Tennessee Sports Writers Association Awards

DIVISION 1
Writer of the Year: 1. Ron Higgins, The Commercial Appeal. 2. John Adams, Knoxville News Sentinel. 3. Darren Epps, Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Best Daily Section: 1. The Commercial Appeal. 2. Knoxville News Sentinel. 3. Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Best Special Section: 1. The Commercial Appeal, ’07 Football Preview. 2. Chattanooga Times Free Press. 3. Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Best Columnist: John Adams, Knoxville News Sentinel. 2. Ron Higgins, The Commercial Appeal. 3. Mark Wiedmer, Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Best Feature Writer: 1. Ron Higgins, The Commercial Appeal. 2. Matthew Borenstein, The Jackson Sun. 3. Darren Epps, Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Best Event Writer: 1. Mike Strange, Knoxville News Sentinel: Liked the flow of the football game stories and the way the quotes were woven into the copy. 2. Ron Higgins, The Commercial Appeal. 3. John Adams, Knoxville News Sentinel.
Best News Writer: 1. Ron Higgins, The Commercial Appeal. 2. Beth Rucker, The Associated Press. 3. Dave Hooker, Knoxville News Sentinel.
Best Prep Writer: 1. Joshua Parrott, The Jackson Sun. 2. Stephen Hargis, Chattanooga Times Free Press. 3. Lindsey Young, Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Best Investigative/Series: 1. Brian T. Smith, Bristol Herald Courier. 2. Mark Burgess, Knoxville News Sentinel. 3. Mike Griffith, Knoxville News Sentinel.
Best Outdoors Writer: 1. Bob Hodge, Knoxville News Sentinel. 2. Allen Gregory, Bristol Herald Courier. 3. None awarded.
Best Individual Layout: 1. David Goddard, Knoxville News Sentinel. 2. John Battle, Knoxville News Sentinel. 3. Jamie Poole, Chattanooga Free Press.
Best Headline Writer (All Divisions): 1. Roland Julian, Knoxville News Sentinel. 2. Kenneth Coker, The Messenger (Union City). 3. Dan Fleser, Knoxville News Sentinel.

DIVISION 2
Writer of the Year: 1. Jimmy Hyams, Rocky Top News. 2. Adam Sparks, Daily News Journal. 3. Roger Garfield, Daily News Journal.
Best Daily Section: 1. Daily News Journal. 2. Herald-Citizen. 3. The Messenger (Union City).
Best Special Section: 1. Daily News Journal. 2. Herald-Citizen. 3. The Messenger (Union City).
Best Columnist: 1. Jimmy Hyams, Rocky Top News. 2. Greg Pogue, Daily News Journal. 3. Mike Hutchens, The Messenger (Union City).
Best Feature Writer: 1. Adam Sparks, Daily News Journal.2. Jimmy Hyams, Rocky Top News. 3. Roger Garfield, Daily News Journal.
Best Event Writer: 1. Roger Garfield, Daily News Journal.2. Thomas Corhern, Herald-Citizen. 3. Jimmy Hyams, Rocky Top News.
Best News Writer: 1. Craig Delk, Herald-Citizen.2. Adam Sparks, Daily News Journal. 3. Mike Hutchens, The Messenger (Union City).
Best Prep Writer: 1. Roger Garfield, Daily News Journal.2. Doug Dyer, On the Ball (Middle Tennessee). 3. Adam Sparks, Daily News Journal.
Best Investigative/Series: 1. Mike Hutchens, The Messenger (Union City).2. Doug Dyer, On the Ball Magazine (Middle Tennessee). 3. Thomas Corhern, Herald-Citizen.
Best Individual Layout: 1. Corby A. Yarbrough, Daily News Journal. 2. Craig Delk, Herald-Citizen. 3. Mike Hutchens, The Messenger (Union City).

DIVISION 3
Writer of the Year: 1. Doug Dyer, On the Ball Magazine (Middle Tennessee). 2. Craig Harris, The News Examiner. 3. Bill Traughber, Nashville Sounds website.
Best Special Section: 1. On the Ball Magazine, Middle Tennessee high school basketball preview. 2. The News Examiner, Cecil Joyce editor. 3. Crossville Chronicle, Ed Greif editor.
Best Feature Writer: 1. Doug Dyer, On the Ball Magazine (Middle Tennessee). 2. Bill Traughber, Vanderbilt athletic website. 3. Craig Harris, The News Examiner.
Best News/Event Writer: 1. Craig Harris, The News Examiner. 2. Bill Sorrell, The Fayette Falcon. 3. Ed Greif, Crossville Chronicle.

 

Maybe they ought to make Ron Higgins and John Adams compete in their own category. Those two are good. Congrats to all.

 

Jesus, did anyone else in the state enter? Between Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville there are some very good people whose names did not show up on that list.

 

A lot of them didn't enter.

 

Hammer, your avatar is really really funny.

 

This actually seems a little more reasonable than the Georgia and Louisiana awards.

 

Good Lord. I remember him as the sports editor there from when he lived in the same apartment building as us, circa 1982.

I take it that the Tennessean didn't enter anything.

 

It's my hometown paper and the first place I ever had anything published, but my gosh I would not wipe my butt with the copies of the Daily News Journal I have seen since it was bought by Gannett.

 

Henry, was there ever a heyday at the DNJ? I was at MTSU from 87-90, but didn't pick up the paper a whole lot...just asking...

 

I'm sure Phillip Fulmer was there to present the plaque personally. And good for the association for giving it to John, in spite of all the backlash he's received.

 

Well, it's a fair question. It's certainly wasn't very good on the sports side when I was a kid. It has become The Tennessean's Murfreesboro bureau, mostly. It was about a year ago, though, I noticed that they had dispensed with running MLB boxes, for instance.

 

Hat's off to Epps and Weeds, two good guys and great writers at the TFP. Maybe their boss, a fine good fellow in his own right, will pop for a cold one for his award winners at CBP.