Sports — in Word and Image

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Volume 7, Issue 4 Sports — In Word And Image

BY PRESTON KERES—THE WASHINGTON POST WASHINGTON KERES—THE PRESTON BY

Players, Fans and Media — It’s About People BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST WASHINGTON NEWTON—THE JONATHAN BY

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program A Word About Sports — In Word and Image Lesson: The Sports section of The Every Friday KidsPost features a sports column by Fred Bowen. Washington Post provides lessons in By fifth grade many young sports fans have joined the avid meeting deadlines, mathematics and readers who turn to the Sports section before reading the Front statistics, photography and graphics, Page and comics. language arts and journalism, and geography. This guide encourages teachers to use the Sports section to study the work of Post reporters as models for students to write ledes, sports news and columns, to prepare charts and graphs using the scores and other data, and to read maps to follow Level: Low to high the schedule of teams, reporters and photographers. For your Subjects: Journalism, Mathematics, photographers we have Post photographer Jonathan Newton’s Photography pointers that are illustrated with his photos of high school and Related Activity: English Language Arts, Geography, PE professional athletes. Reprinted articles reflect the challenge faced by the Sports section to produce its diverse coverage and on-deadline reporting and photography, layout and printing. Some of the articles and columns that appear daily are done well before the 10 p.m. NIE Online Guide deadline, but others are being written as games are played on Editor — Carol Lange the West Coast or have gone into overtime. Photos, taken to Art Editor — Carol Porter reflect the emotions at the end of the confrontation as well as the Contributing to this guide: Jonathan pre-game activities, are being sent electronically with accurate Newton, a newspaper photographer for captions to layout as the presses are readied to run to meet 22 years and one of four Post sports home delivery schedules. photographers, gave us his time during a Sports writers cover victory and defeat, hopes and poor very demanding week to write guidelines decisions, injury and death. As material in this guide was being for scholastic photographers and to select prepared, news reports came of the shooting of Washington from his many excellent images ones to Redskin Sean Taylor in his Miami home, then his death. Three of share as a teaching tool. New Washington many articles about the defensive back, his family, the Redskins Post Photography Editor Michel duCille and fan response are included. gave his full support to this project.

COVER PHOTO CREDITS Top: Cornerback Shawn Springs, on the Redskins’ first defensive play: “It just came about. We went out there as a way to honor Sean. It was a sad moment for us, but it was a way to honor him.” — Preston Keres Washington Post Staff Photographer Lower photos: Left: Steven Knight of Calvert High reacts to winning the Boys 100-meter hurdles in the 2003 Maryland Track and Field Championships. Center: Douglass High wide receiver Marcus Barnett tosses a tire during “Junk Yard Drills” which help the football players with their strength and agility as they prepare for the Send comments about this guide to: 2005 football season. Margaret Kaplow, Educational Services Right: The Kennedy High team is left reeling in the team room following their loss to Manager, [email protected] Northwest in the second round of play-offs. — Jonathan Newton Washington Post Staff Photographer

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program

Sports —In Word and Image Fred Bowen’s Books & Columns

Introduce the Sports Section Read the first four paragraphs. www.fredbowen.com/ Give students the Sports section Questions you may consider Fred Bowen: Sports Writer for Kids of today’s Washington Post. include: Books, school visit information and an Discuss the number of stories • If you did not read the headline archive of his The Score columns that and photographs on page 1. What or subhead, how would you know appear every Friday on the KidsPost pages. information is in the “rail” that runs what game was being played and Check out the Q and A in the bio section. down the left side of the front page which teams were playing? Note of the E section? Walk through the how this conveys the same basic www.washingtonpost.com/kidspost rest of the section. Some articles information as “Football teams KidsPost have subheads as well as headlines. from Dunbar and H.D. Woodson Read Bowen’s most recent The Score How does typography distinguish high schools played each other in columns columns from news articles? Note the Turkey Bowl on Saturday.” special features; the different local, • How does the reporter know The AllStar Sports Story Series national and international sports what Jharron Armstrong is and events that are covered; the thinking? Observation? Interview? In addition to a lively story, each book scores, schedules and standings; • In addition to describing provides a history section illustrated with articles and summaries. the action of the game, what photographs in the back. All of these Look at the bylines and interesting pieces of information stories by Fred Bowen are published by datelines. Do Post reporters and are given in the second Peachtree Publishers. photographers travel away from paragraph? [The author knows D.C. to cover sports? What percent something about both teams Baseball of the stories are written by Post and players.] Does knowing the The Golden Glove staff reporters? What percent are ability of the opposition make The Kid Coach Associated Press or news service Armstrong’s following action Playoff Dreams stories? better? T.J.’s Secret Pitch Another approach would be to • Note that the last half of the Winners Take All group students and give each group fourth paragraph (“Dunbar won a different day of the week Sports …”) is the traditional lede to a Basketball section. What features appear news article. These four sentences The Final Cut daily in this section? What features are an example of a delayed lede. Full Court Fever appear only on Monday, Friday or Off the Rim Saturday? Do certain days have Read the fifth paragraph. Note the On the Line more coverage of games played and historic perspective that is added. others more focus on games to be Read the sixth paragraph. played? Note that the information in this Review the way scores, statistics paragraph is based on observation. and schedules are presented. Might What is added by the contrast to your school newspaper or Web site last year? use a similar format? Read the remaining article. It is composed of reporting and Read a Sports Article quotations. What function does the Give students copies of “Dunbar last sentence of the article serve? Back on Top After Turkey Bowl If the cut-off test were applied this Win.” This story appeared in unity would be lost. If a writer The Post the day after the game knows the word count and works had taken place. Who would be interested in reading this article? continued on page

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program continued from page Does this include the influence or Read About Sports impact of winning or losing or how with layout, this kind of good players felt? Is most, if not all, of Curtis, Gavin writing is not lost. the opinion found in the quoted The Bat Boy & His Violin material? Grades 1-4 (2001) Write a Sports Article Locate opinion pieces. You may Reginald loves to play the violin; his father Using the Turkey Bowl article wish to list on the board Post makes him his Negro National League and others from the Sports section Sports columnists: Andrew Beyer, team’s batboy. Coretta Scott King Illustrator as models, ask students to write Thomas Boswell, Norman Chad, Honor Book. a news article covering one of the Sally Jenkins, Tony Kornheiser, sports currently being played at Angus Phillips, Leonard Shapiro, Feinstein, John your school. The Dunbar article is George Solomon, Michael Wilbon Last Shot a good example of covering games/ and Mike Wise. Have students Grades 6-10 (2005) matches of rivals or highlighting spend several days reading the Who’s blackmailing one of MSU’s star accomplished players on both teams Sports section and collecting players? Sportswriter Feinstein blends real who are playing against each other. columns. Which column do they like players and sportscasters with his fictitious For background, students best? Why? Older students could characters. If you like this mystery, read should review rules of the game focus on the rhetorical approaches Feinstein’s Cover-up: Mystery at the Super and research information on both used by the columnists. Bowl (2007) and Vanishing Act: Mystery teams. See what stats and school at the U.S. Open (2006). records your sports department Read Bowen’s Columns can provide. If they do not keep Lawyer and juvenile novel writer Hamill, Dorothy them, this could be a class project, Fred Bowen’s columns appear every A Skating Life: My Story Go through yearbooks and/or the Friday in KidsPost. This guide Grade 9+ (2007) newspaper morgue to compile a provides two as examples of his Hamill’s candid account of her life before reference source for your school’s approaches and to stimulate student and after winning the 1976 Olympic gold media. writing. medal in figure skating For more information on writing “If I Ruled the (Sports) World” a sports article, download “How still has value as a model. Bowen Pieroth, Doris Hinson To Write a Sports Story” found in uses the second person voice. He Their Day in the Sun: Women INSIDE: The Sports Page. is directly addressing his readers of the 1932 Olympics and assuming that by reading Grades 6+ (1996) Distinguish News from Opinion his column they are interested in Former PE teacher and historian Pieroth Discuss with students the reasons sports. You could also discuss the introduces this generation to 14 of the first for news coverage. How does news following before assigning students female American Olympic competitors, coverage differ from opinion or to write their own opinion pieces including Babe Didrikson column writing? Sports reporters on what they would change if they may favor the home team, but they ruled the sports world: Robinson, Jackie and Walter Duckett should still fairly cover the opposing • He supports each of his wishes I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography team and players. with specific examples. of Jackie Robinson Turn to today’s Washington • After he has complained, he offers Grades 10+ (2003 reprint, 1972) Post Sports section. Have students his solution. Readers can decide Grandson of slaves, UCLA’s first four-letter identify sports news articles. if they like his ideas. Will his athlete and Brooklyn Dodger, Robinson is Assign these articles to students. suggestions remove the irritation one of sport’s real legends. Have them underline or highlight or cause another problem? the facts that are included: names, • He creates a rhythm in his essay Siegel, Siena Cherson scores, actions. Box who is quoted. by varying his sentence length. To Dance: A Ballerina’s Graphic Novel What is added to the article by Have students underline the two-, Grades 4-7 (2006) using quotations? Have them circle Based on ballet professional Siegel’s struggle what might be considered opinion. continued on page and success; illustrated by her husband Mark Siegel

