phil-LEE

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/columns/story?columnist=oconnor_ian&id=5917847

The philadelphia phillies came out of no where and stole highly prized free agent Cliff Lee for less years and less money. i thought this column did a pretty good job covering the deal and its detail but all the while kept it very animated. The comparison of lee not coming to ny and it hurting more than lebron i thought was an interesting point from the writer. This column was fun to read and appealing to ny readers.

Three-Game Set Could Be Barometer for Knicks

Posted by: Ramiro Funez

Article URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/sports/basketball/11knicks.html?_r=1&ref=sports

This article, written by Howard Beck, is basically about the Knicks and the future of their upcoming games and how they are playing. I feel that the article was very well-written and focused a lot on the statistics of the team during their season. It was also very good because the wording added a lot of description and imagery to the team and how they are performing.

Yankees..Cliff Lee?

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/New-York-Yankees-make-first-formal-offer-to-free-agent-Cliff-Lee-120810

Article was well written. Felt like the journalist used all the right points on making a well balanced article. Started off with the important at the top and ended it with a simple ..."angels and nationals are among...." Yankees have a definite shot at Lee considering the rangers are the only other competitor for him. The angels might come in and swoop him out you never know.

Don Meredith, Cosell’s Foil, Dies at 72

Posted by: Ramiro S. Funez

Article Link: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/12/06/sports/football/AP-FBN-Obit-Meredith.html?_r=1&ref=sports

This article, written by the Associated Press and published by the New York Times, is basically about Don Meredith and his recent death. It was written in New Mexico and basically described the life and death of the famous football player who received his claim to fame in Dallas, Texas as a player.

I felt that the writer did an excellent job at describing Don Meredith and the different accomplishments that he earned during his career. I also felt that the statistics and points of interest were well presented.Overall, I feel that pieces about death of players are very sensitive topics to write about, but the writer id an excellent job at it.

Jekyll and Hide Giants

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2010/11/27/2010-11-27_banged_up_giants_face_mustwin_game_vs_jacksonville_jaguars_at_meadowlands_sunday.html

This writer basically sums up the Giants season. "Don't know what to expect from them", "best team in NFL" , then back to back losses, turnover losses, starter problems at RB and injury plague. I think it is an absolutely great comparison that is made, Giants must pull trough like the Colts have. The Colts are not in the same exact situation but the comparison is applicable. The writer did a fantastic job in covering all levels of the Giants team, but does not pose a solution because the Giants are a mysterious team.

Auburn Is Seeing Crimson Over Questions and Rivalry

Posted by: Ramiro S. Funez

Article URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/26/sports/ncaafootball/26auburn.html?_r=1&ref=sports

This article, written by Mike Tierney, is basically about the Tigers and Auburn. The article investigated a lot of the statistics and examined the route that teams within the football league were taking.

I feel like the writer did a great job at including a lot of detail, putting many important quotes, and having smooth transitions.

Overall, Tierney demonstrates a strong knowledge of football and is fully dynamic in examining the route that Auburn is taking.

This link is for use in class tomorrow

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2010/11/02/2010-11-02_irish_eyes_open_now_to_mindless_tragedy.html

Try to read this for tomorrow's class

I'd like to discuss this in class tomorrow. I know I'm posting it at the last minute. I've been sick. It's an example of a really good feature -- it won a bunch of awards last year -- and I'd like to talk about how it was done and deconstruct it. Thanks. Professor Barker

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/01/AR2009050104147.html

Lights Not Only Thing Turned Off During Giant Game

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2010/11/14/2010-11-14_cowboys_play_lights_out_to_beat_giants_3320_at_new_meadowlands_stadium_give_jaso.html
I was debating on whether or not to write about the Jets, I found it fitting that this story comes a week after my previous post. The previous coverage on the Cowboys now sits nicely as they completely dominate the G-Men. It was ironic how the lights go out literally in the stadium at a time when there seemed to be no electricity on either side of the ball for the Giants. "We have to get it through our heads that we can't keep making mistakes," and "They went right after us and kind of caught us off guard.": these quotes seem to define the lose in terms of the Giants thought minor flaws could be committed, but they would still win. However, this was not the case Sunday afternoon. I think Vacchiano could have covered the Giants injuries a little better and also make a contrast between the 'Boys first 7 weeks or so of the season and the stats from their last game. This story was a perfect runner up to my last weeks mention of a coaching change and new players in the lineup. I think the writers report on this was probably rather simpple.

Win by Pacquiao Pits Speed Over Size

Posted by Ramiro S. Funez

Article URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/sports/14boxing.html?_r=1&ref=sports

This week's article is basically about Manny Pacquiao, a Filipino boxer who has earned a recent claim to fame for his outstanding boxing skills, and his defeat over Antonio Margarito.

The article was very interestingly written because of the way that the writer described the battle, play-by-play. It was also interesting because of the way it made Manny Pacquiao seem like a god by the way he was punching and hitting his opponent.

Overall, I feel that this article was certainly well-written.

wade phillips finally gone

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=5780262

After weeks of denying that Jerry Jones will fire Coach Wade Phillips mid-season, he finally did it, and thank god. Phillips and the cowboys were embarrassed sunday night to a 45-7 ass whopping from the packers leaving the team with a miserable 1-7 record. Jason Garret will take over as the new interim coach. The writer of this article i thought did a very good job, he incorporated a lot of quotes from Jones and his players while also adding statements from Phillips. He outlined Phillips tenure as a coach and added stats throughout the story. He then went on to cover Garrets background and what he may be able to bring to the club. i thought the story was very well covered and included all the details following the release of Phillips.

nfc east woes

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2010/11/02/2010-11-02_new_york_giants_are_sitting_pretty_as_redskins_eagles_and_cowboys_implode_in_wea.html?page=1
The Giants have not been mentioned in the same breathe as the NFL elite since the Super Bowl victory against the Pats. Now that Ive been hearing they are the best in the NFC, but this article concentrates on the dismal performances of the rest of the division. For example, the NFL genius in Shanahan benches McNabb (these issues "kind of" "sort of" have followed him), the number of reasons, McNabb's possible next venture to the Vikings after Favre "retires", the 'Boys pathetic 1-6 record, Jones looking at Gruden and Cowher, and Vick's rib strength. I don't think it was difficult at all for Myers to write this up for there is so much going on now among the four teams. I don't know, but I think he covers too much here and should narrow it down a little and specify.

