Reading Questions: Sports in Literature (Planning work for game story)
Have reading notes for questions below in your notebook.  Note key passages to support your ideas (page numbers and paragraphs)
Add your own ideas and thoughts too.

Be sure to read the author headnotes.  See the stat links at the bottom of the page.  You can also look at (you don't have to answer these) the questions at the end of the reading.

"johnson is everywhere, leaving his critics to gape"
  1. What types of information does this piece blend together?  How would you describe the writing?
  2. What does Rhoden mean in his conclusion when he says that Johnson "is an angular, indomitable presence who has often been crowded by scrutiny and critics"?
  3. Analyze the two paragraphs of game summary on page 98.
  4. What is the organizational strategy of this feature?
"ace teenage sportscribe"
  1. What was it like being a teenage sports reporter in high school in the 1940s?  Find examples from this piece to illustrate your thoughts.  Are there similarities to high school today?
  2. Respond to question #2 on page 283.
"great day for baseball in the 90s"
  1. Analyze the function/effects of the first five paragraphs.
  2. Why do we as fans identify with Ripken's achievement.  Why do we still see baseball as a relevant sport?  (Or don't we?)
  3. What types of information does this piece blend together?  How would you describe the writing?
  4. This feature was written for the New York Times.  How can you tell?
"you don't imitate michael jordan"

         1.   Why don't you imitate Michael Jordan?
         2.   Evaluate the writing here--Quality? Style? Language? Tone?

"THIS SKATER CHOOSES TO COME HOME, OF ALL THINGS"

        
1.  What does this feature reveal about Sarah Hughes?  How does it help us understand her as a person and a athlete?
         2.  What does this feature reveal about sports--about dedication, sacrifices, and family?
         3.  Characterize the writing here--what makes it effective?

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For Sports in Literature readings and for audience sheet for game story

Types of journalistic pieces

1.  Game Story: Focuses on a specific game or match - you are writing one now.

2.  Feature:  Focuses on a player, place, or event.  Develops a human interest angle.  The Johnson and Ripken pieces we read (above) are examples of features.  See SL - Table of Contents descriptions

3.  Column: Reoccuring article written by regular writer (columnist).  Often personality driven by the columnist. Gives an opinion or point of view about an issue, action, player, team, or event

Player Stats that go along with the features/pieces we read in SL for the game story.  Think about
how stats complement what the pieces (description, figurative language) reveal about the players.  Each gives us a different perspective that contributes to our understanding of the player.

Michael Jordan

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/1035/michael-jordan

Cal Ripken

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/789/cal-ripken

Keyshawn Johnson

http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/924/keyshawn-johnson

The New York Jets traded their former #1 overall pick to the Tampa Bay Bucs before the 2000 NFL Draft after several incidents in which Keyshawn Johnson violated team policy and verbally attacked team players and coaches. This trade eventually yielded several starters for the New York Jets including Chad Pennington, Shaun Ellis and Anthony Becht.