Remembering Thurman Munson

Obviously, I had to use a respectful tone for this blurb about the late Thurman Munson. The story was unique in that George Steinbrenner wrote it. I wanted to make it clear that he was the author and then just summarize what he was saying and explain why he was saying it at this time (for the 30th anniversary of Munson's death.)

They call him Coach

I wanted to play the top story headline and blurb pretty straight because the story would sell itself: a ranking of the top 50 coaches of all time. I debated whether or not to reveal the No. 1 coach in the blurb -- withholding it might have enticed people to click and find out -- but I decided to mention that Wooden topped the list because readers would realize it was credible and would then want to see how other greats stacked up.

Perfect blurb for a perfect game?

After Mark Buehrle's perfect game, there were surprisingly few good photos of the celebration. So, when we wanted to change the photo we had been using for several hours, we were kind of stuck with the one above. In the headline and blurb, I did my best to create a theme around Buehrle getting a postgame pie in the face.

Football and futbol

It's not often soccer is featured on our home page, but it was on this day. I think the top story right headline conveyed the idea that the interview subject could speak intelligently about David Beckham, unlike a lot of people in the American sports media (because he literally did write a book on Beckham). I thought the top story blurb would draw readers because it claimed, contrary to popular opinion, that the Cardinals' run to Super Bowl 43 was not a fluke.

Ballin'

I don't often manage our NBA page, but I know enough about the Association to handle it. Actually, I know much more about the NBA than I do the NHL, whose page I manage all the time, kind of as a bullet to bite. Anyway, I thought the top story headline would grab people's attention, and the blurb is pretty basic as a result. The top story right is very straightforward, as well.

I can even write about bullfighting

Managing the home page this particular day, I got to write blurbs for a variety of sports in a variety of tones. In the left side of the Sporting News Exclusives section at the bottom, there's a blurb that had to be pretty straightforward due to the recent death of Steve McNair. On the right side of that same section, I was able to be a little more creative describing a photo of a bullfighter getting tossed (he was OK).

It's better than 'March of the Penguins'

I chose "Tip of the ice-burgh" in the top story for three reasons: 1. It was fairly original, unlike some of the trite and predictable headlines on other sites after the Pens won the Stanley Cup. 2. The non-standard spelling of iceberg was a nod to the Cup-winning city, and 3. It fit well with the story's argument, which was that this could be the first of many titles for the Pens.

The top story right headline works on a couple of levels. Obviously it's a riff on "cure for the common cold," but it works because the Red Sox struck out 20 times the previous night (so Ks were common). Plus, they were facing a struggling pitcher in their next game, which could be the "cure" for their hitting woes.

Smart art and some espanol

The top story is an example of art working well with copy. Minnesota is building a new football stadium, and its team is in a rebuilding phase. As a result, the coach in a hardhat seemed like an appropriate photo for the featured Q&A. In the TSR you'll see an inversion of the phrase "a wolf (or lobo, as it were) in sheep's clothing." Given that New Mexico is ranked No. 89 in our top 100 college football countdown, that headline seemed fitting.

Basic but effective

All of these blurb and headlines -- and I wrote them all except for "Man of mystery" in the Sporting News Exclusives -- are fairly direct and to the point. I thought the top story would sell itself -- people want to know whether their college football team will be better -- so I thought it best just to explain what they'll see if they click. Bethlehem Shoals, featured in the top story right, can write some fairly high-minded NBA columns that are difficult to explain in a brief blurb. I just tried to let readers know the question he was asking in the column, as well as the evidence he would use to support his opinion.

Two teams that are always good for page views

I'll start with explaining the TSR. West Virginia fans are still pretty bitter about Rich Rodriguez leaving, so I made a point to play up Dave Curtis' Mountaineers question in the blurb. As for the TS, people have such strong feelings for or against Notre Dame that they'll click on anything with an Irish player. So for the blurb, it was just a matter of coming up with something to accurately describe the story (and I thought the headline was decent, too).

Media bias!

The most interesting aspect of the Craig Custance story previewing a Caps-Pens game was that he openly admitted he would be cheering for one of the teams, which ordinarily would be considered pretty unprofessional for a journalist. So I wanted to grab readers' attention by including the admission in the blurb and inviting them to read his justification (which was a good one, by the way).

Mr. Swofford goes to Washington

I was having trouble coming up with a headline for this story, which mentions BCS coordinator John Swofford's testimony before Congress. I wanted to convey that what he said about the bowl system was highly debatable and then somehow tie it to what he was doing in Washington, D.C. After our photo editor sent me the art for the package -- of Swofford being sworn in -- the light bulb went on.

Don't quit your day job, Jim Tressel

The top story's lede details several unfunny jokes Jim Tressel told at the press conference after Ohio State's spring game, hence the headline (I requested a photo of Tressel from that press conference but didn't get it). I thought the top story right headline and blurb were clever, as well.

Last call for clean-shaven hockey players

I wanted a top story headline that would remind readers the playoffs were starting without saying something boring, like "Playoff preview." "Begin those beards" refers to the playoff beards players grow until their team is eliminated. It's also alliterative, which makes me merry. The blurb is fairly straightforward.

Rachel Carson meets Jonathan Crompton

The top story warns against getting too excited about college football spring game performances. The headline is a reference to Carson's 1962 book "Silent Spring," which warned of the dangers of pesticides and helped launch the environmental movement. Overhyped spring games and environmental pollutants have about the same social and political import, wouldn't you say?