Sports Announcing

Meeting 12
English for Broadcasting
 introduction
• The sports announcing field has many
segments — from sports reporter, to
sports anchors, to play-by-play, to
color, to sports talk host, with
additional variations along the way.
 1. Sports Announcing
• Sportscasting consists of:
– sports reporting
– sports talk
– play-by-play announcing
– event color and analysis.
• Broadcast announcing team may include three or
more individuals, with extra reporters on the
sidelines, but it is more common to have just
two main announcers.
• Some sportscasters are employed
– By stations, networks, and cable
companies;
– By the teams themselves
– on a freelance basis
• Sports Coverage
• The growth of cable broadcasting has
resulted in much wider coverage of
sporting events. Because of ESPN
(Entertainment and Sports Programming
Network) and other cable channels,
many additional events are now covered
that wouldn’t have been in the past.
• Many colleges do radio and television
broadcasts of their sports events, and
some high schools do, too, particularly
those private schools that use sports
success as a recruiting tool.
 2. Sports Reporting (1/6)
Sports reporting time Reporters’ Requirements:
• Most sports news reports are given in • many audience may be nearly expert
the evening, although brief on the sport in question and will not
summaries of daytime events may be tolerate mistakes or ignorance.
cut in, if there is sufficient local • A good sports reporter will need a
interest. strong interest in the field and an in-
• Radio stations also often include brief depth knowledge of sports.
sports reports as a part of their regular • General reporters may get away with
news segments covering events that don’t particularly
interest them, but not for sports
reporters.
 Sports Reporting (2/6)
Other Requirements
• The proper degree of energy is a
vital commodity in sports reporting
for many reasons.
– First, it provides some of the personality
that makes you appealing on the air. You
need to convince your audience that you
are excited about what you are reporting.
– school sports team practice
Second, it carries you through what can be
a very demanding day (going to sports
banquets, press conferences, etc.)
Other Requirements
• there is a big element of entertainment
involved in sports reporting.
• This is done in the form of wisecracking
stories, favorite expressions of exuberance,
and sometimes stunts to provide
entertainment.
– Example: a reporter pretends to take part in high
• Some reporters set out to become a
“character,” which can make them very
recognizable and perhaps successful, but an
act can be difficult to sustain.
 Sports Reporting (3/6)
What sports reporters do
• Attend a variety of sporting events, do
pre and post-game interviews, track the
progress of other key teams, and note
the accomplishments and failures of
both the home and opposing players.
• It means regularly reading sports
publications such as The Sporting News
and Sports Illustrated, plus the daily
newspapers of the cities where key
opposing teams are located.
• There will be team and award banquets to
attend, where you might get a good
interview with a visiting guest speaker
who was once a star in that particular
sport.
• Teams and schools frequently call press
conferences to make announcements,
make coaches and players available for
interviews on a regular basis, and provide
an annual press book of player and team
statistics.
 Sports Reporting (4/6)
What sports reporters do
• In addition, you will spend time
watching televised games from other
places and working the telephones,
gathering news, or setting up and
confirming special interviews.
• In every case, it is essential that you
keep good notes so that you’ll have
accurate and firsthand material for
your reports.
• For statistics, the Internet has become
a prime source.
Athlete/coach interview
• While giving interviews is a normal part of the
work of these individuals, they are often tired or
stressed and their patience can be short.
• Also, they have heard the same standard questions
hundreds of times and may be weary of repeating
the same answers.
• This is a time to really do your homework, and be
up-to-date on their accomplishments and failures.
• Try to find out some personal interests of theirs
that will separate you from the other questioners,
and strive to plan questions that will be a little out
of the ordinary
 Sports Reporting (5/6)
Athlete/coach interview
• There is one unwritten rule that you should
keep in mind: participants in virtually any
sport tend to focus themselves before the
event, and it isn’t appropriate to interrupt
them or ask them for interviews, unless they
request it.
• And don’t prolong the interview unless they
seem to want to continue. Remember that
many of them have families, and may want
to get home, particularly when they play a
sport where they are on the road frequently.