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program continued from page career spanned 75 years at The Post Writers Post. Sally Jenkins (inducted in three- and four-word sentences. 2005) is the only female in the Hall Boswell, Thomas, Liz Clark and others What effect do they have on the of Fame and the daughter of NSSA The New Updated Edition Redskins: pacing and movement on to the Hall of Fame inductee Dan Jenkins A History of Washington’s Team next point? You might box the (1996). She also authored The Real Grades 7+ (2000) five-word sentences to see where All Americans: The Team That Washington Post sports writers (William these fall in the essay. Changed a Game, a People, a Gildea to Richard Justice, Povich to • He has a punch line. Nation (2007) and co-authored an Wilbon) and photographers cover Redskins audio cassette, Funny Cide, with history from George Preston Marshall to Read “Sports Laughers: Where’s the Funny Cide team. the Snyder years. Take the Trivia Quiz to the Fun?” What are “blowouts,” see how much you really know. “laughers,” and “routs”? Have Read a Feature students played in a “laugher”? “Pearl’s Unfaded Luster” is Jenkins, Sally Do they agree with Bowen that included in this guide to illustrate It’s Not About the Bike: My Journal being on the losing side is no fun? the impact of sports and athletes Back to Life • Bowen has a news peg, a recent on the American culture. Wil Grades 9+ (2001) NFL game. Haygood’s essay appeared in the Written with Lance Armstrong, this story • After summarizing what took Style section. It’s news peg: the of the Tour de France winner and cancer place and relating the action Washington Wizard’s will retire Earl survivor made the bestseller lists to his theme or main idea, he Monroe’s No. 10 jersey on Dec. 1. returns to his readers’ age group Through Haygood’s recollections, Maraniss, David, ed. and experience (“kids’ games or readers understand Monroe’s The Best American Sports Writing 2007 high school sports”). nickname the Pearl, his impact Grades 6+ (2007) • He inserts his own experience as on youngsters and fans, and his Washington Post editor Maraniss selects a coach. Does this give him more inclusion in Spike Lee’s film He Got the 2007 works for this series. Contains credibility? Game. examples from the usual sports as well as • He goes beyond complaining. He Which other sports figures have surfing and boxing. provides three alternative actions. influenced a generation through What do students think of his their athleticism and style? Dorothy Maraniss, David suggestions? Hamill, Michael Jordan, and the Clemente: The Passion and Grace Williams sisters, might be answers. of Baseball’s Last Hero Teachers may have students The feature is also an example of Grade 8+ (2007 reprint) write a response to this article, writing about former stars. Where The life of baseball’s Roberto Clemente. write an essay on something they are they now? Or writing about the Also available in Spanish would change in a game they play people for whom buildings, fields or watch, or write an opinion piece and gymnasiums might be named at Povich, Lynn, Maury and David and George about a coach’s or referee’s action your school. Solomon, eds. that they want to praise and wish Compare and contrast Haygood’s All Those Mornings at the Post: others would emulate. piece with “The Pearl Changed the The Twentieth Century in Sports from Culture of the Game,” a column by Famed Washington Post Columnist Read a Sports Story Mike Wise. Shirley Povich The sidebars in this guide list Grades 7+ (2006 paperback) some titles you can use as a starting Use Stats The best of 75 years of exceptional sports point. Two of the authors are Give students “It’s About coverage and columns by Shirley Povich Washington Post writers who have You … and Sports.” Discuss are organized by decade. Readers watch the been inducted into the National the information provided in maturation of one of America’s best sports Sportscasters and Sportswriters the infograph (a chart, graph writers and receive an overview Association Hall of Fame. Shirley or illustration that conveys of American sports. Povich (inducted in 1984) is one of the icons of sports writing. His continued on page

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program continued from page after the death of Sean Taylor and Past Post Guides Taylor’s funeral in Florida. information). Teachers can guide INSIDE Journalism: The Sports Page students to the three Web sources Locate Them In addition to featuring The Post’s great used by KidsPost or before Select a local high school, college sports writer and columnist Shirley Povich, class select information from or professional team. The map this guide includes the work of Sally the sites to prepare data sheets students will need depends on the Jenkins. Student reproducibles include for student use. These are three team’s schedule. Locate the team’s “How to Write a Sports Story,” “Be a reliable sources that could provide campus on a map with a star or Good Sport,” and “Sportsmanship and the students a useful exercise in finding mascot. Either using the team’s Extent to Which Athletes Must Speak.” information when writing articles game schedule or consecutive news Use “Sports Writing by the Numbers” or doing reports. An assignment is articles, plot the team’s schedule on and “Figures or Words?” to practice using suggested. the map; 1 for the first game, 2 for numbers. (April 1, 2003) Using the scores and records of the next, etc. On a separate sheet your school’s sports teams create of paper, you might do any of the Circumnavigation an archive for use in the future. following: This guide focuses on the Volvo Ocean Students will be able to compare • Total the number of miles the Race around the globe. Geography, weather and contrast teams in words and team has spent on the road and math as well as health and endurance graphs: Long distance bests of • Using the current price for gas figure into survival in this sport. (April 23, 2003, 2006 and 2008; how each and the miles per gallon that 2002) weight class in wrestling has the team bus averages, compute done over a five-year period; most the cost of transportation for a Sports innings without a hit. season In addition to the monthly online guides, INSIDE Journalism: The Sports • At $25 per player and coach for teachers have the resources of The Post Page and the Sports section of the each away game, compute the NIE Manual to use with current pages of online manual suggest activities and cost of the meal allowance per the Sports section. Download the Sports provide worksheets for use with the season. section at www.washpost.com/nie. “Stats, Sports section of the daily Post. • Make a list of the cities or states Please” that begins on page 12 of this in which the team has played. section has three suggested activities that Take a Picture Using the Internet or other involve the use of statistics. “Sports Jargon” Jonathan Newton, one of four travel guides, create a guide for focuses on the particular vocabulary of Post sports photographers, fans and families who plan on different sports and its use in sports shares his perspective on getting attending the games. What might reporting. better sports pictures. Duplicate they do before the game that is these pages to give to your educational, cultural or historic? photographers; he is talking photographer to photographer. In The dateline on an article addition to his guidelines, Newton indicates that the reporter and pairs his photographs to show and photographer were in that city discuss what can be done at a high covering the game or event. Give school event and at a professional every student a Sports section. Ask event. students to list the cities, other As a sports photographer at The than Washington, D.C., where Post, Newton has to be ready for Washington Post reporters and varied assignments and travel. photographers are covering sporting During the week this guide was events. produced, his assignments included • Where were Post reporters if they high school games, the bonfire were not in the D.C. metropolitan INSIDE online guides and manual for use before and the Army-Navy game, with The Washington Post are found at the first game the Redskins played continued on page 7 www.washpost.com/nie.

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program continued from page 6 comprised The Washington Post’s Photography print, photo and video coverage can area covering their assignments? be found on washingtonpost.com. Georges, Gregory Find their datelines and plot them Three of the many pieces written are Digital Photography: Top 100 on a map. included in this guide: a Mike Wise Simplified Tips and Tricks • Using the photographers’ initials column, a news article that covers the John Wiley & Sons (2005, 2nd ed.) indicate where the photographers day after Taylor’s death at Redskins Step-by-step explanations and colorful were when they took the pictures Park and an article that focuses on illustrations; difficulty level of each that are published. Some days will the Buffalo Bills, the first team the lesson is indicated. require a map of the metropolitan Redskins will play after the loss of area and others a U.S. map. For Taylor. Jensen, Doug example, on Nov. 29, 2007, Toni L. Read the first eight paragraphs of Digital Sports Photography Made Sandys (TS) was at Redskins Park, Wise’s column, “A Life Passes, And the Simple: How to Take Great Action Kevin Clark (KC) was at Comcast Game Goes On.” He compares Taylor Photos Center, Jonathan Newton (JN) and Marcus Washington and quotes Vortex Media (2006) was at Farragut Field in Annapolis, Washington and Pierson Prioleau A DVD workshop including and Richard A. Lipski (RL) was at who sat next to Taylor on game days. fundamentals and advanced techniques; Verizon Center. How do these opening paragraphs 14 chapters with examples, tutorials After using the Sports section for play against the next four? Read the and tips one day, students might be asked remaining column, studying how Wise to select a reporter or a sports weaves together events that are taking Kelby, Scott photographer and follow that place, quotations and his point of The Digital Photography Book individual for a week, plotting his view. Why is it appropriate to quote Peachpit Press (2007) or her locations on a map. Washington in the last paragraph of Advice on which button to push, setting the column? to use and more than 200 tricks of the Cover the Unthinkable Two news articles serve different trade. Each page covers a concept. In late November 2007, Washington functions. You might compare Post sports reporters and columnists “Somber Redskins Stand Together” Kinghorn, Jay and Jay Dickman covered the usual sports news, with the column by Wise. Both convey Perfect Digital Photography wins and losses in high school elements of the Redskins team and McGraw-Hill (2005) and professional sports, coaches leadership meeting with Sean Taylor’s A Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and playoffs. On Nov. 22 “Arenas father and girlfriend. The article and a Photoshop certified expert Undergoes Surgery” headlined stories answers fans’ questions about how take you from thought to finished about the Wizards Gilbert Arenas’ the team and family were handling print. Aesthetics and technology are surgery to repair a partial tear of his their grief. What other questions are addressed. left medial meniscus. Five days later answered in this article? the bold headline read “Redskins Rally Including the opposition in coverage Skinner, Peter Around Taylor.” Reporters told of the is part of good sports writing. Sports Photography: How to Capture gunshot wound the 24-year-old player “Redskins’ Pain Echoes Loudly for Action and Emotion suffered at his Miami home during a Their Next Opponent,” in part, does McGraw-Hill (2007) break-in, of prayer vigils at Redskins that, but it also reminds readers why Some of the best sports photographers Park. On Nov. 28, the 4-word banner the Buffalo Bills players understand tell how they get the shots read “Death Hits Redskins Hard,” the tenuousness of health and fragility under it a smiling picture of Sean of life. What tragedy have the Bills www.washingtonpost.com/sports Taylor, 1983-2007, filled the top of the faced this season? What other insight Eye on High School Sports fold. is provided about being a professional Select “Photo” within “High Schools” Print and online editors, reporters athlete? You might compare the to view the archive of Post sports and columnists, photographers and two news articles and how the two photographers’ high school coverage graphic artists covered this emotional teams are responding as people and and close-to-home death in many professionals. ways. A special Web page that

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program

Take the Lede

The lede is the opening paragraph(s) of an article. There are many possibilities for structuring the lede (pronounced leed). It may summarize the article or it may set up the story by providing background or setting the scene. Traditional, delayed, descriptive and narrative ledes are among the ledes used in sports reporting.

