I was just put on to this guy, Mark Luckie, who runs the blog 10,000 Words. It deals with online and multimedia journalism. Very cool content.

Anyways, Luckie has this article about how to improve online journalism, right up my alley in the industry. I absolutely think it’s a great read.

Here’s one way he had to improve online sports journalism:

2. Map it — Sports games are great candidates for mapping because they can happen anywhere in the world or, in the case of the New York Times’ 21 Stages of the Tour de France, all over the country. An equally interesting map was created by The Charleston Gazette for the Charleston Distance Run and the basketball court maps from Nofouls.com and Courts of the World are worth checking out.

By all means, check it out.

I’m curious to see how much time and space ESPN and ESPN.com will dedicate to next weekend’s UFC 100. It’s just a number, after all, but ESPN loves to make a big deal out of those nice round numbers. And why not? It is a milestone and is being presented as such, with two titles on the line and a stacked card.

I’m curious because I’ve heard ESPN voices say several times that they failed to give the sport, in particular the UFC, the coverage it deserved. They didn’t predict it’s rising popularity. Fair enough. Most didn’t. But I haven’t seen too much of a change in coverage. Little time is dedicated to the sport on TV, and ESPN.com hides it on a back page, which gets its content primarily from Sherdog.com.

Horse racing, I would imagine, is not a sport on the rise. Yet today there is a horse racing headline on ESPN’s home page. I won’t bore you with the headline. We all know what the story says.

“Some horse ran faster than some other horse. The slower horse was shot in the head.”

I don’t really have anything against horse racing. It’s fun to watch a big race, or a small race that you have big money riding on, and the horses are impressive athletes. I just want ESPN to up their game a bit. There’s no avoiding ESPN if you’re a sports fan. It would be nice to not have to look past them all the time to hear about MMA. The sports nation needs to have high standards for the sports leaders.

Royalty, it appears, comes in a cheap tin can.

The Sacramento Kings’ newest member and first-round draft pick Tyreke Evans flew into Sacramento for a workout last week, a mere five days before the NBA draft.

I think I was sitting three rows behind him on a Southwest flight from Los Angeles.

I know, classy.

Forgetting the fact that I was zoned in on Lance Armstrong being in town and what kind of competition would be devouring Nevada City, I couldn’t help but notice the 6-feet, 5-inch guard the Kings were setting up for a workout. I knew he was a baller before I confirmed his mugshot. Tall, dressed in brand new clothes and rolling with an agent-type on his hip. (Crackberry much?)

One question popped into my mind: Is this how the Kings roll out the red carpet?

I guess when you fly in 20-30 athletes for workouts in a one-month span, that’s quite a hefty expense. One that gets pretty heavy on a franchise having a tough time selling tickets.

So Kings fans, do you now have the incentive to buy those tickets? Do you see a quality lineup forming in Sacramento? A competitive team in the works? I do.

This season will be juicy and for two specific reasons: 1) Options. 2) Depth.

Unfortunately, Geoff Petrie still didn’t manage to draft a point guard because as much as he would like for you and I to believe, Evans is a 2-guard. Has been, always will be. And it’s his scoring ability that upped his pay grade, especially after working out head-to-head with some of the other top talent in the draft. He matched up well and earned his spot — even over European superstar Ricky Rubio.

But that’s not a problem. In fact, if it is a problem, it’s a good problem to have because Evans will provide versatility for new coach Paul Westphal to tinker with. Assuming Petrie and Westphal are on the same page, Evans will be in the lineup as the 1-guard, with K-Mart, Francisco Garcia, Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes filling out the other positions. All of a sudden, you have a young, somewhat matured, lineup of go-getters. Evans gets the nod because he also can make his own shot, as shown by his 17 points per game at Memphis. With Beno Udrih on the bench, Garcia’s ability to step in at point and Bobby Jackson lurking, there’s plenty of room to mix and mash.

On the other hand, there’s a logjam at the guard position with 6 1/2 on the roster (Garcia can and will play forward). That’s depth necessary for trade bait and necessary for the inevitable Jackson ankle tear, K-Mart leadership breakdown and a revert-to-Udrih spell. Trust me, it’ll all happen at one point in the season or another. And it all just adds to the spice of the Kings’ future.

With the development of Hawes and Thompson, a new coach, a focus on leadership (are you reading this Kevin?) and motivation from a very embarrassing prior season, the Kings will have to show some new stripes. Coming into the 2009-10 season with a different attitude is the only logical reaction. Petrie has made sure the team is, at the very least, in a position to make some noise. Whether that means fourth or 10th in the Western Conference is yet to be determined.

At least we have a reason to watch now.

Editor’s note: This column originally appeared in The Union.

We’ve got stories, videos and pictures from the Nevada City Bicycle Classic. Hopefully, this is the last post on it.

