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All the news in bits, not print A clean fight

A clean fight

Tuesday
February 25, 1997
Sports

Sports-site heavyweights slug it out

Take your seat. Your loyal Web referee is about to adjudicate a heavyweight battle between the Web's best sports sites. In the red corner, the Godzilla of all online sports, ESPNET SportsZone. In the blue corner, Sports Illustrated's SI Online, the King Kong of the sports world. And, in the purple corner (you've heard of triangular rings, haven't you?), The Sporting News, the Mothra of the Net.

Let's start with Godzilla. ESPN was the first site to offer comprehensive, up-to-the-minute coverage of every major sport. The scaled behemoth connects with a left hook by virtue of its live game updates and in-depth clubhouse features, where you can get the inside dirt on just about any team in any league. But don't think there isn't a chink in the Great Reptile's armor. The best parts of SportsZone, as any sports fan worth his or her modem already knows, ain't free. This subscription requirement leaves quite an opening for the other two beasts prowling the ring.

On to King Kong. Score a hit for SI's photo gallery, featuring wonderful displays that go far beyond your average action shot. The overgrown gorilla lands another solid blow with its assortment of well-written feature articles.

Don't count Mothra out, though. The Sporting News, the oldest sports publication but the newest online, is learning pretty darn fast. With a design that looks strikingly similar to SportsZone (hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it), TSN serves up the same quality of sports coverage, with a couple of bonuses. With the News' history (it was founded in 1886), the archive section is a winner -- witness the incredible Conlon Collection or the exhibit of letters from baseball great Ty Cobb. Another bonus: everything is free. And, if the national pastime is your game of choice, the News' baseball section, like its print counterpart, is second to none.

The verdict? It's hard to score a clean knockout, but here are some recommendations. When you first get to work or log on in the morning and need a quick fix, go to SportsZone. During your lunch break, when you've got a bit more time on your hands, visit SI. When you get home or have time to really get in-depth, though, The Sporting News is the place to be.

So it's Mothra, in a hard-fought points decision.

-- Ezra Gale

Image credits: © 1997 Time Inc. New Media, The Sporting News, Starwave Corporation and ESPN Inc.

All the news in bits, not print A clean fight


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