Traditional Delayed Descriptive The traditional lede contains Readers are given a set-up, an Emphasis is on setting the scene, the who, what, where, when, why attitude, a contrasting situation describing action or dropping readers and how of the story. This is before they learn the main idea — the into the middle of the event. Concrete straightforward and reportorial in who, what, where, when, why and nouns, adjectives, color and details nature. how of the story. relate the arena and present the fans.

In a News Story For a News Story To Begin a Game News Story Randy Thomas, the Washington Redskins’ CHARLOTTE, Nov. 21 — After playing one PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 23 — Washington starting guard who tore his left triceps in the of his best games of the season at Minnesota Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom displayed second game of the season, returned to practice on Friday night, Gilbert Arenas woke up the the patience of a seasoned veteran Friday yesterday for the first time since he was injured. next morning, felt his sore left knee and knew afternoon at Wachovia Center, where, in His presence was a lift for teammates, because something wasn’t quite right. overtime, he held the puck, the game’s 10 other players missed practice because of On Wednesday, the three-time all star found outcome and his teammates’ fragile confidence injuries or illness. out why. An MRI exam revealed that Arenas on the blade of his stick. — Jason La Canfora, Nov. 22, 2007 suffered a partial tear of his medial meniscus. He didn’t let them — or interim coach “Thomas Returns to Practice He underwent surgery to repair the meniscus Bruce Boudreau — down. for Hobbled Team” and what the team doctor described as a defect Backstrom delayed shooting for a moment, in a bone on the side of his knee at Sibley waiting for Philadelphia Flyers goalie Martin In a Behind-the-Scenes News Story Memorial Hospital and is expected to miss at Biron to drop to the ice. When he did, the The Minnesota Twins were discussing trade least three months. smooth-skating Swede scored to cap his options for ace left-hander Johan Santana with — Ivan Carter, Nov. 22, 2007 best performance yet, lifting the NHL-worst both the New York Yankees and Boston Red “Wizards Star Will Miss at Least Three Capitals to an emotional 4-3 victory. Sox, according to a major league source, pitting Months After Knee Operation” — Tarik El-Bashir, Nov. 24, 2007 baseball’s two richest teams and fiercest rivals “Bourdreau Is Victorious in His Debut” against each other for the services of the To Start an Opinion Piece pitcher widely considered to be the best in the Two years ago, even last year, losing Gilbert CHARLOTTESVILLE, Nov. 27 – Sean game. Arenas for three months would have been a Singletary hauled down the rebound with — Dave Sheinin, Nov. 30, 2007 season killer. The Washington Wizards were one hand, another Northwestern shot having “Red Sox, Yankees Each in Trade built around Arenas completely and perhaps clanged high off the rim. He dribbled down Talks for Santana” to a fault. Though Antawn Jamison, Caron the court, barely far enough to begin directing Butler and Larry Hughes all were accomplished Virginia’s offense, but the spot on the court players, the Wizards were dependent on Arenas, hardly mattered. He stopped, leapt and spun as most NBA teams are on their star player. the ball off his fingertips. Why not? Almost And this latest knee surgery that will keep him every other shot that left the Cavaliers’ hands out of the lineup for three months is, in the rippled the net. This one was no different. short term, an obvious setback. — Adam Kilgore, Nov. 28, 2007 But it shouldn’t kill this season, not if “Diane, Cavs Warm Up Fast, the Wizards have any resourcefulness about Stay Hot From Long Range” them. If Arenas isn’t out for the entire season, the Wizards actually can benefit during his absence. — Michael Wilbon, Nov. 22, 2007 “It Might Not Hurt That Much”

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program

Narrative The reporter tells a story. There For a Profile Now it is your turn. Write the lead are elements of description, facts Demetric Evans was 12 years old in March to a sports story about one of your and scores as well as allusion and 1992, spending a lazy Saturday with his best school’s teams or a recent game/match comparisons in this approach. The friend Edward Crittenden, playing basketball you have seen. reader may know immediately who at a classmate’s home in their Haynesville, La., is involved or must wait for the neighborhood. Headline: essential information. The classmate said his father owned a gun and offered to show it to Evans and Type of Lede: For a Game Story or Opinion Piece Crittenden. There was no one else home at When the Washington Redskins tell the time. Your Lede bedtimes stories to their children, the bears “When we went in the house and he got eat Goldilocks, Jack never escapes down the the gun, I thought it was actually a BB gun,” beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood gets Evans said. But the classmate told Evans that intercepted in the end zone. With these guys, it was no BB gun. It was a 9mm handgun. there’s never a happy ending. They just can’t Evans said he immediately became unsettled. finish a good story. “When he was like, ‘No, it’s a real gun,’ Twice in the last four minutes Sunday, the I was like, ‘Okay, guys, well I’m fixin’ to go Redskins were working on a fairytale ending, home,’” he said. one that might reverse the ugly story of their Evans had scurried only a few paces from season full of find-a-way-to-lose defeats. Twice the classmate’s home when he heard the gun Jason Campbell threw toward Santana Moss go off. None of the children had known it was in the northeast end of Raymond James loaded. Crittenden was killed, the incident Stadium where the pirate ship with the huge later ruled an accidental homicide. skull in its prow is perched beyond the goal —Jason La Canfora, Nov. 25, 2007 posts. Twice, Buccaneers jumped the pass “Evans Pays His Respects routes, made almost simple interceptions to a Long-Lost Friend” and left Washington with more recurrent nightmares of a season that, after this utterly To Begin a News Feature unnecessary 19-13 loss, is unlikely to extend When Gregg Williams was most irate into January. Cue Captain Hook: Almost time on the sideline, screaming and yelling and to snuff Peter and Tinker Bell. fuming at his safety, Sean Taylor would defuse —Thomas Boswell, Nov. 26, 2007 the situation with a sly smile. Taylor would “Another Nightmare Ending” remind his coach that the play was over, there was no going back and it was time to move on. When Taylor died Tuesday morning from a fatal gunshot wound, those words were with Williams again. —Jason La Canfora, Nov. 30, 2007 “Williams Recounts a Special Bond: Coach Treasured Time With Taylor”

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Dunbar Back on Top After Turkey Bowl Win Dunbar 20, H.D. Woodson 9

By Alan Goldenbach Ricardo Young and his backfield. Excluding a knew the plan was to spread out the handoffs Washington Post Staff Writer 22-yard run in the second quarter by Raymond in hopes of keeping Woodson’s offense off the McCray, Woodson managed 46 yards rushing field. on 24 carries. “That was the key to this game, ball control • Originally published November 23, 2007 Not known for its running game, the Crimson and no fumbles,” Siler said. Dunbar’s Jharron Armstrong stood at his Tide’s offense thrived with a ball-control game Jefferies said: “We knew we had to do it, and free safety spot and wondered which player plan. Dunbar earned eight of its 12 first we were capable of it. The weather was perfect H.D. Woodson would pick to try to win the downs rushing with a variety of ballcarriers. for it, too.” Turkey Bowl. On the ensuing possession, Armstrong fixed his eyes on Woodson fumbled the snap senior Tavon Wilson, who had caught six passes. He saw the on a punt, which gave University of Maryland recruit Dunbar the ball at the start a slant route and waited for Warriors 33. Set up by an him to come his way. 18-yard run by Siler, a seven- “I had a feeling they’d go to yard run by Dejuan Davis their big-time player,” Armstrong and a three-yard sneak on said. “I thought they’d try fourth down by Tyree White, something inside. I sat there and Dunbar had first down on waited for it.” the 1. White ran in a bootleg As Wilson approached, so did for the touchdown and then the ball. Armstrong stepped in hit Dartanion Lesane for front of Wilson, picked off the the two-point conversion to pass and raced untouched 41 make it 14-0. yards for the clinching touchdown Woodson responded on as Dunbar won the 38th Turkey the next drive, when Young Bowl, 20-9, yesterday before an hit junior Kayvone Spriggs estimated 6,000 at Eastern High on a perfect timing pattern School. down the left sideline for It was the Crimson Tide’s a 38-yard scoring pass that record ninth victory in the made it 14-7. D.C. Interscholastic Athletic But the Warriors admitted Association championship game, they missed their big breaking a tie with Woodson, chance when they regained Anacostia and Eastern. Eight of possession less than two Dunbar’s titles have come in the minutes before halftime, past decade, an unprecedented following a punt and penalty run of success. at the Crimson Tide 21.

As the Dunbar players posed BY JOE ELBERT—THE WASHINGTON POST They couldn’t convert on for a team picture, they each held Dunbar Coach Craig Jefferies gets a lift after his Crimson Tide won its record fourth and five from the up 10 fingers to symbolize their Dunbar 10 and went into the ninth D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association championship. run of consecutive appearances in break trailing. this game. But when Coach “We really needed to pack in it there,” Craig Jefferies brought over the championship Woodson didn’t put itself in good position, Woodson Coach Greg Fuller said. “That was a plaque, those hands changed to just one finger. getting called for 15 penalties that cost the momentum-breaker for us.” The Crimson Tide was back on top of the Warriors 124 yards. Four of the penalties came Neither team could get inside the other’s 20- DCIAA, a sweet return after losing to Ballou, inside the Woodson 20, and Dunbar capitalized yard line for nearly the entire second half. When 34-33, in last year’s game. with two first-half touchdowns. Woodson’s Dion Guy wrapped up Vernard “Things are back to normal,” Jefferies said. Crimson Tide junior Charles Siler opened Roberts for a safety midway through the fourth “Last year left a bitter taste in our mouths.” the scoring with a four-yard run four minutes quarter, Woodson trailed 14-9, and regained Dunbar won the game up front, putting into the second quarter to make it 6-0. Siler possession near midfield. But the Warriors constant pressure on sophomore quarterback had season highs of 11 carries for 63 yards and couldn’t convert and had to punt.

