Prep football help

[GreenSunglasses]

I have a Treo with PDANet which allows me to hook it up via a USB cable and use my Sprint Vision to get online. It's not the fastest connection in the world, but decent enough to file.

I've been pretty lucky with this site for finding hotspots, but checking for hotels near your game might be the best way.

http://www.jiwire.com/

 

[Some Guy]

I remember filing in the "old days." and by that, I mean six or seven years ago. You'd have to show up early and make sure the press box had a phone line. Then, you'd have to test it before the game to make sure it works.

If it didn't, you'd have to improvise -- and quit writing early to do so.

I've filed from convienience stores and coffee shops that were nice enough to let me use a phone line. Once, I filed from the guard station at a national guard armory, because I got lost leaving the stadium and couldn't find my hotel. (this was actually the first game I covered as a pro).

On at least one occasion, when the phone line at the stadium failed, I ended up renting a hotel room for 15 minutes -- full price -- to file.

That's one thing from the old days I don't miss. It amazes me that just a few years later, I'm able to file from an empty parking lot, so long as a building nearby has wireless.

 

[wickedwritah]

That's one thing from the old days I don't miss. It amazes me that just a few years later, I'm able to file from an empty parking lot, so long as a building nearby has wireless.

Ah, the old days trying to make sure the phone line wasn't computerized, meaning it wouldn't work when you tried to dial out from your modem.

How technology has spared us all.

 

[shotglass]

And then some.

I remember filing from a phone booth across from the high school in Williamsport, Pa., during a snowstorm, steadying a 16-pound Portabubble balanced on my knee with one hand and the telephone receiver with the other.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

And don't forget trying to file on these, writing your story and seeing only three lines at a time.

Most of the papers I worked at, we had decent deadlines where all the reporters could get back to the office, write and help edit stories.

 

[wickedwritah]

On at least one occasion, when the phone line at the stadium failed, I ended up renting a hotel room for 15 minutes -- full price -- to file.

Did you get reimbursed for that one?

 

[Angola!]

On at least one occasion, when the phone line at the stadium failed, I ended up renting a hotel room for 15 minutes -- full price -- to file.

Did you get reimbursed for that one?

I'm guessing no.

 

[JayFarrar]

things I used to carrry or have with me
* a small phone to see if I could get a direct line out
* a jack converter if the school had those extra big jacks
* 20 feet or so of phone cord
* a coupler with two female ends
* an extension cord
* an aol account to send on
* a power strip, if I was at a tournament
* laptop
* tape recorder
* extra tapes
* extra batteries
* headphones
* notebooks
* pens
* highlighters
* magic markers
* that crazy phone coupler thing I didn't know how to use
This was maybe 10 years ago.
Now it is a laptop, wireless card, two pens, one notebook and a digital tape recorder that hangs around my neck.

 

[BertoltBrecht]

Don't forget:
• A generator in case the power goes out
• A tent incase you have to sleep there and the hotels are full
• A 3-day supply of powerbars
• water
• work boots
• Pictures of you family
• A lifejacket
• A glock, for protection and the inevitable hunt you'll have to go on
• Salt, for the deer you slay
• A long knife
• A first aid kit
• trash bags

 

[Some Guy]

On at least one occasion, when the phone line at the stadium failed, I ended up renting a hotel room for 15 minutes -- full price -- to file.

Did you get reimbursed for that one?

Oh yeah. We all had company credit cards to use basically at our discretion. Times have changed in that area, too.

 

[earlyentry]

I wanted to bump this topic up. I'm headed to a college football game, and wanted to know the importance you place on play-by-play, from first quarter to fourth quarter? How detailed, and do you mark on a sheet the scoring plays and/or the game-changing play? Thanks.

 

[wickedwritah]

I wanted to bump this topic up. I'm headed to a college football game, and wanted to know the importance you place on play-by-play, from first quarter to fourth quarter? How detailed, and do you mark on a sheet the scoring plays and/or the game-changing play? Thanks.

Little, especially if they are handing out a running play summary. Look for trends.

