About Chuck Culpepper

[gingerbread]

Because Chuck has so many friends and admirers on this board, thought I'd give an update on his latest accomplishment:

Seems he's quite the hit in London. The UK version of his book has been out since August and is titled: "Up Pompey: A Clueless American Sportswriter Bumbles Through English Football."
(The US version hits our shores in August, with a different title. Look for Chuck to do book signings in all the hot spots.)

Even more impressive, this week he was a nominee (like Meryl) for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award at the Waterstone's in Piccadilly. In September they pared the list to 15 out of the original 120 books, then cut the list to six in October. The tension was great as the winner took home $37,000 plus a $4,000 bet, and the finalists $4,100 and a $2,000 bet (in US dollars). Only in the UK would part of the prize include betting money.
BBC Radio Five Live, which covered the ceremony, interviewed the authors.
While Chuck didn't win, he did get a check and a £1,000 bet (which he'll likely put on Patriots against Dolphins, or maybe Jets).

So here's a toast to our favorite ex-pat!

 

[imjustagirl2]

Congrats to not only one of my favorite people in the biz, but one of my favorite people period and the sole reason my mother ever picked up the Lexington Herald-Leader sports section.

 

[wickedwritah]

What is he doing over there, gingerbread? Is he working for a British paper or just writing books?

 

[MileHigh]

Have always enjoyed reading his stuff, and I'm glad the L.A. Times uses him, quite extensively, on stuff from Europe.

 

[gingerbread]

He's freelancing, writing books (second is in the works, I believe) and is on contract with LA Times.

 

[BYH]

If every accomplished writer was as nice as Chuck, there would be no SportsJournalists.com.

 

[CNY]

Chuck is a wonderful person. And from a copy editor's standpoint, supremely easy to work with

Thanks for this; sounds like a fun book.

 

[wickedwritah]

He's freelancing, writing books (second is in the works, I believe) and is on contract with LA Times.

Thanks, gb. I'd seen some stuff of his on the wire during the Angels-Ducks series in London, and I had been wondering where he went.

 

[Screwball]

Angels-Ducks would be quite a story.

Guerrero flies down the right wing, takes a wild swing ... ;D

 

[wickedwritah]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know what I meant.

 

[Joe Williams]

Nothing like a good post-major-metro-newspaper career story to provide inspiration to those of us already out, recently out or contemplating getting out of the incredible shrinking industry as daily staffers.

Good for Chuck, and good for us! :D

 

[micropolitan guy]

The pride and joy of Southampton County, Va., and one of the truly nice guys in this business. Congrats.

 

[Outsidethelines]

Chuck's a great writer and a better person. In a business filled with ego-maniacs, Chuck never turned that way.
He was a class act to all of us who knew him at H-L.

 

[Dave Kindred]

I've read the book and it is Culpepperian, which is to say it's delightful, it's delicious, and it's laugh-out-loud funny....damned if, by mid-narrative, I wasn't rootin' for the Pompey and their blue bear, whatever they are:-)....

 

[Bud Shaw]

my first post and it took Culpepper to do it...I was lucky enough to talk Chuck into joining The National Chicago Bureau many years ago...I remember showing his clips to Dave Kindred to see if he thought what I thought. Dave said, "Hire this guy now."...Chuck was terrific then and only got better. Couldn't be happier for him...

 

[GBNF]

Chuck certainly sounds like a guy I'd love to know — anybody have his email?

 

[poindexter]

Jeez guys, go checkout the LA Times - he's written the page 2 column every day this week.

 

[Joe Williams]

Jeez guys, go checkout the LA Times - he's written the page 2 column every day this week.

Wait, where's Marjorie, or Nancy, or Fred, or whatever his name is?

 

[SoCalDude]

Jeez guys, go checkout the LA Times - he's written the page 2 column every day this week.

Which says less about LAT than about Chuck.
For some reason, the new SE, whose background is in the Olympics and international sports that people only care about for 2-3 week every four years, and who everybody says is so wonderful, continues to shove European stuff down our throats.
With a dwindling news hole, three columns in a row from England. Last summer there were daily stories on cricket. More and more overseas soccer is finding its way into the paper. Not one word on today's cover about the Rose Bowl.
Over the holidays there have been days when I've had little time to read the paper or no time to read the paper. And I can say I haven't missed it.

 

[SoCalDude]

Jeez guys, go checkout the LA Times - he's written the page 2 column every day this week.

Wait, where's Marjorie, or Nancy, or Fred, or whatever his name is?

She's on page 3 with a rather trite column about what's on TV this weekend.