For Monday, find one sports column in a newspaper or online and state your opinion on that column in 5-7 sentences. Check the links below for articles -- they must be columns with opinions.
Also, remember, extra credit going out to those who leave Duane Munn a comment.
See you Monday!
-Mr. Donohue
ESPN.com
NY Post
Daily News
NY Times
NY Newsday
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Rough Draft Due Tomorrow!!!
For tomorrow, turn in a rough draft of your b-ball shootout article (in a folder the color of your class). Include a headline, a lead, three quotes and 5 W’s & H lined up in inverted pyramid style – 150 words.
Good luck!
-Mr. Donohue
Here's a YouTube of Stephon Marbury talking about the Knicks' court case and giving Starbury products back to the community.
Good luck!
-Mr. Donohue
Here's a YouTube of Stephon Marbury talking about the Knicks' court case and giving Starbury products back to the community.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
I Hate Larry Johnson
Well, not literally. But I'll explain myself in a second...
First, I want to say what's up to Anthony Mendez, aka Big Ant, aka Ant "I Get Money" Mendez, aka Luv Bug Ant-Ski, aka the first student to respond to my blog. Yes! I was beginning to think you guys didn't like me.
Actually "I Get Money (I-I-I I Get it!)", you brought to light a very important problem that I must confront, and I can't thank you enough. This problem must be addressed. Right now. I can't move forward with this blog in good faith until we talk about this. Simply put...
My blog needs a name.
I refuse to have anyone calling me "Duane Munn," or "Mr. Munn," or anything similar. It makes me feel old. I'm not old. That gray hair I pulled from my chin this morning was stress-related, not age-associated. And so what if my niece is only a couple years younger than some of you.
You guys want to lend a hand? This blog needs a catchy, sports-related name. And since you are younger than me, it means you're also cooler. Which means you should be able to help me avoid assigning this little haven a really lame title. So send suggestions, and whoever comes up with the best one can tell all their friends they've been supplying creative input to one of the writers at SI Kids.
Now, on to Big Ant's comments. Yes, Mike Vick is a gifted athlete, and yes, he is facing some very harsh consequences as a result of his problems with dog-fighting. But any consequences he's currently facing are because of his own stupid decisions. The major difference between dog-fighting and hunting is that one activity is illegal, and one is not. No matter how you feel about dog-fighting, whether you consider it a sport (I don't), whether you consider it disgusting (I do), it's against the law. Mike Vick knew this, so he knew he was putting himself in a potentially unfavorable position with the law as a result. Now he must deal with the fallout from the decisions he made.
I don't believe athletes are required to act as role models all the time, but I do expect them to keep their noses clean of major trouble. They are paid millions of dollars to play a game you and I could get together and play right now if we wanted to. If they can't appreciate that, and act accordingly, they don't deserve it.
As for CameraGate, yes, I would say Bill Belichick has learned his lesson. I doubt GreyHood will even allow disposable cameras on the Patriots' sidelines from now on.
This was extremely embarrassing for the coach, and for his team. Especially when you consider that some people have gone so far as to suggesst the Pats' Super Bowl titles came as a result of cheating. I don't think that's the case, but being forced to answer such questions is punishment enough for a franchise that prides itself on the near-unparalleled success enjoyed over the past seven years.
Unfortunately (for all our favorite teams), it's also given them a healthy dose of motivational mojo. Have you SEEN the Pats this year!?! Sigh. At least I have Wes Welker on my fantasy team (yes!!!). For the record, I'm picking the Pats to make it to the Super Bowl (you have no idea how much it pains me to type that out... but that's a story for another day).
And I haven't met Plax yet, but if I do I'll let him know he has a super-fan in Brooklyn. I'll admit, Burress hasn't always been my favorite player; he doesn't get into many arguments, but he did spend a lot of time showing up Eli Manning last season (by waving his arms in the air and stomping off the field) whenever the ball wasn't thrown his way. That type of action can really undermine a young QB's confidence. He also refused to show up early for training camp and work out with Eli, which made him seem like an even larger hypocrite every time he complained on-field about not getting the ball. Hmm... maybe if he spent more time practicing with his QB, his QB would have an easier time finding him in passing situations. Just a thought.
