Pub Discussion: NFL Writers

An old-time copy editor who I worked with who was probably the best copy editor I ever worked with said Simers was the best NFL beat writer he'd ever read.

 

I've always enjoyed Boswell's Monday columns on the Skins. Haven't read one in a few years.

 

Just read this Boswell piece as a division title approached. Loved the "maximum delicious silliness" line.

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-12-17/sports/35886081_1_pierre-garcon-redskins-rookie-record-robert-griffin-iii

 

I like Glazer the best in terms of guys for breaking news. He doesn't mess with the minutiae as much but he really seems to kill it with the big stuff on the most consistent basis.

And yeah, I was referring to writing and understanding of the game in terms of McGinn. He and Spoon Silverstein along with Dunne is just unbelievable. Packers fans are extremely fortunate to have those guys.

Some others I enjoy: Jeff Legwold, Ed Bouchette, Kent Somers.

I really like some of the ESPN bloggers but I don't like their format as much. Guys like Sando and Seifert do a great job but I like them in longer format.

 

There are two sets of writers who cover the Steelers.
Ed Bouchette and everybody else. Apologies to Al Robinson.
When it comes to all things Steelers, he's the guy I rely on. When the national media was reporting Emmanuel Sanders was going to be Patriot, Bouchette pulled in the reigns, noting the Steelers hadn't received an offer sheet and nothing had been signed by Sanders or the Patriots.
He did the same when the it was first reported Matt Spaeth was returning to the team.

I also like Bedard and Somers.

 

Jim Thomas is the only beat writer the St. Louis Rams have ever known.

 

Whoever destroys this stupid new helmet rule is my favorite NFL writer.

 

In my opinion, the Journal-Sentinel has the best NFL coverage of any paper. It was pretty close between them and the Dallas Morning News until they lost some really good people to the Dallas ESPN site.

 

Glazer is essentially a PR rep, a mouthpiece. All he does 90 percent of the time, really, is reveal what will inevitably be true. I'm not devaluing it, but "so and so will get cut" doesn't rise to level of "best" or "great" in my book.

 

How about having the Brett Favre trade an hour before ESPN could confirm anything? ESPN was reporting that Favre was going to Tampa minutes before Glazer broke that he was going to the Jets.

 

Did Favre go to the Jets? He did. Glazer was merely confirming some transaction about to take place.

It's a well-paying gig, as far as it goes. And important to traffic, business, etc. I'm just not confusing it with greatness. I do not, for example, confuse extremely rich bond traders with having great business acumen. They're skilled at pitching woo and acquisition of data. As is Glazer.

 

Wow, that's a pretty simplistic dismissal of what reporters do.