Sparky Anderson, Hall of Fame Manager, Dies at 76

Posted by Ramiro S. Funez

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/sports/baseball/05anderson.html?_r=1&ref=sports

I found this article on the New York Times website today and I thought it was really interesting. It basically talked about how Sparky Anderson, a hall of famer who played both in the American and National leagues of baseball. According to the article, he was a really popular guy within the country as he set many records within baseball.

The article was really well-written because it spoke a lot about his background and career as a baseball player. It also offered a lot of statistics on him as a member of the league.

I think that the writer did an excellent job at setting a proper tone for an article that discusses death. Deaths are always a touch subject to write about and they did an excellent job.

AP on Jordan 39 game

This is for class discussion on Nov. 3

Bulls 122, Trail Blazers 89

BYLINE: By BILL BARNARD, AP Basketball Writer

SECTION: Sports News

LENGTH: 699 words

DATELINE: CHICAGO

 Michael Jordan usually can do whatever he chooses on a basketball court. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he chose to be an outside shooter and it killed the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jordan scored a Finals record 35 of his 39 points in the first half and set another record with six 3-pointers in the first two quarters of the Chicago Bulls' 122-89 victory over Portland on Wednesday night.

Jordan, who was just 27 for 100 from 3-point range in the regular season and 5 for 16 in the playoffs, made a shambles of the ballyhooed individual battle with Clyde Drexler, who scored 16 points for the Trail Blazers.

"I was in a zone," Jordan said. "The 3s felt like free throws. I took them and they went in."

The Jordan explosion put the Bulls up as they opened defense of their first NBA championship. Game 2 is scheduled for Chicago on Friday night.

The largest margin of victory in the Finals was Washington's 117-82 win over Seattle on June 4, 1978.

On the eve of the Finals, Jordan compared himself to Drexler, saying the Portland Olympian is a better 3-point shooter "than I choose to be."

Jordan then hit 6 of 9 3-point attempts in the first half, lifting the Bulls to a 66-51 lead.

The 35 points broke Elgin Baylor's 30-year-old Finals halftime record of 33, and the six 3-pointers eclipsed the first-half record of four shared by Michael Cooper, Danny Ainge and Isiah Thomas. Jordan now shares the record for a game with Cooper and Bill Laimbeer.

Any hope that the Trail Blazers might rally in the second half ended early when Jordan's jumper capped a 15-2 spurt at the start of the third period. That gave the Bulls an 81-53 lead that Portland never threatened as Chicago continued to ride the wave of emotion raised by Jordan in the first half.

"This was one game, one game doesn't make the Finals," Jordan said. "We have three games out there."

Jordan left the game with 3:04 left in the third quarter after missing his only 3-point attempt of the third quarter, then returned briefly in the fourth period.

Chicago, hoping to become the third team in six years to win consecutive titles, has now won five straight games in the Finals. They lost the championship series opener to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1991, then won four straight for its first NBA title.

While the 1991 playoffs were a breeze for the Bulls with 15 victories in 17 games, they lost five times in the first three rounds this year. But if Chicago can win Game 2, they will eliminate any chance for the Blazers to take away the NBA title in Portland, where the third, fourth and fifth games are scheduled next week.

Scottie Pippen scored 24 points for the Bulls, who led by as many as 38 points in the third quarter and 39 in the fourth in matching the third-highest margin of victory in the Finals.

Terry Porter finished with 13 points for the Trail Blazers, who were 68 for 169 from 3-point range in their first 15 playoff games.

The Bulls' 29-for-80 3-point shooting in 16 postseason games contrasted sharply with Portland, but Jordan left little doubt Chicago could keep up in a long-range duel.

Porter scored 10 points and the Trail Blazers hit 11 of their first 14 shots, including their first seven, to lead 25-17 with 4:22 left in the first quarter. The Bulls missed 10 of 15 shots in the same span, but Jordan's first 3-pointer and his three-point play prevented Portland from breaking away.

Jordan then started a comeback with two more 3-pointers and two medium-range jumpers before a basket by B.J. Armstrong gave the Bulls their first lead, 29-28. A layup and rebound basket by Horace Grant completed a 16-3 run that gave Chicago a 33-28 advantage before the Blazers finished the quarter trailing 33-30 despite outshooting the Bulls 68.4 percent to 46.2 percent.

Jordan rested for nearly six minutes to start the second period, but it took him just 17 seconds to get it going again with a jumper. He scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers, in the final 6:17 of the quarter, keying a 19-6 spurt that gave the Bulls a 66-51 lead at halftime.

After his sixth 3-pointer of the half, Jordan turned to Magic Johnson at the NBC broadcasting booth and gave him a "What can I say?" shrug.

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

Copyright 1992 Associated Press

All Rights Reserved

Boston Globe story on Jordan 39 game

This is for class discussion on Nov. 3

 

Blazers hammered

BYLINE: By Peter May, Globe Staff

SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. 37

LENGTH: 765 words

DATELINE: CHICAGO

Michael Jordan unveiled another dimension to his game last night, which is roughly akin to Saudi Arabia discovering gold under all its oil wells. The Bulls franchise destroyed the Trail Blazers in a rain of 3-pointers and led Chicago to a 122-89 rout in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Jordan made six treys, tying the record for the Finals, and established a record for most attempts (10). All of the treys came in an astonishing 35-point first half - also an NBA Finals record - as the Bulls totally dominated after a sluggish beginning. Chicago turned the opener of the best-of-seven series into a turn-the-channel special by outscoring the Blazers, 38-17, in the third quarter and had the lead to as many as 39 in the fourth.