But Plax is stepping up this year, playing much more poised, and acting a lot more mature. Now if he could just teach Jeremy Shockey how to hold onto the ball...
OK, before I forget, I hate Larry Johnson. But I don't have time to explain why right now. I'm picking out gadgets that will be included in our Holiday Gift Guide, and calling companies in order to have samples sent to my office so that we can photograph them. Unfortunately, some of these yahoos aren't emailing me back. Or they are, but the game/sneaker/jacket i want to use isn't available, and I have to negotiate with them to make it available. Never accept no as an answer in this business, I tell ya. If you ask someone a question and the answer is no, find a way to ask the same question in a different manner. Change the wording up, change your vocal tone, whatever. And if they say no again, find another different way. Ask them so many times they don't even realize you're asking them the same question. You can't be afraid of multiple rejections if you want to be successful.
For the record, I'm about to ask this jacket company for their winter lineup for the third time. It's making for a very stressful afternoon, I'll be honest. You guys will have to bear with me a bit for the LJ story. Just know I don't mean he sucks on the field. Oh no. This is... well... you'll see.
First, I want to say what's up to Anthony Mendez, aka Big Ant, aka Ant "I Get Money" Mendez, aka Luv Bug Ant-Ski, aka the first student to respond to my blog. Yes! I was beginning to think you guys didn't like me.
Actually "I Get Money (I-I-I I Get it!)", you brought to light a very important problem that I must confront, and I can't thank you enough. This problem must be addressed. Right now. I can't move forward with this blog in good faith until we talk about this. Simply put...
My blog needs a name.
I refuse to have anyone calling me "Duane Munn," or "Mr. Munn," or anything similar. It makes me feel old. I'm not old. That gray hair I pulled from my chin this morning was stress-related, not age-associated. And so what if my niece is only a couple years younger than some of you.
You guys want to lend a hand? This blog needs a catchy, sports-related name. And since you are younger than me, it means you're also cooler. Which means you should be able to help me avoid assigning this little haven a really lame title. So send suggestions, and whoever comes up with the best one can tell all their friends they've been supplying creative input to one of the writers at SI Kids.
Now, on to Big Ant's comments. Yes, Mike Vick is a gifted athlete, and yes, he is facing some very harsh consequences as a result of his problems with dog-fighting. But any consequences he's currently facing are because of his own stupid decisions. The major difference between dog-fighting and hunting is that one activity is illegal, and one is not. No matter how you feel about dog-fighting, whether you consider it a sport (I don't), whether you consider it disgusting (I do), it's against the law. Mike Vick knew this, so he knew he was putting himself in a potentially unfavorable position with the law as a result. Now he must deal with the fallout from the decisions he made.
I don't believe athletes are required to act as role models all the time, but I do expect them to keep their noses clean of major trouble. They are paid millions of dollars to play a game you and I could get together and play right now if we wanted to. If they can't appreciate that, and act accordingly, they don't deserve it.
As for CameraGate, yes, I would say Bill Belichick has learned his lesson. I doubt GreyHood will even allow disposable cameras on the Patriots' sidelines from now on.
This was extremely embarrassing for the coach, and for his team. Especially when you consider that some people have gone so far as to suggesst the Pats' Super Bowl titles came as a result of cheating. I don't think that's the case, but being forced to answer such questions is punishment enough for a franchise that prides itself on the near-unparalleled success enjoyed over the past seven years.
Unfortunately (for all our favorite teams), it's also given them a healthy dose of motivational mojo. Have you SEEN the Pats this year!?! Sigh. At least I have Wes Welker on my fantasy team (yes!!!). For the record, I'm picking the Pats to make it to the Super Bowl (you have no idea how much it pains me to type that out... but that's a story for another day).
And I haven't met Plax yet, but if I do I'll let him know he has a super-fan in Brooklyn. I'll admit, Burress hasn't always been my favorite player; he doesn't get into many arguments, but he did spend a lot of time showing up Eli Manning last season (by waving his arms in the air and stomping off the field) whenever the ball wasn't thrown his way. That type of action can really undermine a young QB's confidence. He also refused to show up early for training camp and work out with Eli, which made him seem like an even larger hypocrite every time he complained on-field about not getting the ball. Hmm... maybe if he spent more time practicing with his QB, his QB would have an easier time finding him in passing situations. Just a thought.
