Need help taking NFL stats.

[Hank_Scorpio]

Keeping stats off the TV can help, but like someone said earlier, would be a little tougher, because of all the replaycs, etc.


Obviously, it's too late now since high school seasons are over, but next year, go to some games and just keep stats, even if it's not your high school. That gives you the feel of all it would take.

You can adapt your own style as well. Some people are able to keep more stats than others. You have to do it more and see what you can keep accurately. Get comfortable with that and then add more stats.


We've had stat keeping discussions on here. You can probably search for them. I'll also try to find a link later on.

 

[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.

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.

I have a stat sheet I made for myself with everything on it -- points, steals, rebounds, assists, turnovers, free throws, field goals and 3-pointers. Every stat gets a little tick mark, and I add them up by quarter. The first quarter is easy to tally up. The third quarter is tougher. It took some practice, but now I'm like a machine at games.
If you're trying this at a live game, I'd suggest starting with girls basketball. The pace is a lot slower. Also, don't look at a player and say, "Jim Smith got that rebound, Joe Johnson took that shot." See numbers, not names, like, "24 miss, 34 rebound, 34 assist to 30. 30 with a 3-pointer." Mental shorthand is as valuable as writing shorthand.

 

[Precious Roy]

I'll echo Hank on getting to a game. Don't do it off the TV, there is just too much stuff shifting around with the camera.
Football may be over, but basketball is here. Get out there and just sit and watch some games, it will be a great learning experience. Do this and practice for a month and then start hitting up the local paper for some stringer work or even call-taking work. It sounds weird, but if you take some calls from people at the paper you want to strong for then when you finally talk to the SE about a shot a writing you will have a rapport with each other and you will know what they want stat-wise.
Read, read, read, but start cultivating your own voice in your writing. There can only be one Red Smith, don't try to write like him. Try to be your own writer.
Work hard and maybe by the time you are out of college there will be a job open for you out here somewhere.

 

[HanSenSE]

Another option, especially in football season, when the last concern of the coach in the newspaper's deadline: Talk to your school's coaches and see if he/she needs someone to call in games, sort of a college's sports information director does. Keep the stats and a box score (in basketball, it's easy to check the official book after the game ... I always do), then call the game in yourself. Most desk guys/agate clerks don't bite, but they may have a few questions to help beef up what they'll write for the paper. I did this in college for three years and, it helps.

 

[mustangj17]

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.

I have a stat sheet I made for myself with everything on it -- points, steals, rebounds, assists, turnovers, free throws, field goals and 3-pointers. Every stat gets a little tick mark, and I add them up by quarter. The first quarter is easy to tally up. The third quarter is tougher. It took some practice, but now I'm like a machine at games.
If you're trying this at a live game, I'd suggest starting with girls basketball. The pace is a lot slower. Also, don't look at a player and say, "Jim Smith got that rebound, Joe Johnson took that shot." See numbers, not names, like, "24 miss, 34 rebound, 34 assist to 30. 30 with a 3-pointer." Mental shorthand is as valuable as writing shorthand.

I have a flipable stat sheet. Team A on one side, Team B on the other. Cardboard in the middle. I haven't used it in years, but I have it if I need it.

 

[Prospero]

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.

Best. Advice. Ever.

 

[cwhs33]

Thanks guys for all of the advice. Taking stats by watching a football game on TV is almost impossible, but do you guys have anything for me to do while I'm watching it? I want to do something for the upcoming bowl game.(Don't tell me to go to the game cause I'm not.)

 

[spud]

Thanks guys for all of the advice. Taking stats by watching a football game on TV is almost impossible, but do you guys have anything for me to do while I'm watching it? I want to do something for the upcoming bowl game.(Don't tell me to go to the game cause I'm not.)

Just play it up as if you were in the box. Take down notes and write a gamer afterward. Maybe check a box score to get some concrete stats and then check your finished product with AP or the local metro. Add some things you learned, cut out some of the fat from your gamer and rinse/repeat.

If you really want to spice it up, give yourself a tight deadline and see if you can beat it. It's hard to simulate working under pressure, but if you can make it work you're a step ahead already.

 

[cwhs33]

What do you mean by gamer spud? Like an article?

 

[SF_Express]

Yes, he means a game story/recap. An account of the game that you'd read on a website or in a newspaper.

 

[cwhs33]

Thanks. I might try this.

 

[joe_schmoe]

Doing stats off the TV is fine. The first few times you do it, yes it can be overwhelming because there is a lot happening. True for any sport really (except baseball). But like mentioned already, it does eventually become second nature.
It just takes practice. And don’t get dead set on one specific method you saw on here that someone uses. It may work well for them and not you. Tweak it to make things simple enough for you.
When and if you do actually have to do it for a game, there are times when you have to mark things down quickly and do math quickly.
Turn down the volume on the TV.