Jordan finished with 39 points, though he was content to play observer/feeder in the second half, registering 9 of his 11 assists. Scottie Pippen came within a rebound of a triple-double (24 points, 10 assists, 9 boards).

"We got a lot of work to do" before Game 2 tomorrow night, admitted Clyde Drexler, who finished with 16. "We got to play better defense, rebound better and take better care of the ball."

Of all the moves and countermoves in the Blazers' Situation Room before the game, few could have envisioned Jordan's reign of terror from international waters. Entering the game, he had taken only 16 treys in the previous 16 playoff games. And made only five. It wasn't like there was a Michael Adams clone inside him begging to blossom. He just never considered them.

Last night he did more than that. He made them. He had knocked down three in the first quarter, while scoring 18, as the Bulls spotted the Blazers an early 8-point lead. Portland had come out flying, making its first seven shots. Then the starters got into foul trouble and the game started to turn.

The Blazers had to figure it was going to be a long night when, after one, they trailed, 33-30, despite shooting 68 percent from the field. But turnovers killed them (they had seven of their 21 in the quarter) and Jordan led a 16-3 run at quarter's end to give Chicago the lead for good.

In the second, however, was when Jordan really got going. The Bulls led, 45-44, when he reentered the game and things began to happen. To say Jordan had something to do with the turnaround is to say that IBM has a mild influence on the computer biz.

Before the game, he had given Drexler the edge in treys, but only grudgingly. "Clyde is a better 3-point shooter than I choose to be," he said. Now, with the game close, Jordan exploded. He made three more treys as the Bulls erupted for a 19-2 run. The lead was up to 19. Danny Ainge, who was on the Celtics when Jordan hit them up for 63, must have thought he was having flashbacks.

"I was just very relaxed," Jordan said. "I wasn't looking to shoot them, but they left me alone and I really felt comfortable at that distance, so I started firing away. Shots started falling from everywhere. It was like shooting free throws.

Drexler, meanwhile, had no defense for his defense. He said none was needed.

"I hope he takes the same shots in Game 2," Drexler said. "Those are the ones you want him to take. He takes those and you think you're playing good defense. But he made them. You got to give him credit."

The explosion gave the Bulls a 66-51 halftime lead. Jordan's 35 had surpassed the 33 Elgin Baylor scored against the Celtics in the 1962 Finals. Jordan's 63-point game seemed within reach. Technically, of course, Portland still was not out of it. A few minutes into the third, however, the Blazers would shift to Game 2 in their minds while still going through the motions in Game 1.

Chicago opened the third with a 15-2 run, building the lead to 28, and ending any semblance of competition for the rest of the evening. Pippen took over the scoring load, tossing in 16. Portland coach Rick Adelman said, simply, "Offensively, in the third quarter, we were terrible." Gee, coach, is that what 5-for-21 shooting means?

Chicago, by contrast, was doing everything right. They got the loose balls, the rebounds, the easy baskets, and soon were responsible for emptying the Stadium. Chicago scored 34 points off the Portland turnovers, had a 44-38 rebounding advantage, and shot 55 percent to the Blazers' 44 percent.

"I think our quickness and anticipation was a little bit better than theirs," coach Phil Jackson said.

That was a diplomatic way of stating the obvious. Adelman was more direct.

"A lot of times," he said, "the second game is totally different from the first. For our sake, it had better be different."

LOAD-DATE: June 5, 1992

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

GRAPHIC: PHOTO

Copyright 1992 Globe Newspaper Company

Everything but a Dominating Win by the Heat.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/2010/10/31/2010-10-31_lebron_james_scores_20_points_as_miami_heat_roll_new_jersey_nets_10178.html
Bondy continued through the article with what is oppossed to the "greatness" of the Heat. For example, calling them "villians", ability to deflate spectators, posing James new thoughts on "The Decision", the Nike ad, his and Bosh's possibility of ending up on the Nets, and a good quarter of it dealt with how bad the Nets are. The only parts that came close to how good the Heat are was the graph describing the domination of the Nets and in a quote by James "everyone wants to dethrone us," -- where one can inffer his thoughts on their level of awesomeness. Breaking from an article of describing their third straight win following a maybe simple season opening lose to Boston and their largest point differential so far aside from a win agains the Magic, Bundy did something very different and I think went through a lot to get some information.

Done Dallas

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/sports/pro/football&id=7745684

What i liked about this guys article is that he focused on the big picture in the beginning. The Cowboys losing Tony Romo. I also like the fact that he continued on with detail about the situation. What I didnt like was the play by play analysis. You don't necessarily need this to me, its just like your filling in space.

As for the Dallas....its time to look for a plan in the offseason. Romo's not the man. Jones should know that by now.

Cliff Lee's wife says Yankees fans taunted...

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2010/10/26/2010-10-26_cliff_lees_wife_says_yankees_fans_taunted_threw_beer_at_her_during_alcs_in_bronx.html

This article just foreshadows how often Cliff Lee will be in New York papers this offseason until he eventually signs with somebody. The World Series is about to start Wednesday and the NY Daily News finds in necessary to publish an article dealing with Cliff Lee's decision next year and how actions that indirectly affected Lee's wife will sway his decision. Don't you think Lee has other things on his mind at the moment? Just because the season is over for the Yankees right now doesn't mean baseball has ended. I don't think I've ever seen a scenario, before this one, where a player is being asked about his decision next year when he's about to start the World Series. This is ridiculous to me.