But Plax is stepping up this year, playing much more poised, and acting a lot more mature. Now if he could just teach Jeremy Shockey how to hold onto the ball...
OK, before I forget, I hate Larry Johnson. But I don't have time to explain why right now. I'm picking out gadgets that will be included in our Holiday Gift Guide, and calling companies in order to have samples sent to my office so that we can photograph them. Unfortunately, some of these yahoos aren't emailing me back. Or they are, but the game/sneaker/jacket i want to use isn't available, and I have to negotiate with them to make it available. Never accept no as an answer in this business, I tell ya. If you ask someone a question and the answer is no, find a way to ask the same question in a different manner. Change the wording up, change your vocal tone, whatever. And if they say no again, find another different way. Ask them so many times they don't even realize you're asking them the same question. You can't be afraid of multiple rejections if you want to be successful.
For the record, I'm about to ask this jacket company for their winter lineup for the third time. It's making for a very stressful afternoon, I'll be honest. You guys will have to bear with me a bit for the LJ story. Just know I don't mean he sucks on the field. Oh no. This is... well... you'll see.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Quiz Tomorrow!!!
Study hard and be ready to identify two elements at three different levels of the inverted pyramid.
Good luck!
-Mr. Donohue
Also, enjoy another YouTube clip...
Good luck!
-Mr. Donohue
Also, enjoy another YouTube clip...
Monday, September 24, 2007
Homework For Tuesday, September 25
You homework for Tuesday:
Choose one sports article and bring into class...create an inverted pyramid graph of that article giving 2 primary, 2 secondary and 2 tertiary elements. If you are posting homework as a comment, you do not need to draw the graph.
Useful sports links:
ESPN.com
NY Daily News
NY Post
NY Times
NY Newsday
Also, you can find a full definition of the Inverted Pyramid on Wikipedia by clicking here.
Good luck and see you in class.
-Mr. Donohue
Choose one sports article and bring into class...create an inverted pyramid graph of that article giving 2 primary, 2 secondary and 2 tertiary elements. If you are posting homework as a comment, you do not need to draw the graph.
Useful sports links:
ESPN.com
NY Daily News
NY Post
NY Times
NY Newsday
Also, you can find a full definition of the Inverted Pyramid on Wikipedia by clicking here.
Good luck and see you in class.
-Mr. Donohue
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Hey Guys!
My name is Duane Munn, and I'm a reporter/producer for Sports Illustrated Kids. That's a really fancy way of saying I get to write and do all sorts of design-related website work for a living. For someone like myself, who grew up glued to the sports section of the Daily News every morning, it's pretty much a dream-come-true. It's definitely hard work, but when you're doing what you love, you never complain. The fact I get free sneakers and video games mailed to me doesn't hurt either (but that's a blog for another day).
If you click on the link I provided right here (http://www.taylorpr.com/docs/si_for_kids_08_07.pdf), you can see one of my most recent stories, an interview with Cleveland Browns QB Brady Quinn. I also recently traveled to Boston in order to conduct a roundtable interview with Boston Celtics stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen for our NBA Preview issue, which will be out in a couple of weeks. Check 'em out and let me know what you think!
So here's the deal: it just so happens that your teacher, Mr. Donohue himself, is a really good friend of mine. He asked me to stop by and drop blogs here and there, which I'm more than willing to do. Success in spors journalism depends as much on the relationships you forge as your work ethic or talent, and if I can help any of you guys with advice, suggestions, or just to chat, I'll be here to use as a tool. I'll also be dropping by to rant about some of the stuff I deal with in the world of sports, from trying to set up interviews with star athletes to struggling with story deadlines. I'll even be offering up topics for debate that we can discuss here. Who knows? If we raise enough of a ruckus, maybe we can get Mr. Donohue to adjust his lesson plan.
So first up, I was thinking we could talk about some recent happenings in the NFL. Specifically, what did you guys think about the recent CameraGate controversy? Did you think Bill Belicheck's actions crossed the line between gamesmanship and cheating? How would you have punished him? And considering the recent penalties being handed out to players like Mike Vick and "Pacman" Jones, was the punishment handed out steep enough? Drop in with your thoughts; I'll be checking in on the site throughout the weekend to see what you guys think, and to respond. I look forward to hearing from you guys, and to dropping more posts in the future. Have a great weekend!