I like Spuds advice on practicing gamers. Learning to write clear, concise stories under deadline is a big plus.

And for you stat guys...the -27 to +32 thing. I was a finger person for a few years, adding the field in five yard increments, to figure the yardage on a play. Then I started the add and subtract from the 50, which is when I realized it's not that complex either. Now I just add the starting position and ending position together and subtract from 100. (27+32=59. 100-59=41). That's math I can do quickly in my head.

 

[crimsonace]

If you're trying this at a live game, I'd suggest starting with girls basketball. The pace is a lot slower. Also, don't look at a player and say, "Jim Smith got that rebound, Joe Johnson took that shot." See numbers, not names, like, "24 miss, 34 rebound, 34 assist to 30. 30 with a 3-pointer." Mental shorthand is as valuable as writing shorthand.

The second part, yes.

The first part, I almost disagree with. I enjoy girls basketball (I coach it), but there are an awful lot of turnovers, steals and shot/rebound/shot/rebound/shot sequences that make statkeeping difficult. A HS boys game between two decent teams that play a slower pace (e.g., play in the 40s or 50s) is probably idea. It's the turnovers/steals/shot-rebound-shot-rebound sequences that kill you.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Well, he wouldn't have to keep rebounds/steals/assists the first time he keeps score. Do it real simple the first couple times, then slowly add things in as you think you can.

Get the basics down first and tweak as you feel ready.


And cwhs33, definitely try writing a gamer. Read a few now.


One thing, tho, don't write it like this:

On first-and-5, the Spartans' Timmy Applebee ran for four yards. Fullback Nick Applewood then plowed ahead for two yards. Bryan Applegate completed a 20-yard pass to Johnny Appleseed.

That's play-by-play type writing and definitely a very boring read.


Remember, you don't have to start from the beginning of the game in your story. Pick a key moment or player and tell how that play or player influenced the game.



You might be able to catch an interview or two on a postgame show/highlight show/news program. Take a few notes from those and throw in a quote or two.

 

[Batman]

If you're trying this at a live game, I'd suggest starting with girls basketball. The pace is a lot slower. Also, don't look at a player and say, "Jim Smith got that rebound, Joe Johnson took that shot." See numbers, not names, like, "24 miss, 34 rebound, 34 assist to 30. 30 with a 3-pointer." Mental shorthand is as valuable as writing shorthand.

The second part, yes.

The first part, I almost disagree with. I enjoy girls basketball (I coach it), but there are an awful lot of turnovers, steals and shot/rebound/shot/rebound/shot sequences that make statkeeping difficult. A HS boys game between two decent teams that play a slower pace (e.g., play in the 40s or 50s) is probably idea. It's the turnovers/steals/shot-rebound-shot-rebound sequences that kill you.

That's true. Any more than two or three misses and I start to lose track. And there's nothing worse than bad girls basketball.
But I stand by my point of the pace of the game. A slow-paced boys game is better, but if you watch a girls game and a boys game back to back (like they play them here and, I assume, in most places), it's not hard to see the difference in speed and style of play. Girls, most times, take longer to set up plays and are more deliberate with their offense. There's more downtime during the action to get caught up on what happened a few seconds before.

 

[93Devil]

Well, he wouldn't have to keep rebounds/steals/assists the first time he keeps score. Do it real simple the first couple times, then slowly add things in as you think you can.

Get the basics down first and tweak as you feel ready.


And cwhs33, definitely try writing a gamer. Read a few now.


One thing, tho, don't write it like this:

On first-and-5, the Spartans' Timmy Applebee ran for four yards. Fullback Nick Applewood then plowed ahead for two yards. Bryan Applegate completed a 20-yard pass to Johnny Appleseed.

That's play-by-play type writing and definitely a very boring read.


Remember, you don't have to start from the beginning of the game in your story. Pick a key moment or player and tell how that play or player influenced the game.



You might be able to catch an interview or two on a postgame show/highlight show/news program. Take a few notes from those and throw in a quote or two.

The most important is written the closest to the lead.

The less imporatnt (a first-quarter score in a 35-31 game) should be the last.

Cut out a gamer from a newspaper and then cut any amount off the end at the story should make sense.

For example...

BOSTON (AP)—Rajon Rondo(notes) used the pass to set up the run.

The Celtics point guard had 13 assists and nine rebounds on Tuesday night, then scored all of his 11 points in the fourth quarter as Boston pulled away to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 98-89 and win their eighth straight game.

“I knew eventually they would sag back and make me try and score,” Rondo said. “In the second half, I tried to be a little bit more aggressive.”

Kevin Garnett(notes) scored 25 to go with nine rebounds, and Paul Pierce(notes) scored 15 points. Reserve Rasheed Wallace(notes) added 13 points, hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter before the Celtics broke an 86-all tie by scoring 12 of the game’s final 15 points.

