Word play
Sports writing, as described in one US publication is “a form of creative non-fiction in which a sporting event, individual athlete or sports-related issue serves as the dominant subject.”
People who reports on sports-related matters are called sports journalists or sports writers.
Sportswriting had its beginnings in early 1800s that catered to the social elite but the rise in popularity of sports among the middle and lower classes led to more coverage and increased material in publications, eventually leading to sports-only publications.
Sports journalism could range from play-by-play, game recaps and post-game analysis, drafting statistics, interviews with sports people, the advancement/evolution in sports and previews of upcoming sporting events.
These special kind of people earn degrees in journalism which taught them to be diligent researchers, creative with words and have the ability to get up close build working relationships with sports people.
A few had been gifted that without any journalism degree, they had been doing good in sports-related journalism.
It’s not really a glamorous job as the pay is low and hours are long and irregular. To cover an event, there is a need to travel and then worry about meals, accommodations and internet connectivity. There’s the reality of dealing with inconsiderate fans. Neither heavy rain, searing heat, traffic or flood can stop dedicated sportwriters to their craft.
Creativity is the norm for sportswriters as they mostly have their way with words to describe a sporting event. The play with words make the coverage more interesting and if done well, could actually make the reader relive the game.
The word play sometimes don’t sit well with opinionated yet ill-informed about the intricacies of the craft and what these sports journalist had gone thru to practice what they do best. They blame sportswriters of bias and favoritism when they don’t like what they read. Well, they’re entitled to their own twisted entitlement.
Without sports journalists, how can we ever know that there are the Azkals, the Malditas or the Gilas? That Margielyn Didal earned the country a gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games gliding on a small board with wheels. Or perhaps superwoman Hidilyn Diaz winning the country’s first Olympic gold in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
It’s a thankless job, Let’s show some respect and recognition to sportswriters and recognize their efforts in bringing the game to us.
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