Brock Not a Lock as Long Time Champ

http://www.startribune.com/sports/105614173.html
The story can be shortened to simply a couple words, " [Cain] reduced him to a cowering defensive posture for the second half of their brief fight." It was a little surprising how Beacham wrote the story. Considering the write up is from the StarTribune out of Minnesota, where Lesnar was born an bread. The story mostly covered the domination of Cain and no positives for Lesnar other than he was considered a monster before the fight. Beacham basically says the only thing that had a chance of allowing Cain to lose was his nerves. Hence, I feel there is a lot said here that makes Cain better than he really is considering the fight only lasted a round. Brock may have been a little unprepared for a fighter he grealty outwieghted. Anyway, other than the fight I thought it probably was rather simple to write it up since Cain and others we probably more than willing to answer questions and talk about how he toppled a beast of a man.

A Maturing Talent to Go With a Mature Spirit

Posted by Ramiro S. Funez

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/sports/soccer/21iht-SOCCER.html?ref=soccer


This article is about a soccer player named Jack Wilshere and his contributions to the team of Arsenal from England. It's an interesting article because it discusses his current skill and play within the British league. The writer of the article did an excellent job at providing a lot of information about the team, the player, and the league of soccer that he is in. Maybe in the future, the writer can steer clear of editorializing.

Professor Barker cancels class for Wednesday Oct. 20

Hi guys -- I sent you all an email, but I'm also going to post this here too. I just found out I have to be at Yankee Stadium tomorrow at noon. This means we will not be having class. I will see you all on Oct. 27. We will be doing our running game story on this day. St. John game stories are also do that day. Please email me any questions. Sorry for the last-minute notice. See you in a week.

magic should buy the dodgers

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/columns/story?id=5701146

most recently Magic Johnson (the greatest to ever step on the bball court) has sold his share of the Lakers. A move considered strictly on a business perspective since he plans to still stay with the team as an adviser. This column entertains the idea that magic should buy the dodgers who have been problemed with the ridiculous divorce case between owner(s) frank and jaimie McCourt. I thought this was an interesting piece in how the writer approached the possibility. Early on he mentions the possibility of him buying the pistons but is quick to write that his agent has put down any speculation of him doing so and follows the idea of him becoming a majority owner of the lakers but mentions that Jerry Buss would rather pass the team down to his "kids". he finishes the column by writing of magic's business enterprise and how he would be able to bring forth a more thriving business around it and be able to bring the dodger's more success than the fucking mccourts. i wouldve never seen magic being an owner of the dodgers but with the way the writer describes the possibility the more intrigued i am with it. i would love for magic to buy the team and i believe he will be a great owner. "Think of the cultural significance: Johnson could become the first black owner in Major League Baseball of the team that had the first black player." i hope magic has read this column, is entertaining the idea, and is gonna make it happen.

New Faces, but No Big Men for Knicks

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2010/10/16/2010-10-16_knicks_go_small_lose_to_celtics_in_hartford_despite_efforts_of_danilo_gallinari_.html

The article analyzes the recent Knicks loss against Boston. Bondy looked at the fact that, without Amr'e, D'Antoni has to REALLY experiment to just hang with the teams that have more than average big men. For example, Dallas, Miami, and Lakers's Bynum, Odom, Gasol 'nough said. Newly acquired Mozgov is a monstrous man, but is yet to know how to use his size in the NBA. He fouled out after 20 minutes. Nonetheless, this offense may look a lot like the Suns offense of a couple years ago with or/and without Amar'e. Anyway, I think it must have been difficult for Bondy to write anything about what the Knicks are thinking to do in order to win games, not to mention a legit use of Amar'e and Chandler and D'Antoni's willingness to roll with a rotation that may be changed and reviewed until January if it doesn't work. I don't know why coach would put all that out there in the first place!

Power Rangers

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Rangers-eliminate-Rays-to-take-first-ever-postseason-series-victory-101210

Looks as though the yankees have company in the ALCS and it involves some rangers in texas. The texas rangers accomplished their first postseason advancement by finishing off the rays in the final game of the ALDS. Cliff Lee looks well...like a beast. I cant put it any other way when the guy has at least 10 strikeouts in every one of his postseason starts.

What I really liked about this article is that his sole topic was about Cliff Lee...and the game was all about him. He did a good job in regards to the way he structured his piece in which he started off with Lee instead of talking about the rangers in particular. Lee was the reason the rangers advanced ..when you see an article that knows what made his team advance or do something great thats when you know youve got yourself a story.

Rangers in the Playoffs

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2010/10/12/2010-10-12_rangers_and_ace_pitcher_cliff_lee_eliminate_rays_with_51_win_advance_to_face_yan.html

This article is by Roger Rubin of the NY Daily News. It discusses how the Texas Rangers will be facing the New York Yankees in the ALCS. Rubin took the direction of focusing on Cliff Lee in the article and talks about how the Yankees were potentially going to acquire him in a trade earlier in the season but did not. The focus of the article remains all Lee throughout and compares how the Yankees have done against him and the Rangers all season to give fans a preview of how the series may play out. I know this is a New York paper and fans want to read something that talks about the Yankees in it, but I thought the article could have focused a little more on the Rangers and how they got to the ALCS rather than comparing them to the Yankees. Rubin chose to use quotes from Lee about how he can't wait to face the Yankees and even mentioned how the Rays fans chanted "Beat the Yankees" as Texas celebrated. Again, I know he's writing for a New York paper and did a good job on the direction he chose for the article, but focus a little more on the Rangers rather than the god-like Yankees and how they have such an advantage in the series.

mets begin interviews for gm

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5674808

Allard Baird was the first of few to be interviewed for the recently vacant gm position for the mets. Whitesox and Diamondbacks gm Rick Hahn and Josh Byrnes are set to interview later throughout this week and with dodgers assistant gm logan white on friday. i thought the writer of this story focuses more on the possible gm canidates to be interviewed later rather than Baird, especially focusing in on Hahn. otherwise i thought the story was decently written considering the writer gave a brief bio of each individual.

