-7.
“It was definitely a great day for our whole team,” said Matt Wilensky, senior and co-captain of the team. “It was a long day playing so many games, but we just kept on pushing through and played really well all day.”
Example #4
The Marist College Club Hockey team has been a streaky team all season, starting the season on a five game losing streak, followed by a four game winning streak. Now, following its fourth straight defeat, a 7-3 home defeat against Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) Friday night, Marist finds itself in need of another winning streak.
Marist started the game strong, coming back from a 1-0 deficit in the first period to take a 2-1 lead on goals by Mike Chiacchia and Brendan Cuddihy, both assisted by Kyle Lukas. CCSU would score once more in the period, evening the score at 2-2 heading into the second period.
Example #5
Putting others first seems to be the theme in Pat Massaroni's life.
Whether it's waiting on players of the basketball team he managed for four years or risking his life to run into a burning house to help his friends, Massaroni is one that can always be counted on.
Massaroni graduated from Marist College last spring with a degree in Sports Communication and was a manager for his first three years with the men's basketball team, and spent his final year with the women's team. His duties as a manager consisted of basically waiting on others.
During practice he ran the clock while doing the laundry so the players had practice gear for the next day. When other managers were at practice with him he filmed the practice and even at times edited the videos of plays that the coach wanted on film. On game days Massaroni hung up the jerseys neatly for each player in their locker. For the women's team, his duties didn't stop there.
Massaroni was used as a practice player for the women's team and took special pride in bringing energy to the practice. “It was just really fun for me to get out there and help the girls get better,” Massaroni said. “I also took a little pride in getting a steal or block.”
Monday, September 19, 2011
Sept. 20 class outline
In an effort to save paper, here is the blog version of the sheet I usually hand out in class ...
Sports Reporting Class: September 20, 2011
Quote for the Day:
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” – Muhammad Ali
Attendance: Reminder of attendance policy.
Assignments:
Due tonight: Article critique #2
Due next week: Your first live-event coverage article
Coverage schedule: Any updates to coverage schedule?
Discussion topics for tonight:
Folders: How we will keep track of your work …
What is the deal with “verse?” We will discuss …
What makes a good lead? Let’s go to the blog …
--First numbers should be the final score. Don’t confuse me!
--Be creative. Be anecdotal. But get the news in there!
--Don’t write an AP lead. Huh? What does he mean!
AP Style Workshop #1: Proper use of quotations in stories. Let’s go to the blog …
Sports Reporting Class: September 20, 2011
Quote for the Day:
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” – Muhammad Ali
Attendance: Reminder of attendance policy.
Assignments:
Due tonight: Article critique #2
Due next week: Your first live-event coverage article
Coverage schedule: Any updates to coverage schedule?
Discussion topics for tonight:
Folders: How we will keep track of your work …
What is the deal with “verse?” We will discuss …
What makes a good lead? Let’s go to the blog …
--First numbers should be the final score. Don’t confuse me!
--Be creative. Be anecdotal. But get the news in there!
--Don’t write an AP lead. Huh? What does he mean!
AP Style Workshop #1: Proper use of quotations in stories. Let’s go to the blog …
Tuesday topic #2: AP style workshop on quotes in stories
This is the next topic we will cover in class ...
Overview: Back in the time of Grantland Rice, interviews and quotes were non-existent. The sportswriters sat high up in their proverbial ivory towers and wrote what they thought. Often, it was in the form of prose and poetry. Often, the facts did not get in the way of a good story. Ha! Nowadays, however, quotes are the lifeblood of Sports Journalism in all platforms.
In your stories, sourcing and good, quality quotes are a big part of how you will be graded.
The reason for this: As stated early in the class, good reporting makes good stories and good writing. We place a premium on good, solid reporting and sourcing.
We also place a premium on accurately styled quotes. We will go over that here and now.
First off, just because someone said something, it does not mean it needs to be quoted.
A coach that says his team “gave 110 percent” or “played within themselves” does not need to be quoted as such. They are CLICHES and CLICHES should be avoided like the plague (which, by the way, is a CLICHÉ). You will know if you used quotes that are CLICHED because I will point that out to you in your grading sheets.
In fairness to you, many coaches are lunk heads. This is a fact. They are not there to provide reporters with good quotes. In fact, most coaches are suspicious of reporters. As a defense mechanism, they say nothing and their nothingness is in the form of clichés. Your job as a reporter is to wade through the muck, ask good questions and get them to give you quality quotes.
OK. A few rules:
1-A quote must start with a quote mark. Duh. Like this: “Hello,’’ Coach Pete said to the class. “How are you all doing tonight?”
2-All punctuation must reside inside the quote marks. See #1
3-You need to tell us who said the quote after the first sentence of the quote. You cannot have multiple sentences before telling us who said it.
Right: “How are you all doing tonight?” Coach Pete asked. “I hope you have an excellent evening.”
Wrong: “How are you all doing tonight? I hope you have an excellent evening.” Coach Pete said.
4-Attribution. In first reference, you first and last name. In second reference, use only last name.
