Box Score Beat

Ochocinco Announces Social News Network

Posted on 24. Oct, 2009 by Collin Orcutt.

Looking for the latest insider, breaking news on the NFL? You may have to look no further than Chad Ochocinco. According to the Associated Press, Ochocinco plans to start his own social news network on Twitter. The venture, called the Ochocinco News Network, or OCNN, will utilize Ochocinco’s player contacts and aims to compete with the mainstream media. Says the AP: “The receiver plans to operate like a reporter, getting tips from players on other teams. He also might get other NFL players involved in his reports.”

On his Twitter feed earlier today, Johnson tweeted:

The question is, what will the NFL say? Already one of the strictest professional leagues (Ochocinco was fined a second time for wearing a non-white chinstrap), the NFL released a social networking policy focusing primarily on Twitter just this September.

There has been no response from the NFL so far, but it seems unlikely that Goodell and company will be in favor of the OCNN.

It’s doubtful coaches will approve either. As The Daily Philadelphian wrote:

Coaches don’t want players disseminating news. Could you imagine if an Eagles player updated an injury on Twitter? Andy Reid would have an stroke. Remember, he chastised the media for calling the team trainer and Stewart Bradley for injury news during the summer.

Either way, Ochocinco, who has just fewer than 300,000 Twitter followers, continues to be one of the most progressive athletes when it comes to the use of social media. As of an hour ago, he tweeted that he is looking now for a personal assistant to help handle his many endeavors.

The position will pay $20,000 with an end date of January 3.

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NBA’s Online Rulebook Shows Smart Progress

Posted on 17. Oct, 2009 by Collin Orcutt.

In a display of innovation and transparency by the NBA, the league launched the NBA Video Rulebook on its home site Friday. It seems that now–finally–NBA fans will have the ability to both read the league’s rules and see just how those rules translate to calls on the court from a source other than user generated YouTube videos.

The video rulebook home page groups rules into various tab categories across the top of the page, including “Block/Charge,” “Flagrant Fouls” and “Traveling & Dribbling Violations.”

Hovering over the tabs displays drop down menus of subcategories, which lead to specific rule definitions and corresponding videos. Many of the videos show numerous angles of the play to better illustrate the rule.

The NBA’s referees have been in constant criticism for the past few years, most notably for the treatment of Dywane Wade in the 2006 NBA Championship series and, of course, after the Tim Donaghy gambling scandal in 2007. Complaints about the refs seem to crescendo each year around the playoffs but they are certainly not limited to that time frame.

With this new video rulebook, which Stu Jackson says was thought up a year and a half ago, it seems the NBA is stepping forward to meet these critiques. On the same hand, the rulebook quietly forces its refs to improve the accuracy and consistency of their calls now that fans have the rules and correlating video to compare them to.

The NBA promises updates to the site as new video examples are found. Lets hope they are just as open to making changes if it becomes obvious that the refs are underperforming as blatantly some fans have been claiming for years.

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Twitter Still Changing the Game

Posted on 15. Oct, 2009 by Collin Orcutt.

Twitter continues to be a game changing tool for journalists — in both useful and confusing ways. On one hand, it’s a great way to find quotes and reactions from athletes. On the other hand, it lessens the press’s ability to differentiate itself from an every day fan since they both now have the same access to athlete tweets.

Today on Deadspin, Barry Petchesky wrote a post about how Twitter is changing the way everyone, both press and fans alike, are now regarding athletes:

“There was an era when athletes were just people, when you could drink with them in a hotel bar, or send your kid to their front door to ask for an autograph. Then television came along and suddenly the were larger than life, and we as common fans had no hope of interacting with them other than cheering for or booing them from our seats.

Ironically it’s technology that’s bringing us full circle. Communications are a two-way street now; you could scream at your TV before, but the players inside couldn’t hear you. But they’re always checking their Twitter.”

The post was spawned by a press release that Petchesky received from a Canadian pizza chain. The restaurant, Boston Pizza,  started a social media campaign aimed at getting Shaq to visit one of their locations.

Petchesky examines what this kind of campaign says about the fan/athlete dynamic, then ends his post with an interesting question: “And, more pressing to a dwindling but vocal minority: with this access, where does that leave the press?”

