Small shop peeps who belong in the big time

I'm sure you've seen people who write for the weeklies or the small dailies whom you believe would kick ass at The New York Times or at ESPN. Perhaps you know a photographer at your local community rag whose stuff is breathtaking. Maybe a small paper columnist who opines about Main Street USA strikes you as someone who should be writing opinion about issues of national import.

What say ye, SportsJournalists.com?

 

I nominate forever_town.

 

The first person who comes to mind is this guy named forever_town, he's the managing editor of a small weekly paper.

D'oh, a DIFFERENT Jay beat me to it.

 

I've mentioned before that I worked with a columnist at a smallish daily that would definitely translate to the big-time. I've also worked with a writer who would succeed at any of the big boys. Both stay where they're at, though, because of family. I think there are a lot of supremely talented writers that are "off the radar" because they have different priorities.

 

So if we combine this thread and the one about writers who don't belong, do we get:
"writers at small papers who think they deserve better jobs but really don't because they suck"

 

I know of two absolute badass photogs who could be shooting for anyone. I'm slightly biased, because I consider the first one of my best friends, but I've also known a ton of photogs who could be anywhere right now.
Jan Stump, currently a photog at the Traverse City (MI) paper is only 29, but he's got the eye of anyone with twice the experience. His sports stuff is great, mainly because he's followed and played several sports forever; it's like he knows what's going to happen before it does. It shows in his work.
The second is Ken Ruinard, who has been at the Anderson Independent-Mail for what seems like five decades (actually closer to two). He was the shooter who took the infamous "kick" shot during the Clemson-South Carolina fight game (the photo ended up in the NY Times, WaPo, USA Today, etc. etc.), and if wasn't for some odd affinity to Anderson, he would have been gone a long time ago. Papers have come calling on him for years.

 

I worked with a guy who was the cream of the crop.
Maybe the best pure writer I had ever seen.
His work came out on the first draft perfect.
He met his wife, a hometown girl, on practically his first day on the job.
They got hitched, had kids and he started turning down regular job offers.
I know for absolute certain he passed on the LA Times and USA Today.
He's still churning out copy at his 40k paper and its still the best. It probably matters that his wife makes mid-six figures in her job.

 

There are a lot of people who work at bigger papers who have the same inflated sense of self-importance.

 

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner.

 

Given the current state of the business, there are probably a good number of unemployed writers who have an inflated sense of self-importance.

 

The correct answer -- Todd M. Adams. Ladies want him and men want to be him. He isn't afraid to ask the tough questions like, "Kobe, how my ..." never mind.

 

Rial Cummings, who used to be in Missoula and is now out of the business as far as I know, could have gone to a bigger paper if he'd wanted. Family obligations kept him from it though.