5-Say who said the quote before you say said. How’s that for a tongue-twister!
6-Except for extraordinary circumstances, always say SAID in your attributions.
“Our women’s team ran really well on Saturday,’’ Marist coach Pete Colaizzo said. “I think we have a great future this season.’’
Later in the story …
“Jane Sheehan ran a great race,’’ Colaizzo said. “She really ran those back hills very tough.’’
OK. Example time. Which quotes are correct styles and which quotes are incorrect styles?
(Side note to anyone stumbling upon this after googling your name or a coach’s name: These quotes are MADE UP and are being used as EXAMPLES for a Sports Reporting Class at Marist College. I apologize for any confusion this may cause)
--“The weather was beautiful down there on Saturday,’’ said head coach Pete Colaizzo. “Our men ran with aplomb.”
--“We had a great time hosting some excellent teams in this tournament. We hope they will come back for the tourney again next year,’’ Marist women’s soccer head coach Kate Lyn exclaimed with glee.
--Said Brian Giorgis, head women’s basketball coach at Marist College, “We are sure gonna miss that Allenspach. She was a gamer.’’
--“Erica (Allenspach) will be missed by our program,’’ associate head coach Megan Gebbia said. “She did everything well on the basketball court. She will be impossible to replace.’’
--“Everything went great with our race,’’ beamed Fox Trot race director Eileen Sylvia, “the band was awesome and the weather was perfect!”
--‘Our football team needs to put two halves of football together so we can win football games. We need to be more consistent on both sides of the ball,’’ head coach Jim Parady said.
--“Our special teams execution was a little spotty,’’ said Jim Parady, now in his 20th year at the helm of the Red Foxes. “We need to tighten things up with our punting game.’’
Overview: Back in the time of Grantland Rice, interviews and quotes were non-existent. The sportswriters sat high up in their proverbial ivory towers and wrote what they thought. Often, it was in the form of prose and poetry. Often, the facts did not get in the way of a good story. Ha! Nowadays, however, quotes are the lifeblood of Sports Journalism in all platforms.
In your stories, sourcing and good, quality quotes are a big part of how you will be graded.
The reason for this: As stated early in the class, good reporting makes good stories and good writing. We place a premium on good, solid reporting and sourcing.
We also place a premium on accurately styled quotes. We will go over that here and now.
First off, just because someone said something, it does not mean it needs to be quoted.
A coach that says his team “gave 110 percent” or “played within themselves” does not need to be quoted as such. They are CLICHES and CLICHES should be avoided like the plague (which, by the way, is a CLICHÉ). You will know if you used quotes that are CLICHED because I will point that out to you in your grading sheets.
In fairness to you, many coaches are lunk heads. This is a fact. They are not there to provide reporters with good quotes. In fact, most coaches are suspicious of reporters. As a defense mechanism, they say nothing and their nothingness is in the form of clichés. Your job as a reporter is to wade through the muck, ask good questions and get them to give you quality quotes.
OK. A few rules:
1-A quote must start with a quote mark. Duh. Like this: “Hello,’’ Coach Pete said to the class. “How are you all doing tonight?”
2-All punctuation must reside inside the quote marks. See #1
3-You need to tell us who said the quote after the first sentence of the quote. You cannot have multiple sentences before telling us who said it.
Right: “How are you all doing tonight?” Coach Pete asked. “I hope you have an excellent evening.”
Wrong: “How are you all doing tonight? I hope you have an excellent evening.” Coach Pete said.
4-Attribution. In first reference, you first and last name. In second reference, use only last name.
5-Say who said the quote before you say said. How’s that for a tongue-twister!
6-Except for extraordinary circumstances, always say SAID in your attributions.
“Our women’s team ran really well on Saturday,’’ Marist coach Pete Colaizzo said. “I think we have a great future this season.’’
Later in the story …
“Jane Sheehan ran a great race,’’ Colaizzo said. “She really ran those back hills very tough.’’
OK. Example time. Which quotes are correct styles and which quotes are incorrect styles?
(Side note to anyone stumbling upon this after googling your name or a coach’s name: These quotes are MADE UP and are being used as EXAMPLES for a Sports Reporting Class at Marist College. I apologize for any confusion this may cause)
--“The weather was beautiful down there on Saturday,’’ said head coach Pete Colaizzo. “Our men ran with aplomb.”
--“We had a great time hosting some excellent teams in this tournament. We hope they will come back for the tourney again next year,’’ Marist women’s soccer head coach Kate Lyn exclaimed with glee.
--Said Brian Giorgis, head women’s basketball coach at Marist College, “We are sure gonna miss that Allenspach. She was a gamer.’’
--“Erica (Allenspach) will be missed by our program,’’ associate head coach Megan Gebbia said. “She did everything well on the basketball court. She will be impossible to replace.’’
--“Everything went great with our race,’’ beamed Fox Trot race director Eileen Sylvia, “the band was awesome and the weather was perfect!”
--‘Our football team needs to put two halves of football together so we can win football games. We need to be more consistent on both sides of the ball,’’ head coach Jim Parady said.
--“Our special teams execution was a little spotty,’’ said Jim Parady, now in his 20th year at the helm of the Red Foxes. “We need to tighten things up with our punting game.’’
Tuesday topic #1: Writing strong leads
Hi everyone,
One of the topics we will be discussing in class is writing strong leads. We will discuss the do's and don'ts of leads in detail. Here are some real-life examples from last year's class. We will discuss each of them in class.
Example#1
Believe it or not, Jamie Balzarini’s job is not to keep the scoreboard operator as bored as possible during games. It’s just something that she does on a regular basis. The scoreboard was the one part of the stadium that didn’t see much action in the Marist College women’s soccer team’s 1-0 victory over Loyola on Sunday.
A single second-half goal was all that Marist (8-6, 4-0 MAAC) needed to knock off the defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions for the first time since 2001. It was also only the second victory over the Greyhounds in program history.
---
Example #2
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.- Steven Morales ran down the field to his teammates after scoring his first goal of his final season at Marist College. His goal came in the 75th minute on an assist from junior Krystian Witkowski. Witkowski passed the ball between three defenders to Morales who finished the job by scoring on Howard goalie, Larry Turner.
Morales and his team (3-3) shut out the Howard Bisons (1-6) on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field after a tough loss to #2 ranked Virginia on Tuesday, September 14.
---
Example #3
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - When told he had just lost his first game as Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School’s varsity football coach, Brian Bellino paused for a split second, and then laughed to himself.
“Had to happen sometime,” Bellino said.
He didn’t seem surprised, but his team did.
The Minisink Valley Warriors (4-2 overall, 1-2 division) defeated the FDR Presidents (5-1 overall, 3-1 division) in Section 9, Class AA, Division II play on Friday, 24-21, in Poughkeepsie.
It was FDR’s first loss the season, a season in which they have already clinched a share of the division title and a spot in the playoffs for the first time in 35 years.
---
Example #4
The Marist College intramural soccer players waited on the sidelines for their games to begin as the seconds ticked down in the varsity match. For the varsity Red Foxes, however, the game ended too early.
The Marist College men’s soccer team fell to the Fordham University Rams 1-0 at Tenney Stadium on Wednesday night when Fordham’s Tim Richardson (Palmerston North, New Zealand) scored on a corner kick with four seconds left in the first period of overtime.
In what would be the final seconds, Fordham’s Marcus Axelsson (Jorlanda, Sweden) caught the rebound of a shot by Julian Nagel (Kiel, Germany) and sent it on to Richardson. “You dream of scoring goals like that,” said Richardson, who was voted the Rams’ MVP last season. “I knew if we kept trying, we were going to create chances inside their 18-yard box. Marist has a great defense and it’s hard to break through, but eventually we managed to get through.”
---
Example #5
It’s no secret in soccer that strong goalie play produces more victories, and Marist women’s senior goalkeeper Jamie Balzarini has provided just that, leading the Red Foxes to a 4-0 record to start Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play.
Balzarini tied both the Marist career shutout record and the single-season shutout record in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over the Loyola Greyhounds (5-8, 1-3 MAAC) at Marist’s Tenney Stadium. It was her 14th career shutout and seventh of the current season, which helped improve Marist’s overall record to 8-6.
One of the topics we will be discussing in class is writing strong leads. We will discuss the do's and don'ts of leads in detail. Here are some real-life examples from last year's class. We will discuss each of them in class.
Example#1
Believe it or not, Jamie Balzarini’s job is not to keep the scoreboard operator as bored as possible during games. It’s just something that she does on a regular basis. The scoreboard was the one part of the stadium that didn’t see much action in the Marist College women’s soccer team’s 1-0 victory over Loyola on Sunday.
A single second-half goal was all that Marist (8-6, 4-0 MAAC) needed to knock off the defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions for the first time since 2001. It was also only the second victory over the Greyhounds in program history.
---
Example #2
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.- Steven Morales ran down the field to his teammates after scoring his first goal of his final season at Marist College. His goal came in the 75th minute on an assist from junior Krystian Witkowski. Witkowski passed the ball between three defenders to Morales who finished the job by scoring on Howard goalie, Larry Turner.
Morales and his team (3-3) shut out the Howard Bisons (1-6) on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field after a tough loss to #2 ranked Virginia on Tuesday, September 14.
---
Example #3
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - When told he had just lost his first game as Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School’s varsity football coach, Brian Bellino paused for a split second, and then laughed to himself.
“Had to happen sometime,” Bellino said.
He didn’t seem surprised, but his team did.
The Minisink Valley Warriors (4-2 overall, 1-2 division) defeated the FDR Presidents (5-1 overall, 3-1 division) in Section 9, Class AA, Division II play on Friday, 24-21, in Poughkeepsie.
It was FDR’s first loss the season, a season in which they have already clinched a share of the division title and a spot in the playoffs for the first time in 35 years.
---
Example #4
The Marist College intramural soccer players waited on the sidelines for their games to begin as the seconds ticked down in the varsity match. For the varsity Red Foxes, however, the game ended too early.
The Marist College men’s soccer team fell to the Fordham University Rams 1-0 at Tenney Stadium on Wednesday night when Fordham’s Tim Richardson (Palmerston North, New Zealand) scored on a corner kick with four seconds left in the first period of overtime.
In what would be the final seconds, Fordham’s Marcus Axelsson (Jorlanda, Sweden) caught the rebound of a shot by Julian Nagel (Kiel, Germany) and sent it on to Richardson. “You dream of scoring goals like that,” said Richardson, who was voted the Rams’ MVP last season. “I knew if we kept trying, we were going to create chances inside their 18-yard box. Marist has a great defense and it’s hard to break through, but eventually we managed to get through.”
---
Example #5
It’s no secret in soccer that strong goalie play produces more victories, and Marist women’s senior goalkeeper Jamie Balzarini has provided just that, leading the Red Foxes to a 4-0 record to start Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play.
Balzarini tied both the Marist career shutout record and the single-season shutout record in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over the Loyola Greyhounds (5-8, 1-3 MAAC) at Marist’s Tenney Stadium. It was her 14th career shutout and seventh of the current season, which helped improve Marist’s overall record to 8-6.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Must read this article
Hello everyone:
Great class last night, I thought we accomplished a lot. Next week's class will be even busier.
When you get a moment, take a few minutes to read this excellent article written by Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
He did a story on an otherwise meaningless end-of-season series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles.
The reporting is phenomenal. Check how many sources he used, and how in-depth and nuanced the quotes are.
Because the reporting was so top-notch, the writing followed suit. It was a beautifully written piece, with excellent transitions. He covered a lot of topics in this story, and really made it worth reading -- despite the fact that the actual games meant nothing.
Also, when reading this piece, please note his usage of AP style throughout. Actually, the New York Times style guide is slightly different than AP, but for our class purposes, it works.
Take special note of the format of his quotes. That is the one thing that Sports Reporting students often struggle with. We will go over it in detail next week. I will try not to make it too boring.
Again, check this out. In fact, if you use this for your article critique this week, that would be great!
Take care, keep checking the blog, and we'll see you next week.
Coach Pete
Great class last night, I thought we accomplished a lot. Next week's class will be even busier.
When you get a moment, take a few minutes to read this excellent article written by Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
He did a story on an otherwise meaningless end-of-season series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles.
The reporting is phenomenal. Check how many sources he used, and how in-depth and nuanced the quotes are.
Because the reporting was so top-notch, the writing followed suit. It was a beautifully written piece, with excellent transitions. He covered a lot of topics in this story, and really made it worth reading -- despite the fact that the actual games meant nothing.
Also, when reading this piece, please note his usage of AP style throughout. Actually, the New York Times style guide is slightly different than AP, but for our class purposes, it works.
Take special note of the format of his quotes. That is the one thing that Sports Reporting students often struggle with. We will go over it in detail next week. I will try not to make it too boring.
Again, check this out. In fact, if you use this for your article critique this week, that would be great!
Take care, keep checking the blog, and we'll see you next week.
Coach Pete
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Assignments for Tuesday's class
Hello again everyone:
Here is what you need to have prepared for class this week (Tuesday, September 13, 2011):
1. Event coverage schedule needs to be handed in. We will discuss your event coverage schedules and detect any potential flaws or problems with them.
2. Mock press conference questions due. You must prepare in written form (typed or handwritten) three (3) questions to ask in class about the following "mock press conference" topic, as discussed last week:
In-class press conference: Marist College just promoted long-time men’s cross country and track coach Pete Colaizzo from a part-time coaching position to the full-time Director of Track/Cross Country position. This press conference is set to announce this promotion. Your job is to prepare at least 3 (or more) pertinent questions to ask Coach Pete in the press conference. Bring in your 3 (or more) questions in printed form and ready to be handed in.
3. Discussion of real-life sports column from four years ago: Read a sports column that was published in December 2007 (posted on blog on Sunday evening, the previous post from this one). While you do not have to hand anything in with this assignment, I will go around the room and as for everyone's feedback.
Note on last week's class: Thank you for your active and energetic participation. It was a class that involved a fair amount of lecturing -- not my favorite -- but it went by quickly and it went by well. Thanks again, and see you Tuesday night.
Here is what you need to have prepared for class this week (Tuesday, September 13, 2011):
1. Event coverage schedule needs to be handed in. We will discuss your event coverage schedules and detect any potential flaws or problems with them.
2. Mock press conference questions due. You must prepare in written form (typed or handwritten) three (3) questions to ask in class about the following "mock press conference" topic, as discussed last week:
In-class press conference: Marist College just promoted long-time men’s cross country and track coach Pete Colaizzo from a part-time coaching position to the full-time Director of Track/Cross Country position. This press conference is set to announce this promotion. Your job is to prepare at least 3 (or more) pertinent questions to ask Coach Pete in the press conference. Bring in your 3 (or more) questions in printed form and ready to be handed in.
3. Discussion of real-life sports column from four years ago: Read a sports column that was published in December 2007 (posted on blog on Sunday evening, the previous post from this one). While you do not have to hand anything in with this assignment, I will go around the room and as for everyone's feedback.
Note on last week's class: Thank you for your active and energetic participation. It was a class that involved a fair amount of lecturing -- not my favorite -- but it went by quickly and it went by well. Thanks again, and see you Tuesday night.
Column critique for class this week
To the class:
Please read this column, which was written right after the MLB Mitchell Report was released. Prepare to discuss this column.
What worked?
What did not work?
How would you have done it differently?
Did you like it?
Was it interesting?
We will discuss this in class ...
Original publication date: December 14, 2007
Depending on which members of the media you listen to, watch or read, the release Thursday of the Mitchell Report was either: 1. An anticlimactic overture, a foregone conclusion on what we already know about the Steroids Era in Major League Baseball, or 2. A monumental and historic day in the sport, one that will signal a sea change in the grand old game.
As with most things, the truth probably falls somewhere in the middle. If you watched or listened to former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell deliver his 25-minute opening presentation Thursday afternoon in New York City, you couldn’t help but be impressed. His presentation was clear, concise and filled with substance.
But my job today is not to dissect the Mitchell report. Far more famous baseball pundits will take care of that. Instead, today we will talk about the earth-shattering news in New York baseball land. That Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte were on “the list” – single-handedly thrown under the bus by former Yankee strength and conditioning coach Brian McNamee -- has to be the big story around here. For a longtime Yankee fan like me, news of Pettitte’s being implicated in the steroids scandal hurts to the core more than any other.
Delve deeper into the list of players implicated in the report after the 20-month investigation, and things get really interesting. There is a definite Pinstripe Tint to it. By my count, a whopping 16 current or former Yankees are on the list. Many of them were free-agent signings, which may make us pause to question some decision-making in the past.
But wait, the plot thickens even more. A lot of these names had a championship ring to them, so I went and did some research. What I found likely will cause Mets’ fans out there to simmer to a slow burn.
The year was 2000. The Subway Series. Certainly you remember it. It was, in fact, the last Yankee championship – 4 games to 1, in a series that was closer than that. Check out the team rosters for the 2000 postseason. I did. Here’s what I found:
On the Yankees, no fewer than eight (8!) “list” members adorned the roster. They were: Pettitte, Clemens, Mike Stanton, Chuck Knoblauch, Denny Neagle, Jason Grimsley, David Justice, Jose Canseco. The lone Mets “list” members? Backup catcher Todd Pratt and pinch hitter Matt Franco. How vital were these players? Oh, let us count the ways …
--The American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player was Justice. Winning pitchers in the series were Pettitte and Clemens. Stanton was the key lefty set-up man out of the bullpen.
--In the World Series, our man Stanton was 2-0 out of the ‘pen. In four games, he pitched 4.1 scoreless innings, struck out seven and walked no batters. Oh yeah: Stanton was also the winning pitcher in the decisive fifth game of the American League Division Series against Oakland. In the ensuing years since Stanton and Jeff Nelson stopped being that “bridge” to closer Mariano Rivera we always hear about, the Yankees have won exactly zero titles.
--The Yankees won four games in that World Series (obviously). Want to guess who were the starting pitchers in each of those four wins? Pettitte, Clemens, Neagle, Pettitte. Clemens was the only one to get a win, in Game 2 – remember the enraged Rocket hurling Mike Piazza’s sawed-off bat at the Met catcher? In retrospect, it makes you pause and wonder about Clemens’ mental state a bit more now, doesn’t it?
--The team’s starting second baseman, leadoff hitter and catalyst? Knoblauch. Starting left fielder? Justice, who had a key two-run double in Game 2. Middle reliever Grimsley and pinch hitter Canseco – the poster boy for steroids -- were bit players on the team, but they were issued rings just the same.
--And on the other side of the ledger for the Mets in the World Series, Pratt had two strikeouts and a walk in three plate appearances and Matt Franco struck out in his only plate appearance.
If you are a Mets fan and you’re still bitter about that 2000 World Series defeat, this certainly adds fuel to the fire. The Boston Red Sox once dubbed the Yankees the “Evil Empire.” After today, it seems more like the “Needle Empire.”
Some of the other Yankee names on the list are players the team actively sought through free agency or trades: Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Rondell White, Kevin Brown, Ron Villone, Glenallen Hill. Randy Velarde was more of a homegrown Yankee product, having played the first nine years of his career in pinstripes. Like Pettitte, his name being on the list stings a bit more because of that.
Now, being on this list does not prove these players were steroid users or abusers, but the implication is certainly there. Clemens’ lawyer, Rusty Hardin, called McNamee a “troubled man” in a statement released Thursday. We may come to find that McNamee called out Clemens and Pettitte as a way to save his own hide. We can only hope that’s the case.
In the meantime, I am left with this startling conclusion about my team: A lot of Yankee players in the past decade may have been using steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. It’s hard to believe the men in charge – Joe Torre, Brian Cashman, George Steinbrenner – were totally in the dark on that.