His post immediately reminded me of the recent exchange between TrueHoop writer Henry Abbott and NBA rising star Kevin Durant. Last Friday, Abbott wrote a post about Durant’s surprisingly low +/- stats. Durant responded to the post via Twitter (response 1, 2 and 3), and then Abbott wrote another post in response to that. It was fascinating exchange and something that wouldn’t have happened in a pre-Twitter world (also fascinating: that Durant doesn’t know what plus/minus is).

But Petchesky’s question still stands: where does Twitter leave the sports press? The social media world is changing so quickly that it doesn’t seem there’s a definitive answer. What do you think?

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Just Click It – 8/17/09

Posted on 18. Aug, 2009 by Collin Orcutt.

We, the editorial staff here at Box Score Beat, have an announcement to make. We were going to post “Just Click It” on Sunday as is normal procedure. But then we decided that perhaps the segment had run its course and it was time to retire it. So we did not post. On Monday, we concluded it was too soon to hang up our laptops–we had more linking left to contribute. So we unretired “Just Click It.” By Tuesday afternoon, we weren’t so sure anymore. Retired. The cycle continued all through this morning until now, finally, we are completely certain that “Just Click It” is not retired. So you can write that down, it’s official: not retired. Here is the best of this past week. Enjoy:

• Brett who? Oh, Brett Favre. Yeah, I’ve heard of him before. Sports Illustrated’s Jeff Pearlman weighs in (with a glorious intro) on Favre’s recently announced return to football.
• The SEC has been doing some waffling of their own recently, going back and forth about whether to allow the use of social media by fans at their games. Adam Ostrow of Mashable has done an excellent job covering the story as it has unfolded.
• You may remember the media firestorm ESPN set off with its (lack of) coverage regarding the Ben Roethlisberger civil suit. New ESPN ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer addresses that decision and provides some answers in his first column.
• One way a sports story is guaranteed to get my attention every time is to show me as a fan something that I normally don’t have access to. Seeing how athletes operate beyond the playing field is one of the most interesting parts of sports for me. Greg Bishop of the New York Times did just that in his article on the players’ lounge at the Rogers Cup tennis tournament in Montreal.
• To end, a video by the New York Times that all you fellow NBA nerds will appreciate. Commissioner David Stern heads to a Harlem barbershop to talk hoops with columnist William Rhoden and the locals. Not visually stunning, but the content is worth your time.

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Just Click It — 8/9/09

Posted on 09. Aug, 2009 by Collin Orcutt.

Tiger Woods, the weather in NYC and sports journalism are all on a hot streak. Below are three links: two strong pieces and one that goes above and beyond. Enjoy.

• As this site has noted before, the New York Times can be spotty in its sports sports coverage now and again. But this video on the dice-powered game of ABPA baseball is the kind of quirky piece that the internet is great for.
• The New York Times’ Magazine rarely misses the mark. I check each weekend in hope of a new sports piece, and today was rewarded with Ron Berler’s story about the alarmingly high number of arm surgeries young pitchers are undergoing. If you follow sports closely enough you’ve probably read similar pieces about youth sports injuries over the past couple of years, but Berler’s piece distinguishes itself by focusing on a specific type of injury, then building the characters and story out from it.
• This final link is to an article from the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated. It is written by Gary Smith. It is entitled “A Gift From Africa.” It is about Mpho Gift Ngoepe, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ young South African prospect. And, simply put, it is the best sports story I have read all summer.

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Just Click It — 8/3/09

Posted on 03. Aug, 2009 by Collin Orcutt.

To the links:

• This excellent Outside the Lines video story is titled “Carry On.” It’s about two high school friends with an unbelievable story, and that’s all I’ll tell you. Go watch it. Also, be sure to check out the new beta player on the site’s video section — pretty cool.
• That last video had me scouring around the site for more, and I came across an older E:60 piece about freestyle soccer. The story is much more about the visuals than emotional depth but cool nonetheless.
• Not all has been good for ESPN.com lately, though. A writer for Indianapolis Colts blog Stampede Blue blasted the network for the way it handled the Ben Roethlisberger civil suit.
• All who saw the Mark Buerhle perfect game certainly saw the highlight of Dewayne Wise’s amazing catch in the 9th inning as well. New York Times writer Tyler Kepner dug a little deeper into the story.
• To end, Henry Abbott of TrueHoop delved into how Yao Ming’s potential season-ending injury might affect NBA wallets in China during a time when the league is already taking a financial hit.

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Just Click It — 7/26/09

Posted on 26. Jul, 2009 by Collin Orcutt.

