Great gamer examples

[sm72]

Starting this thread because an editor at a big paper told me a few days ago he values an excellent gamer more than an in-depth feature. His reasoning was pretty good, too: If you can nail an 800-word deadline story and give it a true "voice," then you can write a great profile or narrative. I always used to think the opposite, but now I'm not so sure.

Anyone have some samples of good gamer work I can look at? I've read plenty of features in the past, but this definitely seems like something I have to emphasize from hereon out. Thanks.

 

[Small Town Guy]

Not sure how much you can get out of this one since it's playoff NBA and whatever you cover might not have the historical angles, but this one from Tim Brown in 2003 has been a favorite of mine for 9 years.

http://articles.latimes.com/2003/apr/30/sports/sp-lakers30

 

[Harry Doyle]

This is my favorite in the last five years. It's from Chico Harlan, who left the Nats beat to become WaPo's man in East Asia.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/04/AR2009100402308.html

 

[Versatile]

This is my favorite in the last five years. It's from Chico Harlan, who left the Nats beat to become WaPo's man in East Asia.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/04/AR2009100402308.html

Harlan was incredible. It's a shame he hates it.

Here's another:

The winning streak, or at least what counts for one inside the beltway of bad baseball, had a lifespan of one night and one short morning. A beer before closing time and a coffee with breakfast. By lunchtime yesterday, the Washington Nationals, after a brief bout with competence, were back to the same old problems, tripping into an early deficit, showing little pulse thereafter, and fully restoring their identity as a team adept only at keeping itself unhappy.

After yesterday afternoon's 7-0 loss to the New York Mets at Nationals Park, nobody was happy. Not outfielder Austin Kearns, who struck out twice, grounded into a double play and hasn't produced an RBI in a full month. Not Manager Manny Acta, who hasn't presided over consecutive wins since May 8 and 9. Certainly not starting pitcher Craig Stammen, who, in the fourth start of his big league career, yielded five runs in the top of the first.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/07/AR2009060701701.html

 

[JRoyal]

I thought this thread would be about someone like this guy: