The Essentials of Sports Reporting and Writing In The Essentials of Sports Reporting and Writing, authors Scott Reinardy and Wayne Wanta employ their own professional experience as sports writers and editors to give students a useful and practical view of the sports- writing profession. The text is divided into readily digestible sections, cover- ing essential topics such as types of stories; background and preparation; interviewing; the beginning stages of writing; and conclusion writing. Through real-life examples, readers learn the ins and outs of writing columns, advances and follows, sidebars, profiles, and features, as well as the stylistic and ethical considerations that go into writing sports content. New to the second edition are: (cid:120) “professional perspectives,” where working sports journalists give their insiders’ look at the work they do; (cid:120) a chapter on the intricacies of international event reporting; (cid:120) a chapter providing an honest view of what life as a sports journalist entails. A companion website also accompanies the text. It includes supplemental materials for students and pedagogical support for instructors, including slide presentations, quizzes, and sample assignments. Intended for journalism students planning a career in sports reporting, this text offers key insights on the practical and personal aspects of the work. Scott Reinardy is a professor and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies at the University of Kansas. Since 2005, he has received eight top research paper awards from national and international journalism and mass com- munications organizations. Wayne Wanta is a professor at the Department of Journalism at the University of Florida. He is internationally known for his research in political communication and media effects, with more than 150 refereed publications and convention papers. (cid:84)(cid:104)(cid:105)(cid:115)(cid:32)(cid:112)(cid:97)(cid:103)(cid:101)(cid:32)(cid:105)(cid:110)(cid:116)(cid:101)(cid:110)(cid:116)(cid:105)(cid:111)(cid:110)(cid:97)(cid:108)(cid:108)(cid:121)(cid:32)(cid:108)(cid:101)(cid:102)(cid:116)(cid:32)(cid:98)(cid:97)(cid:110)(cid:107) The Essentials of Sports Reporting and Writing Second Edition Scott Reinardy and Wayne Wanta Second edition published by Routledge 2015 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 and by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2015 Taylor & Francis The right of Scott Reinardy and Wayne Wanta to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. First edition published by Routledge, 2008 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Reinardy, Scott. The essentials of sports reporting and writing/Scott Reinardy and Wayne Wanta. — Second edition. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Sports journalism. 2. Sports journalism—Authorship. I. Wanta, Wayne. II. Title. PN4784.S6R45 2015 070.4(cid:99)49796—dc23 2014036225 ISBN: [978-0-415-73781-4] (hbk) ISBN: [978-0-415-73780-7] (pbk) ISBN: [978-1-315-76939-4] (ebk) Typeset in Sabon by Swales & Willis Ltd, Exeter, Devon, UK Contents Preface vii 1 Introduction: The Field of Sports Journalism 1 2 Preparation: Tools for Successful Sports Reporting and Writing 10 3 Sports Writing: The Basics 25 4 Beginnings I: Leads 49 5 Beginnings II: Advanced Lead Writing 68 6 Beginnings III: Overused Leads 81 7 Middles I: Story Structures 92 8 Middles II: Effective Interviewing 113 9 Middles III: Use of Quotes 127 10 Middles IV: Play-By-Play 136 11 Story Endings 155 12 Other Types of Stories I: Sidebars 171 13 Other Types of Stories II: Previews and Follows 182 14 Other Types of Stories III: Sports Columns 191 vi Contents 15 Other Types of Stories IV: Features and Profiles 210 16 Other Types of Stories V: Sports News and Enterprise 222 17 Final Points I: Stylistic Errors to Avoid 239 18 Final Points II: Sports Journalism Ethics 261 19 International Sports Reporting 279 20 The Life 285 Glossary 299 Bibliography 404 Index 407 Preface Sports are a microcosm of life, and the sports section is the official histori- cal record of the daily occurrences. The other sections of the paper are parsed out to specifically identify hero from villain, wealthy from poor, living from dead. The sports section includes all that and more. It offers an escape from the mundane 40-plus-hour workweek. It allows us to live vicariously through our favorite teams or players. Sports scratch at our ancestral being of association and achievement. When our teams win, we win. There is no greater reward for the investment. But escapism is not the only allure of sports. Athletic contests provide a level playing field for all. Retribution for a foul act is swift and (usually) fair. Where else can you receive just a two-minute penalty for assaulting another person with a hockey stick? The playing surface has well-defined boundaries, and the rules are clear and concise. On the field, court, pitch, or rink, social status is measured in ability, not money, property