Cherundolo, U.S. Defender, Has No Plans to Retire

Posted by Ramiro S. Funez

Article URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/sports/soccer/05goal.html?_r=1&ref=soccer

This week's article is about an American soccer player named Steve Cherundolo. It basically discusses his career as a 31-year-old player and questions whether or not he would ever consider retiring. The article is extremely well-written and mentions a lot of key aspects in relation to the life of a soccer player. Usually, soccer players retire around their early to mid thirties. A great part of the article is that it includes a lot of background on other international players who have retired at early ages. Another great aspect of the article is that it includes a lot of great quotes.

Moss Back On Board

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nfl/news/story?id=5653186

The Randy Moss reunition with the Vikings is complete. What do I think of this move? Well for one, hes going to get a lot more fantasy points for me knowing Favre will only throw to him. I like it though. It sends a disgruntled WR to a Vikings offense that has been abismal so far this season. I like how the AP started off this article. Really drew me in. I also like the fact that the writer included what Moss had said earlier in the season about how he didnt feel wanted which makes me believe the AP conducted a timeline. Like Like Like, the story behind his "not wantingness" feeling in New England. The Bill Belichick relationship, Tom Brady relationship. The AP went all around the situation before publishing this.

seatle gets marshawn

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5651832

The bills traded running back Marshawn Lynch for a 2011 fourth-round pick and a 2012 conditional pick to the seahawks. I think this was a good move for seatle and I think its even more interesting that Lynch and fellow college team mate Justin Forsett are coming back together. i remember watching the 2 in college and they worked well together. the writer of the blog does a good job accurately displaying all the facts and mentions interesting details of the deal. i did notice though, that by the way he was writing he seamed pleased with what seatle is getting for the trade. the only downside to the piece was that the writer did not mention if any other teams like the packers (uigly situation) were interested in picking up lynch.

Not All Rainbows and Sun for the Jets

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2010/10/rex-ryan-not-sure-about-darrel.html

Mehta takes a different appproach in covering the Jets and focuses on the woes at cornerback and Revis' setback. The Jets may be without him for the next couple weeks. Rex explains he didn't even know Revis was hurting that much during the last game, I don't think I've ever heard a coach say that about a player, and it is critical the writer got that in with this coach whose on his "high horse". Rex played Revis on Harvin too, unaware of the issue, because he was even more of a threat than Moss. Rex said, “If he was sore during the course of the game, I certainly didn’t know that… I hope he’s not hurt." I think it was difficult to write this story in that these are times of great praise for the Jets.

"Real Deal" Jets?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2010/10/04/2010-10-04_tomlinson_answers_ageold_question_its_still_rush_hour.html

This story does a lot of things. There is a lot to critique. I believe LT ran well because it was the Bills defense. . .THE BILLS! This fact is not even mentioned until later on in the story. Also, Smith claims Sanchez was flawless the past two weeks, again, a young Patriots secondary and the Bills defense is not stated. I also think, in relation to the signing of LT, the mentioning of Brian Schottenheimer as an influence was late since they both were in San Diego. Finally, there is an unnecessary glorification of LT in light that Shonn Greene had just as good a day and he is mentioned much later on. There are a lot of assumptions here and I don't think LT is the main focus of the Jets offense. . . yet. I really don't think this story could have been too difficult to write and include quotes and such since the Jets are willing to talk and talk and talk.

Miami Heat First Practice

The Paper champion Miami Heat held their first practice of training camp Tuesday as sited in an Associated Press article on ESPN.com. Miami decided to hold the practice at an Air Force base in Florida. Personally I can not wait for this NBA season to begin. It is the most anticipated season in any of the major sports that I can remember thus far in my lifetime. I am eager to see if this team comprised of 3 all-stars and a few spare parts can gel not only their egos, but also their talents. It seems like it is a foregone conclusion to everyone in the media that Lebron James and Dwayne Wade's game's will both work together without a hitch (See 2004 Lakers vs. Pistons). Granted with that much talent on one team it is likely that they'll figure it out for at a minimum a long playoff run. But there's more to winning in the NBA then just collecting a few all-stars especially when the top 2 have very similar styles of play. At some point, there will be a crossroads for this Miami Heat team. There will be a situation that calls for an "alpha dog" to step up and take charge. This is a key moment that occurs for nearly every championship team. When that moment comes, there are a few possible scenarios that may be played out. Dwayne Wade steps up, taking ownership of the team he's already led to a championship, and Lebron accepts it. Or, Lebron could step up being that he is widely regarded as the best player in the league (Durant supporters check back in about 5 months and I'll edit that), and Wade will accept taking the "Robin" role to Lebron's Batman. Whichever of these scenarios plays out, it would probably be positive for the team as a whole. The trouble could come if these two both attempt to be alpha dogs, and neither backs down. Kobe and Shaq could attest to this being a troublesome dynamic. This Heat team should be many things, the most of which will be interesting. It has always been my belief that teams win, not a collection of all-stars, but I may be swimming upstream come June 2011.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/trainingcamp10/news/story?id=5626101

Yankee Yacker

http://www.mvpgotham.com/mlb/968-yankees-clinch-playoff-berth.html

To see the yankees clinch a playoff berth to me is ..well...relieving. How they won the game is what makes me have beef. Not one hit with runners in scoring position. All sacrifices or blunders by the Blue Jays that put the Yanks in the postseason. They have looked anything but a World Series contender down the stretch with their collapsing pitching staff overall including the bullpen. And their lack of hitting the god damn baseball. You almost see every game now where the yankees will be down o i dont know 6 runs and curtis granderson hits a solo shot. Followed by a solo shot by cano. Even the great Mariano Rivera cant seem to close things out without having me bite my shirt to cope with the anxiety he puts on us yankee fans. They cant keep beating up on the twins each postseason. If they dont steal home field advantage, beware minnesOHda.