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program

If I Ruled the (Sports) World

• Originally published November 3, 2000 Sometimes don’t you wish you could be the leader of the sports world and change all the things that drive you crazy? I do. And there is plenty I would change. Take pro football. Every week two teams of 300-pound giants battle away, giving everything they’ve got, for 60 minutes. Then some puny kicker comes out and wins the game by kicking a field goal. I know it’s called football, but I think there is too much “foot” in football. If I ruled the sports world, I would move the goalpost’s uprights closer together so it would be harder to kick field goals and extra points. That way teams would be more tempted to go for a touchdown instead of a field goal. But why stop with football? There are plenty of other sports I want to change. BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST Soccer for one. It’s too low-scoring. I Patuxent #3 Jessica Lankford clears the ball from Mt. Hebron defenders during second half don’t mind seeing a 1-0 game every once action. Lankford scored the only point of the game for a 1-0 win. in a while, but it seems that too many soccer games are 1-0. I say, make the soccer goals four feet I think it’s too close. I would move the Golf? I think the players have too wider and two feet taller. A bigger target softball pitcher back five to 10 feet and many clubs. If kids can play with six or would mean more goals and more fun for give the batter a chance to get a few seven, why do the pros need 14? I would the fans and players. base hits. love to see a special tournament where Same thing with field hockey. The Baseball has a speed problem of a the golfers can only have seven clubs. scores are too low and the nets too different kind. The game has gotten way With fewer clubs, the pros would be small. Let’s get bigger nets and more too slow. And it makes me mad. forced to make tougher, trickier shots. goals. And while we are at it, let’s make My first new baseball rule would be: Of course, Tiger Woods would the blade of the stick a little wider for The batter cannot leave the batter’s probably still win. better ball-handling. box between pitches. No more stepping I can’t change everything. Now on to softball. Did you see the away to adjust his batting gloves, tug Olympic softball games? Those pitchers at his shirt or tap the bat against his can fire the ball 60 to 70 miles per hour. spikes. Under my rule, if a batter steps And they are pitching from closer than away, it would be an automatic strike. Fred Bowen writes the KidsPost Sports opinion kids pitch in Little League baseball. That should keep the game moving. column and is an author of sports novels for kids.

It’s About You … and Sports

Sources

National Council of Youth Sports (www.ncys.org/) Use Market Research information.

Safe Kids USA (www.usa. safekids.org/) See reports and facts under Research.

Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov/) Much information is found in the CPSC Press Room section.

Your Assignment: Create an Infograph 1. KidsPost used three sources to gather accurate information to include in the copy (written information) and bar graph. a. Follow your teacher’s directions to create a pie, bar or line graph to communicate information that you locate on one or more of the same Web sites. b. Write a paragraph of no more than 50 words to accompany the graphic. c. Write a title for the infograph. 2. After finishing the infograph, explain in a paragraph why you selected this topic. 3. After finishing the infograph project, explain why you used this form of graph (circle, bar or line) to communicate the information. Volume 7, Issue 4

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Out the Door Every Day Sports Photography at The Washington Post

By Jonathan Newton On the first play of Washington Post Staff Photographer the game Washington defenders #24 Shawn The four full-time sports photographers Springs and #97 Renaldo at The Washington Post stay pretty busy Wynn knock the ball covering nearly 300 high schools. Add loose from San Francisco to that nine area colleges — American, quarterback Alex Smith. George Mason, George Washington, The 49ers recovered Georgetown, Howard, Maryland, Navy, the ball. Virginia and Virginia Tech — and Pro teams — Redskins, Nationals, Wizards, Mystics, Capitals, D.C. United, Orioles and, occasionally, the Baltimore Ravens. We treat the high school assignments BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST just like we do the college or pro ones. Tip: “It is very important to always be ready. I shot this picture on the very Most of us cut our teeth shooting first play of the game, and the story of the game turned out to be the defensive pictures at the high school level. This is pressure the Redskins applied all day to the 49ers. I used a 300mm lens with a good place to learn. Making mistakes an ISO rating of 400 at 5.6 aperture. I was standing about five yards behind is O.K. just as long as you learn from the line of scrimmage so I had a cleaner look at the quarterback when he them. If something goes wrong try to dropped back.” figure out what happened and try not to do it again. Gonzaga’s LB Pat McConnell Never give up is a good rule when goes airborne as he goes shooting sports. Be just like the athletes after a loose ball fumbled you are covering. They keep working by St. John’s #20 Cliff hard even though they are losing. It Pearson inside the five- happens to photographers too. We get yard line. Gonzaga landed blocked, we’re on the wrong side of the on it for the touchback. field, our camera settings get messed up. Many things can happen, but you just keep working hard and good things will come from it. The great golfer Bobby Jones said, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” Think about that! Our standard approach to covering sports is to treat it like a news assignment. We are there to tell the story of the game. We want to capture the moment that sums it all up for our readers, like having the shot of the BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST game-winning touchdown or the buzzer Tip: When I shoot high school football, I like to shoot from the back of the end beater in basketball. We look for the zone when the ball is inside the 20-yard line. That way the players are coming at you instead of from the side. I like to shoot loose with 70-200mm zoom lens because it allows more information to get into the photograph. If I were tighter continued ON page 15 the guy would have jumped right out of my frame.

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program

continued from page 14 emotion of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. When shooting sports it helps to have good eye-hand coordination because things move very fast. Practice helps with your reaction time. It pays to be a thinker, to anticipate where you need to be on a field to get the picture and to be ready when the moment comes. There are many things to consider when you are out there. First are the mechanics like making sure your camera is set to the proper shutter speed, aperture and ISO setting. For example, for most high school football fields at night, we would set our shutter speed at BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST 250th of a second at 2.8 aperture with Allen Johnson of the U.S. track and field team Tip: This picture really captures an ISO rating of 1600. Sometimes we (center) wins 110-meter hurdles in Olympic the energy of the event, and his will add a little fill flash if the field is record time at the Olympic stadium Monday, determination is all over his face as extra dark. Pretty much the same with July 29, 1996, during the Summer Olympic he sets an Olympic record. I shot this high school basketball games in gyms. Games in Atlanta, Ga. Left is Emillio Valle from with a 400mm lens at the finish line When we shoot high school basketball Cuba and right Colin Jackson from Great Britain. during the 1996 Olympics. we set up under the basket a little to the left or right in order to get the action coming toward us so we can see the players’ faces when they take the shot or get fouled. If you shoot from the side most of the time, players’ arms will be up, blocking their faces as they shoot. Remember, if you are going to shoot pictures at an event like basketball do a little homework before you go. Study photographs that appear in the Sports section. Look at the basketball pictures, find ones that you like and try to figure out how they shot them. The four sports photographers at The Washington Post take many more images than appear in the daily paper. The ones that are selected are chosen because they tell BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST the story of the event, capture the Anjewan Geter of H.D. Woodson Tip: Look at the picture of the Olympics 110- participants and fans, and, often, take throws on the burner after the meter hurdles and look at this image. They readers to the game through the emotion final hurdle in the Men’s 110-meter capture the same look of determination on and action displayed. hurdles for the win in the DCIAA the faces of the competitors. This shows you The Internet is another wonderful tool City Championship track meet. that the same pictures can be made at all for this. You can go to the Washington levels. Look closely and you’ll see that even the hurdles in both pictures are falling the continued ON page 16 same way.

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program continued from page 15 River Hill 140-pounder Kevin Cannon twists up Post Web site (www.washingtonpost. his opponent Dominic com), Sports Illustrated or just search Do of Long Reach High. the Internet for sports pictures. In the Cannon scored his 100th Post online Sports section, under Photos, career win. you will find Eye on High School Sports, our weekly archive of coverage. See what we shot of the games, the sidelines and coaches. These sites give you ideas so you have a plan when you arrive. Don’t forget to shoot pictures of the crowd. They can become more emotional than the players. BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST Becoming a great student of Tip: Looking at faces is a great way to tell the story sometimes. Getting in tight photography is very helpful in getting on this wrestler as he struggles tells the story and shows the skill of the winner. better. When you look at a picture, try The picture displays why this guy had won 100 times in his high school career. dissecting it. Ask yourself what focal I lay on the gym floor to put myself at their level. You should always think length lens was the photographer using? about trying different angles when you are shooting. Get high and get low. What was the aperture? Where were Don’t shoot everything from the same vantage point. Mix it up. Have fun. they standing when they got the shots? I shot this with my 70-20mm zoom again with a strobe bounced off the ceiling. This will give you a reference point for when you are on the field. You can think back and then be in the right place at Members of the Gwynn the right time. It’s much like artists who Park High field goal unit study Rembrandt to understand light practice for an and Monet for composition and Van upcoming game. Gogh for passion. The more you do the better you get. You don’t need to have a super duper big lens like you see on the sidelines of the pro games to be able to shoot sports. Some of my favorite pictures were shot with a wide angle lens. It helps to get close to the action. You can do that at many high schools, but at the college and pro games there are tons of rules and lines you need to stay behind. They BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST have lots of security guards making sure Tip: Getting a different angle or vantage point away from the norm makes you don’t go where you’re not wanted. a photograph more interesting to the viewer. For this picture, I Practice makes perfect is the best way pre-focused the camera and shot at f16 to have maximum depth of field, to become a successful photographer. making everything in the picture in focus. I shot this a few times and Many times our assignments are to selected the one where the ball was in the right place. feature a certain player for an upcoming game, and we go to shoot him or her at practice. Shooting at practice gives you an excellent opportunity to get closer and be more creative than during a game.

