Writing a paper is always the easy part. It's the most exciting part and the most rewarding, because you get to see the finished product right there and then in front of you. What happens prior to that is the ugly part and one that few enjoy. The dreaded research!
The story I am writing for the second part of the semester is about an Italian minor league soccer player, pinning his hopes and dreams on a soccer career in America. Wait, America? Why would someone come to America in pursuit of a soccer dream? Because some people need to find a back door in their pursuit towards success.
The person I am interviewing is an Italian citizen, who currently lives in Florence, Italy and is moving in August to Chicago in pursuit of his dream of becoming a professional soccer player. He is currently playing on a minor league squad in his native town in Italy and has not been able to make it to the professional level there. So, he has decided to try out his luck outside of Florence and pursue his soccer dream in America.
The problems I am going to encounter with this story is going to be in getting the Chicago Fire front office people to talk to me about Gregorio Portoghese and his prospect for making the team come next season. Talking to Gregorio himself will be a slight challenge but at least something I will have options with. Either by email, phone or the Windows Live Messenger I will stay in contact with Gregorio. The problems I will run into is getting into contact with any of the Chicago Fire people, because they simply do not need to talk to a Columbia student.
Pictures will not be a problem because his girlfriend, who lives here and is a friend of mine, has pictures of him and has given me the permission to use any and or all of them. The unusual part will be knowing that my interviewee does not live here but rather on a different continent. It will certainly be a unique experience but one I am looking forward to.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Can anyone stop Manchester United and Barcelona?
Champions League resumed its play this week after a 2-month hiatus and returned with a bang! Europe's most prestigious soccer club competition has risen to new heights in the past couple of years due to a mass English invasion (3 of 4 teams in the semifinals last year were English - Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool) and this year's competition appears to be heading in the same direction.
Round of 16 kicked off on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively with some of the favorites struggling, some doing just enough to still be in the tie and others leaving lots to be desired.
The most anticipated match up of the round was thought to be Internazionale Milano - Manchester United and the first leg did not disappoint. While the game ended 0:0, the match itself was highly entertaining. It features two of the best players in the world in Christiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and two of the best managers in Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho. With both teams almost on cruise control in their domestic leagues, this tie was expected to be a measuring stick for both teams. After the first leg Manchester United have a slight advantage, although Inter have shown the ability to win against anyone, anywhere.
The other odds on favorites, F.C. Barcelona, got a favorable result in France against the seven-time defending champions Olympique Lyonnais by drawing 1:1. Now, "Barca" can go back to Camp Nou and rely on Lionel Messi's home brilliance to see them through to the next round.
Other results of note saw Liverpool go to record holders Real Madrid (nine-time Champions League winners) and squeek out a 1:0 victory, while German champions Bayern Munich thrashed Sporting Club De Portugal in Lisbon 5:0 and almost certainly booked their way in the quarter finals. This result alone cements Bayern as one of the favorites, and anyone who disagrees with that needs to look no further than Sporting's results in the group stage. Sporting is a good team with skilled players at every position, yet there were no match for Bayern's precision passing and frantic pace. With a couple braces from their best two players, Ribery and Toni, Bayern appear to be hitting on all cylinders when it matters the most.
The second legs are scheduled for 10th and 11th and except for the Bayern - Sporting tie all the games should see plenty of action and drama.
Here are all the results from Tuesday and Wednesday's Champions League:
Athletico Madrid - Porto 2:2
Lyon - Barcelona 1:1
Arsenal - Roma 1:0
Internazionale - Man. United 0:0
Real Madrid - Liverpool 0:1
Chelsea - Juventus 1:0
Villareal - Panathanaikos 1:1
Sporting - Bayern 0:5
Round of 16 kicked off on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively with some of the favorites struggling, some doing just enough to still be in the tie and others leaving lots to be desired.
The most anticipated match up of the round was thought to be Internazionale Milano - Manchester United and the first leg did not disappoint. While the game ended 0:0, the match itself was highly entertaining. It features two of the best players in the world in Christiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and two of the best managers in Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho. With both teams almost on cruise control in their domestic leagues, this tie was expected to be a measuring stick for both teams. After the first leg Manchester United have a slight advantage, although Inter have shown the ability to win against anyone, anywhere.
The other odds on favorites, F.C. Barcelona, got a favorable result in France against the seven-time defending champions Olympique Lyonnais by drawing 1:1. Now, "Barca" can go back to Camp Nou and rely on Lionel Messi's home brilliance to see them through to the next round.
Other results of note saw Liverpool go to record holders Real Madrid (nine-time Champions League winners) and squeek out a 1:0 victory, while German champions Bayern Munich thrashed Sporting Club De Portugal in Lisbon 5:0 and almost certainly booked their way in the quarter finals. This result alone cements Bayern as one of the favorites, and anyone who disagrees with that needs to look no further than Sporting's results in the group stage. Sporting is a good team with skilled players at every position, yet there were no match for Bayern's precision passing and frantic pace. With a couple braces from their best two players, Ribery and Toni, Bayern appear to be hitting on all cylinders when it matters the most.
