Football gamers into capsules

My paper is considering capsules for stringers' game stories this fall because of a deadline change.
First question is those that have experience with these? Do you get those stories faster?

Also, what could go into these, keep in mind the stringers aren't the quickest or adept at interviews so quotes might not work.

My thoughts were a lede capsule such as "The (team mascot) won because:" or "The difference:"
Then a game notes box and maybe a stat of the game or something like that.

Any advice/comments/suggestions you can make wil be helpful.

Thanks

 

I've seen papers use, "What went right," "What went wrong," (example - 4 turnovers or 7 holding calls) "The key play."

 

Paper I started out with had a capsule format for all but the three or four staffed games. Final score, graf of synops, key play graf, top stats graf and quote graf, if applicable. Given that most of the football stringers were not writers, it made getting and processing the information easier for the deskers.

I'm hoping to try something similar with my weekly paper (stories online, condensed version for the paper that comes out well after Friday night).

 

I don't like the idea of sending a stringer to cover a capsule.

If I'm paying a stringer to cover a game, I want a story.

The stringer can do capsules by sitting at the phone and taking coaches' calls. Anything else is a waste of money and resources.

 

This was my first thought. If you want to keep it simple, make it a fill in the blank for the stringers.

 

Agree with Handsome. I can just as easily write a capsule in three minutes off a phone call rather than send a stringer and pay them for it.

 

The thing we get from our stringers is the box score, which we couldn't get from anyone else. Other than that, our stringer stories could be easily written by calling coaches over the phone — but this year, we won't have those three minutes. It's a pickle.

 

i'd have coaches call in with the box score info. i did that at one place and it worked pretty well.

 

That's how my paper did it. We ran weekly stats based on our own numbers, not ones called in from the coaches. The stringers were there to take stats and get a quote, and we handled the rest.

 

We do the exact same thing for games we can't staff. It worked well for us in the past.

 

How much you paying the stringers?

For just a box and some type of capsule, can't think it's worth more than $20 a game. I imagine the stringers want much more than that.

Why won't phone calls work? Is it just for the box score?

 

Desk Guy: So how long was that second touchdown, coach?

Coach: Well, we were around midfield, so it was about 47 yards. Hey Larry, how long was that second touchdown? Larry says 62 yards.

Desk Guy: OK, and who scored their touchdown in the fourth?

Coach: Ah hell, I think it was, was it No. 2? Yeah, No. 2.

Desk Guy: OK, do you have his name?

Coach: ...