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An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program continued from page 16 Some members of the Digital cameras have made our jobs Severn School student much better. It has allowed us to stay body try to distract at assignments longer and still make St. Mary’s Guard Ben deadlines. We use iBook computers and Shriner as he attempts a program called Photo Mechanic to free throws in the final caption, crop and send our pictures to the moments of their OT Post. For example: I shoot a high school victory. football game, staying until the very end to get the emotional pictures of the win or loss, and then I go to my car and ingest the pictures into my computer. I select the best storytelling photos that I then caption, crop and send to the Post either BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST by cell phone or wireless card where a Tip: Sometimes the best pictures from an event are not on the court or the layout person is waiting to design the field. Always look around and work the angles until everything comes page. This all needs to be done by 10 p.m. together. The student body was dressed up for a dance that was to follow the So I need to be fast, but I need to make game, and I knew I wanted to get a picture of them. It didn’t come together sure I am accurate. Getting correct caption until the very end of the game when the guy from the other team went to information and spelling people’s names the foul line. I worked this picture all night, and it finally happened right correctly is just as important as shooting at the end. So keep going back to something ‘til it works. I put a 400-watt a good picture. second light in the corner of the gym and pointed it toward the ceiling and Photography is a difficult profession bounced it off to light this dark gym. You can add a strobe to your camera to master. It takes a tremendous amount if the gym is really dark. of work early on when you are a student to learn the craft, but remember the more Fans engulf you do it the better you get. Things come Georgetown Center easier the more you practice. You can get Roy Hibbert as they a lot of knowledge from books and in the storm the court after classroom, but the real learning comes their 87-84 upset when you are out there shooting pictures victory of No.1-ranked every day. Remember to have fun, get close Duke. and shoot things that you find interesting. Curiosity is a photographers No. 1 tool to be successful. This is my twenty-second year as a newspaper photographer. I’ve made every mistake there is. I know I’m not perfect and that drives me to be better. People I BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST meet ask me what is the greatest picture Tip: Anticipation was the key to getting this picture. I knew that the I’ve ever made and I tell them (and I truly students would storm the court if Georgetown pulled off the upset. As the believe it) that I haven’t taken it yet. That seconds ticked off the clock, I ran over to the scorers table. When the rush sends me out the door every day with a came, I jumped up on the table (so I wouldn’t get run over) but mainly renewed passion that today might be the so I could get higher. I was really lucky when Roy turned my way and had day that I take the greatest picture ever. such a great expression. I shot this with a 17-35mm wide angle lens. That is how I keep a fresh attitude.

continued to page 18

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program continued from page 17 About the Photographer

Jonathan Newton has worked as a busboy, house painter, apple picker, liquor store clerk, fish fryer and aluminum-siding installer. Which is to say, it took him a few tries before he decided to pursue photojournalism at Western Kentucky University, and even longer to figure out that he wanted to cover sports. “There was a time early in my career that I didn’t like shooting sports,” recalls Newton. “After some soul searching, I discovered I wasn’t very good at it.” In response, Newton dedicated himself to sports photography, and it wasn’t long before he was hooked. Hard work led to great stories, which led to recognition. In a 21-year career with the Nashville Banner, Atlanta Journal and Constitution, BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST St. Petersburg Times (Fla.), and The Northwest quarterback Tip: I just love this quiet little moment. I call it a Washington Post, Newton earned Josh Volpe leaves the Norman Rockwell moment. Renee really loves her numerous national awards, including field with his 15-year-old brother the big star quarterback. I wanted a picture the NPPA Morris Berman Award for the sister Renee following of Josh as he walked off the field so I went down advancement of photojournalism. He is their undefeated season. to the gate where his bus was and waited. I got also a two-time winner of the National Renee and her friends lucky when his sister joined him. All the elements Baseball Hall of Fame photo contest. “I made her “I Love the came together for me. Again I shot this with the 70- love the pageantry of sports,” he says. “I Quarterback” T-shirt. 200mm lens. love all the emotion.”

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program MIKE WISE A Life Passes, And the Game Goes On

BY JOHN MCDONNEL —THE WASHINGTPN POST “For me personally, I think I can honestly say this: Sean felt like God made him to play football,” Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs said about Sean Taylor, who died early November 27 at age 24.

still to reconcile Washington’s latest, if Washington spoke somberly the day • Originally published Thursday, unwanted, identity: after Taylor’s death, moments after November 29, 2007 coming off the practice field — four days Marcus Washington has some of the That of the grieving teammate, one before a game no one is thinking about same duality Sean Taylor had. He’s of 61 yesterday afternoon at Redskins and five days before a funeral in Miami constantly negotiating two worlds. On Park. he and his teammates never imagined Sundays in Landover, he’s the menacing “Nobody knows really what to say, tackler who cares not that his torso how to act, what to do,” Washington attending. is perpendicular to the ground before said. He shuffled his feet. He bit his lip. It was Day 2 in the life of a team a monster hit. The rest of the week, He swallowed hard. trying to cope, and the emotional he comes across as a soft-spoken “You just kind of sit with your hurt associated with the loss and the homebody. teammates or with your coaches. You tragedy hardly felt any better yesterday If it is hard to reconcile that may not say anything, but knowing afternoon. Washington with the guy who lifts his someone else is there kind of feeling “Anytime you would usually daydream muscular arms to the heavens — the what you’re going through, it was tough. about anything, the only thing you can player who incites the FedEx Field Sometimes you kind of zone out. You possibly have in your mind now is crowd between timeouts — it’s harder think of Sean.” continued ON page 20

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program continued from page 19 was beaten to death — is enough to When the mother of Taylor’s 18-month- turn the stomach. old daughter began to tell the players Sean,” said Pierson Prioleau, the veteran It’s also fair to wonder if the grown how they needed to cherish their loved defensive back who sat next to Taylor men breaking down in tears beside a ones because they had no idea how on game days. “That moment when you memorial of Taylor at the Redskins‘ long they would be with them, when think away from football about your training facility grieve as much for their Taylor’s father shared stories about his family and kids, anytime your mind gets own family members as for a player they son, when Clinton Portis shed tears an open moment to think, it is all about never met or knew. while trying to explain what his friend Sean. And that is the way it is going to They are all points worth arguing and and teammate meant to him, well, it’s be for a while.” debating. But the truth is, everyone impossible to just move on. Maybe these kind of stories make deals with death and loss in his or her “It was real tough for his girlfriend,” the hard-boiled among us say, “You’re a own space and time. And no matter Washington said of Jackie Garcia, who football player with a game on Sunday. how one feels about such personal and along with Pedro Taylor traveled from Get over it.” delicate matters, it would be unfair to Miami to Ashburn early yesterday Or maybe the attention paid to the dismiss the authenticity of the recovery morning. “That was the toughest part, death of a prominent sports figure — process in Ashburn. This is literally, seeing the pain she feels. compared with the second story on the as Joe Gibbs said, “an hour-to-hour local news about a 2-year-old girl who thing.” continued ON page 21

BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST Sean Taylor is greeted by the crowd following their win over San Francisco.

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program continued from page 20 necessary, if awkward, event. “I guess it is part of the coping mechanism in a sense,” London Fletcher “Her message was, ‘Don’t take your said. “But today guys were still thinking loved ones or your family for granted about what happened. — the people who mean the most to you “The thing about our job is we have in life — because you never know your the human side and the professional last time with them.’ She said, ‘Give ‘em side,” he added. “As humans, you are a hug, tell them you love them.’ “ grieving and mourning and hurting; Washington swallowed again. the professional part is we have to go “Sometimes it’s easy to forget that out and play a game because of the you are human and you hurt and you business we are in. For some of us miss a guy that you spent a lot of time and most of us, we know Sean loved to with,” he said. “It’s okay to hurt and play football. For a couple of hours we miss him and think about him.” get to do what he loved to do.” It was written in this space almost If nothing else, they will spend Sunday exactly a year ago — after the murder together, the day before they mourn the of a University of Miami football player passing of their teammate in Miami. named Bryan Pata — that former Miami “It’s definitely easier when you’re coach Larry Coker and school officials here with your teammates and coaches needed to at least consider canceling that feeling the same way you’re feeling,” weekend’s game against Maryland, if for Washington said. “You’ve got a support no other reason that emotionally worn- group here at work. down kids, all of whom were between 18 “Some guys cried, some guys drove and 22 years old, were not ready to make around. I just stayed locked in my room that decision themselves. yesterday and didn’t do much. We all This is different. Nearly one-third of got together today and shared our the players on this roster are 30 years are experiences.” older. They aren’t kids trying to mean- Coaches are always saying their mug their way toward adulthood. They football teams are families, that they win understand the business obligations of and lose together. And so often it comes the NFL, what Taylor’s death means in across as tiresome, cliched jock-speak. the scheme of things; some probably But a day after Taylor’s death, hours know the history of NFL Commissioner after Jackie Garcia’s words made them Pete Rozelle refusing to cancel or put weep, there is no denying the bonds off games after the assassination of shared between these men and the long President John F. Kennedy (Rozelle was road of healing ahead of them. harshly criticized) and Commissioner “The only thing that makes you Paul Tagliabue understanding he needed feel better is time,” Washington said. to postpone games after 9/11. “Something like this happens, you lose Either way, most of them sincerely someone that meant a lot to you, only view Sunday’s game against Buffalo as a thing that will actually heal it is time.”

BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST Washington Redskins vs New York Giants: Redskins Sean Taylor reacts after he was flagged for a penalty in the 4th quarter.

