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LECTURE SCHEDULE & READINGS
* The reading listed is to be discussed in class that day. In other words, read it BEFORE the day listed.
* Schedule is subject to change with appropriate notice
WEEK 1: WELCOME & INTRODUCTION: From the sofa to the press box
Monday, Aug. 26 “No Cheering in the Press Box”: Understanding the job
In-class reading & discussion:
* Gisondi, Preface & Chap. 1: From Sports Fan to Sports Reporter (pp. x-10) & Primer A (pp. 323-329)
WEEK 2: NO CLASS - LABOR DAY
Monday, Sept. 2
WEEK 3: THE GAME STORY
Monday, Sept. 9 Read & discuss:
Gisondi, Chap. 2 (pp. 11-31)
* Carlton Fisk's home run in 12th beats Reds, 7-6, Peter Gammons, Boston Globe
* Kansas State’s title dream ends, Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com
* UW one win shy of third straight Final Four Trip, Molly Yanity, Seattle P-I
* Down by 3 with the game on the line? Call The Washington Post's Chuck Culpepper, Ed Sherman, Poynter
* Kris Jenkins hits buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift Villanova past North Carolina for NCAA title, Chuck
Culpepper, Washington Post
* Clemson stuns Alabama to win CFP national championship, Chuck Culpepper, Washington Post
WEEK 4: THE GAME STORY, PART II
Monday, Sept. 16 Read & discuss
* Gisondi, Gisondi, Chap. 3 (pp. 32-43) & Primer C, D & E (pp. 336-358)
* Jim Stovall's "Writing the Game Story"
* Late flag costs Douglass in loss to Locust Grove, Scott Wright, The Oklahoman
* Last-second field goal sends Lions past Blazers, Jeff McIntyre, Florence Times Daily
* Roosevelt stops Franklin for final state berth, Matt Peterson, Seattle Times
* Streak’s over, Dylan Fearon, Q30
Do a practice game story from NFL Week 2, or NCAA Week 3.
**LET'S GO COVER GAMES!**
WEEK 5: NO CLASS
Monday, Sept. 23 Pick your game stories and submit them to Molly
WEEK 6: THE GAME STORY, PART III
Monday, Sept. 30 Read & discuss
* Gisondi, Chap. 3 (pp. 32-43) & Primer C, D & E (pp. 336-358)
* Sun sweep Sparks out of playoffs - Los Angeles Times
* Williams, Jones help Sun beat Sparks, take 2-0 lead - Doug Feinberg, AP Sports
* Another Yanity masterpiece. Not really, but pay attention to how I incorporate pieces of the games into this story
without actually ever covering the game itself. (Yes, The Athletic is subscription-only, but you can get a 7-day free
trial. Just remember to cancel.)
WEEK 7: LAST LECTURE ON GAME STORIES, PART IV
Monday, Oct. 7 Write, read & discuss
* WRITE: For this week, you will write a game story about Game 2 of the WNBA Finals (8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 1 on
ESPN). No more than 800 words. I will send you quotes after the game.
* Read the games stories from the Hartford Courant (Alexa Phillippou) and the Washington Post (Ava Wallace).
* WRITE: For your response paper, compare the stories by Phillippou, Wallace and your own. (Turn it all in today.)
WEEK 8: SOCIAL MEDIA & SPORTS COVERAGE
Monday, Oct. 14 Read, follow, write & discuss
* Read Gisondi, Chap. 8 (pp. 89-99)
* Follow an MLB writer's twitter feed for the week (a national writer, or a beat writer for a playoff teams) & read the
writer's articles for the week
* WRITE: For this week, your response paper will be an analysis of the twitter feed (what is the writer tweeting about,
how often, do they respond to feedback?) and the writer's stories (do they promote stories, use tweets in stories,
etc.)