And as a diehard Yankee fan, that alone is one tough pill to swallow.
Please read this column, which was written right after the MLB Mitchell Report was released. Prepare to discuss this column.
What worked?
What did not work?
How would you have done it differently?
Did you like it?
Was it interesting?
We will discuss this in class ...
Original publication date: December 14, 2007
Depending on which members of the media you listen to, watch or read, the release Thursday of the Mitchell Report was either: 1. An anticlimactic overture, a foregone conclusion on what we already know about the Steroids Era in Major League Baseball, or 2. A monumental and historic day in the sport, one that will signal a sea change in the grand old game.
As with most things, the truth probably falls somewhere in the middle. If you watched or listened to former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell deliver his 25-minute opening presentation Thursday afternoon in New York City, you couldn’t help but be impressed. His presentation was clear, concise and filled with substance.
But my job today is not to dissect the Mitchell report. Far more famous baseball pundits will take care of that. Instead, today we will talk about the earth-shattering news in New York baseball land. That Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte were on “the list” – single-handedly thrown under the bus by former Yankee strength and conditioning coach Brian McNamee -- has to be the big story around here. For a longtime Yankee fan like me, news of Pettitte’s being implicated in the steroids scandal hurts to the core more than any other.
Delve deeper into the list of players implicated in the report after the 20-month investigation, and things get really interesting. There is a definite Pinstripe Tint to it. By my count, a whopping 16 current or former Yankees are on the list. Many of them were free-agent signings, which may make us pause to question some decision-making in the past.
But wait, the plot thickens even more. A lot of these names had a championship ring to them, so I went and did some research. What I found likely will cause Mets’ fans out there to simmer to a slow burn.
The year was 2000. The Subway Series. Certainly you remember it. It was, in fact, the last Yankee championship – 4 games to 1, in a series that was closer than that. Check out the team rosters for the 2000 postseason. I did. Here’s what I found:
On the Yankees, no fewer than eight (8!) “list” members adorned the roster. They were: Pettitte, Clemens, Mike Stanton, Chuck Knoblauch, Denny Neagle, Jason Grimsley, David Justice, Jose Canseco. The lone Mets “list” members? Backup catcher Todd Pratt and pinch hitter Matt Franco. How vital were these players? Oh, let us count the ways …
--The American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player was Justice. Winning pitchers in the series were Pettitte and Clemens. Stanton was the key lefty set-up man out of the bullpen.
--In the World Series, our man Stanton was 2-0 out of the ‘pen. In four games, he pitched 4.1 scoreless innings, struck out seven and walked no batters. Oh yeah: Stanton was also the winning pitcher in the decisive fifth game of the American League Division Series against Oakland. In the ensuing years since Stanton and Jeff Nelson stopped being that “bridge” to closer Mariano Rivera we always hear about, the Yankees have won exactly zero titles.
--The Yankees won four games in that World Series (obviously). Want to guess who were the starting pitchers in each of those four wins? Pettitte, Clemens, Neagle, Pettitte. Clemens was the only one to get a win, in Game 2 – remember the enraged Rocket hurling Mike Piazza’s sawed-off bat at the Met catcher? In retrospect, it makes you pause and wonder about Clemens’ mental state a bit more now, doesn’t it?
--The team’s starting second baseman, leadoff hitter and catalyst? Knoblauch. Starting left fielder? Justice, who had a key two-run double in Game 2. Middle reliever Grimsley and pinch hitter Canseco – the poster boy for steroids -- were bit players on the team, but they were issued rings just the same.
--And on the other side of the ledger for the Mets in the World Series, Pratt had two strikeouts and a walk in three plate appearances and Matt Franco struck out in his only plate appearance.
If you are a Mets fan and you’re still bitter about that 2000 World Series defeat, this certainly adds fuel to the fire. The Boston Red Sox once dubbed the Yankees the “Evil Empire.” After today, it seems more like the “Needle Empire.”
Some of the other Yankee names on the list are players the team actively sought through free agency or trades: Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Rondell White, Kevin Brown, Ron Villone, Glenallen Hill. Randy Velarde was more of a homegrown Yankee product, having played the first nine years of his career in pinstripes. Like Pettitte, his name being on the list stings a bit more because of that.
Now, being on this list does not prove these players were steroid users or abusers, but the implication is certainly there. Clemens’ lawyer, Rusty Hardin, called McNamee a “troubled man” in a statement released Thursday. We may come to find that McNamee called out Clemens and Pettitte as a way to save his own hide. We can only hope that’s the case.
In the meantime, I am left with this startling conclusion about my team: A lot of Yankee players in the past decade may have been using steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. It’s hard to believe the men in charge – Joe Torre, Brian Cashman, George Steinbrenner – were totally in the dark on that.
And as a diehard Yankee fan, that alone is one tough pill to swallow.
Monday, September 5, 2011
The art of the interview
Hello again everybody:
You will get this information below in handout form, but I was hoping you would review it before class so that it will not be just a boring lecture by me. Please read this and give me any thoughts you have on this topic.