The second legs are scheduled for 10th and 11th and except for the Bayern - Sporting tie all the games should see plenty of action and drama.
Here are all the results from Tuesday and Wednesday's Champions League:
Athletico Madrid - Porto 2:2
Lyon - Barcelona 1:1
Arsenal - Roma 1:0
Internazionale - Man. United 0:0
Real Madrid - Liverpool 0:1
Chelsea - Juventus 1:0
Villareal - Panathanaikos 1:1
Sporting - Bayern 0:5
Thursday, February 19, 2009
So long Amar'e...
This is exactly what I was expecting but what I did not want to happen, yet it did! All this talk about getting Amar'e Stoudemire meant the exact opposite - the Bulls were getting two players, who combined together do not amount to the quality of one Amar'e. Once again I was suckered in by all this trade talk, and once again I was let down.
Over and over again Bulls management fails to bring in the "big names" because the organization is so cautious about getting rid off the "talent" wearing the Bulls uniforms. The management failed to pull the trigger on some major names before (Gasol, Garnett and even Kobe) because it overrated its roster. The deadline came and went 2 p.m. E.T. on Thursday, and unlike in the years past not a lot of teams were after the likes of Gordon, Deng and Hinrich.
Getting Miller and Salmons from the Kings on Wednesday helps a little bit but not to the extent Stoudemire would have, obviously. Chicago finally got rid off one half of "Cleveland Garbage" (my dad's nickname for Gooden and Hughes) and while I'm sad to see "Noce" go (along with Gooden in the trade to Sacramento), he has had five years here and it is hard to think he will improve much more in Chicago. He will probably enjoy the change of scenery as well.
I was glad and upset at the same time when I heard that the Bulls have traded the other half of the "Cleveland Garbage," - Larry Hughes to the New York Knicks for Jerome James and Tim Thomas.
Why?
Because of what we got in return for him and his ridiculous salary - Tim Thomas!
Yes, the same Tim Thomas who asked to be traded out of Chicago a couple years ago. So, while we did got rid off Hughes (finally) we got a no name player in return - Jerome James and a player who did not want to be here anyways. Not to forget that their salaries are about the same and that's the reason Hughes needed to be traded to begin with.
What is Paxson doing?
I know there are rumors about his resignation in the near future and if that is the case, way to leave with a bang, Pax! The Bulls might be slightly improved after these deals but we did not land a star yet again. Go figure!
Maybe, just maybe, Paxson will surprise us all by signing a star come this July. Maybe a stud free agent will come here in 2010.
Please, we all know better than this. D-Rose, you are on your own big guy...make us proud!
Over and over again Bulls management fails to bring in the "big names" because the organization is so cautious about getting rid off the "talent" wearing the Bulls uniforms. The management failed to pull the trigger on some major names before (Gasol, Garnett and even Kobe) because it overrated its roster. The deadline came and went 2 p.m. E.T. on Thursday, and unlike in the years past not a lot of teams were after the likes of Gordon, Deng and Hinrich.
Getting Miller and Salmons from the Kings on Wednesday helps a little bit but not to the extent Stoudemire would have, obviously. Chicago finally got rid off one half of "Cleveland Garbage" (my dad's nickname for Gooden and Hughes) and while I'm sad to see "Noce" go (along with Gooden in the trade to Sacramento), he has had five years here and it is hard to think he will improve much more in Chicago. He will probably enjoy the change of scenery as well.
I was glad and upset at the same time when I heard that the Bulls have traded the other half of the "Cleveland Garbage," - Larry Hughes to the New York Knicks for Jerome James and Tim Thomas.
Why?
Because of what we got in return for him and his ridiculous salary - Tim Thomas!
Yes, the same Tim Thomas who asked to be traded out of Chicago a couple years ago. So, while we did got rid off Hughes (finally) we got a no name player in return - Jerome James and a player who did not want to be here anyways. Not to forget that their salaries are about the same and that's the reason Hughes needed to be traded to begin with.
What is Paxson doing?
I know there are rumors about his resignation in the near future and if that is the case, way to leave with a bang, Pax! The Bulls might be slightly improved after these deals but we did not land a star yet again. Go figure!
Maybe, just maybe, Paxson will surprise us all by signing a star come this July. Maybe a stud free agent will come here in 2010.
Please, we all know better than this. D-Rose, you are on your own big guy...make us proud!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
What the blog is going on out there?
Man, it is easy being a sports journalist these days. All one needs is a computer, some free time and semi knowledge on a particular sport or a topic. Wait, that is not sports journalism - it is blogging. How can one differentiate between the two anymore? Well, the two are getting closer everyday to becoming one and the same as more and more bloggers invade the Internet.
Blogging has become such a "trend" nowadays that people of all ages have become addicted to it. Some people blog to show their undying passion for a particular sports team, while others are hoping to make some money off of it. Whatever the case may be for blogging, people see either the good or the bad side of it.