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Somber Redskins Stand Together Taylor’s Family Visits Team As Players Return to Work

By Jason La Canfora and Jason Reid “He was great,” Redskins Coach Joe his son cared for his teammates, going Washington Post Staff Writers Gibbs said of Pedro Taylor. “I don’t think back to the day the father and son were I could have that kind of courage.” first in the auditorium after Taylor was • Originally published November 29, 2007 The workday always begins with a drafted fifth overall in the 2004 draft. Buoyed by an inspirational speech full team meeting for the Redskins, but At one point, Gibbs halted the meeting from Sean Taylor’s father and a visit yesterday, rather than discuss the Buffalo for 20 minutes, giving players the chance with some of their teammate’s family Bills, Sunday’s opponent at FedEx Field, to greet the family. members and girlfriend, the Washington or any football strategy, Gibbs spoke “I definitely did have a moment with Redskins returned to work yesterday at about the challenge at hand. Snyder, [Pedro Taylor] and I gave him a hug,” Redskins Park. who was with Taylor’s family at Jackson safety Pierson Prioleau said. “We wanted Pedro Taylor had asked owner Daniel Memorial Hospital in Miami after the to let him know that we all love Sean Snyder if he could address the team in shooting, explained how their teammate and we’re here with him and we’re all the wake of his son’s death, and Snyder fought to live, and gave them details going to be together through this.” sent his private plane to Miami to pick about Taylor’s funeral, which will be The afternoon schedule was cut short, up the family members. Taylor urged the held at 11 a.m. Monday at Florida as Gibbs condensed the meetings. 5-6 team to fight as hard as possible to International University in Miami. “Nothing was normal about today,” reach the postseason. Fuller, who has counseled players said Fletcher, one of the team leaders. “When Mr. Taylor stood up and said, this week, said a prayer for Taylor, “Nothing was really normal. We had the ‘Go win this next five and make it to the his family and the team, and shared meetings, but it wasn’t the normal type playoffs,’” team chaplain Brett Fuller his thoughts on Taylor’s faith. Tailback of meeting, so to speak. Practice wasn’t said, “you felt a surge in the room that Clinton Portis, who has known Taylor the same feeling. We tried to make it feel he almost gave his permission to play for seven years, since their time together the same as best possible but . . . I know well.” at the University of Miami, spoke about I found myself thinking about Sean, and Jackie Garcia, who was in the house his love for his friend. Portis, who imagining him out on the football field with Sean Taylor and their 18-month- became choked up, talked about other playing free safety for us.” old daughter when he was shot, echoed teammates who have died, and, as part of Gibbs took the team onto the field Pedro Taylor’s remarks about the the Redskins’ contingent at the hospital for walk-throughs and practice, getting importance of football and family in her Monday, explained the bond between them back into their usual routine. “You boyfriend’s life. “She just really spoke team officials and Taylor’s family. get a chance to do something you’re about cherishing your family while they “Clinton talked about Sean and Sean’s supposed to be doing again — playing are here and not taking a moment with family and how Mr. Snyder and the football, and coaching it, too,” Gibbs your family for granted,” linebacker family were all kind of together down said. “So I think practice was the best London Fletcher said. there going through everything together of what happened today as far as getting As Pedro Taylor told Redskins as they experienced it firsthand,” our minds off things.” players about his son’s love for football, linebacker Marcus Washington said. “It After practice a media throng awaited linebacker Khary Campbell said he was kind of gave us a little peace of mind just the players, who then showered and immediately struck by the similarities to hear that everyone was together.” headed home around 5 p.m., their first between father and son, both in looks Gibbs broke the meeting about 9 a.m., sad day back at work behind them. and mannerisms. The father’s poise and and he and Snyder met with Taylor’s “It’s definitely hard when you’ve had composure reminded players of their family in Gibbs’s office while the players the morning we had, and the week that friend as Pedro Taylor stayed focused milled about. At about 9:15 they were we’ve had,” Evans said, “Losing Sean, despite his grief in a room full of back in the auditorium, and for the next it’s always going to be a hard thing, and strangers. “It was just showing us where 10 minutes Pedro Taylor commanded it’s something you have to take one day Sean got his strength from,” defensive the room. Taylor, the chief of police of at a time. But he’ll never be forgotten, lineman Demetric Evans said. Florida City, Fla., explained how deeply and he’ll always be missed.”

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Redskins’ Pain Echoes Loudly for Their Next Opponent

By Dan Steinberg Washington Post Staff Writer

• Originally published November 29, 2007

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y., Nov. 28 — Buffalo Bills wide receiver Josh Reed said he could hardly sleep Tuesday night, so distraught was he about the shooting death of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor. Safety George Wilson said Taylor’s death was the last thing he thought about Tuesday night and the first thing that entered his mind Wednesday morning. “I don’t think there was a minute that I didn’t think about it,” he said. When Bills Coach Dick Jauron addressed his team a few hours after Wilson awoke, players said he spoke passionately and philosophically about Taylor’s death and its implications.

“Trying to shine bright from our small BY JOHN MCDONNELL—THE WASHINGTON POST corner of the earth” was how special Fred Smoot sits dejectedly after the Bills’ decisive field goal with four seconds left. The kick was teams star Coy Wire summarized Jauron’s shortened by 15 yards to 36 after Coach Joe Gibbs called consecutive timeouts, resulting in a message. Punter Brian Moorman said he penalty. had never been to a team meeting that emotional caldron for both teams, from Buffalo’s captains. “We always had the quiet and solemn. the pregame moment of silence to the hope that Kevin would be all right. This Jauron said he would have delivered prayers and black ribbons planned by is completely different. Sean Taylor is such a talk regardless of the calendar, Redskins fans. The Bills’ roster includes gone. I can only imagine what they’re which dictates that his players will former Redskins Derrick Dockery, going through as an organization, what travel to Washington this weekend for Robert Royal and Jerametrius Butler, as his family is having to experience right what promises to be one of the most well as wide receiver Roscoe Parrish, a now. I don’t know how they’re going to psychologically charged games of their teammate and friend of Taylor’s at the be able to play on Sunday. It’s beyond lives. University of Miami. And, of course, me.” “I would be pretty certain that every the Bills have been through a tragedy Everett has made significant progress team in the National Football League of their own this season, after tight end from a spinal-cord injury that was would address that incident this Kevin Everett was seriously injured in thought to be life-threatening. He is morning,” he said. “It’s a tragedy, and a season-opening loss to the Denver recuperating at his home in Houston and it touches us. . . . It affects everybody. It Broncos. has regained limited use of his legs after affects everybody in our business.” “If anyone in the NFL can have an initial prognosis that he would never Still, it was hard to ignore the ways some sort of inkling of what they’re walk again. this franchise has been especially going through, it would be us, but it’s touched. Sunday’s game will be an completely different,” said Wire, one of continued ON page 24

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program

Players said Jauron and Paul Lancaster, continued from page 23 the team’s director of player programs, His teammates said they got through offered counseling at Wednesday’s team the tragedy by never trying to block it meeting and reminded them there are out or move on. They designed T-shirts more important things than football. and hats in his honor and sold them to Wilson said that the incident made some raise money for spinal-cord research; players consider whether they should some teammates still wear the shirts buy firearms or change the routes they — bearing a team picture and Everett’s take driving home, and that Taylor’s name and number — around the death remained fixed in his mind. locker room. They taped regular video “It’s hard to not think about it, it’s messages for the third-year tight end, hard not to allow it to affect you,” he who, like Taylor, attended the University said. “You turn on the local news you of Miami. They called him, visited him see it, you turn on ESPN you see it, you in the hospital and still pray for him turn on CNN and Headline News you before and after every game. see it. You couldn’t get away from it. At “The coaching staff did a great job of least now we’re at work, able to go to not acting like it didn’t happen,” running meetings and go to practices to take our back Fred Jackson said. “We faced it. I minds off it temporarily. But I’m pretty think that was probably the best thing sure all the thoughts and concerns and prayers will come right back as soon as we could have done, not trying to put it BY RICK STEWART — GETTY IMAGES I get home.” behind us, just trying to move forward The Bills’ Rian Lindell, left, and Brian Moorman And yet, at the same time, the Bills while keeping it in mind.” warmed up before a September game in were preparing for a game between two Tight end Ryan Neufeld agreed: “We’re T-shirts honoring Kevin Everett, who is 5-6 teams still alive for playoff berths. constantly thinking about him. It’s going recuperating from a spinal-cord injury. to be there through the whole season; They faced questions about rookie there’s going to be remnants of what quarterback Trent Edwards, who will said Charlie Coiner, Everett’s position happened.” make his fifth start, and about their Players and coaches said they relied coach. “It took me a long time, not to injury-plagued backfield and their two upon one another in the initial days, get back to work, but it took me awhile consecutive losses. Dockery said that he when Everett’s future was still very much to get over the hurt, because I was expects to shed tears during the pregame unknown. Some said the injury made hurting.” moment of silence, but that he would be them more introspective: “Realizing how But as the Bills said again and again on ready once the ceremony ended. precious the present moment is, making Wednesday, their pain couldn’t compare “We’re all professionals,” he said. “For sure I’m not taking anything for granted, with what their upcoming opponents that time and that moment, you have to teaching each and every day like a gift,” are facing. try to focus on playing that game.” as Wire put it. “It’s really a very, very different story,” Jauron agreed, saying that he was not Linebacker Angelo Crowell said it took Jauron said. “It’s a terrible tragedy. worried about his players making the him three weeks to be able to throw There’s just not a whole lot else to transition from an emotional pregame himself fully into on-field collisions, say about it. It just leaves you almost scene into a typical afternoon of athletic and the team lost its next two games. speechless.” competition. But others said they had no trouble Teammates said Parrish, who had been “They all are pros, on both sides of returning to the sport, because they telling stories about Taylor last weekend, the ball,” he said. “This is what they do. thought that is what Everett would was in rough shape; he was excused from Let’s face it, this is what Sean Taylor have wanted. Several players said that Wednesday’s practice because of illness. loved to do. And you could see it on tape. they have drawn inspiration from his Dockery spent Tuesday speaking with He loved to play this game. They’ve all recovery, and that the incident increased a host of his former Redskins teammates. chosen this as their profession. I think their team’s locker room bond. “When it hits close to home, man, it it’ll be a highly competitive game. I “I won’t speak for anybody else; hurts, it hurts,” he said. “You’re not just think it’ll be a tough game. I don’t think personally, I felt like my son was laying going to be able to get over it in one day, that will be an issue at all.” in the hospital and yet I had a job to do, in one week or month. It’s going to be and I had obligations to other people,” with us for a long time.”

