Читать книгу Field Guide to Covering Sports - Joe Gisondi - Страница 28

Cite key stats, but don’t rely too heavily on them—especially in the lead. Don’t just focus on the fact players scored 30-plus points, ran for more than 100 yards, or recorded 20 kills in a match—unless you’re writing short briefs for a sports roundup. In more fully developed game stories, stats should support other key ideas. Explain how a softball player drove in seven runs, what enabled a basketball player to grab 15 rebounds, or why a miler managed to run the final two laps faster than the opening two. In golf, you might note when players go on cold or hot streaks, something that combines stats and trends. The following passage also explains why a streak ended:

Marino did much better than that. He made seven birdies in a bogey-free third round, including five in a seven-hole stretch on the back nine. “I got hot starting on No. 9. I made a couple putts,” Marino said. “I’ve been hitting it good all week, but the last two days I didn’t make much of anything on the greens. I got on a nice streak the last few holes of today.” The streak ended at No. 17. Eager to finish before dark, Marino nearly hit his tee shot into the group in front of him, a threesome hidden in the sunken fairway.¹³

Stats are essential for understanding all athletic events, but they do not tell the entire story. So be judicious about which ones to insert, and use only those that help illustrate key trends, drives, or plays or those that explain how a team won or lost. Readers can easily check box scores and read blog entries to learn more about additional stats from games or events.