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VOLUME 48, NO. 5 Summer 2011 USBWA, CoSIDA can help each other in confusing times Vol. 30, No. 7 These are fragmented March times. 2008 ketball reporting today, The blowup started before the recession, but the re- especially on campuses cession didn’t help. The shards started flying before the where coaches or others $4.00 financial meltdown, but the meltdown didn’t help. The favor controlling athletes media splintering started before offered their and reporters by limiting Lenox Rawlings product free of charge, but supplying a cheaper-than- exposure. cheap alternative online didn’t help. The examples also un- Winston-Salem Journal reporters – print, web, TV, radio, grand- derscore the value of hav- ma’s basement – often work amid the rubble and rubbish ing an established vehicle of an unglued age. The chaos cuts several ways, which for dealing with access is- President became obvious during a recent seminar at the CoSIDA sues, which is where the convention in Florida. Gathered beside the Gulf of Mex- U.S. Basketball Writers ico, the sports information directors described a gap that Association enters the con- could widen into a chasm during this transition. versation. The 900-member USBWA isn’t just for news- The USBWA can’t offer such stark options, despite No. 1: SIDs from different campuses cited the dif- paper writers. Membership is open to broadcasters, stu- the enlarged fatalism byte in the sportswriter DNA. The ficulty in deciding which reporters, bloggers and talk- dent , SIDs, photographers, retirees and even USBWA can offer a moderately reasonable mechanism ers qualify for seats at games and access to participants. editors (the ultimate sign of inclusive reflexes). for protecting access to college basketball at a reasonably Through their lenses, the definition of “accredited report- Someone needs to mediate disputes over access and moderate price. er” seems murkier every winter. advocate equal treatment. Someone needs to reiterate the There are many other reasons to join the organiza- No. 2: The media relations director for a major con- intrinsic value of beautifully detailed reporting, which tion or renew memberships now. ference said that he would like to develop relationships requires proximity to the action and the athletes without For student journalists, the $25 annual dues provide with reporters and share information in source conversa- the unnecessary impediments of obstructed views and immediate contact with the media network, an extensive tions based on trust. While surveying the new landscape, deflected questions. Without decent seats within earshot membership directory that also includes Division I col- however, he finds harder and harder to identify report- of reality and freewheeling locker-room interviews, col- leges (with phone numbers and email addresses), voting ers with predictable value systems that he can engage in lege basketball runs the risk of deleting the sport’s es- rights for the USBWA’s numerous awards, a Hertz dis- the classic . sence from the public record. count card and free subscriptions to Basketball Times and These examples reflect the complexity of basic bas- Live free or die? Rivals.com. Deadline warning: The invaluable published direc- tory is guaranteed only to those who pay dues by Oct. 1. Dues for regular members are $50 and for retirees, USBWA unveils dynamic $20. The website – usbwa.com – has an online applica- tion form, more details about other benefits (such as writ- new logo for coming season ing contests with cash awards) and archived articles from The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has a new is partially overlapping the basketball and a bold outline the Tipoff newsletter. The printed Tipoff comes through look. The association’s new logo will debut this com- was added. A slight slant to the right in the type gives the the mail as a supplement to Basketball Times. ing season and is a fresh update on the traditional varsity impression of movement in the logo. Similarly, including Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the block-letter concept. USBWA’s immediate past president, emphasized an or- Rachel Sollee of Dal- ganizational youth movement with a compassionate las-based Sollee Designs component. No experienced folks get kicked out, but all worked with USBWA web- vets should solicit more reporters beginning to form their master Ted Gangi to update careers at campus newspapers and radio stations or just the look while maintaining settling into their professional careers. red as the association’s Previous presidents Dick Jerardi of the signature branding color. Daily News and Steve Carp of the Review- Gangi, entering his eighth Journal worked quite hard to increase membership. year working with the US- They succeeded in building momentum that the USBWA BWA, donated the cost of should sustain, with an immediate goal of 1,000 mem- the logo redesign to the bers. USBWA. A larger membership creates a stronger voice and “The USBWA logo re- guarantees the solvency of programs such as the Larry design was undertaken to Donald Scholarship for aspiring sports journalists. Fresh- modernize and freshen its appearance,” Sollee said. “To the use of gradients and a red shadow to the basketball man Sean Lester of Texas A&M, a participant in the US- keep a level of consistency with the previous logo, the added depth. A change in type color to a deeper red helps BWA seminar at the Houston Final Four, won the $1,000 typeface and basketball design elements are still promi- ‘USBWA’ stand out. Also, the size of the basketball was scholarship. nent in the design. However, several modifications were increased to intensify the visual interest.” That’s the right kind of thing for the USBWA to do, added to both elements. For more information about Sollee Design, contact with eyes on the future rather than the convulsive recent “To create a stronger and more unified design the ‘U’ Rachel at [email protected]. past. B a s k e t b a l l t i m e s