WEEK 9: DEVELOPING & WRITING FEATURES, PART I
Monday, Oct. 21 Read & discuss
* Gisondi, Chap. 4 (pp. 44-60)
* A lifelong dream washed away - Dave Sheinin, Washington Post
* 'That's my turn-up': In personality, game Courtney Williams is making sure the world knows who she is - Molly
Yanity, The Athletic (Go to the page and subscribe to The Athletic; we're going to be reading more stories)
* A sports executive leaves the safety of his shadow life - Dan Barry, New York Times
WEEK 10: DEVELOPING & WRITING FEATURES, PART II
Monday, Oct. 28 Read & discuss
* The Unbreakable Bond - Mina Kimes, ESPN Cover Story
* When Winter Never Ends - Wright Thompson, ESPN The Magazine
* Eyes of the Storm - Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated
WEEK 11: WRITING ABOUT OTHERS
Monday, Nov. 4 Read & discuss with espnW's Katie Barnes
* They are the champions - Katie Barnes, espnW
* Me Too - Breanna Stewart, The Players Tribune
* The maddening promise of Diamond DeShields - Katie Barnes, ESPN
WEEK 12: WRITING FEATURES, PART III
Monday, Nov. 11 Read & discuss
* Huskies cornerback Byron Davenport finally breaks free - Molly Yanity, Seattle P-I
* Review Gisondi pp. 32-60 | * Advice from Joe Posnanski (there will be a quiz)
WEEK 13: WRITING FEATURES, PART IV
Monday, Nov. 18 Come to class with an outline/annotated interviews for your feature
No response paper necessary, but PRINT OUT your outline/interviews to turn in
FEATURE STORY DUE no later than 11:59 p.m., Monday, Nov. 25
WEEK 14: NO CLASSES
THANKSGIVING RECESS
WEEK 15: WRITING SPORTS COLUMNS
Monday, Dec. 2 Read & discuss
* How to write a column - Journalists' Resource (Inform, provoke, persuade)
* At U.S. Open, power of Osaka, Williams is overshadowed by an umpire's power play - Sally Jenkins, Washington Post
* Forget the expectations. The Cleveland Browns are once again a hot mess - Jerry Brewer, Washington Post
* Nightmare is real for mourners - Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel
FINALS WEEK
SPORTS COLUMN DUE no later than 4 p.m., Monday, Dec. 9
* The reading listed is to be discussed in class that day. In other words, read it BEFORE the day listed.
* Schedule is subject to change with appropriate notice
WEEK 1: WELCOME & INTRODUCTION: From the sofa to the press box
Monday, Aug. 26 “No Cheering in the Press Box”: Understanding the job
In-class reading & discussion:
* Gisondi, Preface & Chap. 1: From Sports Fan to Sports Reporter (pp. x-10) & Primer A (pp. 323-329)
WEEK 2: NO CLASS - LABOR DAY
Monday, Sept. 2
WEEK 3: THE GAME STORY
Monday, Sept. 9 Read & discuss:
Gisondi, Chap. 2 (pp. 11-31)
* Carlton Fisk's home run in 12th beats Reds, 7-6, Peter Gammons, Boston Globe
* Kansas State’s title dream ends, Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com
* UW one win shy of third straight Final Four Trip, Molly Yanity, Seattle P-I
* Down by 3 with the game on the line? Call The Washington Post's Chuck Culpepper, Ed Sherman, Poynter
* Kris Jenkins hits buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift Villanova past North Carolina for NCAA title, Chuck
Culpepper, Washington Post
* Clemson stuns Alabama to win CFP national championship, Chuck Culpepper, Washington Post
WEEK 4: THE GAME STORY, PART II
Monday, Sept. 16 Read & discuss
* Gisondi, Gisondi, Chap. 3 (pp. 32-43) & Primer C, D & E (pp. 336-358)
* Jim Stovall's "Writing the Game Story"
* Late flag costs Douglass in loss to Locust Grove, Scott Wright, The Oklahoman
* Last-second field goal sends Lions past Blazers, Jeff McIntyre, Florence Times Daily
* Roosevelt stops Franklin for final state berth, Matt Peterson, Seattle Times
* Streak’s over, Dylan Fearon, Q30
Do a practice game story from NFL Week 2, or NCAA Week 3.
