You think this could work?

[pressboxramblings07]

My big-time project every year at our shop is to design and lay out our football section (recently upped to 44 pages, broadsheet). A lot of work, but I love doing it.

I've struggled with cover ideas so far, but I thought of one recently that I think could work.

Our cover player will be of an area running back who is the No. 2 running back recruit in the nation (Rivals.com) and No. 10 overall in the nation. He's a stud, to say the least, and is going to Oklahoma.

My idea is to use the cover photo and use it as a Madden or NCAA Football video game cover. I know there are a lot of video game freaks out there, so I'm sure this has been brought up or even used before.

Our staff liked the idea, but I'm worried that this idea has been used way too much before. I haven't found anything online, though.

What do you guys (and gals) think? Should we go for it? If so, what would be the best way to blow up a Madden or NCAA Football cover to the size of a broadsheet page?

 

[Ace]

My big-time project every year at our shop is to design and lay out our football section (recently upped to 44 pages, broadsheet). A lot of work, but I love doing it.

I've struggled with cover ideas so far, but I thought of one recently that I think could work.

Our cover player will be of an area running back who is the No. 2 running back recruit in the nation (Rivals.com) and No. 10 overall in the nation. He's a stud, to say the least, and is going to Oklahoma.

My idea is to use the cover photo and use it as a Madden or NCAA Football video game cover. I know there are a lot of video game freaks out there, so I'm sure this has been brought up or even used before.

Our staff liked the idea, but I'm worried that this idea has been used way too much before. I haven't found anything online, though.

What do you guys (and gals) think? Should we go for it? If so, what would be the best way to blow up a Madden or NCAA Football cover to the size of a broadsheet page?

So why would you do this? Is there a video game for high school kids now?

 

[spnited]

Not only is it a hokey idea... have you considered you might need permission to use the video game cover?

 

[pressboxramblings07]

Sure. The idea is to incorporate the player into the cover. The look of the cover would be the same, but obviously the words would be changed throughout the whole thing (i.e. where it says Madden NFL 07 would be This Area Football 07), etc.

 

[Ace]

I would vote not. I think the players on those video game covers are generic. You'll take the attention away from the kid.

Rather showcase of really nice portrait of the kid than take away from it.

 

[pressboxramblings07]

Cool. Thanks for the suggestions guys. We've got a little while before we start on cover ideas, so we can come up with something.

 

[crusoes]

You know, I like the video game cover idea. I think it would create some buzz. Maybe get people to read the paper. If this kid is that good, you have a chance to do your Big Portrait of him for your player of the year story.

It's a case of making a special section cover stand out. But, I suggest, you make it cover most of the front, with your teases at the side or on the bottom.

 

[boots]

I like the idea. I think the kid you are talking about is Jermie Calhoun. And folks, he is a stud.
Personally, I don't like featuring one kid, even if he is the stud, on the cover of a preseason tab. So many times, the kid never pans out. Not only that, it takes away from other outstanding players. The people in the area already know he's a stud without featuring him on the cover. Give other kids a piece of the glory too.

 

[Ace]

I like the idea. I think the kid you are talking about Jermie Calhoun. And folks, he is a stud.
Personally, I don't like featuring one kid, even if he is the stud, on the cover of a preseason tab. So many times, the kid never pans out. Not only that, it takes away from other outstanding players. The people in the area already know he's a stud without featuring him on the cover. Give other kids a piece of the glory too.

so, boots, you like the idea then list a bunch of reasons why you wouldn't do it. ???

 

[boots]

Yes I do like the idea. It could work. It's cute.
However, I just voiced reservations about doing it.

 

[playthrough]

I like the idea. I think the kid you are talking about Jermie Calhoun. And folks, he is a stud.
Personally, I don't like featuring one kid, even if he is the stud, on the cover of a preseason tab. So many times, the kid never pans out. Not only that, it takes away from other outstanding players. The people in the area already know he's a stud without featuring him on the cover. Give other kids a piece of the glory too.

That sounds a little too parental for me. I've been a part of tabs with one-kid covers and multiple-kid covers that have both been well-received. If there's one dominant player that blows away everyone else, so be it. Run with him. You can still tease to other teams/players with mugshots off the cover.

I like the video game idea. Might be hokey to some folks here, but maybe to these 16-year-olds it will be completely fresh. Reminds me of the football-card theme, which has absolutely been done a zillion times. But to your readers it might be very, very cool if done right.

 

[subhead]

I like the idea.

 

[Football_Bat]

I'm toying the idea of doing a "GENERIC" cover with stencil lettering and a bar code.

 

[princess18whit03]

We did the same thing for my college newspaper. I can definitely work, but you just have to tailor it to the guy. Find a Madden cover that's a portrait maybe? I wouldn't go for a normal cut-out, like him carrying the ball or something. When we did it, our illustrator tried to make it more like NBA Street, where it was very urban and filled with graffiti, kinda drawn in a Boondocks style.
Here's the link: (the bottom left corner has the cover art and you can download the PDF)
http://www.theshorthorn.com/new/archives/2006/fall/111006/basketball/

 

[2underpar]

Sometimes, what we in the industry see as hokey is loved by the readers. And that begs the question, are we here to get props from our colleagues or serve the readers, who probably will love that cover?
I'd say go with the cover, unless your competition did something similar last year. And it sounds pretty obvious to go with No. 2 recruit for your cover.

 

[pressboxramblings07]

I like the idea. I think the kid you are talking about is Jermie Calhoun. And folks, he is a stud.
Personally, I don't like featuring one kid, even if he is the stud, on the cover of a preseason tab. So many times, the kid never pans out. Not only that, it takes away from other outstanding players. The people in the area already know he's a stud without featuring him on the cover. Give other kids a piece of the glory too.

Correct, you are. Calhoun is incredible, and he runs behind a pitiful offensive line.

Starting last year we got two covers with our section, so we have a second cover to showcase other players. We had a one-player cover last year (that I was not a big fan of), but he was chasing Earl Campbell's school rushing record. But the last one before that was of Adrian Peterson, and we all know how he turned out.

 

[Point of Order]

The answer to your question is yes, it could work. Maybe you could throw boxes in there of other prominent players, coaches or teams (like the screen shot windows on the back of a video game cover) to show some love for everyone else. Good luck.

 

[Ace]

My point is not whether it would be hokey or not, but that it's go nothing to do with high school football. If they did have a Podunk Times Blue-Chippers for X-Box 360 and this kid was a running back for it, I'd say go for it.

If this kid is the biggest stud in 50 years, go crazy with him on the cover but instead of making it a video game, maybe think of it as a magazine cover with a great portrait.

I think a story to do would be to talk to coaches and players and ask how you tackle this kid or beat this team.

 

[leo1]

jermie? do his parents know they spelled jeremy wrong?

 

[JD Canon]

modesto bee did this exact same idea a couple years ago.

had a player on the cover. i think it was hilmar QB nathan costa, who's now at oregon. reporter will de board was mugged in the same way madden is on these types of games, and there was an all-de board team.

the cover art was pretty cool. it looked just like a madden game cover.

it got a little too hokey for me when i read one of the inside stories. apparently, someone on staff "created" the best high school teams in the modesto area in the past decade and played them off against each other tournament style in simulation mode to determine the best district high school team of all time or some nonsense.

please don't do that.

but the cover art was very cool. so were several of the other inside features.