INTERVIEWING SKILLS ARE CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS IN THIS CLASS
Topic for tonight’s class: The art of the interview. How can a young and aspiring sports reporter prepare himself/herself to do a great job of interviewing athletes, coaches, etc?
Overview: Before we discuss the HOW, first we must discuss the WHY.
--Excellent preparation = great interviews
--Lazy or shoddy preparation = weak interviews
--Interviews, and the quotes you get from the interviews, are CRUCIAL ELEMENTS to --Sports Reporting and the stories you will write for this class or for any publication
--Excellent reporting = great stories
--Lazy or shoddy = begets weak stories
--THIS COUNTS FOR COLUMNS, TOO
--To excel as a sportswriter, first you must be a great reporter
--To excel as a writer, first you must be a great reporter
Tips to becoming a skilled, proficient reporter and interviewer
Be “there,” wherever “there” is: David Marrannis and the Green Bay story (I will relate this story to you in class).
Don’t be lazy. Grab a notebook and a recorder and GO THERE. Don’t do the phone unless you HAVE TO.
Have eyes in the back of your head: Notice, notice, notice … little details that someone else is not noticing. Watch the game, but look for other subtle details surrounding the game. Check the coach on the sideline. But also check the coach’s wife freaking out in the stands.
Real life example: Let’s say you are covering the road race on campus this weekend. You are interviewing a runner. You notice that runner is wearing Vibram 5 Fingers shoes. Bingo! There’s a unique angle for you …
Think outside the box: ESPN columnist and author Ian O’Connor making the less-than-obvious phone call on an obvious story. If he can do it, so can you. It is what separates him from the pack. You just have to THINK HARD and then DO IT.
When you cover an event or a game, be an active viewer and not a passive viewer: How can you do this? By taking notes on what you see. By taking statistics. By listening with bionic ears.
Details, details, details: Watch and look for them, in obvious and less-than-obvious places.
How important are statistics?: What do YOU think? They do not need to crowd your story, but statistics and numbers can be excellent tools when going to your sources to ask questions.
As you cover an event or a game, think in advance what question or questions you will ask your sources: DO NOT ASK OBVIOUS QUESTIONS. UNLESS YOU WANT OBVIOUS ANSWERS.
Asking the difficult questions: The importance of having the courage to do this? But what if you are too close to your subject? What if it is your BEAT?
No cheering in the press box: Can you root for the team you are covering? What does that do to your ability to effectively cover that event, do your interviews and write your stories?
Pet peeve questions: “Tell me about …” “How did it feel when …” “Were you happy/upset about your team’s performance?”
Think outside the box, part 2: Be original with secondary sources. Make your story stand out. Interview the pitching coach, the bullpen catcher, the clubhouse attendant …
The types of interviews and settings:
1-The one-on-one interview: Perhaps the most intimidating but ultimately most effective
2-The post-game interview, one-on-one (best, if you can do it)
3-The post-game interview, press conference setting
4-The post-game interview, microphones in the face setting (piggy back on the pet peeve!)
5-The telephone interview: Only if you have to
6-The e-mail interview: Major advantages and disadvantages
Based on this discussion and your experience, give some tips on how to prepare for interviews ...
You will get this information below in handout form, but I was hoping you would review it before class so that it will not be just a boring lecture by me. Please read this and give me any thoughts you have on this topic.
INTERVIEWING SKILLS ARE CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS IN THIS CLASS
Topic for tonight’s class: The art of the interview. How can a young and aspiring sports reporter prepare himself/herself to do a great job of interviewing athletes, coaches, etc?
Overview: Before we discuss the HOW, first we must discuss the WHY.
--Excellent preparation = great interviews
--Lazy or shoddy preparation = weak interviews
--Interviews, and the quotes you get from the interviews, are CRUCIAL ELEMENTS to --Sports Reporting and the stories you will write for this class or for any publication
--Excellent reporting = great stories
--Lazy or shoddy = begets weak stories
--THIS COUNTS FOR COLUMNS, TOO
--To excel as a sportswriter, first you must be a great reporter
--To excel as a writer, first you must be a great reporter
Tips to becoming a skilled, proficient reporter and interviewer
Be “there,” wherever “there” is: David Marrannis and the Green Bay story (I will relate this story to you in class).
Don’t be lazy. Grab a notebook and a recorder and GO THERE. Don’t do the phone unless you HAVE TO.
Have eyes in the back of your head: Notice, notice, notice … little details that someone else is not noticing. Watch the game, but look for other subtle details surrounding the game. Check the coach on the sideline. But also check the coach’s wife freaking out in the stands.
Real life example: Let’s say you are covering the road race on campus this weekend. You are interviewing a runner. You notice that runner is wearing Vibram 5 Fingers shoes. Bingo! There’s a unique angle for you …
Think outside the box: ESPN columnist and author Ian O’Connor making the less-than-obvious phone call on an obvious story. If he can do it, so can you. It is what separates him from the pack. You just have to THINK HARD and then DO IT.
When you cover an event or a game, be an active viewer and not a passive viewer: How can you do this? By taking notes on what you see. By taking statistics. By listening with bionic ears.