“With everybody else on the team, you kind of lose focus on (Rondo) a little bit,” said Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings(notes), who scored 17. “You’re so worried about Pierce scoring, Garnett scoring and (Ray) Allen scoring. But he did a good job for them, attacking the basket, making plays. And he made some big free throws.”

Andrew Bogut(notes) had 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Ersan Ilysova scored 19 and pulled down eight rebounds for the Bucks, who lost their fourth in a row and their eighth in nine games. Jennings, a 20-year-old first-round draft choice, had four turnovers to go with four assists and five fouls facing Rondo.

“We had tremendous difficulty keeping him in front of us the whole game,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. “He took it to our rookie pretty good.”

Rondo didn’t score until he was sent to the line early in the fourth quarter to break a 71-all tie. After Hakim Warrick(notes) made a layup, Rondo made a jumper from the lane and Wallace hit a 3-pointer to give Boston a 78-73 lead.

Boston’s lead was down to one point when Rondo drove and drew a foul and a goaltending call. And with about 5 minutes left, he was fouled on back-to-back possessions, sinking three of the four free throw attempts to give Boston an 88-86 lead with 4:42 left.

“Tonight was the first time I saw ‘Hack-a-Rondo,”’ Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “He’s driving now. He’s getting to the basket. I told him at halftime, ‘Just keep attacking,’ and that’s what he’s doing.”

Boston scored seven straight points after Milwaukee tied it at 86 on a layup by Ilyasova with 4:51 left. After Rondo’s two free throws, Kendrick Perkins(notes) made one of two. Jennings double-dribbled the ball away, Rondo hit a pull-up jumper to make it 91-86.

Rondo then grabbed his fifth steal of the game, taking the ball away from Bogut. Boston threw it out of bounds, but Bogut turned it over again and Garnett hit a skyhook in the lance to make it a seven-point game.

Ilyasova made a pair of free throws before Allen sank a 3-pointer to make it 96-88 with just under 2 minutes left.

The victory was a consolation prize of sorts for Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca, who lost his bid for the U.S. Senate seat that had been held by Edward M. Kennedy. Pagliuca was in a race for third place in the Democratic primary, out of four contenders, far behind winner Attorney General Martha Coakley.

The Bucks had won five in a row when Bogut posts a double-double. Bogut, who had 12 points and five rebounds in the first quarter, reached double digits in boards early in the third.

Do you see how it still makes sense even though I just hacked off (bold) half of the story?

 

[cwhs33]

All of your posts are helping so much. And 93devil, pasting that AP article will really help me with the whole setup of the gamer. I'm waiting for the College Football bowl games. I'm thinking about doing a scoring summary for most games, then come back and write a game recap to go with it.

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

I can remember some powertool, I won't name him by name, who got his start in paper football by keeping field goal accuracy stats for the rest of the fourth grade.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

All of your posts are helping so much. And 93devil, pasting that AP article will really help me with the whole setup of the gamer. I'm waiting for the College Football bowl games. I'm thinking about doing a scoring summary for most games, then come back and write a game recap to go with it.

When you're watching the game, do a play by play summary on a legal pad (while you're keeping stats).

Can be rather simple: (down, distance, yardline, player action and yards gained)
1-10 24 22 run 8 yds
2-2 32 3 pass to 84 6 yards FD PASS
1-10 38 22 19 run FD RUSH



Like others have said, it's harder to do off TV because you get the replays. If you're at a game, you can see the ref put the ball down and figure stats and such that way.

But doing a pbp/stats off the TV can give you the same frantic feeling, trying to make sure you don't miss a play.



And if you start getting behind, you can catch up on stats sheet during timeouts. Just make sure to get the play by play down.

 

[cwhs33]

All of your posts are helping so much. And 93devil, pasting that AP article will really help me with the whole setup of the gamer. I'm waiting for the College Football bowl games. I'm thinking about doing a scoring summary for most games, then come back and write a game recap to go with it.

When you're watching the game, do a play by play summary on a legal pad (while you're keeping stats).

Can be rather simple: (down, distance, yardline, player action and yards gained)
1-10 24 22 run 8 yds
2-2 32 3 pass to 84 6 yards FD PASS
1-10 38 22 19 run FD RUSH



Like others have said, it's harder to do off TV because you get the replays. If you're at a game, you can see the ref put the ball down and figure stats and such that way.

But doing a pbp/stats off the TV can give you the same frantic feeling, trying to make sure you don't miss a play.



And if you start getting behind, you can catch up on stats sheet during timeouts. Just make sure to get the play by play down.

Play-by-play is way too hard to do while watching a game on TV. I tried to start doing it for one NFL game, and I got lost after 3 plays.