Writing the sports story

The sports writer combines the skills of the general reporter, the features
writer, and the headline writer. In addition he should strive to:
1. Be accurate. Not only in the score but in all the other highlights. If you
arent sure of an episode in the game, check personally with the players
involved or their coaches.
2. Avoid clichs like, splicing the hoop, walloped the pill (made a hit in
baseball), turned the tables on, lowered the boom, sank a twinnie, etc.
3. Include human interest. The personal background of the performer can lend
color and depth to a story. Is he coming back from a slump, redeeming
himself from a previously poor performance, the oldest cyclist or the
youngest rookie in the lineup?
4. Keep your sense of humor.
5. Exercise discipline. When you cover a game, a multitude of detail crowds on
you. Be selective and pick out for your story only the ones that count or
which would give point to your story. The editing on a story starts with the
reporter himself.
6. Follow the inverted pyramid order the big facts first, the lesser next.
7. Write the story immediately after the event. Like any other news story, the
sports must pass the cut-off test.
Writing the sports lead
Just like any straight news story, the sports story may use the conventional
summary lead. However, the presence of striking material may lend itself to a
feature lead. Besides who won and whats the score, a number of conditions in
athletic contests make good material for a feature lead. Take note of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Special significance of the game

Cause of victory or defeat, also called analytical lead
Names of outstanding players or player
Names of competing teams
Name of the coach
Description of the crowd, such as the size, unusual behavior
A moment of intense interest

Examples:
Bombers stun Altas
UNHERALDED Dave Sanchez nailed the game-winner as Jose Rizal University
sent University of Perpetual Help System Dalta crashing to its first loss of the
young season, 62-61, in the NCAA seniors basketball tournament at the Filoil
Flying V Arena in San Juan City.
On the right place and the right time, Sanchez, scored a putback off a missed
triple by Philip Paniamogan to givel the Bombers their third win in six outings to
move up to sixth spot.
With 2.3 seconds left and all their timeouts already used, the Altas went to
Juneric Baloria, who threw a prayer near half-court that wasnt answered as it
kissed the right side of the ring as time expired.

Rivera leads BWC finalists

Former world champion Biboy Rivera flashed his old form to lead the second
batch of finalists in the 2014 Bowling World Cup national championships recently.
Rivera, who previously appeared in two BWC international finals, capped
his 2800 12-game series with a perfect 300 in the ninth game, to wind up as the
second best qualifiers in the second and last qualifying period.
Only Jason Tubid, with 2819, did better than Rivera, who finished third in
his first BWC international appearance in 2012 in Toulouse, France. Rivera also
made it to the international finals in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2011.
Other well-known qualifiers for the national finals after the second
qualifying period were Liza Clutario, Liza del Rosario, Krizziah Tabora, Mades
Arles, Lara Posadas, Benshir Layoso and Jeff Carabeo,

Petron spikers bow out in style

PETRON vented its ire on Cagayan Valley and carved out a masterful 25-22, 2519, 25-23 win in the 2014 PLDT Home-Philippine Super Liga (PSL) All-Filipino
Conference volleyball tournament yesterday at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Dindin Santiago was in her deadly form, finishing with 21 attacks and had
six blocks for a total of 30 points to give the Blaze Spikers a graceful exit in the
womens division of this prestigious inter-club tournament supported by PLDT
Home DSL and backed by Mikasa, Asics, Mueller Tapes, Jinling Sports
Equipment, LGR, Bench and Healthway Medical.
With that, Petron kissed the tournament goodbye at fifth place.

Richer, bigger Aboitiz

golfest set at Riviera
The Aboitiz Invitational makes its return to the Asian Development Tour (ADT)
calendar next month with an increased prize fund of US$100,000 and field
toughened up by the countrys top guns and a number of foreign aces.
The fourth edition of the event will be staged at the Riviera Golf and
Country Clubs Couple Course for the first time from Aug. 27-30 with the prize
pot seeing a significant 53.8 percent jump from US$65,000 which was offered
during the first three editions held at the Cebu Country Club since 2011.
The Aboitiz Invitational, won by Jay Bayron in the inaugurals and Elmer
Salvador the last two years, will also mark the ADTs third stop in the Philippines
this season and raises the schedule to a record total of 20 tournaments.
Organizer ng Last Home
Stand binasted ng NBA
INAMIN ng third-party agency na tumulong sa Philippine Long Distance
Telephone Company (PLDT) sa pag-organisa ng the Last Home Stand ng Gilas
Pilipinas kontra NBA All-Stars na tinanggihan ng NBA ang hiling nito ng sanction
para idaos ang tune-up na laro na dapat sanang nangyari noong Martes at kagabi sa
Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ayon sa CEO ng East-West na si Maria Espaldon, noong pang Abril na
nagsabi ang NBA na hindi nito isa-sanction ang nasabing tune-up ne serye sa
Maynila ngunit desidido pa ring ituloy ng PLDT.
Naglabas ang NBA ng memo tungkol sa bagay na ito.
The NBA has taken the position that any such exhibition or competition is
unallowable and is not approved for player participation under the [collective
bargaining agreement], regardless of whether it is incorporated into a clinic or
other benign-sounding activity, ayon sa memo.
Van Opstal binalaan ni Jao
Nakalusot ang sento ng De La Sall University na si Arnold Van Opstal pagkatapos
na bigyan lang siya ng warning mula kay UAAP Commissioner Andy Jao
kahapon.
Nagpulong sina Jao at Van Opstal bago ang laro ng Green Archers at
National University sa Mall of Asia Arena sa Pasay.
Sa Nasabing pulong ay sinabi ni Van Opstal na hindi niya sinadyang
suntukinsi Ponso Gotladera ng Ateneo sa laro ng Eagles at Archers noong Linggo.
Ang pagsuntok ni Van Opstal kay Gotladera ay kitang-kita sa video ng laro
nan a-review ni Jao.