If you click on the link I provided right here (http://www.taylorpr.com/docs/si_for_kids_08_07.pdf), you can see one of my most recent stories, an interview with Cleveland Browns QB Brady Quinn. I also recently traveled to Boston in order to conduct a roundtable interview with Boston Celtics stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen for our NBA Preview issue, which will be out in a couple of weeks. Check 'em out and let me know what you think!
So here's the deal: it just so happens that your teacher, Mr. Donohue himself, is a really good friend of mine. He asked me to stop by and drop blogs here and there, which I'm more than willing to do. Success in spors journalism depends as much on the relationships you forge as your work ethic or talent, and if I can help any of you guys with advice, suggestions, or just to chat, I'll be here to use as a tool. I'll also be dropping by to rant about some of the stuff I deal with in the world of sports, from trying to set up interviews with star athletes to struggling with story deadlines. I'll even be offering up topics for debate that we can discuss here. Who knows? If we raise enough of a ruckus, maybe we can get Mr. Donohue to adjust his lesson plan.
So first up, I was thinking we could talk about some recent happenings in the NFL. Specifically, what did you guys think about the recent CameraGate controversy? Did you think Bill Belicheck's actions crossed the line between gamesmanship and cheating? How would you have punished him? And considering the recent penalties being handed out to players like Mike Vick and "Pacman" Jones, was the punishment handed out steep enough? Drop in with your thoughts; I'll be checking in on the site throughout the weekend to see what you guys think, and to respond. I look forward to hearing from you guys, and to dropping more posts in the future. Have a great weekend!
Homework Due Monday, September 24
For Monday, your homework is simple. Read 3 sports articles and list the writer's name as well as the headline of that article.
See you in class!
-Mr. Donohue
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Homework Due Thursday, September 20
Choose a sports article and write a 50-word summary featuring 3 of your own original headlines. You must include the link to the article.
Check for articles at one of the following sites or another one of your choice:
ESPN.com
The Daily News
NY Post
NY Times
Newsday
Enjoy a YouTube clip about Chad Johnson and his touchdown celebrations:
Check for articles at one of the following sites or another one of your choice:
ESPN.com
The Daily News
NY Post
NY Times
Newsday
Enjoy a YouTube clip about Chad Johnson and his touchdown celebrations:
Extra Credit!!! Who wins the AL East?
The Yankees whipped the O's last night by a 12-0 margin. Meanwhile, Eric Gagne and the Red Sox lost to the Blue Jays, 4-2, and now the Yanks sit 2.5 games behind the Sox in the AL East -- two back in the loss column.Who will win this fight to the finish and take home in the division title? ESPN calculates the odds here. Discuss for extra credit.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Homework Assignment Due Wednesday, 9/19/07
To my Sports Journalism class...you have the option of answering today's assignment here online by posting a comment. In that comment you must write your class color at the top as well as YOUR NAME. Then, place a link to your article and 3-5 sentences about why that article's headline caught your eye.
Remember, it's double credit to use the blog this week.
Good sites to check for sports articles:
Daily News Sports Section.
ESPN.com.
NY Post Sports Section (you must subscribe to read these articles but it is free)
NY Times (Free subscription)
Newsday
Good luck with the assignment and feel free to drop me a line at Mr.Donohue@gmail.com with any questions.
Also, enjoy a YouTube highlight reel of LeBron James (below).
-Mr.Donohue
Remember, it's double credit to use the blog this week.
Good sites to check for sports articles:
Daily News Sports Section.
ESPN.com.
NY Post Sports Section (you must subscribe to read these articles but it is free)
NY Times (Free subscription)
Newsday
Good luck with the assignment and feel free to drop me a line at Mr.Donohue@gmail.com with any questions.
Also, enjoy a YouTube highlight reel of LeBron James (below).
-Mr.Donohue
Welcome!!!
Welcome to the HSSM Sports Journalism blog!!!
To all HSSM Sports Journalism students: this is a venue where you can check out what's happening in our class and discuss all the latest in the world of sports! Feel free to leave comments!
Check out the Yankees 4-3 win over the Red Sox on Sunday here in the Daily News.
Or read about the Giants or Jets losing yesterday.
See you in class!
-Mr Donohue
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