Whats new in the sports world?

If you follow any kid of sports today, then you'll know what I'm talking about when I ask "Why is Mark Sanchez still the JETS quarterback?'' Well finally Rex Ryan (JETS coach) has decided to change things around and put in back up Greg McElroy for this weekends game against the San Diego Chargers. The JETS no longer have a chance to make the playoffs so it makes sense for the switch. But why did it take so long for the change to finally occur? Why did Tim Tebow never get a chance? Since they cant make the playoffs now, a lot of these questions will probably be asked.

However in a news conference when Rex announced that the change will be 100%, he quoted that "In dealing with it, I told Mark, 'I think we need to make a change,' and he respected my decision. That's not easy, that's for sure". Rex Ryan also refused to cite his reason for bypassing Tebow who has starting experience and playoff experience. He even won a playoff game last year against the always difficult Pittsburgh Steelers. You would think it would be an easy decsion on Ryan's part with the way the JETS last game ended. Sanchez played horribly in the last game against the Titans, throwing four interceptions. In fact, the Jets' last three possessions ended with a Sanchez turnover inside the Tennessee 26-yard line two interceptions and a fumbled snap in the shotgun. He leads the league with 24 turnovers an NFL-high 50 over the past two seasons.

So what happens if the JETS win there next 2 games with a rookie quarterback? Does that mean Sanchez will be out? Will Tebow really want a trade? What if happens if they continue to lose though? Will Ryan be out and someone new in? There are so many questions that need to be answered but will they ever be answered?


 http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/8759414/mark-sanchez-new-york-jets-benched-greg-mcelroy-start

The Path to a Well Founded Sports Article

1) Know the Context- know players and coaches names, know the standings, know some stats about the teams and individual players. Also be up to date with some of the rules about the sport your writing about, some history about the teams and if so their rivalry, the league standings, and some calls or mistakes that were made during the game.

2) Give the major play by play- even though there are hundreds of plays and moments that happen during any sports games, you wont be able to report about all of them. So as a reporter your job is to report about the beginning, middle, and end. However you shouldn't forget about the major events that happened in the game. Like turning points, big plays, big mistakes,and momentum-builders. Keep the readers interested and get them to believe that they were there.

3)  Use quotes in your article from either coaches or some of the players that you think will be able to give you good, valuable information. Make sure to ask good questions and collect the good info they give you.

4) Dont forget to check your facts either. Make sure to have many of the players that were involved in the game so that the article isnt focued just on one person. Always double check your stuff and have someone read it over for you.

5) Have a strong lead (opening statement)- You want to start your sports article out with a strong lead, one that encapsulates the available information on "who, what, where, when, why and how." Get the readers attention. Make them want to read your article so they dont just skim through it.

6) Write clearly and concisely- You know that some sports articles can be what you might call "literary non-fiction:"  lengthy, poetic, filled with metaphor and digressions into back story. If your particular assignment requires that kind of writing, go for it. But if you read the daily sports section of your city paper, you will also notice that most of the articles reporting on the sporting events of the past day are concisely written. Use language that people will understand and not be confused about. Make it easy to understand and easy to read.

In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated to your chosen sport. You must also be prepared to work hard and be willing to accept destructive criticism. Without 100% dedication, you won't be able to do this. - Wilson Minzer




This article was based on the information from this source.
http://www.howtodothings.com/hobbies/a4594-how-to-write-a-sports-article.html

The 1920's

The 1920's, also known as the Golden age, also the decade between the end of WW1 and the start of the great depression. But also the 20's was the Age of the Spectators as new and bigger stadiums and gymnasiums were being built and the radio became the popular way of news travel. For the first time ever, large populations of Americans began to pay actual money to watch people compete in athletic contest. The 20's was when baseball stole the hearts of spectators and became the "national pastime." Still to this day baseball is considered a ''national pastime". The New York Yankees right fielder was making heads spin by hitting more home runs than any player had ever hit, exciting fans, and becoming the most famous athlete in the United States. Yes, George Hurman "Babe" Ruth was the man of the roaring 20's who made these heads spin. Babe Ruth was one of the greatest hitters of his time. Even the greatest hitter of his time had the fear of striking out but he beleived “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”

Then in August of 1954 sports journalism in America was changed forever by the birth of Sports Illustrated magazine. The first cover page of Sports Illustrated was a picture of Milwaukee Braves slugger Eddie Matthews taking one of his enviable home run swings. The first 5 years of the magazine were to grow the magazine towards the middle-class consumer and sports spectator and covered just about any sport it could cover. Over time the magazine started to write about football and basketball instead of just baseball. Now the magazine writes about any professional sport and also college sports and sometimes a little to do with high school.

Today sport journalist revels in the fact that one out of every five Americans is a steady customer at the local bowling alley, one out of twenty plays golf or tennis. And, when they are not playing the sport, they are most certainly watching, making the need for reporting bigger than it ever has been. For sport's biggest bills, television more often than not picks up the tab, and sports of all sorts bring out the best of TV, the imagination of its reporters, and the skills of its engineers.



The majority of this piece was written by information taken from this source
http://www.helium.com/items/1060127-a-brief-history-of-sports-journalism

Hello Folks

Hello Folks. My name is Jonathan Wingate and my goal with this blog will be to help you find information about journalism and what you have to go through to become a successful one. More exactly I will be talking about sports journalism. Its not the most popular job in the world these days but for a kid who has grown up around sports and have been playing since he could walk and run, its the best job in the world to me. Sports writers like Chris Mortenson, J.A Andande, and Erin Andrews keep the sports world more interesting just by tweeting on twitter.

Growing up I wanted to go into sports medicine but then I realized how boring that was as a I got older and noticed how long it would take to become a doctor. Trying to be a sports writer will take less time and you can almost do it anywhere. If your town has a local newspaper or any kind of newstation, they will need a sports section where you can show off your knowledge and skills about sports. However you most likely will not make anything near 3 digits on your salary but at least its job you can wake up and be happy to do. There's always something "NEW" going on in the sports world. There isn't one day where your sitting still staring into a computer screen trying to think of an excuse just to leave early. If your lucky you'll get to meet athletes like Derek Jeter, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and young guns like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper.

Sports Journalism isn't just a job, its a career that will bring memories that you'll never forget. Cinderella stories, major upsets, breaking news are just a few that will happen along this road of being a writer. Its a career that will bring smiles and laughs to you but its also a career that might make you confused. Its not the easiest career but its defiantly one of funnest and most eventful ones. Which makes it just that more interesting to me.

 http://www.jobmonkey.com/sports/html/sports_journalism_overview.html