Carmello Not Going to the Nets

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/2010/09/28/2010-09-28_carmelo_anthony_trade_likely_to_happen_or_die_wednesday_as_new_jersey_nets_nugge.html

After all the attempted hype Mikhail Prokhorov put into the Nets this offsesason by making outlandish claims or NBA, reality is starting to set in. Mello isn't going to the Nets and the Nets have nobody to blame but themselves. They didn't want to give up the players necessary to get Mello in town and they lost out. This article does a great job of detailing what needed to be done for the trade to happen and what did not get done. It also gives insight with quotes from Mello stating how he is staying in Denver "at least for now." It was written well and provides all the information the reader would want to know in the article.

Former World Cup Referee Arrested in NYC

Posted By:
Ramiro S. Funez


Article URL:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/09/21/sports/soccer/AP-SOC-Referee-Byron-Moreno-Arrest.html?_r=1&ref=soccer


Response:

This article, published by the Associated Press and displayed on the New York Times website, is basically about a famous referee named Byron Moreno who was arrested for possessing heroin.

Although the article focused more on sports news and didn't mention any games or tournaments, it was excellently written and provided a lot of straight facts that were direct and objective.

The writer of the article gave a lot of background on the referee and described the scene of the crime perfectly. The writer also have some good scenery and imagery of previous games that the referee participated in.

Overall, the reporter did an excellent job and was very objective.

where are the fans

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5625055

Tampa is on the verge of clinching and had the chance monday night but only in front of a small attendance of 12,446 fans! For a team that has been good as it is I can relate to the frustrations and disappointment Evan Longoria is expressing. In any other city like new york the stadiums would have been packed. i thought Olney did a good job writing the article covering Longoria's point of view and highlighting facts that certain key players wont be returning next year because of payroll cuts, which would hopefully make the tampa fans more aware of how disheartning it can be for thier hometown team. I noticed that piece incorporated a lot of good quotes

Mir is Back

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Mir-Knee-KOs-Cro-Cop-at-UFC-119-27115 : I am primarily going to talk about the main event of theUFC 119. Reason being because the main event really did not live up to the hype except for the last seconds of the fight, the crowd got restless, it might mark the end of Cro Cop's career and might set Mir up for a title shot with Lesnar if he wins one or two more fights. The story is centered on Mir knocking out veteran Pride fighter Cro Cop with just 58 seconds left in the fight . Mir capitalized on a knee strike with punches and resulted in a referee stoppage. I am guessing Knapp was at the fight and I find it would be difficult to write about mma fights in part due to the fast paced action, maybe gathering notes between rounds.

Reggie Bush Injury

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/2010/09/21/2010-09-21_reggie_bush_injury_latest_blow_for_new_orleans_saints_rb_after_losing_heisman_tr.html

I absolutely love the irony in this article. Reggie Bush just returned his Heisman Trophy that he won in 2005 with USC and in the following game he breaks his leg (awfully hard to make that Heisman pose now). James Parziale tied in the broken leg to the Heisman Trophy resignation right at the beginning of the article. He then went on to mention how USC is facing major sanctions and seems to be trying to influence the reading audience to think that Bush almost deserves to break his leg as punishment. It's always talked about whenever the NCAA comes down on a school because 95% of the time the players or coaches that were the cause of the sanctions are no longer attending the school. The person which causes the school years of sanctions faces no consequences for what he has done (John Calipari). I love the timing and direction of this article

Jet Check?

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/dolphins/braylon-edwards-dwi-arrest-makes-his-status-for-930193.html

Once again, the Jets seem to find themselves in the tabloids. For all the wrong reasons.

WR Braylon Edwards, who showed his sportsmanship by taunting the cornerback who was 5 feet shorter than he was for the patriots in last sundays game, was arrested for DWI. In which he blew a .16 why driving in manhattan.

I dont know about you. BUT I AM SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THE JETS. Not because they are this super team that everyone keeps talking about how their a legitimate super bowl team. But because they always seem to find themselves in the middle of trouble.

Sure, lets trade for a guy who already has a 4 game suspension to start the season off. 'Hard Knock' lifestyle. If the Wide Receivers coach would have thrown the ball to the Wide Receivers. Hence Wide Receivers coach. Then they wouldnt have Ines Sainz up there ass. Sans ..Miss. Universe. No pun intended haha.

This so called superbowl team sure isnt acting like it. Talk all the shit in the world and they end up digging themselves in deeper sheeet.

Again, Not trying to give them a 'hard knock' on the head. But seriously, if you want to be considered a super bowl team. Then at least act like a super bowl team. Not getting on there play. Just their stupidity by the way they carry out themselves.

But what do i know im just a raiders fan haha

Cost of Injuries

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/sports/football/22vecsey.html?ref=sports

Most of the story is centered on the opinion of Representative George Miller, Democrat of California, the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. For example, his opinion on the high level of injuries in the NFL so far, the change in concern for players and trainers tending to those injuries(concussions, etc..). He is serious about his facts as he has played football and so have his children. He addresses saftey of players in realtion to the cost of that safety and why it is even an issue. Hence, the writing process for Vecsey must have been difficult because he is addressing specifically the p.o.v. of Miller and the accuracy should be on point! It is a very delicate topic. Also, Vecsey must have gone through a fair amount of trouble just to get the ideas of a committee member.

