Chapter eight Summary

Chapter eight focuses on sports writing.

The sports section is one of the most heavily read in newspapers. Around 74 percent of men and 45 percent of women read sports, according to the chapter. Sports is also one of the most popular topics for new magazines.

Sports writers have a unique job because of the relationships they have with their readers, and the format they are expected to write in.

Sports is a very casual topic, people want to read a story that discusses their favorite players both on and off the field. But the writer must look beyond the scoreboard to be truly successful. Sports is a business. Contracts, sponsors and player trades are as meaningful--if not more so--as a play by play of last night's game.

The vocabulary the writer uses is also a delicate balance.

Sports, according to the chapter, is one of the only sections of the newspaper where the writer is expected to use jargon. Meanwhile even the Wall Street Journal regularly explains even simple terms.

A sports writer must know the terms. It's as simple as that. Sports readers have an inside knowledge of the games, and expect the writers to as well.

The flip side of this coin is that the writer must be aware of where his or her story is going to appear in a paper. That same jargon cannot appear in an article on the front page since the readers may not share the same inside knowledge.

The sports columnists has yet another duty. He or she must know when to uplift a team or player and when to point out flaws. Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune wrote a column condemning the actions of  both basketball player Dennis Rodman and his fans.

"There was only one incident last week worse than Dennis Rodman assaulting a courtside cameraman in Minneapolis," Smith wrote. "It was the the standing ovation Rodman got from the Chicago crowd for his 10,000th rebound."

Smith goes on to enumerate Rodman's character flaws and the dangers of parents uplifting such a person to their children as a potential role-model.

Finally, there is the bigger story. Unlike broadcast news, the columnist can give the readers a 'what happens next' take either before or after a match.

A good columnist will get inside the head of the competitors. He or she can show the readers the challenges they face and give the hero's a more three-dimensional feel. These writers invite their readers to come in and discuss favorite teams and players.

That is what gives a sports columnist their own marketability.