The Basketball Writers Association 1818 Chouteau Avenue USBWA’s summer mission: St. Louis, Mo. 63103 Visit us at: www.usbwa.com 314-444-4325 Fax: 314-444-4333 reach a record 1,000 members The USBWA is on a mission to reach 1,000 PRESIDENT – Lenox Rawlings, members this season. Winston-Salem Journal; H: 336-272-2029; Never in the 56-year C: 336-580-5023; [email protected] history of the organiza- Joe Mitch FIRST VICE PRESIDENT – John Akers, tion has the USBWA been Basketball Times; H: 704-849-8627; at 1,000 members. We’ve C: 980-422-1294; [email protected] USBWA SECOND VICE PRESIDENT – Kirk Wessler, been close a couple times. Peoria Journal-Star; O: 309-686-3216; The last two years, the US- Executive Director H: 309-673-5816; C: 309-256-9093; BWA was around 900 in [email protected] membership. THIRD VICE PRESIDENT – Dana O’Neil, As President Lenox .com; C: 215-313-3425; Rawlings pointed out in his [email protected] column in this issue of Tipoff, the USBWA offers many ***** EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – Joe Mitch, invaluable benefits for SIDs and journalists covering Congratulations are in order for past president Missouri Valley Conference, O: 314-421-0339; college basketball. Wolff, who has been selected to receive the Curt Gowdy H: 636-227-9113; C: 314-795-6821; Perhaps the most valuable is the annual member- Media Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall [email protected] ship directory listing the names of every NCAA Divi- of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in September. WEBMASTER – Ted Gangi, C: 214-909- sion I men’s and women’s basketball coach and SID in Wolff was president of the USBWA in 1999-2000 9314; the country, complete with phone numbers and e-mail and was inducted into the USBWA Hall of Fame in 2002. [email protected] addresses. As president, he helped start a USBWA-sponsored schol- BOARD MEMBERS DISTRICT I – Kevin McNamara; Providence In addition, the directory lists the names of beat arship program for aspiring sports journalism students Journal; O: 401-277-7340; C: 401-434-7229; writers, columnists and radio/TV announcers who and also initiated a sportswriting seminar held each year kvmc3333@.com cover all 350-some Division I schools. at the Final Four. DISTRICT II – Kevin Armstrong, New York Former USBWA president Alex Wolff once said: Other USBWA past presidents who have received Daily News; C: 845-323-8129; “The USBWA publishes the most comprehensive tele- the Gowdy Award previously include Larry Donald, [email protected] phone directory and resource guide on college basket- Dave Dorr, Dick Weiss, Bob Ryan, Malcolm Moran, Jim DISTRICT III – Steve Wiseman, Durham ball in the nation. The directory is worth the price of O’Connell, Bob Hammel, Bob Hentzen, Dick Herbert Herald-Sun; O: 919-419-6671; membership alone.” and Smith Barrier. Other past winners who are either H: 919-387-9848; C: 919-768-3933; One new benefit for members starting this year is currently or have been USBWA members include Curry [email protected] the reinstatement of the college scholarship program Kirkpatrick and Dave Kindred. DISTRICT IV – Pat Forde, espn.com; for children of USBWA members. H: 502-253-9761; C: 502-472-9163; The USBWA will award one $2,000 grant each [email protected] year to the son or daughter of an active USBWA mem- Burlison joins DISTRICT V – Mike Lopresti, USA Today, ber, who is of college age and is either ready to start or O: 765-962-0989; C: 765-969-2526; USBWA Board [email protected] is presently enrolled in a university, college or junior DISTRICT VI – Tom Keegan, Lawrence college. Frank Burlison has joined the USBWA’s Board of Journal World; O: 785-832-7147; Applications for the scholarship will be accepted Director as its District IX representative. H: 785-856-0796; between September 1 and April 15 of each school year. Burlison, who was inducted into the USBWA’s Hall C: 785-423-0683; [email protected] Announcement of the grant will be made in June. A of Fame in 2005, has been a sports writer more than 35 DISTRICT VII – Wally Hall; Arkansas three-member scholarship committee will review the years. He has worked at the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Democrat-Gazette; O/C: 501-831-4647; applications and select the recipient. Orange County Register, Foxsports.com and the L.A. [email protected] The maximum award to any family shall be Group (including -Telegram, L.A. DISTRICT VIII – Tom Kensler; Denver Post; $2,000. The scholarship can only be applied toward Daily News) and other newspapers. O: 303-725-8556; C: 303-725-8556; undergraduate degrees. Burlison has covered every aspect of basketball, [email protected]; The USBWA had a similar college scholarship from preps to pros and was among the pioneers in cover- DISTRICT IX – Frank Burlison; H: program several years ago, but it was discontinued be- ing recruiting and summer basketball. 949-340-2670; C: 310-717-5942; cause of a lack of funding. Burlison has also been a member of the John R. [email protected]. Complete details for the scholarship program with Wooden selection advisory committee, is an original AT-LARGE – Marlen Garcia, USA Today; O/C: 312-218-9353; H: 847-803-0288; instructions on how to apply will be posted later in the member of the McDonald’s All-America Selection Com- [email protected] summer on the USBWA website at www.usbwa.com. mittee and has attended every Final Four since 1986. AT-LARGE – Luke Winn,SI.com; O: 212-522-9835; C: 847-477-5507. SID – Kim Melcher, Mountain West Conference; O: 719-488-4050; C: 719-433-0681; [email protected] MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR – Helen Heugel; 314-421-0331; [email protected]. NEW MEDIA LIAISON – Wendy Parker; Basketball Times/Freelance; C: 404-219-4278; Join the USBWA today! [email protected] go to www.usbwa.com TIPOFF EDITOR – John Akers, Basketball Just $50. Membership benefits include the USBWA directory, a seven-month subscription to Basketball Times, Times; H: 704-849-8627; C: 980-422-1294; a Hertz discount card, access to Rivals.com and eligibility to win cash prizes in the USBWA writing contest. [email protected]