• Amazing Armstrong: Seven-time Tour de France winner doesn’t disappoint big crowd
• Brian Hamilton: ‘Energetic’ fans help make race a classic
• 30,000 swarm Nevada City to watch Armstrong win classic
• Classic roundup: Olds goes 2-for-2
• Video: The 49th annual Nevada City Bicycle Classic | Youtube
• Photos from the race | Submit your own
• Your view: Photos of the race from The Union and TheUnion.com readers

Should I blame Dante Stallworth or should I blame the justice system?

Forget the preferential treatment argument you’ve heard ad nauseum. Forget the fact that Michael Vick killed dogs and not people, or was the last to confess to his guilty transgressions, however absurd and sadistic they were.

Donte killed a man. Drunk. He deserves more than 30 days in jail.

I hate writing those words. I really don’t think anything can be worse than compounding the punishment a man has deserved and been sentenced, with some more he doesn’t. But Donte definitely deserves more. Ten years probation seems like pittance for a man running stupidly in the streets. However stupidly.

You know what normal folks do when they see crazy people in the street, they slow down or better yet, stop. What they don’t do? Flash their lights.

I will not apologize for the justice system meting out a punishment that is in accordance with the law and sentencing guidelines. That’s just ridiculous. If anything, it highlights that there are changes needed at the third branch of government.

Now, whose ready to take that battle to congress?

It doesn’t take long to piss of fans after you make them happy. The Warriors are allegedly in trade talks to send newly drafted Stephen Curry packing. Here’s the story from the San Francisco Chronicle.

How many ways do the Warriors want to piss me off in one year? One of these days, I’m gonna do a full on month by month expose of the Warriors’ ineptitude. Kinda like Bill Simmons’ on the Clippers here.

Lastly, will Monta Ellis wig out because he’s got another scoring guard clogging the point? How are Acie Law and Speedy Claxton going to contribute? Can we just dump Claxton? Why not?

The worst part about being a Warriors fan is not knowing if there is strategy or not. It’s like the organization is just winging it all the time. Disagree? Tell me the strategy because I’d love to understand what’s going on in Oakland.

How strange is it that after flying back from Los Angeles last weekend, Tyreke Evans was on the plane to Sacramento.

My first thought when I saw him, which is to say, I didn’t know it was him: Dude looks like a baller. Money-wise, hoop-wise. Second thought: Why the hell is this guy on Southwest? Third thought: Definitely a baller, getting picked up by some professional looking white dude with an agent looking fella (hooked into his phone) at the airport.

Weird how I couldn’t have pointed out Tyreke Evans in police lineup two days ago and he’s now the saving grace for the Sacramento Kings. Face of the franchise? Hell no. But he’s still taking over a spot that has been a critical part of the Kings’ downfall. But that doesn’t mean Kevin Martin isn’t the man. The real question for the Kings, whose gonna be the locker room leader? I don’t see K-Mart doing it. Guesses anyone?

I can’t say I’ve ever seen Clay Guida hurt anyone in a fight. His fans will tell you he’s one of the most exciting, intense and active fighters in the game, but six of his nine UFC fights (5-4) have gone to decision. The most exciting are the ones he’s losing. Guida is the best example of a new breed of fighter, content to do nothing more than control the octagon to earn a decision. Unfortunately, this approach has earned wins for him and others.

At The Ultimate Fighter 9 finale Saturday night, Guida lost to Diego Sanchez by split decision, which he should have. What surprised me was that one judge somehow scored the fight a win for him. Sanchez dominated Guida in round one with a flurry of uppercuts and a kick to the face (credit to Guida for an amazing chin as he popped right back up).

Guida (nicknamed “The Human Seat Belt” by a friend of mine) most certainly won the second round according to the judges, and that’s where the problem comes in. He got the takedown he always looks for, and did nothing but keep Diego down for most of the round, with little to no damage done. Sanchez used the opportunity to bust open Guida’s head with vicious elbows, and had a couple submission attempts. To me, that round is scored a win for Diego. A takedown counts for something, but this is a fight after all. This isn’t “ground and pound,” but a strategy some are calling “lay and pray.” As in, lay on top of the guy and pray for a decision. UFC judges seem all too content to reward those rounds to the fighter on top, regardless of what happens in that position.

Guida’s previous fight boiled down to holding Nate Diaz around the waist and pinning him up against the cage. That was enough for the decision win. It didn’t matter that Guida didn’t take advantage of this position to do damage, or that he didn’t advance this position. It didn’t matter that Diaz was still landing more shots and threw Guida to the ground several times from this bear hug. Guida maintained a dominant position for most of the fight, and the decision in his favor said that that’s what matters to the judges.

Octagon control is a necessary judging tool that has to be factored into a decision, but not as the most important aspect of a fight. It’s being weighted much too heavily. This is more of a tiebreaker. The UFC and president Dana White should realize that allowing fighters to win this way will encourage others to follow suit, because the bottom line is winning. He should also realize that this makes for boring fights that will turn off fans. The UFC made its name off delivering the goods and having fights live up to their potential, not with hugging contests. This trend needs to end.

