CBSSports.com

Is it possible to find all the sports information one desires in a single website? Some might think so, especially those who are not the most avid sports fans and think a score is a score, so there is no need to read about it on multiple sites.  And yet, the sports aficionado will  remind you that, just like hard hitting news, sports has multiple stories, views, and perspectives that allow a single game to be presented in various forms.

CBSSports.com is just one of countless sites that offers information on all things sports. On the homepage, there are tabs located across the top with options listing all of the sports the site features.  It includes the usual sports, such as MLB, NHL, and NBA, but also has college basketball, college football, and even information on high school sports. 

The first tab option reads "Fantasy."  Fantasy leagues are a common feature of many sports sites, and CBSSports.com is no different. 

These tabs keep the site organized and give it a polished look. Zach Wise, a sophomore at Wyoming Seminary who checks various sports sites daily, says, "It's very organized and easy to follow."  Top stories can be found listed down the right side, and there is a log-in located at the top for members.  Overall, the site appears very straight forward and easy to maneuver. 

When comparing CBSSports.com to other sports sites, Wise says, "They basically all have the same information, but I still check various sports sites, like espn.com, for the different stories and points of view." 

Clearly espn.com is the more well known website, yet CBSSports.com holds up well as far as content.  If there was a drawback to the site, it would be the fact that because it is less well known, the writers working for the site are not always as top notch as you would find at espn.com. Thus, while ESPN has more notable journalists like baseball writer Jayson Stark, CBSSports.com does not feature these famous staff members. Many agree with Wise on his perspective that, "CBS has nobody you can compare to Stark." 

With or without these well known sports writers, CBSSports.com provides yet another view into the world of athletics, and countless dedicated sports fans check the site on a daily basis.

Youngman Talks College Basketball

Spencer Youngman, a senior at Wyoming Seminary, shares his opinions on the NCAA Big East Conference.  Be sure to check out his blog at http://www.thearmpittofsports.blogspot.com/.

Youngman Talks College Basketball by briannawise1

Riding Along With Tyler Linde

Tyler Linde, a sixth nationally ranked horseback rider and senior at Wyoming Seminary, discusses her current riding endeavors as well as her future in riding.

Barbie Foosball Table Worth $25,000

Mia Medico and Louise Lumia, both seniors at Wyoming Seminary, stand with the Limited Edition Barbie Foosball Table, valued at $24,999.99.  It is one of ten tables made, and can be found at FAO Schwartz. 

Useful Tools Not Used Enough

It is simple enough to find something online using Google Search.  Clearly most people agree with this statement, as according to freebase.com, "Google receives several hundred million queries each day through its various services." Google Search was originally developed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1997, and has since been serving many people at work, home, school, and more recently from the convenience of one's phone. 

However, many of these millions of people that are searching online through Google everyday are not even aware of a feature that could make their process much easier.  Advanced Google Search allows people to narrow their search to avoid unwanted sites. There are search tools such as "But don't show pages that have..." and "Find web pages that have..." that could help make any search more specific. 

Advanced Google Search even takes it a step farther with a section that reads "Need more tools?" Under this category are options such as "Language" and "Results per page" that can limit a search even more if a person so desires. 

In the case of reasearching for an article, Advanced Google Search could be particularly beneficial.  The different search options would help present the researcher or journalist with exactly the information they need, and could help ensure the reliability and credibility of the source.  However, with all of the options the advanced search employs, this could also limit the results that appear, thus restricting the amount of information received. 

Another tool which could be utilized by journalists and students alike is databases.  In fact, the quote featured in the first paragraph of this post comes from a database called freebase.com.  In almost every history class freshman and sophomore year at Wyoming Seminary, students are provided with information on all of the school's databases from Mrs. Lewis or Mrs. Miller, the school's librarians.  These databases are intended to help students write essays, term papers, and simply to research more effectively.  Yet, how many students even use these databases? According to Zach Wise '13, "Pretty much everyone only uses the databases when it is required; usually students just type things into Google for research." 

While the databases can be useful, most people do not take the time to search through them, as instead they head straight for whatever search engine is found on their computer.  Both databases and Advanced Google Search are tools that can help provide information very specific to a particular subject, yet many people still are using Wikipedia as their site of choice.  However, in the case of  journalism, where it is especially important for information to be accurate, databases and Advanced Google Search should be employed much more frequently.

To test out Advanced Google Search for yourself, click here.