Athlete/coach interview
• Some interviews can be arranged for times
other than immediately after the event,
and can be longer and more relaxed.
• Athletes are also individuals with other
interests and activities, so questions
about these and causes they are supporting
can yield discussions that reveal the
personality of the sports figure and will be
interesting to your audience.
• The athletes will respect you if you are
prompt, prepared, and businesslike.
 Sports Reporting (6/6)
Athlete/coach interview
• Athletes’ personalities will vary, and
some may test you with difficult
responses or put-ons to see how you
handle the situation.
• Poise, patience, and preparation will
help to win their respect and get you a
quality interview.
• If they choose to be difficult throughout,
that may become your story. Remember,
not every sports personality is known for
being pleasant.
Athlete/coach interview
• Names are always a challenge in the
sports field.
• You can’t fumble the names. You
must get the pronunciations correct
every time or lose your credibility
with the fans.
• Try: Jose Mourinho, Novak Djokovic
• See: Press conference, interview
with Roger Federer
WHAT A SPORT REPORTER COVERS
 What a sport reporter covers
Statistical Data
• •
Many sports fans expect you to provide the
latest and most complete data.
– information on game conditions, injuries, slumps,
league standings, and even the statistical fact
known as games back, which indicates how many
games the home team must win and the opponents
must lose to get the locals into first place.
• •
You’ll need the stars’ accomplishments, the
progress and contributions of new members
of the team, and even how certain players
have done against particular opponents.
Sports statistician
Looking to the future, computer online
services and other all-sports media are going
further into statistics.
• A sports statistician, though not an on-the-air
personality in most cases, may find a niche
as a supplier of data.
Keep in mind that you are a reporter. That
means using all the reporter’s tools such as
recognizing a story opportunity, pursuing it,
locating sources, checking facts, and writing
it in an interesting and informative manner.
 What a sport reporter covers
Writing
• Even though it may seem that much of
sports reporting is ad-lib, only the live
coverage of an event will be unscripted.
• In your writing, you will be faced with the
reality that the events you are covering may
not have ended yet and could change
dramatically before they are over.
• Over-plan your segments by writing more
than you will need, and consider how you
can rewrite if an event finishes early, runs
long, or experiences a dramatic change.
Recording
• Part of your duties will include recording
actualities and sound bites to go with your
reports. In the field, you may be using a good-
quality audio recorder and microphone for radio
or have a video camera person with you for
television.
• Don’t trust your memory; take plenty of notes,
including the time and the score at different
moments so you can redevelop the flow of the
action later on.
• Your camera operator should provide you with
frequent shots of the scoreboard, where you can
find the time and score at that moment.
THE SPORTS ANCHOR
 The sports anchor (1/3)
Duties
• The anchor is faced with dealing with all of
the challenges of reporting, plus the pressure
of assembling the report, combining feeds
and reports from national as well as local
sources.
• Sports anchors can be working the
telephones right up to the last minute, getting
scores and incorporating them into the report.
• During big events, they may slip off-camera
during the show to get last-minute results,
or have someone pass them the latest
information while they are on-air.
• One of the problems faced by both reporters
and anchors is how to keep the delivery of
scores interesting.
• The challenge is to describe the victory of one
team over another in an interesting way, while
keeping it brief
– You can’t say, “ the Angels beat the Tigers 4 to 3, the
Reds beat the Cardinals 6 to 1, ” and so on. It quickly
gets dull.
• This has caused sportscasters to go to great
lengths to come up with different verbs to
describe one team or individual’s victory over
another
 The sports anchor (2/3)
Describing a win
• One-sided wins could be described with words like
slammed, overpowered, ran away from, demolished,
or annihilated.
• Close wins could be squeaked by, slipped by, escaped
with a win over, or got past.
• Verbs with some tie-in to the sport are also a good
choice. A football team might “smash” or “crush”
another, a baseball team that stole several bases in its
victory may have “run away from” its opponent, or a
hockey team may have “slashed” its way to victory.
• Beyond that are verbs like bested, upset, topped,
overcame, and outscored, which are not as colorful
but will wear well if not overused.
