Sports Blogging

By Morgana Kennedy

Chapter six discusses blogging. Blogging is a great way to put your work online, and to show future employers that you have writing skills. It is important to find a unique perspective or your own voice.

There are many types of "voices" in blogs. Some bloggers give opinions about teams, leagues and players. Others post more like fans, making excuses for poor plays or calls in a game. According to the book critics argue that many sports blogs are not worth reading.

Despite the negative comments blogs are here to stay. Even ESPN and CBSSports.com regularly glog major league baseball, National Football League, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League games. Colleges have started to get in on the blog phenomenon as well. Some colleges post live updates on  blogs during a game. Some just have recaps.

Blog writing is just starting to evolve. It is similar to sports writing in the early 1920s. Game stories read like short stories. Individual blog posts can vary though. It's important to be balanced. Mix the positive with the negative. Blogs won't be popular if they are mostly negative.

People who write blogs are often careless with their grammar or editing. They write the way they speak, which is O.K. for opinion blogs, but they should still follow AP style and watch for mistakes. It is hard to be viewed as a serious writer if your blog is filled with errors.

Make sure you report what happened during the game. Be sure to credit the sources you get the information from. Deliver quality information.

Blogs are like a sidebar. They are places where sports writers can expand on their game stories, according to the book. Add audio clips, links, and video to make it more interesting. There are no set rules to blogging. The writer just needs to try to capture the audience and keep them coming back.