• Contents: Preface. The Art of the Interview. The Art of Observation. Page One, Paragraph One -- Story Leads: Types and Techniques. Quick 'n' Dirty Guide to Sports Leads. Outlining and Transitions. Two Types of Article Structures: The Inverted Pyramid and the Diamond Structure. Other Structures. Techniques for Effective Endings. Guidelines for Writing About Women. Writing Advance Stories. Developing a Sports Feature From a Sports News Event. Writing the Investigative Sports Article. Writing Editorials, Opinion Articles, and Columns. Seven Common Stylistic Errors Sports Writers Should Avoid. End Note: "Football Minus Frills -- and Drills."

Reviews for the first edition..."...has much to offer about good sports writing. It has much to offer about what makes good writing in any field."—Journalism Educator"The idea that sports writing precludes literary achievement is nonsense. One can write about sports well or poorly, as about everything else. When I was a young journalism student covering athletics for my college paper, I wish there had been so instructive a source as The Sports Writing Handbook. Whether the reader's interest in such a journalistic form is casual or intense, Mr. Fensch's book provides a wealth of instruction."—Steve AllenAuthor, Entertainer"Even a cursory examination convinces me the book will be greatly helpful in the sports writing course I will be presiding over during the 1997-98 academic year on this campus. You can also be sure I will recommend the book to my students."—Herb KammCalifornia Polytechnic State University