• Variety is the key. Building a list of action
verbs to draw on is a good way to prepare, so
that you won’t be struggling to think of a new
one when the story is due in a few minutes.
• Copy these various words right on your script.
Don’t count on your memory to come up with
something new while you’re on the air.
– Just writing “Angels 4, Tigers 3, and Reds 6, Cards 1”
can leave you repeating the same verb over and over.
• Be careful not to overuse the more dramatic
words such as “smashed,” as they quickly
become as boring as “beat.”
 The sports anchor (3/3)
Energy, Enthusiasm, Knowledge
• As with the sports reporter, energy,
enthusiasm, and knowledge are essential
for the sports anchor. In addition, many
stations expect their sports anchors to be a
bit more of a “character.”
• This could mean dressing so that you don’t
look like a news anchor, appearing a bit
more relaxed and informal, and, on
occasion, being the subject of a little kidding
as a part of the station’s effort to make the
news personalities more human and
appealing.
• However, as you venture into this
territory, it is better to be a bit
conservative, as your enthusiasm and
cleverness can get you into trouble.
• You need to be particularly careful not to
insult your colleagues or in any way
degrade them in the public eye, or you
will make enemies that could affect your
career for a long time to come. When
starting out, being too “ clever ” or “
crazy ” can be a distraction.
PLAY BY PLAY (PBP) & PLAY ANALYSIS
 PBP and Play Analysis
• You may be employed by a station,
by a network, by the sports team
itself, or by a cable company, plus
colleges and schools.
• In some cases, you will be expected
to be neutral, and that’s probably the
best approach for the beginning play-
by-play announcer
• The key duties of the PBP announcer
are preparation and calling the
action.
• One of the realities of sports such as
baseball and football is that there can
be fairly lengthy moments when there
is little or no action. This is the time
when your preparation can pay off
• With luck, you may be able to arrange
an interview or two to help fill the
time.
 PBP and Play Analysis
• Preparation
• For many beginning announcers, a full
day of preparation for each hour of
game broadcast would be an
appropriate ratio.
• One veteran sportscaster has stated that
he devotes four hours a week to just
learning names and numbers.
• Cable television cooking star, Emeril
Lagasse, has a rule of P’s that is
remarkably appropriate for the PBP
announcer: “prior proper planning
prevents poor performance.”
• Radio and television reporting are
quite different from one another, in
some ways nearly opposite
• In radio, you are the eyes of your
listeners. You must paint a word
picture of what is going on, with a
good portion being descriptive of the
environment.
• Consider all the elements that go into
that picture: the weather, the wind
and degree of sunshine, the condition
of the field, the size and energy of the
crowd.
 PBP and Play Analysis
• TV reporting
• In TV reporting, the amount of talk from the • Trying to pick out football uniform
announcer is reduced and focuses on those
aspects that may not be as evident to the viewer.
numbers from a distance, particularly
In football, use short phrases to identify the ball in bad weather, can result in many
carrier and other key players and the action corrections, which will make you look
going on outside the screen, such as a receiver incompetent. Talk about the play, but
breaking loose behind the defense.
wait for a clear view of the player
• Your job is to supplement the information the
viewer is getting from the screen, not repeat it. If before identifying him.
you don’t know what to say, it’s probably better • Sometimes there are “spotters,”
to say nothing, as the scene is there in front of
representatives from the two teams, or
the audience anyway.
• In case of injuries, be careful of your statements.
assistants who work with you on a
Never guess at an injured player’s condition or regular basis, who will help you with
speculate about the injury if the situation looks identifications.
serious.
 PBP and Play Analysis
• Spotting Board
• Spotting Boards commonly have pockets for • Having a spotter or some sort of
slips of stiff paper, each with the name and assistance is valuable, so there is
number of a player. Often these are arranged
so that the pockets are in the same layout as
someone to be alert to substitutions.
the team in action. Your spotter will probably point to
• The slips could be color coded to remind you the names of the key players at any
which team the individual plays for. Beyond given moment so you won’t have to
that, you might want to add the age, height, search for them.
weight, and such additional tidbits as school
attended, years in the league, and some
highlight or unique item about the player.
