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Seven Sportswriters Who

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by LanceyHoward, Jul 23, 2019.

  1. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    I saw this in a Wikipedia article.

    "In 2000, Ira Berkow chose Young as one of the seven sportswriters who'd made the greatest impact on their profession, along with Red Smith, Grantland Rice, Ring Lardner, Damon Runyon, Jimmy Cannon, and Jim Murray."

    In 2019 who would you take off the list? Who would you replace them with.

    I think you replace Lardner and Runyon with Reilly and Simmons. I would replace Jimmy Cannon with Dan Jenkins. Part of this is because Cannon was a New York based columnist and I still ahve never read anything he ever did while Jenkins was in Sports Illustrated.

    I think Murray and Smith are timeless. Young belongs because of his abilities in writing game stories. I put Simmons on the list not because of his writing abilities but because he popularized the smart ass, voice of a fan style.
     
  2. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    I think you make the list longer.

    You don't take Cobb out of the Hall of Fame because Halladay goes in.
     
    RonClements and Double Down like this.
  3. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    add Portnoy and take out Grantland Rice...
     
    Sports Barf and Songbird like this.
  4. Rockbottom

    Rockbottom Well-Known Member

    Gary Smith. End of thread.

    rb
     
    cjericho likes this.
  5. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    I thought about Smith and Frank DeFord. How in the world could anyone try to imitate those two? But as great as those guys were how much did they impact their profession? I think Jenkins had a greater impact because more people tried to emulate him, most notably Reilly.
     
  6. Tarheel316

    Tarheel316 Well-Known Member

    What about Furman Bisher? Another all-time great.
     
  7. typefitter

    typefitter Well-Known Member

    W.C. Heinz helped usher in a new, less purple style. At least to my writing.
     
  8. swingline

    swingline Well-Known Member

    What, no love for Curry Kirkpatrick?
     
  9. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    If we're talking about influence on other writers and on the form, Lipsyte.
     
  10. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    What influence did he have on the form? Not being cute, just wondering what you're referring to.

    I enjoyed his memoir immensely, BTW
     
  11. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    He was one of the first to bring a skeptical eye to the politics and culture of American sports.
     
  12. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    What? No Lupica and Albom?

    (ducking)
     
    Liut likes this.
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