Sports Bloggers in the Press Box

Point proven, from that link:

"To sum up, good news/bad news style:

Good News: Talking to players, and getting them to do goofy things.
Bad News: Being, basically, untrained monkeys, we immediately lost the ability to ask any good questions. Since everybody was really nice, it became really difficult to make fun of people. Except for the guy who got hit in the face. That guy's just a doofus."

 

Ironically, I discovered this thread because I'm here on press row with nothing better to do before the start of the AAU 17U national championship game. I wrote my first live blog at this tournament a few days ago, and I'll be doing a live blog tonight.

I don't pretend to know the first rule of live blogging. So it's pretty much a shoot-from-the-hip operation. But it seems to be one of the fads or trends or innovations in the industry. So I gave it a shot. I've enjoyed the blogging. I find it fairly informal.

But I wonder whether anyone cares. After all, this game is on ESPNU. What advantage do I bring to the table? Given that question, I figure I'll try to use my wit and humor and insight to make it something that a person might wish to read. Really, I suppose the goal is to write a column in almost real time while also providing a little PxP.

The twist, I suppose, is that I'm a seasoned freelance journalist. I'll also be doing a game story. What I noticed a few nights ago is that I put much of the same information in my blog that I normally put into my notebook.

I don't know what to think of blogs in general, much less how to respond to questions about bloggers in the press box. My initial thought is that any diversity is a good thing. But I've been the guy forced to set up on the corner of a table because two guys from some amateur Web site are hogging seats on press row.

I will say this about blogging. I've enjoyed making comments that otherwise wouldn't get into stories. For example, I can blog pre-game stuff that doesn't make it on the TV screens should anything of substance take place. Two nights ago, I heard a coach shouting at the ref, and I threw his words into the blog. Some college coaches came by and looked at the stat books to get the scoring for certain players. I threw that into the blog. Really, that's almost instantaneous reporting on a college coach's interest a certain player. It might not go any further than that, but that kid is going to tell everyone he knows that coach so-and-so wanted to know something about him.

So, anyway, I'd better start working, or not working, depending upon your perspective.

 

Well, one advantage you bring is I'm sure there are a lot of people who don't get ESPNU.

 

Like me.

 

It's a long article, but anonymous bloggers, professional hockey writers, conflicting biographies, message board puppetry...seems to fit this thread.

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/08/01/unmasked-and-anonymous-answering-the-ethical-questions-about-a/

 

The press box is an office. A place of business.

Pick another industry where people say, "I know a lot about your business, I created a web site about your business, so can I show up at your office tomorrow and work with you?"

What the f---?

 

Get-a-Lifers dont need game stories because they sit on their couches and watch all of the games start to finish, like vegetables. Then the Get-a-Lifers go read blogs and write them, stopping momentarily to pound their pud.

other people have well-rounded lives - off the couch and out of the house - and can't watch the games. so they like to read game stories.