Need help taking NFL stats.

[cwhs33]

Ok, I have taken NBA stats on T.V. and haven't had any problems, but now I want to try and take NFL and College Football stats. I read on another forum a great method to use for play-by-play. So I tried it out during a NFL game. It was way harder than I expected! So many things were going on. I had the most trouble with keeping up with the yard lines. Remember, I'm doing this on T.V. Can you guys help me with this please!

Thanks

 

[spud]

Imagine it wouldn't be any different from taking down prep stats. Just don't get behind.

My question: why are you doing this?

 

[cwhs33]

Just a hobby I guess. I'm only 16, so I'm trying to get some experience. I want to become a sports writer or something similar in the future. And I've never did a prep football game.

 

[playthrough]

If you want to be a sports writer, write.

 

[spnited]

If you want to be a sports writer, write.

And learn grammar. "I've never did" ??

 

[Liut]

Kudos on your initiative, cwhs33. Get on your school's paper. Write and read.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

If you want to be a sportswriter, read up on steroids and PEDs.

 

[playthrough]

Actually, yeah. Specialize in something. It's not enough to just be a jack-of-all-trades sports guy. Companies want to hire an expert.

 

[deskslave]

If you really want to practice taking stats off the TV, that's fine. Bit strange, but fine. But the trick is gonna be the fact that they may not show you the new line of scrimmage until right before the next play, what with replays, sideline shots, huddle shots, etc. If you're doing it in person, you can see where the ref puts the ball down.

But you'll find if you practice enough, the bits of math will start becoming automatic. You won't need to do the math in your head to figure out that, say 41-33=8. Or that a play from the 37 to the opposite 36 is 27. You'll just ... know.

Or maybe that's just my Rainman tendencies.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Or that a play from the 37 to the opposite 36 is 27. You'll just ... know.

Or maybe that's just my Rainman tendencies.

I'm that way, too. Just add to the 50, them subtract from the 50. I don't know why people can't figure that out.

 

[spud]

Or that a play from the 37 to the opposite 36 is 27. You'll just ... know.

Or maybe that's just my Rainman tendencies.

I'm that way, too. Just add to the 50, them subtract from the 50. I don't know why people can't figure that out.

I'm one of the idiots that's always finger counting by five-yard increments in the box.

 

[Batman]

Football is way easier to keep up with than NBA stats. Assuming you're doing more with the NBA stuff than just keeping up with points. Basketball is damned tough because there's so much going on. Throw in a shot, rebound, maybe an assist every 10-15 seconds ... hell, I'd be insane by the second quarter. I do well with high school basketball stats, but I tried doing it for a college game once and was way, way off.
With football, you generally have 25-30 seconds between plays. Use that time to catch up. If you're doing play by play, just leave the yard line blank until you see a spot and then fill it in.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

Remember... if a ball is spotted one foot outside the opponent's 42 and a TD is scored, it is a 43-yard TD. Only time that is not the rule is when the ball in inside one's own 1-yard line. Then, it wouldn't be a 100-yard play, only 99.

If it is spotted at the same spot by a holder for a FG, it is a 52-yard attempt.

 

[cwhs33]

Ok, nobody really answered my question. Is this just a dumb idea?

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Football is way easier to keep up with than NBA stats. Assuming you're doing more with the NBA stuff than just keeping up with points. Basketball is damned tough because there's so much going on. Throw in a shot, rebound, maybe an assist every 10-15 seconds ... hell, I'd be insane by the second quarter. I do well with high school basketball stats, but I tried doing it for a college game once and was way, way off.

When I did high school basketball, I would do points, rebounds, steals and obviously free throws and fouls.

I could also do team shooting. But I did that in my play by play (marking an X for missed shots, and a line if they didn't get a shot that trip). Totaled it up at halftime and end of game.

Hell of a lot of work and always felt like I was writing, but I think my stats were more correct than the high schoolers that kept rebounds at the end of the bench.

 

[93Devil]

Forget the stats from TV...

Read. Read. Read.

I'm sure the guys on here can give you 10 writers who you should read everyday. Notice what they do (and what they do not do).

RSS feed their gamers or bookmark their section's links and columns and whatever they write.

Become very familiar with the camera, web pages, Twitter and how video works.

Volunteer to help do stats for a local paper. If you can do tackles for a writer during high school season or rebounds and assists during basketball season while they are doing the other stats, it will be a valuable learning experience.

Good luck.

 

[Liut]

Excellent advice, 93Devil.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Ok, nobody really answered my question. Is this just a dumb idea?

Not necessarily a dumb idea, because it does give you a feel of what it's like.

A better idea could be to watch the game, listen to the interviews/press conferences and write up a short story after the game.


And even better idea would be to read lots of different NEWSPAPER sports writers (not bloggers).

To go along with that, contact your local newspaper's sports editor and see if you can string a game or two. Might only be $30/game, but it will give you the tangible experience you need to see if you really want to do this.

 

[ripple]

Ok, nobody really answered my question. Is this just a dumb idea?

I don't think it's a dumb idea. I've recently started having to keep my own stats (just like most folks on here) and it's definitely something that requires some practice.

I guess I just didn't see what your question was, other than can we help. Sure, probably, but you'll have to be more specific.

 

[93Devil]

And, kid, take this for what it is worth...

In 1990, if could have been lucky enough to tag along with a writer like John Perrotto on Beaver County sidelines for a football season, I would have learned so, so much.

He is a great writer who was one of the best baseball beat reporters in America. President of the Baseball Writers of America for a spell, IIRC. He spit out column inches like ticker tape. He was loyal to his paper and his area.

And after 20+ years I think he is looking for a permanent position with a paper, and he is as good as it gets in this business.

And the guy telling you this works in education and has not had a word published in seven years.

Read. This. Post. Very. Carefully.

If you are going to do this, at least double major in college.