Eagles Points

I spent this week working on a write-up for the Sunday paper. I had to describe five "keys to the game" for Sunday's eagles game. They included: the Eagles running game without Brian Westbrook, Chicago's struggling quarterback, Chicago's thriving running back, the Eagles banged up defense, and the Eagles special teams.
While it was only five short briefs, it took me a lot longer than expected. I had to cram a lot of information into a short amount of words, and looking up all of the stats and info wasn't always extremely easy. Nonetheless I finished, and I should be going over what I did with the editor today so that it can run on Sunday as a spread - similar to the Flyers spread I had earlier in the semester.

Out and About

A lot has been going on at the Inquirer lately. They've begun sending me out to cover games. Somehow I landed the high school soccer playoff beat. It has been enlightening considering I don't know all that much about soccer. It has also been fun. It's nice to get out of the office and go over high school events.
I'm used to covering college games, and high schools are their own different animal. While it may seem easier because people are more willing to talk to you, it is much harder in my opinion.
Nothing is handed to you like at college games. At Delaware football games, rosters, programs, and stats are all given to every reporter in the press box. At high school games, just finding a roster is a challenge in itself. Some schools have more advanced websites than other schools, and obtaining a roster usually involves calling the athletic department beforehand or asking the coach after the game (which isn't as good, because then the research has to be done after the event itself.)
Either way, I've gotten a few great clips out of my soccer coverage. The first game I covered resulted in a half-page spread with photos. Working here has been exciting. I hope they keep sending me out to cover games like they have been doing recently.