Long, hot summer days equal less time in front of the computer. Okay, not really for me, but hopefully for you). Since I’m already here at the computer, here’s a present for you: a list of the best articles from the last week–perfect reading for the cool of your home after the sun has gone down on a late July day. Or when you’re supposed to be working on Monday morning. Either way, enjoy:

• You may have heard about this Erin Andrews thing. In a mold-breaking move, I won’t lead with a link to a story about her. Instead, lets start off with Mike Stachura’s article from Golf World about the big role technology played in Tom Watson’s British Open performance last weekend (found via Bill Simmons’ twitter update).
• Speaking of Bill Simmons, if you didn’t read his last filing, you may be surprised to learn that he will no longer be writing his ESPN: The Magazine column. He’ll still be producing in various mediums online, and occasionally turning in non-column work for the mag, but he won’t be in print in the same capacity. Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead e-mailed Simmons to get the details.
• Now the Erin Andrews thing. St. Petersburg Times TV and media critic Eric Deggans delves into the current culture of sports media that may have enabled this whole mess.
• Dan Levy of The Sporting Blog took an interesting look at the LeBron James (kind-of) dunk tape overhype that hit the web last week, focusing on the fact that both websites airing the two tapes paid for the rights to do so.
• Lastly, at the Sports Business Journal, Bill King wrote a behemoth of an article highlighting various examples of the shifting sports journalism industry titled “No news is bad news.” It’s a little more of doom and gloom, and you may not finish it in one sitting (I’m still picking away between other tasks), but it will certainly leave you more informed.

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Just Click It — 7/20/09

Posted on 20. Jul, 2009 by Collin Orcutt.

For slow summer months, there’s a lot going on. Be it Tom Watson’s flirtation with greatness (which will surely find its way into next week’s list) or the end of Michael Vick’s 18-month sentence (ditto), there’s plenty of sports news to go around. Likewise, there’s plenty of quality sports journalism. Here are some articles worthy of a read:

• First off, an article from the hardest working tight tight end in the journalism business: Chris Cooley. Filling in for Peter King as the “Monday Morning QB,” Cooley lays out his idea for a way to reduce incorrect calls in games. He calls it Smart Football. Hopefully Roger Goodell is reading.
• Another SI.com post. I have been linking to quite a few articles recently about the development of new statistics and how teams are using them. Not everyone is impressed with all these stats though, especially Norman Chad. Another thing Chad’s unimpressed with? The WSJ’s sports page.
• But, as much as Chad dislikes the Wall Street Journal’s sports page, I find myself checking their section daily, often times with good results. For example, this interesting article by Reed Albergotti about an increase in marathon participation due to the slow economy.
• Nestled among the Watson and Vick news today was ESPN’s announcement they will be opening three more local sites to accompany ESPN Chicago. It’s no shock–lots of people saw this coming the moment the Chicago site launched. Among these was Dan Shanoff, and now he sees trouble for local sports outlets.
• Lastly, over at Jim Romenesko’s blog at Poynter, news that nearly three quarters of 200 bloggers surveryed in a study put on by Penn State don’t think they’re rivals to actual sports journalists. The survey is full of interesting stats and worth a glance.

Enjoy the reading.

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Just Click It — 7/12/09

Posted on 13. Jul, 2009 by Collin Orcutt.

It was relatively quiet week on the sports front, but here’s some good reading to start your week off right:

• At Slate, Charles Pierce took a wrote about the fan reaction to Manny’s return from his 50-game suspension and what it says about baseball in this hyper-sensitive (post?) steroid era.
• There’s been a lot of talk about this Tiger/Federer who’s better debate since Federer won his 15th Slam at Wimbledon. Joe Posnanski’s is by far the best I have come across.
• Progressive statistics have become a major focus for professional teams. This article by the NY Times‘ Alan Schwarz is the latest installment. It’s an introduction to a new way to analyze baseball players’ efficiency in their movement on the field.
• To end, another Twitter in sports article (in another four part series no less). ESPN’s Brian Bennett comes at it from a high school athlete’s perspective, though, and touched on a few interesting points.

Happy reading.

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Just Click It — 7/6/09

Posted on 06. Jul, 2009 by Collin Orcutt.

I know, I know, I’m a day late. Blame it on the holiday weekend. It was a busy one in the world of sports–busy enough that I spent mine covering an event. More on that later, but for now, the clicks.

