Sports blogging: mainstream or criminal?

Two interesting tidbits from Globe and Mail sports columnist William Houston perked my curiousity last month.

1.

Hockey blogging

The New York Islanders have created a workplace for bloggers at Nassau Coliseum, the first by a sports team in the New York area and perhaps all major professional sports. "What we determined is the blogosphere can no longer be ignored," said Chris Botta, the vice-president of media relations for the Islanders. "We believe it is a significant new avenue to grow the popularity not just of the Islanders, but of the game of hockey."

Link.

2.

BLOGGED DOWN

A newspaper reporter was expelled from the press box during a National Collegiate Athletic Association championship baseball game between Oklahoma State and Louisville last Sunday because he was blogging live.

Brian Bennett, a reporter for The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., was told that live blogging during championship events is against NCAA policy.

Live blogging involves providing updates and commentary while a game is in progress.

Bennie Ivory, the newspaper's executive editor, was quoted as saying: "It's clearly a First Amendment issue. This is part of the evolution of how we present the news to our readers."

But the NCAA considers live blogs a "live representation of the game." Blogs containing action photos or game reports are prohibited until the game is over.

This is really a rights issue, not unlike those involving television and radio. Non-rights-holding TV networks cannot air action footage until a game is over. Non-rights-holding radio stations are not supposed to air reports until a game is over, although they often bend the rules.

Image source: krishworld