 

[Jeremy Goodwin]

Importance of play-by-play all depends on the game. If it's a blowout my play-by-play gets less important as the game goes on, especially in the fourth quarter. There is no point in keeping it for backups when you could be staring to write your lead or a few graphs of the key plays. If it's a close game, I continue to keep by best play-by-play. Yes you will get a full stat book later in the game with everything, but that's not until after interviews. If you want to ask the qb or coach about a specific play you'll need to look back at your notes to know the specifics.

I don't mark the scoring plays on a separate sheet because I already make it clear in my play-by-play and possibly type it on my computer. I do keep a side sheet for trends. The trends I write down usually become my post-game questions.

 

[earlyentry]

Bump.
What's the easiest and most ledgable way of writing play-by-play notes during high school games? I usually carry 5-star notebook or long pad on clipboard. Thanks in advance.

 

[In Cold Blood]

Everybody has their own method... find one that you like and go with it.
I have some notebook pages on a clipboard.
Divide the page in half. Left side for one team, right for the other.

Then I go play by play.

Eagles Start: own 20 11:40
#3 4 run r (No. 3 ran four yards to the right)
#11 pass #15 8 (11 passes to #15 8yds)
#3 56 run L TD 8:02 (kick #1)

usually, on a scoring drive, I'll write some more detailed notes in the margin about the scoring play, so I can recreate it later.

 

[Jeremy Goodwin]

Easy and legible is up to you. As other have said, find a style and stick with it.

I either use a 6X9 inch notebook or a legal pad. I don't divide the sheet for football.

Kickoff to Team/school
82 returns to 25 20-yard return
down, yard to go, yardline, play
1 10 25 22 rush for 5
2 5 30 10 inc pass to 85
3 5 30 22 rush for 7
1 10 35 etc.

when a drive ends I put a few lines under the punt / touchdown to signify the switch in possession.

For bigger plays I give greater detail to the type of pass or where the run went.
Touchdowns I write bigger, put a star by it and sometimes highlight it so i can easily go back and find it. I write as much detail about it as possible. Then, if I remember, I total the drive time, number of plays and how long it was.

 

[Stitch]

I started to do what you do. It makes my job at lot easier. But there isn't a one-size-fits-all system that works for everyone. Try different things and just see what works.

Two backs? Two receivers?

Hmmmm, might need a few more spots there.

I prefer this: Think lined paper...

Rushing
Johnny Stupid 5 4 2 7 8 9 5 -2
Hector Juice 5 32 32 7 64
etc.

Passing
Johnny Stupid - - INT 17 18 1


Receiving
Angel Garcia 17 18
Hector Juice 1
etc.

I use a separate pad for first downs, penalties, etc. and I do running totals on rushing, receiving and passing like on the top Johnny Stupid 5, 4/9, 2/11, 7/18, 8/26, 9/37, 5/42, -2/40.

If I can scan a sheet tonight I will...My advice, lay it out somewhere on Quark or Excel and print out a sheet for all this information.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

My method for keeping stats is rather simple.

On a legal pad, I'll have something like this using tally marks for attempts, completions, TD, INT and sacks:
West Bum****--Passing
Joe Blow -- Att.:
Comp.:
TD:
INT:
Sacked:
Yards: 4, 8, 10, etc., circling scoring plays along the way.

Rushing stats
No. 1: 1, 5, 6, etc., circling scoring runs along the way.

Receiving stats
No. 84: 45, 24, 10, etc., same as above.

For penalties, I just list the team and keep a running tally/yardage on the back of one of my stats sheet. It takes maybe 10-15 minutes to go back and add everything up that way.

In another notebook, I'll keep a running pxp.

 

[Barsuk]

I have three homemade stat sheets I created in Excel -- one for play-by-play, one for individual stats and one for adding up the box score stuff and scoring plays.

But I'm sort of a looser like that.

 

[GreenSunglasses]

I have three homemade stat sheets I created in Excel -- one for play-by-play, one for individual stats and one for adding up the box score stuff and scoring plays.

But I'm sort of a looser like that.

Does your individual stat sheet compute totals?