One dinner. Four journalists. And you. Whom do you choose?

Red Smith, Jimmy Cannon, Jimmy Breslin and Mike Royko. if we're lucky, we never make it from the bar to our table.

 

Good calls on Dexter and Bangs.

Linda Ellerbee, Ben Bradlee, Leonard Pitts Jr., Gloria Steinem.

 

Jim Murray - No explanation needed ...

Frank Deford - Ditto.

A.J. Carr - An underrated writer for the Raleigh N&O, he can make you laugh and think, usually at the same time. Grew up reading his stuff, and had the privilege of working some of the same assignments. While the other vets are snarking or trying to BS one another, he always came across as quiet, observant and never acted like he was a big deal - which is why I thought he was. Also the sort who would make a new guy feel welcome.

John Feinstein - I suspect I'll get torched for this one. But I've read enough of his books, and what I wouldn't do to have a fraction of his knowledge of Atlantic Coast Conference basketball.

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Honorable mention: Jason Whitlock, Bill Plaschke, Dan Jenkins and Joe Menzer

 

Only four? This is killing me.

Tracy Ringolsby, Mike Littwin, Susan Orlean and Anna Quindlen.

 

Ellerbee is a good call, too. NBC News Overnight (with Lloyd Dobyns) was one of the greatest news programs ever. They never pulled a punch.

As a side note, I have a copy of the infamous note to a friend she accidentally sent out on the broadcast wire back in the early '70s when she was at Dallas AP. Hilarious stuff.

 

A.J. was a tremendous choice, Sam. What a nice guy.

He got stuck doing Raleigh IceCaps games despite having no prior knowledge of hockey -- he was the paper's tennis writer -- and still wrote some great stuff.

 

Four consecutive make-believe Mondays. The Oak Room? Elaine's? PJ Clarke's? The Oyster Bar?

Week 1, General Assignment:

Twain
Mencken
Hemingway
Gabriel Garcia Marquez

On call:
Flann O'Brien

Week 2, Sports:

Ring Lardner
Red Smith
Jim Murray
Frank Deford

On call:
Dan Jenkins

Week 3, New Journalism:

Tom Wolfe
Hunter Thompson
Gay Talese
Joan Didion

On call:
Terry Southern

Week 4, Ladies' Night:

Pauline Kael
Nellie Bly
Molly Ivins
Margaret Bourke-White

On call:
Frances Fitzgerald

 

Ryan Sonner and mirrors in each of the other three seats.


In reality, Jerry Green (check), Red Smith, Bob Wojnowski and Thomas Friedman...although probably not at the same time.

 

Jimmy Breslin, Dan Jenkins, Red Fisher and Bob Woodward.

 

For starters, thanks. Nice to see someone else here knows of his name.

Knowing A.J., the fact that he is not a puckhead didn't keep him from doing human-interest stories and other neat tales of the ECHL and minor-league hockey in general. Shoot, if the walls at Dorton Arena could talk ...

 

Unless you're a seamhead, Ringolsby would bore you to tears. He's a legend, but...

Other choices are fantastic.

 

Ring Lardner, Frank Deford, Jimmy Breslin, Red Smith