Lecture 10: What is Sports Writing?

S
ports writing has become one of the most popular forms of modern journalistic writing. More
and more readers are now turning to the sports section before looking at the more prosaic news
of the day.
But while may talk about sports, there are only few who can write a sports story. Even
experienced beat reporters get lost covering games and writing about them because it takes more
than just answering the 5 Ws and 1 H to be able to come up with a comprehensive sports news
story.
Example of a sports article
(NSPC Winning Piece)
ILAGAN, IsabelaIsabela National High School, behind the remarkable
performances of Florante Carreon and Paul Gonzales, took all the Roxas
National High School could offer before hacking out a close 60-59 win in an
exhibition game held at St. Ferdinand College Court here, Tuesday.
Carreon scored 21 points to lead Isabela and Gonzales 13 points but
delivered this on the crucial part of the game including the winning free
throw.
The game started in a roller-coaster encounter and the first half ended
28-27 with Isabela on the lead.
The second half was still close and Roxas took the lead with two
minutes to go, but Gonzales displayed a big heart as he connected a threepointer to give Isabela the lead, 54-53.
Rolly Menor carried Roxas on that decisive moment and tied the game
at 59-all with 15 seconds to go.
Gonzales fished a foul with 10 seconds left and split his charity for the
lead, 60-59.
Herman Menor refused to give up but his last desperate jumpshot went
in-and-out of the ring.
Faith carried us through this game, its a good game, said Gonzales
after the game.

INHS (60)Carreon 21, Gonzales, 13, Magusib, 12, Mercado 6,

Aguinaldo 4, Martinez 2, Cabanlong 2, Ong 0, Lim 0, Gumaru 0.
RNHS (59)Menor 22, Balagan 18, Malaca 12, Soriano 7, Allavigan 0,
gonzaga 0, Advincula 0, Limbauan 0, Galapon 0.
***
Aside from having the nose for news, a sports writer should also:
1. have interest in all sports event
2. know the rules and regulations of the event or game he is writing
about, and
3. have a working knowledge of the language and jargon of sports writing
usually referred to as the sports lingo.
***
Types of Sports stories
1. 1. Advance story (dope or prognostication)
a. straight news story
b. background story
c. prediction story
2. Coverage story
3. Advance coverage story
***
Like any other news story, a sports story has a lead and a body. The sports
lead is the attention-getter and the body is the news in a-nut-shell.
The classic 5 Ws and 1 H appear in the sports lead as: 1. Who won? 2. How
did they win? 3. Against whom? 4. By what score? 5. Where? and 6. When?
The Torres High School Quintet (1) poured 10 baskets in the last three
minutes (2) to edge out the Osmenians (3) 65-63 (4) at the opponents
homeground (5) yesterday afternoon (6).
This kind of summary lead may vary.
***
The lead can also highlight other elements like:
1. 1. The key play

LAKANDULA, IloiloThe visiting Soliman High School sluggers bombed the

Lakandula batters with six runs in the third inning to subdue a nerve-frazzling
Lakandula rally, 14-12, as they clinched the invitational game here, in
connection with the celebration of the schools Foundation Day.
2. The outstanding player
EDWARD Ong of Ateneo de Iloilo, after almost four hours of battle over the
chessboard, copped the most coveted YMCA trophy after outwitting
Philippine Science High School chesser William Santos in 27 moves of a
Sicilian defense.
3. Analytical approach
RIDING high on sizzling spikes and tricky placing, the spitfire Ateneo Blue
Dragons blasted the Ateneo Blue Eagles killers in the crucial third set to won
15-10, 11-15, 15-7 in the Jesuit Athletics Meet (JAM), Sept. 21, at
the Sacred Heart School in Cebuyesterday
***
The body
After the lead, the other elements follow in descending order. These
will include:
1. 1. Team and/or individual standing
2. Decisive plays
3. Best scores for the day
4. Play-by-play
5. Quotations
***
Elements that make up a good sports article:
1. 1. Personalities
2. Play-by-play description
3. Statistics and comparisons
4. Quotes by players
5. Quotes by trainers and coaches
6. Background stuff on players
7. The importance or significance of the event
8. Background of the game

9. Weather conditions
10. Crowd and celebration
***
Lingos and Slanguages
Basketball (basketbol)
Quintet, goal (gol o buslo), dribble (dribol), pivot, rally, rebound (rebaun),
technical foul, 15-foot line, hook shot, zone defense, first half (unang
kalahati), tip-in, full court, press, box out, slam dunk, man-to-man, trey, fullcourt press, hook shot, goaltending, baseline, board, layup (leyap), out-ofbounds, dominated the paint
Baseball or Softball (beisbol at sopbol)
Diamond, pitcher (pitser), catcher (katser), back stop, hit a homerun, rolling
ball, short stop, southpaw, pegged at third, fast ball, playoff (n, adj), play off
(v.), slugger, wild pitch, bullpen
Boxing (boksing)
Southpaw, slugger, rabbit punch, kidney punch, referee stopped contest
(RSC), technical knockout, featherweight
Chess
Checkmate, rook, queenside, Sicilian opening, Ruy Lopez defense, Queens
gambit, knight, white, black, fast pawn, en pass, castle, pin, open check,
blunder, Philidors defense
Volleyball
Spike (spaik), placing (pleysing), change court, kill (kil), Chinese kill, block,
net ball, wallop (wallop), jump serve, spiker (spay-ker), server (serber)
Soccer or Football
Soccerites, goalie, corner kick, penalty kick, full back, defenders, booters,
kick off (v.), kickoff (adj)
Track
Pass on the baton, breasted the tape, clock a new record, photo finish,
distance runner, century run
Tennis and Badminton
Best of three matches, love set, backhand, drive, doubles, racket, forehand,
smash cut
Swimming