**LET'S GO COVER GAMES!**
WEEK 5: NO CLASS
Monday, Sept. 23 Pick your game stories and submit them to Molly
WEEK 6: THE GAME STORY, PART III
Monday, Sept. 30 Read & discuss
* Gisondi, Chap. 3 (pp. 32-43) & Primer C, D & E (pp. 336-358)
* Sun sweep Sparks out of playoffs - Los Angeles Times
* Williams, Jones help Sun beat Sparks, take 2-0 lead - Doug Feinberg, AP Sports
* Another Yanity masterpiece. Not really, but pay attention to how I incorporate pieces of the games into this story
without actually ever covering the game itself. (Yes, The Athletic is subscription-only, but you can get a 7-day free
trial. Just remember to cancel.)
WEEK 7: LAST LECTURE ON GAME STORIES, PART IV
Monday, Oct. 7 Write, read & discuss
* WRITE: For this week, you will write a game story about Game 2 of the WNBA Finals (8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 1 on
ESPN). No more than 800 words. I will send you quotes after the game.
* Read the games stories from the Hartford Courant (Alexa Phillippou) and the Washington Post (Ava Wallace).
* WRITE: For your response paper, compare the stories by Phillippou, Wallace and your own. (Turn it all in today.)
WEEK 8: SOCIAL MEDIA & SPORTS COVERAGE
Monday, Oct. 14 Read, follow, write & discuss
* Read Gisondi, Chap. 8 (pp. 89-99)
* Follow an MLB writer's twitter feed for the week (a national writer, or a beat writer for a playoff teams) & read the
writer's articles for the week
* WRITE: For this week, your response paper will be an analysis of the twitter feed (what is the writer tweeting about,
how often, do they respond to feedback?) and the writer's stories (do they promote stories, use tweets in stories,
etc.)
WEEK 9: DEVELOPING & WRITING FEATURES, PART I
Monday, Oct. 21 Read & discuss
* Gisondi, Chap. 4 (pp. 44-60)
* A lifelong dream washed away - Dave Sheinin, Washington Post
* 'That's my turn-up': In personality, game Courtney Williams is making sure the world knows who she is - Molly
Yanity, The Athletic (Go to the page and subscribe to The Athletic; we're going to be reading more stories)
* A sports executive leaves the safety of his shadow life - Dan Barry, New York Times
WEEK 10: DEVELOPING & WRITING FEATURES, PART II
Monday, Oct. 28 Read & discuss
* The Unbreakable Bond - Mina Kimes, ESPN Cover Story
* When Winter Never Ends - Wright Thompson, ESPN The Magazine
* Eyes of the Storm - Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated
WEEK 11: WRITING ABOUT OTHERS
Monday, Nov. 4 Read & discuss with espnW's Katie Barnes
* They are the champions - Katie Barnes, espnW
* Me Too - Breanna Stewart, The Players Tribune
* The maddening promise of Diamond DeShields - Katie Barnes, ESPN
WEEK 12: WRITING FEATURES, PART III
Monday, Nov. 11 Read & discuss
* Huskies cornerback Byron Davenport finally breaks free - Molly Yanity, Seattle P-I
* Review Gisondi pp. 32-60 | * Advice from Joe Posnanski (there will be a quiz)
WEEK 13: WRITING FEATURES, PART IV
Monday, Nov. 18 Come to class with an outline/annotated interviews for your feature
No response paper necessary, but PRINT OUT your outline/interviews to turn in
FEATURE STORY DUE no later than 11:59 p.m., Monday, Nov. 25
WEEK 14: NO CLASSES
THANKSGIVING RECESS
WEEK 15: WRITING SPORTS COLUMNS
Monday, Dec. 2 Read & discuss
* How to write a column - Journalists' Resource (Inform, provoke, persuade)
* At U.S. Open, power of Osaka, Williams is overshadowed by an umpire's power play - Sally Jenkins, Washington Post
* Forget the expectations. The Cleveland Browns are once again a hot mess - Jerry Brewer, Washington Post
* Nightmare is real for mourners - Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel
FINALS WEEK
SPORTS COLUMN DUE no later than 4 p.m., Monday, Dec. 9