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Pearl’s Unfaded Luster For One Night in Ohio, Earl Monroe Held Court Over Wide-Eyed Kids

By Wil Haygood Washington Post Staff Writer

• Originally published November 29, 2007 It was chilly outside and the trees were barren. But when the news came, it raced around the neighborhood like blown leaves. Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and his Baltimore Bullets were coming to Columbus, Ohio, to the Fairgrounds Coliseum. We didn’t have an NBA team in Columbus, but the Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) would schedule exhibition games at the fairgrounds. From playground to front porch stoop, we 12- and 13-year-olds were delirious, slapping fives and giddily counting paper-route savings to scrounge up the price of admission. We were off to see the Pearl. I listened to Bullets games on a transistor radio, a faraway announcer’s voice sailing into my bedroom. I wondered how the Pearl got to be so good; if he used white shoe polish on the bottom edges of his white sneakers as I often did. (I knew he wore white hightops from the basketball magazines I hoarded.) He was something new, vivid and soulful. Now and then — an agonizingly rare occasion in those pre-cable days of the late ‘60s — Monroe’s Bullets would appear on TV. A guard, he played with a sly quickness. He was Houdini on the court, hiding the ball behind his back, revealing it at the last moment. But he also had the coolness of a white-gloved butler circling the dinner table. UPI On Saturday, the Washington Wizards Before Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, right, played for the Knicks with Walt Frazier, left in this 1973 — formerly the Baltimore Bullets — photo, he wore the uniform of the Baltimore Bullets. On December 1, the Washington Wizards will continued ON page 26 retire Monroe’s No. 10 jersey.

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program

New York Knicks, Joe “Willie” Namath Only a precious few had seen him play continued from page 25 of the New York Jets, John “Frenchy” at Winston-Salem College, now known will retire the Pearl’s No. 10 jersey. He Fuqua of the Pittsburgh Steelers among as Winston-Salem State University, part played fewer seasons with the Bullets them — flow from the sports pages of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic than he did with the New York Knicks, into our wider cultural consciousness. Association, the nation’s oldest black who retired his jersey there years ago. Gay Talese and James Baldwin found athletic conference. But it was the Bullets who introduced freedom in their expressions. GQ Those in the know pronounce it C Eye him to the world, both as an athlete and magazine understood their vibe. There Double-A. And in the mid-’60s, in the as a cultural icon. was the Pearl in fedora and long, CIAA, the Pearl was all the rage. News Monroe eschewed the traditional belted coat. There he was in Essence spread about him on the grapevine the mechanics of the game to serve up magazine dressed in tennis whites and way Southern women spread news about something new. His signature spin holding a racket. The sports figure had some gospel quartet seen in Alabama or move seemed as potent as Yardbird’s arrived as hipster, stopped by fashion North Carolina that had dropped them horn, as lovely as a line of Langston’s photographers. to their knees. Ebony magazine would verse. He ran with his arms splayed; The Pearl didn’t follow the trend in the have spreads about the yearly CIAA his knees were known to be fragile. A game toward huge leaps and slam dunks. basketball tournament. Three- and four- darkly hued figure in Bullet orange, he Let Julius “Dr. J” Erving or Connie “The page spreads, as much about the fashion erupted in arias both rare and beautiful. Hawk” Hawkins handle such missions. extravagance of the weekend as about Filmmakers — Woody Allen, Spike Lee He operated beneath the basket and the basketball. — would come to rhapsodize about him. preferred the finger roll, the ball floating Monroe had scored plenty as a high In that klieg-lighted world of 1960s and up like a feather. Sometimes coming school player at John Bartram High early 1970s celebrity, the Pearl seemed down the court — fast as he could, in Philadelphia. But the major college something culled from music, fashion which wasn’t very fast — he slowed like recruiters didn’t chase after him. Maybe and black pride. someone waiting to cross the street. it was the times. Maybe it was the He was part of a defining era that saw Then — poof — he vanished down the myopia of big-time college coaches, who athletes — Walt “Clyde” Frazier of the lane. were reluctant to field majority-black teams. Monroe’s coach at Winston-Salem was Clarence “Big House” Gaines, who let Monroe become the Pearl. Monroe played in the South as the civil rights movement hummed beyond the campus dorms. Black college ball wasn’t always on the nation’s radar then, but a lot of first-generation college students would carry his exploits in their memory for years to come. The Pearl’s legend grew. Some took to calling him “Jesus.” My boyhood hoops mate, Steve Flannigan, got himself down to North Carolina, to the C Eye Double-A, and into a basketball uniform for St. Augustine’s College. On visits back home to Columbus, he’d regale us with stories about the Pearl that were still floating across the gyms and playgrounds long after Monroe had departed, such as how

BY MANUEL BALCE CENETA—ASSOCIATED PRESS in one game the Pearl launched a jumper A larger-than-life image of Earl Monroe presides over a news conference last week announcing deep in the corner as time expired only the retirement of Monroe’s Bullets jersey. continued ON page 27

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program

It hurt to watch him pull back his from the court as we yelled his name, but continued from page 26 game a little — that straitjacket — but he refocused his attention quickly to the to fade into the locker room before the there were still enough moments of business at hand. As the game started, ball sailed through the net. pure magical joy, the blind pass to Bill we elbowed one another every time he In Spike Lee’s film He Got Game, Bradley, the between-the-legs pass on a touched the ball. “We were rising and there’s a haunting scene on a boardwalk. fast break to Mike Riordan, that left the falling on his passes,” says Miller. “This Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington) kids in Columbus whooping. guy wasn’t capable of making a simple is a convict suddenly freed on a furlough The times seemed suited for Frazier pass.” to persuade his son to play basketball for and Monroe. Warren Beatty’s movie Each of us knew that if we tried a certain college. His son (NBA star Ray Bonnie and Clyde ushered in a new the same thing in basketball practice Allen) is named Jesus Shuttlesworth. fashion wave of fedoras and double- at school that we’d have to run those On the boardwalk stroll, Jake explains breasted suits. Disco was a sensation, dreaded suicide drills up and down to Jesus that he named him after Earl but so were tie clips and long tweed coats the court. Basketball coaches in the Monroe. “They called him Jesus,” Jake and the Pointer Sisters singing “Yes We ‘60s could be autocratic. They taught said, “because he was the truth.” Can Can” and the Pearl spinning. Even fundamentals and expected things to As soon as Jake mentions Monroe’s Andy Warhol was known to get himself be done by the book. This way, not that name, the movie goes to a flashback over to Madison Square Garden to see way. “The Pearl did everything wrong, of Monroe as a Bullet, warming up, the Pearl and Clyde. according to the rules,” says Miller. then spinning in his orange jersey in One of the first hardback books I Immediately after the game we rushed some small hazy gym and vanishing ever bought was 1974’s Rockin’ Steady: down a hallway to the Bullets locker room. downcourt. Then a quick flash back A Guide to Basketball & Cool, by We stood back from the door, waiting to to the boardwalk, son and father still Walt Frazier and Ira Berkow. The see the Pearl. But when he emerged we strolling: “I’m talking about him when photographs were dazzling. I’d lend the couldn’t get close enough. “Pearl. Pearl. he was with the Bullets,” the father says, book to friends, but they couldn’t keep it Hey, Pearl.” His head bobbed as he was Afro bobbing against the sunshine. “But overnight. Still, one got the feeling that whisked away. I remember we mimicked the Knicks, they put shackles on him. the Pearl didn’t need to write a book to his moves walking home through the They locked him up in a straitjacket or advertise his coolness. chill of the desolate fairgrounds. We something.” And then the movie goes But back to that 1960s night in debated the overcoat the Pearl had on, back again to Monroe, pirouetting in Columbus: wondering if it was lamb or cashmere. the air, spinning as if on ice skates, the The popular state fair took place in We decided lamb, maybe because lamb Aaron Copland soundtrack hovering, the summer, but in the fall the rides sounded more exotic to us. I doubt we too. It is as lovely a montage of an were gone, the skies darkened early and actually knew one from the other. athlete as anyone might ever see. hoops were on everyone’s mind. With How we hold on to our heroes. Jack Marin, a teammate from the four of my friends — Flannigan, Olen Just three months ago, I was sitting Bullets years, recalls that often there Miller, Aaron Lockett and Ron Prater at Reagan National, waiting to board were no more than 5,000 or 6,000 — I happily angled up to the front door a flight. A gaggle of passengers got off people at their games. He laments that of the coliseum that evening. “It was a another plane and began walking in my the crowds were not larger, if only to see special night,” remembers Miller, now direction. I knew it was him even before Monroe’s unique gifts. “Earl was very a salesman in Tampa. “We barely got he got within 10 feet of me. subtle but also deft,” he says. “He did in because we had just enough money. “Pearl!” I blurted, louder than I meant small sleights of hand. It took a trained Some people in the crowd wanted to see to. eye to watch him and what he was able Oscar Robertson [of the Royals]. But we He turned toward my voice and we to do. He’d perform one of his magic wanted to see the Pearl.” locked eyes in that nanosecond that a tricks and move on to the next.” Once inside we began scoping out celebrity gives you. “Hey now,” he said, His Bullet career (1967-1971) was unclaimed seats as close to the players’ his head nodding. The whole exchange short, and it seemed alarming indeed bench as possible. Now and then during lasted only seconds. I smiled to myself. when he was traded to the Knicks. warm-ups, Monroe would glance away And the Pearl kept moving.

