By RONNIE RAMOS
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It was suggested recently, to a group of sports editors from around the country, that APSE consider judging newspaper sports section Web sites. The intense – and varied – reaction to the idea summed up the state of sports Web sites across America: it's all over the place.

Some sports editors loved the idea. Their newspapers have committed time and resources to develop a strong Web site. Others complained they had no control over the look and content on their Web sites. Still others said they had no resources to commit to the Internet revolution.

All had valid points. Unlike our printed sections – which we know, control and spend most of our time working on – newspaper sports sites on the Web can vary greatly.

And to make things more difficult, surviving on the Web requires new thinking and skills, different news judgment and faster reaction. It's enough to make us long for lead type.

There's hope. At the APSE Convention this year, we will dedicate a whole day to the wonder/nightmare that is the Internet. The sessions will include earnest conversations on where we are heading, thorny ethical issues and how to manage resources.

"Given where our business is headed, it's obvious that the Internet has taken on a greater priority in our work lives than ever before," said APSE President Glen Crevier. "So I thought it was important to address that topic in comprehensive way." Thus, the idea of an "Internet day."

That day will be Thursday. A general session at noon will kick off "Internet Day." The session, Surfing for Success: How Sports Sections Can Thrive on the Internet, will include a panel of experts with current and previous Internet experience: Tom Keegan, sports editor/columnist, Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World; Dave Morgan, executive editor, Yahoo! Sports; John Papanek, senior vice president/editorial director, ESPN New Media; and Sherry Skalko, assistant sports editor, South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

"During our convention planning meeting in March, we settled on the idea of a general session and two hands-on workshops," Crevier said. "There are some creative things being done on newspaper Web sites. But our goal here is to do more than just show, we also hope to teach sports editors how they can be proactive and enhance their sites. That's the aim of all three of our sessions."

Convention breakout sessions will provide practical tips, insights into what has worked elsewhere and what big and small papers can do to attract readers online.

"High Schools Online: Worth Every Stat" will be led by Greg Gibson, sports editor, Orange County Register, and Dan DeLuca, high school sports coordinator, The (Fort Myers) News-Press.

The other Internet-specific session will be "The Ethics of Blogging," led by Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, assistant managing editor, The Washington Post; Dale Phelps, deputy managing editor, Tacoma News Tribune; and Dan Steinberg, staff writer, The Washington Post.

Come prepared to participate in the discussions. We want to hear your concerns and success stories. This is a new world and part of the excitement is, in many cases, we get to create the sports section of tomorrow online.

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