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Rick Reilly done writing ESPN column July 1

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Alma, Mar 12, 2014.

Page 5 of 14
  1. 3_Octave_Fart

    3_Octave_Fart Well-Known Member

    I can appreciate a guy with a boyish ardor for sports- Tim Kurkjian, for example.
    But he also has more than one club in his bag.
     
    3_Octave_Fart, Mar 14, 2014
    #49
  2. Dick Whitman

    Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

    I don't disagree with you guys about Simmons. I don't actually like his stuff all too well. He's basically a trivia buff.

    But I think the reason he's so popular is that fans feel that he shares their passion, and that can go a long way.
     
    Dick Whitman, Mar 14, 2014
    #50
  3. 3_Octave_Fart

    3_Octave_Fart Well-Known Member

    Simmons is knocking on 50 years old.
    If he doesn't mature his readers' tastes might.
     
    3_Octave_Fart, Mar 14, 2014
    #51
  4. poindexter

    poindexter Well-Known Member

    Jay Mariotti laments the retirement of Reilly. Of course he does.

    http://www.sportstalkflorida.com/rick-reilly-way-too-good-for-a-bad-business/

    the sportstalkflorida web site cracks me up every time.
     
    poindexter, Mar 14, 2014
    #52
  5. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    Is writing still Simmons main focus?

    I think it's quite a ways down the list these days.
     
    JC, Mar 14, 2014
    #53
  6. awriter

    awriter Active Member

    The "if he wanted to" part is what's most frustrating. When he was locked in, engaged, there was no one better. Just look at what he did at SI, before he owned the back page. Reilly the takeout writer was one of the best ever. Reilly the columnist lost his way.
     
    awriter, Mar 15, 2014
    #54
  7. TheSportsPredictor

    TheSportsPredictor Well-Known Member

    No. Closer to 40 than 50.
     
    TheSportsPredictor, Mar 15, 2014
    #55
  8. Elliotte Friedman

    Elliotte Friedman Moderator Staff Member

    Good discussion. Interesting.

    Two things:

    1) I'm a big believer in the "passion" argument. It rubs off on your audience. If you are engaged, they will be.

    2) I broke in a basketball reporter. The Raptors arrived in 1995 and there weren't a lot of people who knew the sport. It was a great learning experience and positive for my career. A decade later, the tv station where I work picked up 10 Raptor games a year. I hosted around my hockey duties. It was not a success. I just didn't have the time to put in the work necessary...to find out info, to work the phones.

    All of the info available to sports fans now makes them "specialists." They really know their teams and/or their sports. There is an expectation that you know more than they do and can convey that, or they won't respect you. That's what Reilly ran into here. He could not inform or entertain them.
     
    Elliotte Friedman, Mar 15, 2014
    #56
  9. TwoGloves

    TwoGloves Well-Known Member

    On his radio show Friday, Albom was blasting anyone who dared to criticize Reilly. He said Katie Nolan was "clipping coupons" a year ago, called people who criticized Reilly "twerps" and said Reilly "won way more awards than I have." Oh yeah, he also questioned the "journalistic integrity" of people who were critical of Reilly. I nearly drove my car off the road hearing that one.
     
    TwoGloves, Mar 15, 2014
    #57
  10. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Birds of a feather...
     
    YankeeFan, Mar 15, 2014
    #58
  11. H.L. Mencken

    H.L. Mencken Member

    This is one of the best Albom quotes ever.
     
    H.L. Mencken, Mar 15, 2014
    #59
  12. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    Mel Kiper never was a generalist.
     
    Alma, Mar 15, 2014
    #60
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