Covering an NFL game

[FuerteJ]

So, here's a quick question for you scribes out there covering an NFL team: Are live blogs allowed? Or is there some ridiculous rule like the NCAA has that you're not allowed to do anything live from the game?

 

[pseudo]

I'm not one, but yes, it's allowed.
BuffNews, from yesterday's game...

 

[FuerteJ]

I'm not one, but yes, it's allowed.
BuffNews, from yesterday's game...

Gracias

 

[Ike Broflovski]

Purely out of curiosity, I read that. What is the point? Who would read it? And, with all due respect to the author, if he's writing blog entries, then he's missing something on the field that might enhance his coverage for the actual newspaper. I know a lot of places do these, but they're just damn dumb.

 

[jlee]

Purely out of curiosity, I read that. What is the point? Who would read it? And, with all due respect to the author, if he's writing blog entries, then he's missing something on the field that might enhance his coverage for the actual newspaper. I know a lot of places do these, but they're just damn dumb.

I moved to a place where my team rarely gets broadcasted on CBS or Fox. I don't want to pay for the radio feed on NFL.com, so live blogs are the best way for me to get live observations beyond just stats.

I could see this being a plus for anyone stuck at a desk on Sundays, too.

Still, I wonder how much live blogging takes away from the ensuing gamer, and if the cost outweighs the benefits. After all, the number of people who fall in the above categories is nothing compared to your local readership.

 

[pseudo]

Purely out of curiosity, I read that. What is the point? Who would read it? And, with all due respect to the author, if he's writing blog entries, then he's missing something on the field that might enhance his coverage for the actual newspaper. I know a lot of places do these, but they're just damn dumb.

I moved to a place where my team rarely gets broadcasted on CBS or Fox. I don't want to pay for the radio feed on NFL.com, so live blogs are the best way for me to get live observations beyond just stats.

I could see this being a plus for anyone stuck at a desk on Sundays, too.

Still, I wonder how much live blogging takes away from the ensuing gamer, and if the cost outweighs the benefits. After all, the number of people who fall in the above categories is nothing compared to your local readership.

The blogger, Mike Harrington, isn't the Bills beat writer -- Mark Gaughan and Allen Wilson handle the bulk of the coverage. Does that make a difference?

Just for yucks, I checked back a couple of weeks: Wilson and the lead columnist, Jerry Sullivan, split the game blog at the Meadowswamp, and Rodney McKissic did the honors at the two home games before that. With at least five guys in the box for home games, it adds to the paper's Web content while still leaving Gaughan free to do his job.

Obviously, I'm not reading it during the game (either in the stands, or busy with our own site for the road games I don't attend)... but I can't say it's a bad idea, at least the way they're working it.

 

[SF_Express]

Purely out of curiosity, I read that. What is the point? Who would read it? And, with all due respect to the author, if he's writing blog entries, then he's missing something on the field that might enhance his coverage for the actual newspaper. I know a lot of places do these, but they're just damn dumb.

Others have answered, but no they're not, in my experience.

If you have a single guy trying to do a blog and then write the gamer and whatever else, perhaps.

But as far as the blog itself goes, there's readership for these.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

I think live blogs are print journalists' big chance to look just as dopey as broadcast journalists. For years I've thought it was unfair for TV/radio columnists to mock the mis-speaking of TV and radio sports folk because the folks with the microphones lack the benefit of editing, time to compose their thoughts, the opportunity to do some reporting that will educate them about what they don't understand before they spout off, and the chance to erase what looks incredibly stupid at second glance. I've yet to read a live blog that wasn't horrendously awful -- and less entertaining and informative than that being provided on the telecast.

 

[Bubbler]

Having done them myself, you'd be shocked how many people read live blogs. I only did a halftime blog for my basketball beat, and people ate it up.

 

[Chi City 81]

Since I usually only get a handful of Bears games per season, and since I work EVERY Sunday, I usually follow the Trib's in-game BLOG!

 

[HoopsMcCann]

i did in-game blogs this year and they were wildly popular

 

[dawgpounddiehard]

i did in-game blogs this year and they were wildly popular

Having done them myself, you'd be shocked how many people read live blogs. I only did a halftime blog for my basketball beat, and people ate it up.

I'm tabbed to do some of these for our high school football playoff coverage. I know they may sound dumb to us, but you guys are getting positive feedback from readers? I've wondered how popular this would be. Sounds like it is in some instances, no?

 

[HoopsMcCann]

i would get about 200-300 comments a night

and tons of people telling me how much they enjoyed it, but they didn't want to comment

i signed three autographs this season. odd.

 

[imjustagirl2]

I do live chats about once every couple of months. I've yet to have more than two people log in, and I cover a pro sport for a large paper.

 

[pallister]

Just make sure you get to the stadium early enough for the breakfast buffet.

 

[playthrough]

How can a major-metro paper justify not blogging? I've been the No. 6 guy in the press box, writing the table-scraps sidebar. Blogging would have been much more fun.

 

[John]

i did in-game blogs this year and they were wildly popular

Yours is still the best I've ever seen for in-game. Jay Tate, who covers Auburn for the Montgomery paper, might do the best beat blog of the ones I read.

 

[dawgpounddiehard]

i did in-game blogs this year and they were wildly popular

Yours is still the best I've ever seen for in-game. Jay Tate, who covers Auburn for the Montgomery paper, might do the best beat blog of the ones I read.

What makes it so good? I have some theories, but Brian Windhorst, who covers the Cleveland Cavs, does a good job.

How about a good in-game blog? What do people expect/want from these?

 

[BYH]

i did in-game blogs this year and they were wildly popular

Yours is still the best I've ever seen for in-game. Jay Tate, who covers Auburn for the Montgomery paper, might do the best beat blog of the ones I read.

What makes it so good? I have some theories, but Brian Windhorst, who covers the Cleveland Cavs, does a good job.

How about a good in-game blog? What do people expect/want from these?

Porn. Lots and lots of porn.