h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Sports Journalism 101 - A874244
Author: mtbmadness - U209064

All of the above is all you need to make your first steps on the road of sports journalism.

Hi Mtbmadness

I liked this and can sympathise - I've also thought that trying to get an interesting answer out of Alan Shearer, Michael Atherton etc has got to be a thankless task.

I would think that it probably needs a bit more in it to go into the edited guide - a bit more serious advice maybe?

Also, generally the title should describe the entry - I didn't get the 101 reference personally?

You could put it in Guide ML if you like - have a look at the Guide ML in someone elses article by putting test12345 instead of A12345 or whatever the number is in the address. There is a Guide ML clinic under the all about H2G2 section of the guide.

That way you could add headers or subheaders.



Sprout

I reckon the 101 is probably a reference to the fact that first year introductory university modules tend to be given the code 101- ed. In troduction to Politics at my uni is POL 101.

I'm sure there is no place for unabashed sarcasm like this in the edited guide, or indeed in life itself.











McKay is no longer resident in this state of reality

Yes, well, this is more a heavily sarcastic rant than an informative Entry and should therefore not be in PR.

That said, I can see your problem. On the other hand, I really fail to see the reason behind the course sports journalism has apparently decided to take : ask anything (no matter how trivial) anywhere (don't mind the fact that the guy has just run his lungs out and is in desperate need of an oxygen cocktail) anyhow (push anybody aside that's in your way), because "the public" - that's supposed to be you and me - wants to know.

I'm really not interested in hearing "What went through your mind when ... ?" asked for the millionth time and getting a "Well duh I don't really know but it was sorta like ..." answer for the millionth time.

Who ever thought up the concept that because sportsmen can do one particular thing very well, they should also be asked their opinion everytime the wind changes direction? I really don't care : play ball and leave the talking to people that have actually something to say. And with that I do not necessarily mean sports journalists. As much as I like a football match, why do I have to look at the preview (where a bunch of experts start telling what we're about to see) and then after the match look at the review (where they all start explaining why what they predicted didn't happen). A match lasts 1h45min. but they manage to fill an entire night with ONE match.

Is this a well-balanced and objective posting? Methinksnot, but that's how I feel.

JAIB

yep, you've got it. a heavily sarcastic rant- heh heh. totally agree with your point about how much pointless hot air (disguised as in-depth punditry) surrounds all sporting events. I wouldn't presume to give any budding sports journo advice, I couldn't stand being "the man with the microphone" for longer than a year.

So what do you fancy doing with this MTBmadness?

Fleshing it out so its fit for the guide or keeping it as it is and taking it out of Peer Review?

It's your call.

One place for a good healthy rant is Otto's Speaker's corner page - A756605

Sprout