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program MIKE WISE The Pearl Changed The Culture of the Game

• Originally published December 1, 2007 Black Jesus shirt made just for Saturday. In his autobiography Giant Steps, You got to see it.” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recounted the That’s the thing about the Pearl: From day an all-star team from Philadelphia a teenage Lew Alcindor to a current NBA came to claim the Rucker League all-star, even the game’s stars always crown. He spoke of a player who had have been in awe of Monroe. moves the gangly teen never had seen, He played here only four seasons, vividly describing the two busloads of “but Baltimore and Washington is worshipers who came to see him play. where I became the player everyone Harlem, circa 1966, and the only sound remembered,” Monroe said. His titles was a “continuous wail that seemed to and celebrity status were acquired in be coming from everywhere. New York, but he entered the Hall of “Where’s Jesus? Black Jesus!” Fame in 1990 with a Bullets jersey. Earl Monroe parted the crowd to get “Where I really got my start.” to the court. They kept chanting, in a The adolescent reading this who whisper now: believes improvisation and creativity “Black Jesus, Black Jesus, Black started with Michael and now resides Jesus.” on an AND1 bus needs to check himself “Mount Morris Park, that’s where it before he wrecks himself. Monroe spun was played,” Monroe said yesterday. his body 360 degrees in midair before “What a place. … What a time.” Jordan or LeBron James‘s mother were Yesterday afternoon, it was all about born. So unpredictable, so original, back in the day. Same goes for tonight Monroe painted more than he played, at Verizon Center, where a franchise’s and the court was his canvas. He once past and future will be seamlessly fused was asked to describe his stutter- together in a long overdue ceremony. stepping, stop-and-pop game. The Pearl Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, who played settled on this: for the Baltimore Bullets from 1967 to “The thing is, I don’t know what I’m 1971, will have his number raised to the going to do with the ball, and if I don’t rafters of the building alongside Wes know, I’m quite sure the guy guarding Unseld’s No. 41, Elvin Hayes’s No. 11 me doesn’t know either.” and Gus Johnson’s No. 25 this evening, Monroe was less a symbol of 36 years after the smoothest, sweetest basketball’s evolution than society’s. He player of his generation left town, taking was not a free-flowing player as much his soulful brilliance with him to Madison as an ideal — a pirouetting vision of Square Garden. black empowerment, who married sport For once, Gilbert Arenas will share and pop culture long before Jordan. the arena with another player who has Something about his loping gait, his taken more thrill-seeking, wild shots 1970 PHOTO BY WALTER IOOSS JR.—NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES easygoing, “don’t-worry-I-got-this-game” than himself. But his ego is okay with “My first years in Baltimore, that was a great smile — Monroe and teammate Walt that. place and time,” said Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Frazier’s style and panache flat-out “Come on, that’s Earl Monroe,” Arenas who will have his number retired December 1, said yesterday. “I had an Earl number 10 2007. continued ON page 29

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program

continued from page 28 Too prideful to ask friends for help, around. They were cheering for Dennis it took him most of the 1990s pay off Rodman.” reflected the zeitgeist of 1970s New the debt. “I went underground. The And yet Monroe makes it clear: He’s York. last thing I would do is ask somebody not an old head about to go off on an “in- Clyde and the Pearl in fur on Friday to help me,” he said. At the time, he my-day” rant. He knows he had it good. night — that was how to live. relied on a $5,000 donation from former He’s now a big fan of LeBron and The Black Jesus tale isn’t even my NBA player Dave Bing, one of the NBA Dwyane Wade, whose subtle flair he favorite Monroe story. No, you have to Retired Players Association’s founders, admits reminds of himself. And he loves bring in Miles Davis for that one. The to steady his life again. Arenas, who last season erupted for 60 man who gave us “Birth of the Cool” This is the part of Monroe’s story points one night and broke Monroe’s often would telephone the embodiment edited from the highlight package. single-game franchise scoring record of cool courtside. The Pearl, penniless. Crazy, right? against the same Lakers that Monroe “He talked with such a raspy voice, That’s what Monroe thought. So he once dropped 56 points on; it only took I couldn’t understand him,” Monroe took it upon himself to devote his efforts someone 38 years to eclipse his mark. said. “He kept saying, ‘Ded, ded,’ and to bettering life for players who didn’t Asked if Arenas takes as many ill- I would keep saying, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah,’ benefit from the stratospheric salaries advised shots as himself, he added, like I knew what he was talking about. It of today; the average salary when he “Hey, if they go in, it’s all good.” wasn’t until I read Miles’s autobiography and Frazier played in 1974 was $30,000. Monroe discovered he had an enlarged that I realized he was trying to give me Monroe never made more than $200,000 prostate nine years ago and now speaks the name of his orthopedic surgeon.” per season. to men about urinary care on behalf of Monroe needed bone spurs removed Recent changes in the pension plan a drug company. He still is recovering and Miles thought he could help. “Wish have helped the retired players a bit, from hip-replacement surgery in July. I could’ve understood him,” he said. but Monroe presses on. “For the most A setback while walking in the sand in “He was Miles,” Monroe said, and he part in my era, guys already took their Puerto Rico this past summer left him wasn’t the only ‘70s icon to deal with pensions,” he said. “We need programs feeling “a little gimpy” for his big night. adversity. The Pearl carried an awful for hospitalization when guys need it. It’s wild to think the Pearl is 63 now. secret to the stage the night he was I mean, the new deal is all well and He and Marita moved from New Jersey inducted into the Naismith Memorial good, but we still have guys that have back to Harlem several years ago. Basketball Hall of Fame 17 years ago. are hurting out there. If we don’t do it, They live a 10-minute subway ride from Monroe was severely in debt and had who’s going to?” where he and Clyde ruled Manhattan, no health insurance. His joints and Certainly not this generation of fans. where a flamboyant guard became cartilage throbbed from all the midair Marita Green, Monroe’s wife, told me something more than a basketball player. improvisation during his youth. Double a disturbing story about the 2004 All- Much more. hip-replacement surgery would have to Star Game in Los Angeles. The woman “My first years in Baltimore, that was a wait. distributing credentials to the Magic great place and time. But once you leave Three years ago, he admitted to me Johnson tribute had never heard of that, you can’t recapture it,” he said. that he owed the IRS $5.5 million, Earl Monroe. When he finally convinced As his No. 10 Baltimore Bullets jersey money the IRS said had been hidden her of his worthiness to wear an NBA ascends to the roof of the arena tonight, in tax shelters by his accountant in the lanyard, he and Marita strolled down the Earl Monroe can’t blame us for trying. 1970s. “I looked at ‘em and said, ‘I didn’t red carpet and heard loud applause. make this much; how did I owe this “I thought, ‘Finally, Earl gets his due much?’” he said then. around here,’” she said. “Then I turned

An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program

Academic Content Standards

This lesson addresses academic content standards of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Maryland Virginia Washington, D.C.

Reading/ELA: Apply knowledge English: The student will read and English Language Arts: Distinguish of organizational patterns of demonstrate comprehension of a fact from opinion in expository text, informational text to facilitate variety of informational texts. providing supporting evidence from understanding c) Distinguish fact from opinion in text. (Informational Text, Grade 5, a) Analyze the organizational patterns newspapers, magazines, and other E1) of texts such as sequential and/or print media. chronological order, cause/effect, d) Identify the source, viewpoint, English Language Arts: Write problem/solution, similarities/ and purpose of texts. persuasive (controversial issue) differences, description, main idea e) Describe how word choice and essays that and supporting details, order of language structure convey an • structure ideas and arguments in a importance, transition or signal author’s viewpoint. sustained and logical fashion; words and phrases that indicate the f) Summarize what is read. • clarify and defend positions with organizational pattern g) Organize and synthesize precise and relevant evidence, (Standard 2 Comprehension of information for use in written and including facts, expert opinions, Informational Text, Indicator 3) oral presentations. (Reading, quotations, and/or expressions Grade 7, 7.6) of commonly accepted beliefs and Reading/ELA: Analyze text features logical reasoning. (Writing, Grade to facilitate understanding of English: The student will write 10, E.5) informational texts. a variety of forms, including b) Analyze graphic aids that narrative, expository, persuasive, Media: Analyze the effect on the contribute to meaning and informational. (Writing, Grade reader’s or viewer’s emotions of text c) Analyze informational aids that 8, 8.7) and image in print journalism, and contribute to meaning images, sound, and text in electronic (Standard 2 Comprehension of Mathematics: The student, given journalism, distinguishing techniques Informational Text, Indicator 2) a problem situation, will collect, used in each to achieve these effects. organize, and display a set of (10.M.2) Mathematics: Analyze Data numerical data in a variety of forms, a) Interpret tables using bar graphs, stem-and-leaf plots, Social Studies, Geography: Students b) Interpret box-and-whisker plots and line graphs, to draw conclusions use map and globe skills to c) Interpret scatter plots and make predictions. (Probability determine the absolute locations d) Interpret circle graphs and Statistics, Grade 5, 5.18) of places and interpret information (Standard 4.0, Knowledge of available through a map or globe’s Statistics, Grade 8) legend, scale, and symbolic representations. (2.1)

Standards of Learning currently in effect for The Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum Virginia Public Schools can be found online at Learning Standards for DCPS are found Content Standards can be found online at www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Superintendent/ online at www.k12.dc.us/dcps/Standards/ http://mdk12.org/mspp/vsc/index.html. Sols/home.shtml. standardsHome.htm.