owner- ship, or lineage. And the sports journalist has a front-row seat. Sports journalism is rapidly changing. Traditional newspaper sports writers face a new host of issues: producing more content for online; reduced access to players and coaches; athletes breaking their own news on social media; competition not only from TV and radio but sports teams, local bloggers and other online media; and continuous online engagement with fans. Sports journalists need to recognize different audiences (news- paper, online, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and how to capture and maintain the attention of each audience. Decisions about whether to partake in local radio and television sports shows, and dealing with reduced staffing and budgets, also need to be considered. Additionally, the readers have changed. They have become more proactive. Readers are participants: writing blogs, posting videos, and pontificating on sports talk shows. Athletes have changed as well. They are surrounded by “posses” or “people” who protect their interests. Coaches, athletes, and teams are insulated by layers of public relations personnel and handlers, many of whom believe sports writers should be cheerleaders for the athletes and viii Preface teams. And then there are the relentless fans whose insatiable appetite for information is never fulfilled. The best way to learn sports writing is to do sports writing. But before you jump into your new career, we would like to offer a few tips. The second edition of The Essentials of Sports Reporting and Writing is a nuts-and-bolts handbook for those starting out in sports journalism. As with all journalism books, what is presented here is not gospel, but merely our perspectives drawn from years of experience as sports journalists and as journalism professors. We believe Essentials offers a different perspec- tive than other sports-writing books, one that is current and entertaining. In the second edition, chapters have been updated with fresh exam- ples and additional “professional perspectives,” where working sports journalists give their insiders’ guide to the work they do. Perspectives in this edition were provided by ESPN.com’s Wright Thompson, New York Yankees beat writer Chad Jennings, Denver Post columnist Benjamin Hochman, Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, FOXSportsWisconsin.com’s Jesse Temple, Las Vegas Sun’s Taylor Bern, and Seattle Times Jayson Jenks, among others. Essentials is divided into several easily digestible bites. Chapters 1 and 2 provide background and preparation advice in writing good sports stories. Chapter 3 discusses stories types complete with exam- ples; Chapters 4–6 discuss the beginnings of writing the story, including different types of lead writing. Chapters 7–10 examine the middle of stories, which focus on story structure, interviewing, using quotes, and handling play-by-play in game stories. Chapter 11 explains the art of writing effective story conclusions. Chapters 12 through 16 provide guidelines in writing specific types of stories: sidebars, advances and follows, columns, features and profiles, and sports news. Chapters 17 and 18 address some final points, including stylistic issues and sports journalism ethics. In this edition, two chapters have been added. Chapter 19 explains the intricacies of covering international events. Chapter 20, titled “The Life,” provides an honest view of what life as a sports journalist will entail. It includes tips ranging from negotiating your first job offer to managing the workload and family life. We cannot guarantee you’ll become a great sports writer by reading The Essentials of Sports Reporting and Writing, but we can guarantee you won’t get any worse. Chapter 1 Introduction The Field of Sports Journalism Sports journalism is more pervasive today than ever. We now have sev- eral sports cable networks, 24-hour sports talk radio stations and, of course, the Internet, where Googling Green Bay Packers will produce 71 million hits in 0.33 seconds. Not only is sports reporting permeating society, sports figures are the sub- ject of news stories in an unprecedented manner. Ray Rice’s suspension for domestic violence, for instance, warrants front-page coverage in newspapers. The Super Bowl used to be that once-a-year sporting event everyone watched but now several events have become societal spectacles to specific audiences. Monday Night Football was quaint, but now it’s “All my rowdy friends are coming over tonight.” It’s entertainment as much as sports. Sports is news. News is sports. Differences Between Sports and News While sports stories have many similarities to news stories, there are many differences as well. Some differences include: (cid:120) Leads. News stories tend to be straightforward and factual. Sports stories tend to be more creative and unusual. (cid:120) The five Ws: News stories try to answer the basic questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how. Sports stories concentrate on why and how.