In this example, the lead emphasis is Alvin Gecko (who) and his scoring binge (how). This is a classic who and  how  summary  lead,  highlighting  the  key  player  and how the game was won. This is the tried-and-true sports lead, and the type all sportswriters should master. BACKGROUND   INFORMATION   LEAD.— The background information lead is another type of lead you should know about. It is a lead many sportswriters now use, especially when writing about games that have been broadcast over radio or television. Since readers are likely to know in advance the final score, who won and how the game was won, many sportswriters write leads that emphasize background information or locker room quotes to attract the reader. The following is an example: If  Myra  Naviete’s  sprained  ankle slowed  her  down  Saturday  night,  you couldn’t prove it to the Naval Station Miami Pirates. W—  Ws  or  H  not  answered  in  the  lead  are answered in the bridge. A— Attributes information found in the lead. I—  Identifies  persons  or  groups  impersonally identified  in  the  lead. S— Secondary facts are brought out in the bridge. The   speedy   forward,   who   was sidelined  three  games  because  of  an injury,  scored  23  points  to  lead  the N a v a l    S e c u r i t y    G r o u p    H i a l e ah Seminoles  to  a  56-37  victory  over  the Pirates  in  women's  basketball  action  at Milander   Gym. O r: O r: Ugly. That’s   the   word   coach   Thomas Katt   used   to.   describe   his   Century Dolphins’  88-79  basketball  victory over   Rainbow   Central   here   Friday night. (Bridge) “We stunk up the gym,” Katt said. “I hate to say it,” he added, “but the better team lost tonight.” Note   that   these   leads   emphasize   background information  and  are  not  one-sentence  summary  leads. They  still  include  the  essential  Ws  and  H,  however. Some newer journalism textbooks advise sportswriters to  write  this  type  of  lead  and  to  stay  away  from  the simple  summary  lead  You  may  wish  to  follow  this advice as you develop your sportswriting skills, but first you should master the bread-and-butter summary lead. Bridge Bridges in sports stories serve the same purpose as news story bridges, primarily to link the lead to the body. Like news story bridges, they are often categorized by the  purposes  they  serve,  easily  remembered  with  the acronym  WAITS: T—  Ties  the  story  back  to  a  previous  story. Very  often,  sports  bridges  are  used  to  bring  out secondary  facts  that  explain  the  significance  of  the game. The bridge might, for example, explain that a loss drops the team into the losers’ bracket in a tournament, that a victory ties the team for the league lead, that a loss marks  the  fourth  in  a  row  for  the  team,  or  any  other important consequence. Consider the example that follows: The shutout is the first suffered by the  Fightin’  Giant  Lampreys  since losing 24-0 to the USS Greystone in the second game of the 1992 season — 39 games ago. The  victory  extends  USS  Saufley’s winning streak to eight and extends its lead   to   four   games   over   the second-place   Naval   Hospital   in   the Blue and Gold Division. Body Many beginning sportswriters incorrectly write the bodies of their sports stories chronologically. However, if the key play took place in the fifth inning or the third quarter, that is where the body should begin. Usually, the key play will be one that breaks a tie or gives the winning team the go-ahead margin. In baseball, it might be a four-run inning; in football, it might be a 60-yard touchdown  pass;  and,  in  basketball,  it  might  be  two clutch free throws in the final seconds. Sometimes,  the  key  will  be  a  defensive  play.  It might be a blocked punt or a diving catch in the outfield 3-14