By @JoeGisondi

Some thoughts on #sportswriting.

Part I
1. Analyze games, don't replay them afterward.
2. Talk to players/coaches for insights, not quotes ...
3. Don't get chummy w/players, coaches
4. Do your homework before writing anything
5. Read & analyze talented #sportswriters
6. Verify ....
7. Tape more interviews
8. Tape video of games
9. Tape commentary
10. Publish video on #Instagram, #Twitter, websites
11. More video =

...

12. Play w/stats.

13. Look for trends, outliers in stats
14. Read @fangraphs
15. Learn sabermetrics.
16. Incorporate metrics into all ...
17. Press guides, team media sites offer innumerable story ideas. Dig in.
18. Outline story ideas before you interview players, coaches ...
19. #Sports #media relations are a big help for those who plan.
20. #SIDs who impede access, babysit interviews don't get their role. ...
21. Review athletic budgets regularly, going back at least five years to discern trends, outliers. This will
yield innumerable stories. ...
22. #FOIA contracts for coaches and agreements with other teams.
23. FOIA email correspondence between coaches, athletic directors. ...
24. Don't worry when athletic directors, administrators get angry. They were never going to be very helpful
anyway. (Review tip No. 4) ...
25. You're not the athletic department's PR agency. You're there to serve your readers/viewers.
Sometimes these interests do intertwine.
26. Be fair. Be vigilant. Be persistent. Be accurate. Be truthful. Be transparent. Be candid. Be
courageous. Be diligent. Be different. ...

27. Read great books on sports: Sea Biscuit, One Shot At Forever, Red Rose Crew, Greatest Game Ever
Played, anything by @JohnFeinstein1. ...
28. Watch as many #ESPN documentaries and shorts as possible. They teach storytelling and educate
on numerous sports-related topics. ...
29. Give women sports equal coverage.
30. Assess whether your school is truly #TitleIX compliant. Read the law, talk w/ @WomenSportsFDN. ...
31. Be sports reporters.
32. Be informed commentators.
33. Be funny, creative writers/producers.
34. Inform, entertain & connect w/audience.

Part II
Any discussion about #sportswriting needs to begin with this:
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14.

Avoid cliches. No treys, cans of corn, frames, gut checks, charity stripes.
Cliches reveal a dull mind. Instead, find creative, precise ways to describe situations, plays.
That ability is nourished by reading. ...
Don't force scores into leads. Most fans already know results before reading. Instead, clearly
focus on a key play, trend, moment. ...
Don't rely on quotes. They should complement, not control, a story.
Vary sentences. This is a major problem for beginning writers in all majors. Insert clauses in the
middle, beginning and end. ...
Direct readers. Elevate, subordinate ideas in sentences by using clauses. Connecting ideas with
*and* frequently confuses readers. ...
Use active voice. Replace verb "to be" (is, are, was, were) with more vivid words to enliven,
invigorate prose that'll be more concise.
There's no 'I' in columns. Personal pronouns create wordiness, awkward sentences and
redundancy. We get these are your ideas, beliefs....
Use said. It's clear, simple way to frame quotes.
Read and review THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE all the time. Keep it on your desk. This little book
is invaluable.
Read the @APStylebook. Sports terms are in the back of this fine book.
Offer specific details to evoke visuals and to clarify. Not many miles, but 212.5 miles. Not
tree, but oak. Do the research.
Delete 'up,' "down' and 'on' after verbs. For example, use help (not out), leap (not up), jump (not
down), clean (not up).
Refer to college athletes (and anyone older than 18) as women and men, not girls and boys.