Tanker, aquabelle,
summersault

breast

stroke,

plunge,

springboard,

tank,

dive,

***
Aids (crutches) that may be useful in covering the game:
1. BasketballFG (field goal), FT (free throw), PF (personal foul), TP (total
points), js (jumpshot) etc.
2. Baseball and softballab (at bat), h (hit), rbi (runs batted in), e (error),
etc.
3. Volleyballp (placing), bs (booming service), s (spiker), bb (block ball),
etc.
***
Salitang magkasingkahulugan
Nagwagi namituin, bumandila, namayani, nagnuna
Natalo nagapi, nagahis
Magtutuos magsasagupaan, magkakasubukan, magpapaligsahan
Kalaban katunggali
Pinatumba ginupo, nilampaso, pinulbos, tinambakan, pinayukod, pinakain
ng alikabok
***
SPORTS WRITING EXERCISE
Make a four-paragraph news article with hypothetical story about a
basketball exhibition game where the Filipinos won against the best players
in the NBA.
***
SAMPLES:
Gin

Kings

bag

PBA

crown

BARANGAY Ginebra broke the game wide open late in the third period behind
Mark Caguioa and finished off Red Bull Barako, 103-86, Wednesday night to
capture the Gran Matador Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference
crown at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Caguioa presided over Ginebra's uprising in the third quarter with 15 of
his team-high 26 points, firing three triples that broke the backs of the

Barakos and handed the Gin Kings their first title in the post-Sonny Jaworski
era.
Caguioa's exploits electrified a jampacked crowd of 16,468, majority of
them Ginebra diehards who compounded the misery of the jittery Barakos
with their non-stop chants and jeers.
Romel Adducul, Eric Menk, Torraye Braggs and Andy Seigle then took
over from Caguioa and the Gin Kings went in for the kill by building a solid
16-point spread, 86-70, that launched Ginebra to its first crown in seven
years.
Lacking their usual spunk, the Barakos simply folded up as the Gin
Kings ended the best-of-five series at 3-1.
Ginebra last tasted victory during the 1997 Commissioner's Cup title as
Gordon's Gin with Jaworski as playing coach.
Overall, the La Tondea franchise snared its fifth PBA crown and
matched sister team San Miguel Beer's feat as the lowest seed in the
playoffs to win a championship. The Gin Kings were ranked sixth prior to the
quarterfinals.
"We competed and worked as a team. We had mistakes in the past but
we've learned from them. All the hard work paid off," said a teary-eyed
Barangay Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen.
Tanquingcen, who replaced Allan Caidic as chief bench tactician in the
middle of the conference, became the fourth rookie coach to achieve the feat
after Joel Banal of Talk 'N Text, Purefoods' Ryan Gregorio and Coca-Cola's
Chot Reyes.
Aside from these achievements, the Gin Kings also owned the
distinction of becoming the first team to hand the Barakos their first defeat
in three PBA Finals.
The Gin Kings also gave import Torraye Braggs his first taste of a
championship ring in his entire professional career.
Eric Menk, who was named Finals MVP, finished with 22 points to
complement the fine work of Caguioa and Braggs, who also had 22 markers
on top of 15 rebounds.
Jimwell Torion, who was suspended in Game 3, started for the Barakos
but was immediately pulled out of the game after hurting his right hand
during a loose-ball scuffle midway in the first quarter.
Despite Torion's absence for most of the first half, the Barakos were
able to sustain their offensive through the outside snipings of Victor Thomas
and Homer Se's incursions.

A three-pointer by Thomas, named Best Import of the conference, gave

the Barakos an early 17-10 lead and although the Gin Kings cut down the
deficit to 30-27 at the end of the first quarter, Red Bull held its ground until
Braggs began throwing his weight around in the paint.
Scores:
GINEBRA 103 -- Caguioa 26, Braggs 22, Menk 20, Adducul 13, Seigle 13,
Dimaunahan 5, Calpito 2, Helterbrand 2, Salvacion 0, Santos 0.
RED BULL 86 -- Thomas 32, Se 19, Valenzuela 15, Tugade 10, Pennisi 3,
Baguio 2, Villanueva 2, Harp 2, Ordonio 1, Robinson 0, Asaytono 0, Torion 0.
Quarters: 27-30, 52-48, 78-68, 103-86.