• The slips should be big enough to read easily,
and also permit the quick change of names to
cover substitutions.
 PBP and Play Analysis (4/5)
Getting the names right
• Part of your preparation should be getting
to know the names and numbers of the
players so you don’t have to grope for
them.
• If you work regularly for one team, you
have a head start on that group, so you can
devote most of your efforts to the visitors.
• Getting the names right, even if it means
calling the sports information director of
the visiting team, is important.
Knowing the rules of the game
• Certainly, you will need to know the rules
and strategies of the sport you are
covering.
• Before the beginning of the season, or
when you are moving to a sport you
haven’t covered in a while, it’s critical that
you learn and get clearly in mind all rule
changes that may have been made since
you last broadcast the sport.
• the rules for the pros may differ from those
in college ball.
 PBP and Play Analysis (5/5)
On the D-day Things to look out for
• After all the preparation, it comes time to do • One of the first rules for covering a
the game. Arriving early is essential, as it will game is to give the score often. All
give you time to check on any late
developments and avoid the panic of a car
sorts of devices have been developed
breakdown or getting caught in traffic. to remind sportscasters of this, but
• Dress like a professional. Even if you’re listeners still complain that there is
doing radio, how you look will significantly too much time between score reports.
affect your acceptance by the coaches, players,
and other pros.
• When your announcing is underway, go ahead
and show some excitement and energy. This
should be easy since you enjoy sports.
 PBP and Play Analysis (5/5)
Location of the ball
• The location of the ball is another element
to mention often, as are other popular
statistics, such as which “down” it is and
distance to go, in football.
• One of the factors to remember is that your
audience isn’t all listening continuously.
People are tuning in and out all through the
game, so two minutes is probably more than
you should wait before giving the score.
• Some facts you may need to announce at the
beginning of every play.
Remaining time
• Another fact the audience wants is the
time remaining in the game, inning,
or period, if time is an element in the
event.
• Frequently do a recap of major
occurrences so that the audience will
know how scores were obtained,
about injuries that removed players,
and outstanding plays that should be
remembered.
 PBP and Play Analysis (5/5)
Formation and Line-up
• Particularly in football, and occasionally in
baseball, soccer, and hockey, formations
will need to be described.
• Football, even at the high school level,
uses a variety of lineups, which can
change with every play.
• Although the formation may be visible on
the screen, the shot will be wide, so take
the opportunity to note where key players
are located on the field.
Substitution
• Phrases like “at the top of your
screen” will help your viewers locate
the player.
• There is so much substitution in
football that most of it is ignored by
broadcasters, unless a significant
player is entering or leaving the game
or a previously injured player is
returning.
 PBP and Play Analysis (5/5)
Program Monitor
• Among all your other duties, you must also
keep an eye on the program monitor,
which should be in front of you or very near.
• This will help you coordinate your
remarks with what the audience is seeing,
and on occasion will help you because a
close-up of a situation will be available.
• It will also help you judge what you need
to comment on, because you will have an
idea of the area covered by the shot and what
can be seen clearly by the audience.
Live commercials
• Still another challenge is that, in most
situations, you may be expected to deliver
live commercials between plays and note
the sponsors of certain segments of the
show.
• Your tone will need to turn a bit more
serious for those moments, and the
delivery should be a professional one. As
soon as you finish, you must shift gears
again and get into the excitement of the
game.
 PBP and Play Analysis (5/5)
Energy, enthusiasm, excitement
• Energy, enthusiasm, and excitement are an
important part of what a PBP person
provides, but they are tools you should use
with care.
• In most sports, there are routine moments
where some energy is still called for, but you
should scale your reaction to the
significance of the moment.
• Projecting excitement adds to your appeal,
but ration it according to the moment. You
lose credibility if you get excited over
everything.
But it depends on the sports too
• One aspect that can be overlooked is that
there are occasions where your presence
becomes a factor. This is particularly true
with golf, where a broadcast booth is often
situated near the green.
