Sports reporting in simple terms

If you're ever fortunate enough to wander across a newspaper from the early 1900's or earlier, take a look at the sports write-ups, which will most likely be mixed in with all the other news of the day. The writing is often eloquent, if not downright poetic, in how it paints a vivd picture of the game of the day.

Fast-forward to 1980, when ESPN begins broadcasting on a 24/7 schedule. As we began eagerly awaiting the daily doses of our favorite sports anchors, we also began infusing the sports lexicon with a dizzying array of catch-phrases and terminology. Sit down some time with a pen and paper and write down how many different ways you hear a three-point shot in basketball described. You'll hear examples that include three-ball, trey, triple, trifecta, and even "threeeee-kola," borrowed from a cough drop commercial.

My past sports editor in Iowa once gave all of us a list — and a very abbreviated one at that — of terms she would accept to describe a three-point shot. There were two that we were allowed to use.

When it comes down to writing up basketball games for the four different newspapers published by Tri-County Newspapers, it is often a case of describing six or more games that took place on a given night. I find it helps me to attempt using different words to describe the same thing — that way the stories don't get overly repetitious. It is never something I do for "show." Sure, Paul and I know some big words, but part of being a good writer or communicator is knowing when NOT to use them. When the $5 words appear in print, they are there for comedic effect. I can still remember the first time I got to use the term "triskaidekaphobia" (fear of the number 13) in the paper, but it was only because it worked in that rare case — a pitcher had struck out 13 batters, and the game was played on the 13th of a month.

Many television stations have a "wacky" sports reporter, a guy who makes a spectacle out of himself while giving the scores, or who challenges local athletes to silly competitions that have to do with their particular sport. Many are also hoping to make themselves stand out and make them memorable for job openings in larger markets.

I prefer to be the quiet type outside the office. My job is to observe the action taking place, and then print an accurate and hopefully entertaining account of it in the paper. But I would rather what I write reflect what happened on the field or the floor, than be a reflection of myself. Sports reporting should be about the names of the players involved in the action, not about the names of the people who report them.

I know my name already, I'm not out to make a name for myself.

Craig Purcell is sports reporter for Tri-County Newspapers. Contact him at 824-1036 or cpurcell@tcnpress.com