Older journalists still seem hesitant on the issue of blogging and see it as a threat to the field of journalism. Such individuals question the validity of the stories posted in countless blogs and wonder how much reporting goes into them. These are certainly valid questions considering how much useless garbage is out there on the net. On the flip side there are those, however, who put in the work just like an everyday journalist. They worry about and focus on the main things such as spelling, accuracy, grammar and do so because they want to be taken seriously as working professionals. In some cases (i.e. Will Leitch - founder of Deadspin) it has turned into a full-time job at a real newspaper.
In my opinion blogging has turned out to be a good thing for our society but not great for the field of journalism. There are fewer secrets out there due to immediacy of blogging, but there is also lots of wasteful material that is of no use to anyone.
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/02/12/blogging-can-make-you-money-even-if-your-blog-doesnt/
http://deadspin.com/
Blogging has become such a "trend" nowadays that people of all ages have become addicted to it. Some people blog to show their undying passion for a particular sports team, while others are hoping to make some money off of it. Whatever the case may be for blogging, people see either the good or the bad side of it.
Older journalists still seem hesitant on the issue of blogging and see it as a threat to the field of journalism. Such individuals question the validity of the stories posted in countless blogs and wonder how much reporting goes into them. These are certainly valid questions considering how much useless garbage is out there on the net. On the flip side there are those, however, who put in the work just like an everyday journalist. They worry about and focus on the main things such as spelling, accuracy, grammar and do so because they want to be taken seriously as working professionals. In some cases (i.e. Will Leitch - founder of Deadspin) it has turned into a full-time job at a real newspaper.
In my opinion blogging has turned out to be a good thing for our society but not great for the field of journalism. There are fewer secrets out there due to immediacy of blogging, but there is also lots of wasteful material that is of no use to anyone.
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/02/12/blogging-can-make-you-money-even-if-your-blog-doesnt/
http://deadspin.com/
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Narrative anyone?
Back in the day a journalist was seen as a person who covered sporting events and wrote about them, to the delight of all those who could not be there to witness it. People looked at journalists as those with a "cool" job and never thought about how much work a single story actually was. Boy, how the times have changed.
To be considered a quality journalist in today's "report the news first" society, one has to be an expert in a variety of things. Typing and good reporting are mandatory but there is more emphasis every day on journalists to include links, videos, and pictures in their stories as a means of quality work.
For this week I looked at several different narrative ways of adding some zest to one's story, and enhancing its content for the reader.
I found the Arizona Star piece on the in-depth coverage of a golf course to be simply outstanding. It covered so many different aspects of the golf course in such detail, making it incredibly fun for the viewer to enjoy this use of media. Certainly something one usually associates with a video game or a computer program.
USA Today's map/database on finding the NFL talent was visually friendly and easy to navigate, making it even more appealing to a sports junkie like myself. The use of stats in this database was extensive, and the fact that one could go back in time and find different players from different years showed how extensive this research was.
To be considered a quality journalist in today's "report the news first" society, one has to be an expert in a variety of things. Typing and good reporting are mandatory but there is more emphasis every day on journalists to include links, videos, and pictures in their stories as a means of quality work.
For this week I looked at several different narrative ways of adding some zest to one's story, and enhancing its content for the reader.
I found the Arizona Star piece on the in-depth coverage of a golf course to be simply outstanding. It covered so many different aspects of the golf course in such detail, making it incredibly fun for the viewer to enjoy this use of media. Certainly something one usually associates with a video game or a computer program.
USA Today's map/database on finding the NFL talent was visually friendly and easy to navigate, making it even more appealing to a sports junkie like myself. The use of stats in this database was extensive, and the fact that one could go back in time and find different players from different years showed how extensive this research was.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
My sports...my passion!
Growing up in Croatia there were three sports I followed: soccer, basketball and tennis. Soccer itself is bigger than life in that region and is followed on a daily basis by women, men, old and young. Even if you are not born with this passion for soccer, later in life it is instilled in you through years of watching, and with peer pressure in general. In order to understand this "sickness", one has to live in the country for a while and in particular during a major soccer event, such as World Cup. Stores close early, public offices and banks all shut down prior to the start of an important game, making it possible for the entire population to watch and root on the home team. A victory in such a game is celebrated in the streets by honking cars and random fans, who aimlessly wonder throughout the cities. By the same token, a loss in a big game is seen as the end of the world and people can be devastated for days and weeks following it. Some have even committed suicide based on the disappointing outcome of a major soccer game. It's a big deal in this region and some take it to the ultimate level, by ending their own life as a sign of their devotion to the team.
Basketball and tennis tend to get a similar following and dedication by the home fans but nothing ever comes to the fanatic level, associated with soccer only. Soccer has been in its own fan-following category for decades and it continues to separate itself from other sports, with the amount of money being spent nowadays on it.
While I believe some people take their passion and love for this sport to the brink of lunacy, soccer is a fire within me that will keep burning until the day I die. Sure the flame gets weaker at times and stronger at others, but one thing is for sure: it will never be completely extinguished.
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