game story protocol

[henryhenry]

tom keegan, who was a great baseball writer until he left the Post, insists that the first number in a game story has to be the final score, and it has to be in the first three grafs.

it's old school - but not necessarily outdated.

any thoughts on this?

http://www.sportsmediaguide.com/11292006-TomKeegan.asp

 

[Mighty_Wingman]

That's always been my rule of thumb, to be broken only in very rare, desperate occasions. The final score has to be the first SCORE in the game story, though. I'm not flexible about that.

 

[Clever username]

At least give the final score before giving any other scores, such as, The Yankees scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth for a 9-8 victory over the Red Sox ... , rather than, The Yankees overcame an 8-3 deficit in the ninth inning with six runs for a 9-8 victory ...

That's unnecessary and can be confusing.

 

[Chi City 81]

I have stretched it to the fourth graf on occasion, but it's a pretty good rule to live by. And NEVER give any score before the final score.

 

[henryhenry]

one thing i don't like is when the lead is about a past event - as foreshadowing the present event -

better to start with the present and then invoke the past

 

[shotglass]

I'll give some leeway on the three-graf rule if the writer wants to "set the scene." But the other thing -- final score is the FIRST score -- is a dead-bolt lock to me. Any derivation from that simply serves to confuse the reader, and there's a better way out there.

 

[Starman]

As in the case of all ironclad rules, I have broken the "score in the first three graphs" edict on isolated occasions, but very very rarely.

But I have never broken the "never mention any score other than the final score of the game first" rule -- never. And I immediately take the lightsaber to any story I see on the desk that breaks it. I don't discuss it, I don't explain it. It's just wrong.

 

[Mighty_Wingman]

This might be the most agreement we've ever had on an SJ thread, even on the Journalism board.

 

[SoSueMe]

I use the score-in-one-of-the-first-four-graphs rule. Obviously, the sooner the better.

And no score, no scoring play, no other numbers prior to the final score.

I think we'd all agree with his philosophy on quotes, too, no?
- - Don't use quotes unless they add to the story. - -
There's a coach around these parts whose quotes are useless. I use only ones that have substance, which are few and far between. Otherwise, I paraphrase, use "said" and "according to."

 

[Clever username]

This might be the most agreement we've ever had on an SJ thread, even on the Journalism board.

That and our despisal of Scoop Jackson and Sportsbruh.

 

[Chi City 81]

This might be the most agreement we've ever had on an SJ thread, even on the Journalism board.

That and our despisal of Scoop Jackson, aka Sportsbruh.

Fixed.

 

[Clever username]

This might be the most agreement we've ever had on an SJ thread, even on the Journalism board.

That and our despisal of Scoop Jackson, aka Sportsbruh.

Fixed.

My bad. Thanks.

 

[sportswriter not a junky]

I disagree with the score in the first three paragraphs. Who won, including with the score, should be told in the headline/subhead. I agree the final score has to be the first score in the story. I'd say: "Up two possessions late and with the ball ..." instead of "Up 54-50, the Podunk Punks went on a 6-0 run and won..."

 

[Shaggy]

Albert Belle glared exclusively at the Post.....classic.

 

[Tom Petty]

I disagree with the score in the first three paragraphs. Who won, including with the score, should be told in the headline/subhead. I agree the final score has to be the first score in the story. I'd say: "Up two possessions late and with the ball ..." instead of "Up 54-50, the Podunk Punks went on a 6-0 run and won..."

score in the headline, really?

 

[Leo Mazzone]

I disagree with the score in the first three paragraphs. Who won, including with the score, should be told in the headline/subhead. I agree the final score has to be the first score in the story. I'd say: "Up two possessions late and with the ball ..." instead of "Up 54-50, the Podunk Punks went on a 6-0 run and won..."

score in the headline, really?

Not likely to be in the headline, but it would probably be featured somewhere in a box with the story. Not saying it should keep you from including the score early, but many people will know the score before they begin reading.

 

[Tom Petty]

I disagree with the score in the first three paragraphs. Who won, including with the score, should be told in the headline/subhead. I agree the final score has to be the first score in the story. I'd say: "Up two possessions late and with the ball ..." instead of "Up 54-50, the Podunk Punks went on a 6-0 run and won..."

score in the headline, really?

Not likely to be in the headline, but it would probably be featured somewhere in a box with the story. Not saying it should keep you from including the score early, but many people will know the score before they begin reading.

yeah. i get the point i was attempting to make.

 

[Montezuma's Revenge]

The inverted pyramid is to good writing what USA Today is to in-depth storytelling.

If you jam all the good stuff on top, you'll train the readers not to bother reading past the first 3-4 grafs.

A skilled writer knows how find a good hook and then keep doling out the material so that the reader will follow it to the end.

Now, if your staff has a bunch of hacks, then I guess the inverted pyramid should rule. But do your really think the good writers live by an inverted pyramid? The thing is, you have to have confidence in your storytelling ability to hold back something for the ending.

 

[Ace]

I disagree with the score in the first three paragraphs. Who won, including with the score, should be told in the headline/subhead. I agree the final score has to be the first score in the story. I'd say: "Up two possessions late and with the ball ..." instead of "Up 54-50, the Podunk Punks went on a 6-0 run and won..."

It's a bad idea to assume display type will carry the weight of what should be in stories. I have seen many a time writers put vital information in a chart to run with the story, for example, except the chart didn't run for whatever reason and the information wasn't in the story.

That's why my eyes roll whenever someone insists a chart isn't needed because the information is in the story or the information doesn't need to be in the story because it's in the chart.

So to assume that the headline will provide information you don't feel you need to put in your story is wishful thinking, at best.

What if there isn't a deck hed? What if the editor decided that Pudunks pummel Pirates is a better hed that Pudunks prevail, 5-0?

 

[Ace]

The inverted pyramid is to good writing what USA Today is to in-depth storytelling.

If you jam all the good stuff on top, you'll train the readers not to bother reading past the first 3-4 grafs.

A skilled writer knows how find a good hook and then keep doling out the material so that the reader will follow it to the end.

Now, if your staff has a bunch of hacks, then I guess the inverted pyramid should rule. But do your really think the good writers live by an inverted pyramid? The thing is, you have to have confidence in your storytelling ability to hold back something for the ending.

I agree with your disdain of the interveted pyramid, which was a necessary evil when stories had to be cut on the fly when no more hot type fit on the page or more was needed to fill a hole.

But regularly putting the score in the first three grafs doesn't mean the story is a by-the-numbers account.

I get antsy when I read a clip/story and can't figure out if it is a game story, sidebar or mid-week feature.