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Oldest American sports writer

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Joe Williams, Jul 12, 2008.

  1. 2underpar

    2underpar Active Member

    i'm 50, but I feel like I'm 100. does that count?
     
  2. Dave Kindred

    Dave Kindred Member

    In May, I spoke at a roast in advance of Furman's 90th birthday coming in August. I also spoke at his 80th birthday. And I hope to be alive for his 100th. Wait. A representative of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream preceded me at the lectern at the 90th birthday celebration and said she wanted Furman to come write about the team. So that's how long I want to live -- until I read Furman writing about women's professional basketball.

    He's still writing 2-3x a week, virtually as strong as ever. "A force of nature," Bill Millsaps calls him. Ed Pope warned me not to make jokes about how old and cheap Furman is, but "be sure to give him credit for having invented swimming when he first came to a toll bridge." Our old exec editor, Jiim Minter, once said, "Furman can still bring the fast ball when he gets his dander up." I, for one, have never seen Furman with his dander down.
     
  3. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Jim Minter - any relation to Rick?

    So Furman's 89, our leader in the clubhouse. Someone has to get over the bar.
    Is it true he's on a first-name basis with all his nickels? Did he write, "The only thing cheap at Turner Field is me?"
     
  4. Small Town Guy

    Small Town Guy Well-Known Member

    Looks like Sid is 88. His first column appeared on September 11...1945.
     
  5. lono

    lono Active Member

    Chris Economaki will be 88 this year, so he's up there, too.
     
  6. riddlemethis

    riddlemethis New Member

    A coworker just sent me this thread, so I thought I’d jump in.

    The Palm Beach Daily News has a sports guru name Michael Strauss who’ll turn 96 tomorrow. He spent more than 50 years with The New York Times, covering, well, you name it before eventually “retiring” to Florida, where he soon began working at The Shiny Sheet.

    Granted, he is more in the moth-ball, once-a-week column stage now, but as little as a year ago he was covering actual events. Granted, again, we’re talking croquet, polo and school sports mostly, but he was cranking out stuff daily. Not bad for a 90-plus-year-old.

    Anyhow, he might not fit your “active” criteria per se, but I think he definitely deserves a mention.
     
  7. leo1

    leo1 Active Member

    too bad sid is such a wretched and miserable person. you'd think old age would've mellowed him, but it didn't.
     
  8. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Shirley Povich wrote to the very end, when he was in his early 90s. I always thought that was amazing.
     
  9. HejiraHenry

    HejiraHenry Well-Known Member

    Me, in about 50 years at age 102.
     
  10. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    You'll expire at Arena Bowl 72.
     
  11. Full of Shit

    Full of Shit Member

    Yes, Rick is Jim's son.

    I would imagine each is very proud of the other.
     
  12. a_rosenthal

    a_rosenthal Guest

    Paul Moloney of the Greeley (Colo.) Tribune is in his 80s. He's not a sportswriter anymore (he's a freelance photographer), but he still writes weekly columns for the Life section. He served as the Tribune's sports editor many moons ago.

    He isn't the oldest living I'm sure, but he's still fucking awesome.
     
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