• Tradition demands that the audience be
quiet when someone is putting. Your
voice, even in what you feel is a whisper,
may be annoying to all.
• Plan your material so that you are ready to
pause as the player prepares, and don’t
speak again until the stroke is over.
 PBP and Play Analysis (5/5)
Energy, enthusiasm, excitement
• similar situation could develop with
tennis if your broadcast table is near
the court. Here you’ll want to pause
as a player prepares to serve.
• Once the action is underway, you
should be safe, although there
shouldn’t be a lot to say, assuming
you’re doing television.
One last advice
• Every year it seems that there are
incidents where a PBP or a sideline
reporter makes some remark that is
inappropriate or actually offensive.
• You must think before you speak. It
isn’t always easy, but a rash remark
can get you quickly suspended or fi
red. It’s particularly dangerous in the
heat of an exciting moment or the
boredom of a lot of time to fill, but it
can have a huge influence on your
career
COLOR/ANALYSIS
 Color/analysis (1/3)
Colorcaster
• Former athletes and coaches are
being used as the analysts, on the
assumption that they bring an
insider’s view and a deeper
understanding of subtleties of the
sport than a non-participant would.
• In this situation, the colorcaster can
be more the star than the person doing
the PBP. Certainly, game analysis at
the network level is almost always
covered by a former player or coach
Requirements
• Remember that you’re part of an announcing
team and your key responsibility is to
supplement the information that the PBP
announcer is giving.
• Don’t just repeat what has already been said.
• Don’t feel you have to make some analysis
after every play. In fact, some PBP announcers
will cue you when they want you to speak
• When you’re making comments, make sure
you finish talking as the next play starts so you
don’t “step on” the beginning of the play-by-
play.
 Feature Specialist (2/3)
Colorcaster
• A PBP and the color announcer can
disagree on events during a game, as long
as it’s done amicably. However, try to
avoid correcting the PBP announcer on-air.
It’s better to jot a note or wait until a
commercial break to alert your partner
about a slip of the tongue and let him/her
correct it when the action resumes.
• There may be times, however, such as a
misidentified player, when an immediate
correction is called for, and you may need
to do so as diplomatically as possible.
SPORTS TALK HOST
 Sports Talk Host (1/3)
Requirement
• To be successful, you have to be an • Come in to each show with a list of
expert on what’s going on in sports. things you want to talk about, knowing
• that things could go in a completely
That means lots of reading of national
different direction.
papers, sports magazines, and the
• Often shows begin with something of a
newspapers in other key cities. With
monologue, where the host comments on
the Internet, there is no excuse for not
a variety of issues and lists things that
having the information will be brought up in the course of the
show
• Plan for variety, since it helps build a
bigger audience.
 Sports Talk Host (2/3)
Dealing with callers
• Sports talk show is about people, not
the host. Avoid berating your callers
or embarrassing them.
• Give them a chance to talk. Don’t be
abrupt with them.
• Obviously, callers will come in many
types. A good way to handle it is to
make a response to their remarks and
in the process, cut the connection.
• Not only do you need to have a good
grasp of sports history, but you must
continuously be adding to your
knowledge of popular events
everywhere.
• Callers will want to talk about the
effect of the trade of players and its
implications. This requires a strong
knowledge of the abilities of many
athletes on many teams.
 Sports Talk Host (3/3)
Working with a partner
• Some shows will have two hosts, and this
can make it easier for you. The other host
will give you a break, be someone to
interact with, and may know something
you don’t or think of something you
haven’t.
• Typically, your partner will try to take a
position that is different from yours on
many topics, so that you can have a lively
discussion.
• Again, you’ll want to start with a list of
topics to discuss and probably decide who
will initiate each one.
• Some of your callers will be regulars, calling
almost daily to comment on something. A host
even started giving callers nicknames, such as
“ Westside Mike, ” to give them a special
identity. Other callers began adopting their own
names, so that a bit of camaraderie developed.
• A host is always glad to have first-time callers
and welcomes them with a sort of musical
salute. Promotion is part of the task as well, so
you might award T-shirts with the name of your
show, the station, and some motto on it, to
spread the word about your work