Web networking + sports reporters = love

Being vertically challenged and somewhat clumsy, sports have never really been my thing. By a fluke of good luck I made varsity tennis in high school, so that's about the only sport I follow. Now, if I want to know what's going on with my favorite tennis hottie Andy Roddick, all I need to do is visit his Web site. Not only will I find a feed of the latest news, but also his personal blog, exclusive photos, and a proshop where I can buy a steamy autographed 2008 calendar. Yes, please.

The Web is allowing athletes and teams to cut out sports journalists by combining reporting, paparazziesque photos, gift shops and forums all into one outlet. How does a sports reporter compete with that? In the past, journalists have remained a reliable source for sports news because of their knowledge of the game and an unbiased, yet witty approach. But with sites such as bleacherreport.com that turn fans into sports experts, it's difficult for a hardworking reporter to stay in the game.

However, ESPN seems to have this puzzle figured out. When reporter/blogger Henry Abbot headed to New Orleans for the NBA All-Star game Sunday, he had a request for his readers: help me. Abbot asked people to contribute to a public wiki to make sure all the "best articles, blog posts, video, and original anecdotes about what's happening in New Orleans" got covered. And…it worked. By connecting the reporter directly with the audience, this Web site initiated discussion and linked readers to legitimate sports articles by reporters from various news outlets.

Maybe ESPN really stands for Extremely Smart People who Network. Or, maybe they just got lucky. Either way, sports and news journalists everywhere should take note. By networking online reporters can engage their audience, without letting them take over, and they can also acquire an endless supply of story ideas and readership.

As long as sports journalists continue to step up their skills and embrace the changes in media and technology, they can remain a strong competitor in the game of web vs. reporters.