Details, details, details: Watch and look for them, in obvious and less-than-obvious places.
How important are statistics?: What do YOU think? They do not need to crowd your story, but statistics and numbers can be excellent tools when going to your sources to ask questions.
As you cover an event or a game, think in advance what question or questions you will ask your sources: DO NOT ASK OBVIOUS QUESTIONS. UNLESS YOU WANT OBVIOUS ANSWERS.
Asking the difficult questions: The importance of having the courage to do this? But what if you are too close to your subject? What if it is your BEAT?
No cheering in the press box: Can you root for the team you are covering? What does that do to your ability to effectively cover that event, do your interviews and write your stories?
Pet peeve questions: “Tell me about …” “How did it feel when …” “Were you happy/upset about your team’s performance?”
Think outside the box, part 2: Be original with secondary sources. Make your story stand out. Interview the pitching coach, the bullpen catcher, the clubhouse attendant …
The types of interviews and settings:
1-The one-on-one interview: Perhaps the most intimidating but ultimately most effective
2-The post-game interview, one-on-one (best, if you can do it)
3-The post-game interview, press conference setting
4-The post-game interview, microphones in the face setting (piggy back on the pet peeve!)
5-The telephone interview: Only if you have to
6-The e-mail interview: Major advantages and disadvantages
Based on this discussion and your experience, give some tips on how to prepare for interviews ...
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Example of article critique
Here is an example of what I'm looking for in your article critiques ...
Title of the article: Where Do You Find Value? Discussing the M.V.P. Criteria
Link to the article: Click here ...
Why I chose the article: Tyler Kepner's baseball writing and reporting are unparalleled. He makes for compelling subjects and great reads. His article on the length of baseball games last week was widely quoted on sports talk radio and even linked to from rival columnists in the New York Metro Area.
Pros:
1. Great subject matter
2. Excellent reporting
3. Fantastic background information
Cons:
1. Maybe he could have interviewed a potential MVP voter
Overall: Great stuff!
Title of the article: Where Do You Find Value? Discussing the M.V.P. Criteria
Link to the article: Click here ...
Why I chose the article: Tyler Kepner's baseball writing and reporting are unparalleled. He makes for compelling subjects and great reads. His article on the length of baseball games last week was widely quoted on sports talk radio and even linked to from rival columnists in the New York Metro Area.
Pros:
1. Great subject matter
2. Excellent reporting
3. Fantastic background information
Cons:
1. Maybe he could have interviewed a potential MVP voter
Overall: Great stuff!
Emailed note to class ...
Hello Class:
I hope this note finds you well and that your fall 2011 semester has started out in a positive fashion. It was great meeting you all last week, and I hope you are looking forward to this class. I know that I am looking forward to it, very much. This seems like a great group and I think we will have fun and we will learn a lot along the way. Just wanted to update you on some things regarding class, with a few reminders:
1. Remember that your first article critique is due. Please be sure to hand it in at the beginning of class.
2. We will spend the first part of class talking about your critiques. Make sure to include the article link. I plan on putting the article up on the overhead, and having each student talk about what they liked and did not like about it. This will get us discussing good writing and bad writing.
3. Please be prepared to update me on your event coverage schedule. We will discuss any potential problems and solutions in class.
4. We will spend the second part of the class discussing interviewing and interview techniques. I believe this is going to be an important element in getting you started in your reporting adventures.
5. I will be posting the contents of this email on my Class Blog. Please check back at some point on Monday or Monday night for some discussion points on interviewing. While this will start out as a "boring Coach Pete lecture" I will be asking for and expecting class input. Remember: I don't like to talk for 2.5 hours. We want you to take an active part in the discussions.
Lastly, please check your email and the blog frequently as I will be communicating with you all in that manner.
Take care and see you soon,
Coach Pete
I hope this note finds you well and that your fall 2011 semester has started out in a positive fashion. It was great meeting you all last week, and I hope you are looking forward to this class. I know that I am looking forward to it, very much. This seems like a great group and I think we will have fun and we will learn a lot along the way. Just wanted to update you on some things regarding class, with a few reminders:
1. Remember that your first article critique is due. Please be sure to hand it in at the beginning of class.
2. We will spend the first part of class talking about your critiques. Make sure to include the article link. I plan on putting the article up on the overhead, and having each student talk about what they liked and did not like about it. This will get us discussing good writing and bad writing.
3. Please be prepared to update me on your event coverage schedule. We will discuss any potential problems and solutions in class.
4. We will spend the second part of the class discussing interviewing and interview techniques. I believe this is going to be an important element in getting you started in your reporting adventures.
5. I will be posting the contents of this email on my Class Blog. Please check back at some point on Monday or Monday night for some discussion points on interviewing. While this will start out as a "boring Coach Pete lecture" I will be asking for and expecting class input. Remember: I don't like to talk for 2.5 hours. We want you to take an active part in the discussions.
Lastly, please check your email and the blog frequently as I will be communicating with you all in that manner.
Take care and see you soon,
Coach Pete
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