Underrated sports writers

On a serious note, I would like clarification on the question.

I almost feel like people at the biggest places should be ineligible. No one at SI or the Times or Post or ESPN.com is underrated. They're good enough to have had their talent noticed, and that talent was rewarded with one of the top jobs in the business.

Just one man's opinion.

 

That's correct. Otherwise, this thread is just another exercise to see if a big name will like you, maybe even deign to correspond with you.

 

In that case, Dustin Dopirak of the Bloomington Herald-Times is one of the best small circulation reporters I've ever seen. Guy deserves to get his shot at the big time. Ryan Kartje, a former columnist for the H-T now with Fox in Wisconsin, is another.

Sara Ganim is known for her work with the Joe Paterno case, but she's been one of the rising stars in the business for quite some time. If she isn't at a big pub soon, I'd be shocked.

Mike Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette is another soon-to-be name. He's got a boatload of talent and is their Pirates beat writer.

I know some others, but those are people I've associated with before. Definitely worth a Google search.

 

I've known and worked with a few guys who later went on to SI, I've never asked them though (blame professional jealousy) how it works going from doing a daily story to working at SI and cranking out a mag article a week. I imagine it is a bit of an adjustment learning the difference between deciding what might be "interesting" the next day to what will be totally irrelevant in a week or two.

 

It's more of a shift in writing style and what you look for as a reporter than anything. You make your way there based on talent and experience, then change your game up. Writing for a mag is tough because any story you know about from elsewhere has probably been written 10 times by the time the next issue comes out. The key, then, is in noticing the details and getting the kick-ass story ideas no one can find, or in retelling the story in a way no one has pursued yet. The writing style is one thing, and having a voice as a magazine writer is incredibly important, but I'd say being able to locate the untold stories is priority No. 1. Having a few weeks or so to report and write helps in that regard.

 

Outing alert: sm72 is Mizzougrad96.

 

And the Bob Knight-avatar moddy. I also happen to be BIGSPORTSWRITER on Twitter. Who happens to be Jay Mariotti.

 

Nice to see Sanserino mentioned. Good kid. I was SE of a paper in his hometown and his talent was evident when he was stringing for us as a youngster.

 

Awesome.

 

You've got gumption. Tom Petty was right about that.

Rustin Dodd, who replaced Brady McCollough on the Kansas beat at The Kansas City Star, is a hell of a young talent.

 

Also, from a desker's perspective, I'll nominate Stephen Whyno at TWT. Clean, on point and on time. And works his ass off to break news. Can't ask for much more than that from a beat writer.

 

It was. I just can't wait four Mizzou to come into this thread and talk about YFSs that are now in their mid-30s.