The Jets = Charlie Brown Complex

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/columns/story?columnist=cimini_rich&id=5600153

I think Rich Cimini takes an interesting view of the Braylon Edwards incident, but hits it right on the head with this article nonetheless. He compares the Jets to the cast of "Animal House" in the way they have carried themselves throughout this summer and into the start of the season. He dates back to the Superbowl when Rex Ryan was caught flipping off Dolphins fans, all the way up to Braylon Edwards' DWI.

The article made me think of Charlie Brown, who seemed to solve every problem, just in time for the next episode to begin with a new problem. The 2010-11 Jets seem to have the same problem. The difference - Charlie Brown did nothing to deserve his problems. The Jets on the other hand, have caused all of their problems by developing the rock star mentality that the team has today.

What're your thoughts? Do the Jets just have bad luck like Chuck, or did they cause all of this? Keep in mind that the only Superbowl the Jets ever won came with the biggest playboy football has ever seen calling the plays - Joe Namath.

BURRESS

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2010/09/19/2010-09-19_plaxico_talks_about_life_behind_bars.html

I thought this was a great feature on Plaxico Burress and how he is holding up in jail. Burress was sentenced to 2 years on felony gun possession a charge that I still deem as being too harsh. Since then he has applied for work-release twice but both times denied. It was interesting also that the story mentioned that half of the 400 public prosecutors believed that there should have been no jail time. The writer also mentioned Burress's conversations with his son and him moping the floor making the readers feel sympathetic and engaged in the story. It was nice to read that giants qb coach mike sullivan, brandon jacobs, and both former and current gm's were still in contact with Burress. I thought the feature was very well written and made me feel bad for the guy but also look forward to his return.

A Long Flight Takes Fight Out of Barcelona

Posted by Ramiro S. Funez

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/sports/soccer/13iht-SOCCER.html?_r=1&ref=soccer

The above article, found in the New York Times, was written by Rob Hughes and discusses a recent loss by F.C. Barcelona (a club soccer team in Barcelona, Spain-often regarded as the best club team in the world).

The red and blue striped Iberian giants played against Hércules Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. (a first division team that is just beginning to make a name for itself). The resulting score of the game was 2-0.

The game was definitely newsworthy and surprising for fans of soccer from Spain because Barcelona is infamous for having one of the best squads in the world, while Hércules Club de Fútbol has just recently been beefing up its squad of random international players.

After reading the article, I felt that the reporter did a relatively good job at reporting the story. He certainly included a lot of details, facts, and background on both teams. He also didn't seem too biased throughout his story.

Overall, the article was very well written and had a lot of professional aspects of sports journalism.

Brian Schotenheimer and the news

Now two mornings after the Jets week 1 loss, I am uncertain why the media has not covered this more specifically. After watching the game, it is clear to any football fan that the Jets were very conservative in their play call. I was very surprised the last two days that the news has not brought up this issue of the Jets "hiding" Mark Sanchez or being reluctant to let him throw the ball down the field. Anyone have any thoughts on why the media has overlooked this story that had a lot to do with the Jets' offensive struggles Monday night?

A Tamer Tiger

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/09/08/2010-09-08_roger_federer_ascends_to_omnipresence_in_endorsements_as_tiger_woods_falls_from_.html

This column has an interesting take on the public view of Roger Federer now as compared to before the Tiger Woods incident. Before November Tiger Woods and Roger Federer were both looked at as near Gods in their respective sport by fans. Not only did each player dominate their sport, but neither athlete had any previous personal troubles outside of the sport. Both athletes were as close to perfect as anybody can be. Such is not the case anymore and this Filip Bondy is stating that Roger Federer has full advantage now. He now stands alone as the only athlete to be so dominant and not give in to the temptations the world has to offer him (at least that we know of; which is all that matters). The timing of this column comes on the day that Roger Federer will face Robin Soderling (a recently challenging opponent for Federer) in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. Bondy is showing how the public eye is on Federer and whether you like him or you hate him, people are relying on him to maintain their hope that there is a clean, perfect, and scandal free dominant athlete in this world. The man has already won 16 majors, nobody will care if he wins another. They just want him to stay clean.

Heisman Trophy Issues

I think it is rather harsh to ban a school from two years of bowl games, cutting football scholarships, and firing the athletic director Mike Garrett for the behavior of one player. I don’t see what these lavish gift and returning them would have any relevance to his performance on the field and the Heisman, this is not in the realm of tarnishing the trophy in my opinion. I do understand U.S.C.’s decision to remove all relating to Bush on the campus, that’s their move. Also the notes on Carroll and his departure to the Seahawks in order to jus leave the school is ridiculous. Even worse is the suggestion that, “The N.C.A.A. should make sure Carroll doesn’t get another college coaching job for seven years, a year for each major violation Southern California was found to have committed.” Why are specific people like Carroll and Garrett the targets?

Hard Knocks

This season of 'Hard Knocks' wraps up tonight with the fifth episode of HBO's probe into the Jets off-season, training camp, and preseason. When I found out the Jets would be the subject of 2010's installment of the show which has featured the Dallas Cowboys, and Cincinnati Bengals in previous years, I was excited to get a closer look at a team creating more buzz than any in recent memory who hadn't won the Super Bowl the previous year (maybe the most ever for a team coming off a 9 win season). Rich Cimini wrote an article for ESPNNewyork.com today detailing the top moments of the first four episodes, and speculating on what could be in store for tonight. As a person who has followed the team very closely for the better part of the last decade, the show hasn't provided what I thought it would. It has feels like my dirty laundry has been aired for the whole country to see. I expected to be given an in depth look at a title contending team with more practice footage, more film study, and overall more football. What it has done is create a bulls-eye big enough to cover Rex Ryan's back and his mouth. Every episode seems to be spotlighting some scenario or situation that will be blown out of proportion the following day by the 'cherry picking' likes of Mike Francesa and the rest of the national media. From Rex's foul mouth, to Jason Taylor's punctuality, it seems that a large chunk of each hour long block has been taken up by a story intended on embarrassing the Jets. Cimini references in his article a scene from one episode in which cornerback Antonio Cromartie is asked to name his eight children and seemingly struggles in doing so. Cromartie claims that he was asked to re-shoot the scene the way it aired to intentionally make it look like he was struggling. Some thoughts that will probably emerge from the five week circus that was Hard Knocks will likely be, Rex Ryan is too simple minded to curse less than once a sentence, Mark Sanchez is immature and not ready to be the quarterback on a contender (and is nicknamed "Nacho" by Bart Scott), the Revis holdout was some sort of ratings hoax, and that the Jets are eventually going to have their smug smiles and brash cockiness jammed down their throats at some point this season. Every opposing player who has seen the show is undoubtedly waiting to get a piece of the team with the biggest mouth in the league. Where was all the football?