When your team wins 17 games, the NBA draft becomes that much more important. The Kings have three picks in the top 31 – 4th overall, 23rd, 31st. That means three players who haven’t proved anything will be counted on to turn this team around. Probably not right away though. I trust in GM Geoff Petrie. He’ll hit on at least two of these and the Kings will be back in the postseason hunt by the 2010-11 season. Guaranteed. I’m confident Petrie reads this blog and trusts in my basketball IQ, so let me offer up these five suggestions:

1. Ricky Rubio (PG, Spain) – He is absolutely at the top of my list … since Blake Griffin will be gone (never thought I would hate ping pong balls this much). Rubio’s a flashy point guard that reminds me of Steve Nash, which is exactly what the Kings need the most. Sacramento’s point guard play was some of the worst in the league, and Rubio will be the best chance to turn this team around quickly.

2. Stephen Curry (PG/SG, Davidson) – He played point guard this season, but leading the NCAA in scoring isn’t typical point guard play. I’m not convinced he can run a team and look to pass before he looks to score, but I’m willing to take my chances on a guy who scored 28.6 points per game. Two years ago, I fell in love with this guy’s ability to score from anywhere as Davidson made a run to the elite eight in the NCAA tournament. Even if he can’t be a true point guard, it’s up to the coaching staff to make him fit.

3. Brandon Jennings (PG, International) – I wasn’t really aware of this guy until he got cocky and said Rubio was all hype. We’ll find out, but either way I love his confidence. A great player must have that. At No. 4, you’re looking for a great player. He’s young, but has professional experience overseas, which is something most American players don’t have. Should Rubio get taken right after Griffin, and should the Kings want more of a true PG, Jennings is next on my list.

4. Ty Lawson (PG, North Carolina) – There’s a hidden theme among my first four picks. Lawson’s “upside” may not be as high as the others, but he’s proven he can play with the best and lead a top team. North Carolina struggled without him this season. There’s a rumor that he could go as high as No. 10 to Miluakee, but most other mock drafts have him going in the late first round, making him perfect for the Kings second pick, especially if they didn’t get a PG with the first.

5. Tyler Hansbrough (PF, North Carolina) – Ah, the goofy white guy who gets by because he tries so hard. Every team could use one. Did the Lakers win three championships because of Shaq and Kobe, or was it Mark Madsen? There’s no way of knowing. In all seriousness, while Hansbrough won’t ever be a star, I love what he brings to a team. The hustle of a guy who tries harder than everybody else is contagious, and fan friendly. Good pickup with Sacramento’s second or third pick.

Others on the radar: Hasheem Thabeet (C, UConn) – 7′3″ and not clumsy. Kings don’t need a center, but that may not matter. Twin towers part II. Jonny Flynn (PG, Syracuse), Jeff Teague (PG, Wake Forest), Darren Collison (PG, UCLA) – And all the rest of the point guards around the world. Omri Casspi (SF, Israel) – And all the other foreign players. Kings seem to have good luck with that.

The best part about being a reporter is getting the scoop on a story.

The worst part about being a reporter is seeing your hot scoop go cold because some other news organization reports the story better and basically takes over your initial hard (or lucky) work.

It’s the life in the news business. You win some, and you lose some.

I think I got lucky yesterday when I received a phone call close to 10 p.m. from Tour of Nevada City owner race director of the Nevada City Classic Duane Strawser. He was just calling me back after I had made some inquires to him about some chamber of commerce issue (which he sits on as the president).

By this time, I had heard a rumor from pretty good source that Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer were possibly racing in the Nevada City Classic, bringing some super star power to the event. I scrapped whatever thought I had about the chamber and asked Strawser what was going on. He provided the confirmation I needed to sound the alert in the newsroom, but that wasn’t satisfying enough. So I took a shot in the dark by sending him at tweet. OK, two tweets. One before I talked to Strawser and one afterward.

Rumor has it that @lancearmstrong is coming to the Tour of Nevada City and the Reno race … can I get a confirmation please?

And:

Rumor somewhat confirmed … @lancearmstrong coming to Nevada City for Tour of Nevada City Classic… apparently, it’s down to logistics

I’m sure this was pretty good theater for whoever was paying attention to me at 10 p.m. on a Monday (1 a.m. for you east coasters), but it was definitely a calculated move to see if Armstrong would actually respond and confirm. I mean, why not try? It’s like I can text him myself and he can choose to respond like some girl I’m trying to date. There’s no sense of failure.

Anyways, he actually responds within the hour:

fact.

That’s it. One word. That’s all it took to set in motion a hurricane of folks hounding Strawser for interviews, the million or so followers of Armstrong to repeat the rumors and all the while me calling every airport within the vicinity to see where he’s gonna land. Two tweets later from Armstrong and almost 17 hours, he delivers this gem:

Race update – @levi_leipheimer, @hornerakg, and myself are racing the Nevada City Classic next Sunday. A great American race!!!

What this really shows me is the power of this tool. Just like with the invention of caller ID, Armstrong can pick and choose when to respond to the communication, but you know what, it’s still a direct form of communication. Because of that, I was able to build a whole story about his tweets to race in the classic, as well as Levi’s, for my newspaper. If that’s not Web 2.0 reporting, I don’t know what is.