• Jockipedia. Excuse me? Yeah, Jockipedia. This weekend, Richard Sandomir of NY Times‘ introduced us to Jockipedia — a site dedicated to centralizing every athlete and league’s social networking pages. If this site fills out (few athletes have full profiles yet), it will surely become one of the first places I hit any time I’m looking for athlete information.
• We’re still in the midst of learning the details about Steve McNair’s sad death, but while those work their way to the surface, give Michael Lombardi’s tribute a read. Quality praise from someone knowledgeable enough about the finer points of the game to know.
• Here’s an article from 10,000 Words about the 10 ways to improve online sports journalism (thanks to all those who gave me a heads up on this). What I found most interesting about this post was that none of these ideas struck me as ground breaking. That’s not to say that the article is base (or that I am of superior intelligence), though. Rather, I think it speaks to the progressive nature of sports journalism in utilizing the full capabilities of the internet.
• Nieman Journalism Lab put together an excellent four-part series on the topic of a sports media that is so often working for the leagues it is covering. My favorite of the four parts was the third installment, “When the league owns the network — and pays the journalists: A new set of ethical questions arise,” but the entire series deserves your attention.
• Lastly, a piece that a good friend and colleague of mine, Lia Calabro, wrote about the 2009 Nathan’s hot dog eating contest. The event is one of the strangest things I have ever seen in person and she captured it brilliantly. Also, while we’re at it, a little shameless self promotion (that term has become absurdly cliche since Twitter’s popularity boom by the way): check out the video piece I put together from the same event.

Enjoy the reading all.

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Just Click It — 6/28/09

Posted on 28. Jun, 2009 by Collin Orcutt.

Fresh off having my heart broken by Team USA in Brazil’s second half goal deluge (and still unsure what to make of a post Michael Jackson world), I’m in need of cheer, and perhaps you are too. Here’s a quick list of some good sports journalism to help:

• To begin, some YouTube fun. These two videos of minor leaguer Josh Womack have been floating around all over the net, but on the slight chance you haven’t seen them yet, here is a baseball player’s answer to Tiger Woods/the Nike Freestyle commercial (well, maybe that’s a little exaggerated, but still). Videos one and two.
• The NBA Draft is one of the best events for a basketball fan, but usually one of the worst for journalism. What exactly are you going to write about an event that is literally people having their names called–especially when its potential story lines have been tread into the hardwood weeks prior to the actual night? Most sites/writers either do a running journal on the night’s occurrences (Googling “NBA draft live blog,” for example, returned 29,000,000 hits just now) or give each team grades on their selections post-draft. Despite the journalistic overkill, there were a few pieces that I found worthy of sharing. The first is a humorous piece by Ty Hildenbrandt where he bestows fake awards to the players. I know, it’s not a groundbreaking idea, but his is well executed and made me laugh out loud early in the morning a few times.
• The second comes from, somewhat surprisingly, Deadspin. They asked a body language expert to analyze the handshakes of 20 different players, with an accompanying slideshow. Gimmicky and fascinating.
• Darren Rovell  lists the salaries of the lottery picks in the draft, but more interestingly, sheds some insight into the salaries of these players’ agents as well. Hint: they’re not what you might think.
• One more draft link. If you followed the night, you know that David Kahn, the new President of Basketball Operations for the Timberwolves, caught flack for drafting point guard after point guard. It quickly became a self-perpetuating joke about the Wolves’ continual failings as a franchise. Celtics blog Reds Army offered a different perspective on Kahn’s thought process, though, and I’ve got to say, it seems plausible.
• Stepping away from the draft, Seth Davis wrote about a side effect of the college basketball coaching carousel. Many of the pre-coach swap players try to transfer (rather than risk being cut from the team in some cases) — but not all of them are granted permission to do so. It’s a worthwhile glimpse into the big business that is D1 basketball.
• Lastly, a second link from Deadspin (I know, I’m a little amazed too). Deadspin can be pretty nasty to both athletes and journalists, few moreso than Rick Reilly. I’ll be up front, I’m not a huge fan of Reilly’s current stuff either. I think the majority of his ESPN.com work is formulaic and corny (then again, who am I?). But regardless of whatever Deadspin and I agree upon about Reilly, there is little question that he possesses writing chops. In homage to this fact, Tommy Craggs lays out five excellent Reilly features from before his back page days at Sports Illustrated. I haven’t made it through all of them yet, but they’re on my short list. They should be on yours too.

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