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/1586/hard-knocks-a-look-back-a-look-ahead

Spain Suffers Its First Loss Since Winning the World Cup

Posted By: Ramiro S. Funez

Link To Original Story: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/09/07/sports/soccer/AP-SOC-Spain-Argentina.html?_r=1&ref=soccer

Argentina's national men's soccer team defeated Spain, this summer's FIFA 2010 World Cup Champion, yesterday with a grueling 4-1 result.

The Iberian champions, currently ranked number one in the world, lost to the South American soccer giants in Buenos Aires.

I believe that this article was very well written and perfectly captured the essence of the game in an informative way.

The article, published by the Associated Press, took an interesting angle by introducing a new coaching administration within Argentina's soccer federation, who was formerly delegated by soccer star Diego Maradona.

However, after reading the article, it seemed as if the writer favored Argentina's victory because of the way that they described the win.

Towards the end of the article, I liked the way that the writer gave a back story to both of the teams. They mentioned that Spain "had not allowed four goals since a 4-1 exhibition defeat at Germany in August 2000."

They also wrote, "It was the second victory for interim coach Sergio Batista, who took over after Diego Maradona was let go following a 4-0 loss to Germany in this year's World Cup quarterfinals. Argentina defeated Ireland 1-0 in an exhibition last month."

In terms of providing facts and information, the writer did an excellent job. However, I still felt that he kind of favored Spain's loss because of the way that he described the goals scored.

Bush should give the Heisman back

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/sports/ncaafootball/08rhoden.html?_r=1&ref=sports

The story of Reggie Bush possibly having the Heisman revoked from him from the 2005 season has been making recent headlines. I chose this story because I noticed yesterday that there have been many reports stating that it will be taken away but according to the Downtown athletic club president Jim Corcoran these reports are premature. "Everyone is writing all of this stuff, I don't know where they're getting it." At this point it seems there have been no absolute decision to take the award from him. With some speculating Bush should avoid the embarrassment and give it back himself. Bush and USC had already been condemned for ineligibility by the N.C.A.A during the 20005 season for accepting lavish gifts form 2 sports marketers. USC has cut ties with Bush removing all references of him throughout the school. The reporters that broke the story Bush will have his Heisman stripped will most likely face some scrutiny for having post false information.

Obama calls for $50B in infrastructure spending

Posted by Ramiro S. Funez

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/obama_calls_for_in_infrastructure_dqtK3Vx0607eILDsyThtoM

Note: Although this is not a sports-related article, it is still something that has been receiving a lot of attention from the media and is important nonetheless.

Above is an article that I was able to find on the New York Post website. The article is basically about how President Obama wants to stimulate the economy by investing in transportation companies that will develop more advanced infrastructures of technology and construction. According to the article, the plan would require congressional approval that is seen as unlikely because of it's cost. Personally, I feel that President Obama is being lobbied and manipulated by many of these transportation and roadway companies who favor trickle-down economic systems and poise this stimulus plan as a something that would "create jobs" and "help our communities" when all they are really concerned about is getting federal support to expand and continue their profit-based agendas. In return, President Obama must cater to these companies in order to satisfy the needs of large companies that have a lot of socioeconomic power. The article, attributed to the Associated Press, presents a fairly balanced standpoint and is relatively objective. However, there weren't as many quotes as I would have liked to seen.

Matt Leinart release

There are a couple of things that I noticed in the recent article about the release of Matt Leinart. I believe there is a flaw in the lede, Judy Battista assumes that Leinart would have probably went number one if he left college a year early. There could be an argument on the side that it might have been difficult since the other top QB and first pick was Alex Smith. It also depends on the team with the number one pick as well. She also mentions that Leinart wanted to be a starter if traded, which I was not aware of until now. Making this public was a bad idea for Leinart because if he is not talented enough to be a starter with WR Fitzgerald, WR Breaston, RB Wells, RB Hightower and a decent offensive line, how are other coaches and owners going to feel about him with a lesser caliber team? Also, most teams have their starting QB in place. However, I found it gracious on his part to thank the Bidwell family. It was also right on Coach Whisenhunt's part to say Matt Leinart made progress and a "fresh start" would benefit him more than an Arizona backup role.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/sports/football/05nfl.html?ref=sports

Welcome to the class blog

As part of our sports reporting class, students are required to contribute to this blog on a regular basis throughout the semester.

Students will be expected to post one new entry each week. The entry will have to do with a story from a New York area newspaper/website -- NY Post, NY Daily News, NY Times, Newsday, ESPN New York -- that has caught your interest. Your post should be about 200 words, and you can focus it however you want.

 Perhaps you'll give an opinion on the subject. Or perhaps you'll discuss the reporting that was involved in the story. Or perhaps you will talk about what you would have done differently. Your goal is to make your post interesting and thought-provoking. Make sure to include a link to the story.

In addition to doing one new entry a week, students must also comment on AT LEAST two recent entries from other students.

This assignment will account for 10 percent of your final grade.