Commonly used words and phrases

In football
Ball carrier
lineman
Ball club
line of scrimmage
Blitz
out of bounds (adv.)
End line
out of bounds (adj.)
End zone
pitchout (n.)
Fair catch
place kick
Field goal
place-kicker
Fourth-and-one (adj.)
play off (v.)
Fullback
playoff (n., adj.)
Goal line
runback (n.)
Goal-line stand
runback (n.)
Halfback
running back
Halftime
split end
Handoff
tailback
Kick off (v.)
tight end
Kickoff (adj.)
touchback
Left guard
touchdown
Linebacker
wide receiver
In baseball
Backstop
major-league (adj.)
Ball club
major leaguer (n.)
Ball parks
outfielder
Ballplayer
passed ball
Base line
putout (n.)
Centerfield
pinch hit (v.)
Center fielder
pinch-hit (n., adj.)
Designated hitter pinch hitter (n.)
Double-header
pitchout
Double play
play off (v.)
Fair ball
playoff (n.), adj.)
Fast ball
Foul tip
sacrifice fly
Ground-rule double
sacrifice hit
Home plate
shoestring catch

Home run
Left-hander
Line drive
Line up (v.)
Lineup (n.)
Major league (n.)
Strike zone
Paracelis leaguer

shortstop
shutout (n., adj.)
shut out (v.)
slugger
squeeze play
strike
triple play
wild pitch

In basketball
Backboard
Backcourt
Backcourtman
Baseline
Field goal
Foul line
Foul shot
Free throw
Free-throw line
Front court
Full-court press
Goaltending

half-court pass
halftime
hook shot
jump ball
jump shot
layup
man-to-man
midcourt
pivot man
play off (v.)
playoff (n., adj.)
zone

HEADLINE WRITING
Rules in writing headlines
Write a headline that is easy to read. The simple declarative subject-predicate
sentence is easy to write and read.
Ex.: Partisan disputes
block Senate action
1. Give the main idea in the first line the who-what angle.
Ex.: NBI arrests
2 suspects
in swindle case
2. In a head with two or more decks, make the top (in a head deck) tell the
most significant points of the story and no other.
3. Avoid heads that can have double meanings
Wrong Aged fight pension plan for future
Right Aged group fight new pension plan

4. Write noting in the headline that isnt in the story.

5. Avoid repeating key words or ideas, in a headline with two or more decks
Wrong GSIS strike settled;
strikers back to work
Right
GSIS dispute ends
strikers back to work
6. Dont use names unless persons are well-known
Wrong - Dimitri Vinogrendovasks asylum
Right Soviet scientist asks asylum
7. Be specific. avoid generalities.
Wrong - Student given scholarship
Right Nava winsUNgrant
8. Dont editorialize. state facts; avoid opinions
Wrong Midgets make good showing
Right Midgets win 3 out of 4 games
9. Make a complete statement; dont use labels. Every head should have a verb,
stated or implied.
Wrong Medalists
Right Mt Prov students win 35
medals in CARAA meet
10.Reflect the tone of the story. Features should have feature heads.
Wrong Boy lost in city market
Right Police help Jimmy find lost mama
11.Avoid using a negative verb.
Wrong English Club meeting wont be held
Right English Club meeting cancelled
12.Avoid obvious alliteration except in feature heads.
Wrong Streetsweeper stabbed, dies
Right Streetsweeper knifed to death
13.Use forceful, dynamic verbs.
Wrong Greenies beat All-Americans, 52-30
Right Greenies crush All-Americans, 52-30
14.Omit week verb if clearly implied.
Wrong Warren is next student council head
Right Warren next student council head
15.Use present tense for past events.
Wrong Senate passed budget
Right Senate passes budget
16.Use short familiar words.
Wrong Philippine Philatelist Club visits National Library

Right Stamp club visits National Library

17.Dont begin a headline with a verb; it may sound imperative.
Wrong Destroy school property worth P16,000
Right P10,000worth school property destroyed
18.Use only commonly accepted abbreviations.
Wrong S C backs up rallies
Right Mopreco rates hiked
19.Dont use the articles a, an, the.
Wrong Aquino revamps the Cabinet
Right Aquino revamps Cabinet
20.Use numbers only if important; write numbers in figures. Write them out in
words if the figure will occupy more space and will be more difficult to read.
Use B and M for billion and million.
Ex.: Congress passes P3.5 M bill
21.Avoid tombstone heads.
Two heads set in similar type could be mistakenly read as one