The crosses shown above are part of a cemetery planted by the Schouests, sport fishermen who could lose their livelihood in Louisiana. The 101 crosses, planted in their front yard, bear the names of the family's favorite things about Grand Isle.
When the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo was canceled, few people outside the Louisiana bayous cared.
Aside from anglers and locals, few people had even heard about it.
But everybody knows about the disaster that started it – the explosion at BP’s oil rig that has allowed 25,000-60,000 barrels of crude to flow into the Gulf of Mexico each day. This oil currently covers about 2,500 square miles, causing birds to suffocate, dolphins to flop dead onto beaches, and unknown numbers of fish to die. The spill is also destroying the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people. ESPN’s Wright Thompson focuses on someone who has been hit hard by this disaster – Lance “Coon” Schouest, a man considered the greatest living tarpon fisherman – for a story on ESPN.com (and that is also featured on the network’s news program, “Outside the Lines.”)
Continue reading ESPN’s ‘Paradise Lost’ is instructive, engaging →
Jason Fry
Jason Fry says writers who offer the best perspectives are the ones that are the most relevant in today’s multimedia world. Fry, writing for Indiana University’s sports journalism blog, writes that fans usually follow a process similar to this.
- Watch game.
- Get basic details online
- Read recap from local media
- Watch highlights on TV at ESPN, MLB Network or local media.
Continue reading Fans want more perspective →
Rick Hummel
A few nuggets from Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel, a beat reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who spoke at today’s MPI sports conference here in St. Louis.
What motivates Hummel to keep writing about baseball after so many years:
“Every day you look at what you’ve done and say, ‘How can you do better?’ Baseball is so enjoyable. I can’t think of any two games that are remotely the same. Every day you’ll see something out there [on the field] that you never saw before. Maybe someone will hit five home runs. I’ve covered four or five no-hitters. That makes it interesting. I’m not sure I’d have the same verve for it if I covered another sport. I don’t find baseball monotonous at all.”
On relationships with players:
“You can be friends with players, but you shouldnt’ be out with them socially until they retire.”
Hummel also suggested that reporters talk with bench player more frequently so they’ll know you – and more importantly, speak with you – if they do something noteworthy.
Do computer-generated stories hurt or help sports coverage?
You know you’re being controversial when someone in the audience accuses you of aligning with Skynet, the robotic force that nearly destroys the world in the movie “Terminator.”
But that was the case in St. Louis this morning here at the Mid-American Press Institute sports conference.
Challenging assumptions is never easy. Erik Smelser, who essentially directs online prep coverage for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Suburban Journals, knows that better than most. Smelser is an employee of Lee Enterprise’s company, The St. Louis Sports Agency, that oversees STLhighschoolsports.com. Lee also owns both the Post-Dispatch and the Suburban Journals. As director, Smelser is breaking with many traditional journalism practices. For example, he tells reporters that nothing’s more important than generating audience. He tells reporters that they will be evaluated each week based upon page views, byline counts, and multimedia posts. Smelser also relies heavily on a computer program that generates game stories based upon information submitted by coaches or stringers. That’s the statement that prompted a sports writer to blurt out: “Have you ever seen the Terminator?”
Continue reading Controversial approach to sports journalism? →
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has developed a phone application to promote news, results and analysis about the Cardinals.
Sometimes, I assume everybody’s on board when it comes to the Internet. I assume that most newspapers and college journalism programs realize how to use multimedia. And we all know what happens when one assumes.
Spoke with some college students here at the Mid-America Press Institute sports conference in St. Louis who shook their heads when asked about their college publication – a weekly in print.
The conversation:
Me: “So do you print updated news each day.”
College journalist: “No, we just put everything online the day the print edition comes out.”
Me: “But do you post stories on sports, like football, online the night they are played.”
Continue reading Publish your game stories online – always →
Sure, cheer can be glitzy but so is 'Dancing with the Stars.'
You can bet the pending federal case involving Quinnipiac University is going to shake up college athletics. A federal judge heard final arguments Friday in a case that may determine whether cheerleading is a sport.
The Quinnipiac volleyball team has been pressing this case since the university eliminated its team in order to add a competitive cheer squad.
Many people are hoping the judge rules against cheer for many reasons. Some argue that cheer participants do not compete directly against one another, moving and flowing more like ballroom dancers. Or they claim cheer has few sports skills besides tumbling and that the scoring system is vague.
Sports must have clear rules and standards for competition, ones that most fans can easily understand as they watch. For example, a serve that does not go over a net yields the next serve and a point to the other team in volleyball. A player who proceeds around all four bases earns a run for a baseball or softball team, and a football squad that advances the ball 10 yards earns a first down. The rules for competitive cheer are far less precise. For example, crowd participation is used in scoring. So is showmanship, a scoring category defined by facials, voice and energy.
Continue reading Cheerleading, as sport, could impede Title IX →
Students who participate in high school sports do better academically than the general student population. Student-athletes attend school more frequently and are more likely to become leaders after they graduate, according to a study published by the California Interscholastic Federation. Sports programs, the survey further states, cost only about 1 to 3 percent of a school’s overall budget. Why the report? Because the depressed economy has forced many school boards to greatly reduce athletic spending. Here in Illinois, we have as dire an economic forecast as California. Continue reading HS athletes more likely to succeed outside the lines →
Rural schools in Florida will soon compete in their own sports division. Florida High School Athletic Association’s board voted unanimously this week to create a division for schools that reside in areas designated rural by the state’s office of tourism and that also have fewer than 500 students. Continue reading Rural schools in Fla. will get own division →
The letters stand for 'Big Fucking Deal' and '38' for Lance's age. Not sure how this enhances the cover.
Sad to see that Outside magazine digitally altered the TV shirt worn by Lance Armstrong on this issue’s cover. As journalists, we should present information exactly as it appears. We should never modify content, regardless if that’s words or images. Journalists can develop graphic illustrations and describe fictional scenarios only when they are clearly defined as such – and only when they serve a news purpose.
Not sure how ‘BFD 38′ enhances the cover image. But I am certain that Armstrong did not wear that shirt.
In many ways, this is far worse than the Chicago Tribune’s cover illustration of Chris Pronger, whose image was clearly altered. That cover was certainly juvenile, but at least the Tribune’s editors did not lie to their readers.
How best to turn yourself from sports fan to professional sports journalist? Quickly moving beyond general guidance about sports writing, Joe Gisondi focuses on the nitty-gritty, with hands-on, practical advice on covering 20 specific sports. From auto racing to wrestling, you’ll find tips on the seemingly straightforward—where to stand on the sideline and how to identify a key player—along with the more specialized—figuring out shot selection in lacrosse and understanding a coxswain’s call for a harder stroke in rowing. Preparing you for just about any game, match, meet, race, regatta or tournament you’re likely to cover, Field Guide to Covering Sports is the ideal go-to resource to have on hand as you master the beat. You can 
Utah governor doesn’t understand sports economics
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert says taxpayers finally are getting a big return on their investment now that the Utes have joined the Pac-12.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert
“We the taxpayers have invested a lot of money into this institution,” said Gov. Herbert. “This shows we’re getting a significant return.
“It’s a red-letter day,” he added.
Really? The state spends far more on football than the extra $8 million a year the school will earn from its new TV contract. Taxpayers pay for facilities, coaching salaries, scholarship fees, equipment, travel, etc. Continue reading Utah governor doesn’t understand sports economics →