NFL Films piece on Paul Zimmerman

[Smasher_Sloan]

Unconventional approach, powerful video:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films-presents/0ap2000000284904/NFL-Films-Presents-Yours-truly-Dr-Z

 

[Colton]

Holy crap, powerful stuff. At 50, my biggest fear (other than the final verdict, of course) is losing my ability to communicate.

Thanks very much for sharing, Smash.

Godspeed, Dr. Z...

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

That was awesome.
Fantastic.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I'm afraid to watch it.

 

[Alma]

I'm afraid to watch it.

It's excellent. Genuinely funny along with all the other emotions you'd expect to be in there.

 

[Huggy]

I watched it, it was tremendous.

 

[Bob Cook]

That was a great, great piece. Dr. Z was by far my favorite writer growing up reading SI, and I continued to enjoy and appreciate his curmudgeonly ways online. He knows that as younger generations forgot older football players, so too will younger writers forget him. And in each case, that's sad.

 

[dreunc1542]

Here's a story about how it came together, for those wondering how the narration was written: http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/11/28/nfl-films-tells-paul-zimmerman-story-his-own-words/1gUmyzvvGkroZjzkgpxUrL/story.html.

 

[Machine Head]

Outstanding.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I had one conversation with Dr. Z. I was still covering colleges and I was at the combine and I found myself standing next to him in the hallway that separates the media area with where the players would work out.

I said, "Oh my God, Dr. Z! I used to watch the draft with my SI folded back to your mock and I would keep score as to how you did. I remember the year you missed two in the first 15 and correctly predicted two trades."

I immediately felt like a huge dork and I think he sensed that and he put his arm around me and said, "Thank you, you just made my day."

 

[Boom_70]

I had one conversation with Dr. Z. I was still covering colleges and I was at the combine and I found myself standing next to him in the hallway that separates the media area with where the players would work out.

I said, "Oh my God, Dr. Z! I used to watch the draft with my SI folded back to your mock and I would keep score as to how you did. I remember the year you missed two in the first 15 and correctly predicted two trades."

I immediately felt like a huge dork and I think he sensed that and he put his arm around me and said, "Thank you, you just made my day."

I've done that a number of times, not in a star struck manner but in genuine attempt to
tell people that I've enjoyed their work over the years. I've never come away with the feeling that I was imposing and I believe the people that I've spoken too are appreciative.
I try to be specific and not just say "love your work".

Zim was a true football pioneer. I followed him from his days at The New York Post when he was The Jet beat writer. I do think that part of his success was that he played the game and truly understood it. He could relate. Still have my original copy of "The Thinking Mans Guide to Pro Football.

 

[3_Octave_Fart]

I am not starstruck by sports writers but he would be an exception.

 

[clintrichardson]

Great job on that by NFL Films. For the viewer, a very good investment of eight minutes.

 

[Bob Cook]

I had one conversation with Dr. Z. I was still covering colleges and I was at the combine and I found myself standing next to him in the hallway that separates the media area with where the players would work out.

I said, "Oh my God, Dr. Z! I used to watch the draft with my SI folded back to your mock and I would keep score as to how you did. I remember the year you missed two in the first 15 and correctly predicted two trades."

I immediately felt like a huge dork and I think he sensed that and he put his arm around me and said, "Thank you, you just made my day."

I've done that a number of times, not in a star struck manner but in genuine attempt to
tell people that I've enjoyed their work over the years. I've never come away with the feeling that I was imposing and I believe the people that I've spoken too are appreciative.
I try to be specific and not just say "love your work".

Zim was a true football pioneer. I followed him from his days at The New York Post when he was The Jet beat writer. I do think that part of his success was that he played the game and truly understood it. He could relate. Still have my original copy of "The Thinking Mans Guide to Pro Football.

I remember reading -- maybe it was in The Thinking Man's Guide -- that when Dr. Z covered the Jets, Weeb Ewbank would bring writers in for film sessions.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

With a few exceptions (Jordan, Knight, Wooden...) I was rarely star struck by athletes or coaches. Two of my favorite moments of my journalism career were meeting Jim Murray and Dr. Z.

 

[3_Octave_Fart]

I'll throw Parcells in there. I was a young man and had grown up admiring his style.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Here's a story about how it came together, for those wondering how the narration was written: http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/11/28/nfl-films-tells-paul-zimmerman-story-his-own-words/1gUmyzvvGkroZjzkgpxUrL/story.html.

And thanks for posting that, because I was asking that question.

 

[DanOregon]

Not just a great sports feature, but it should be shared with anyone who knows someone who is dealing with the aftereffects of a stroke.

 

[Boom_70]

With a few exceptions (Jordan, Knight, Wooden...) I was rarely star struck by athletes or coaches. Two of my favorite moments of my journalism career were meeting Jim Murray and Dr. Z.

I've never been star struck by athletes but will say I was star struck when I met 21 for
the first time.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I had one conversation with Dr. Z. I was still covering colleges and I was at the combine and I found myself standing next to him in the hallway that separates the media area with where the players would work out.

I said, "Oh my God, Dr. Z! I used to watch the draft with my SI folded back to your mock and I would keep score as to how you did. I remember the year you missed two in the first 15 and correctly predicted two trades."

I immediately felt like a huge dork and I think he sensed that and he put his arm around me and said, "Thank you, you just made my day."

I've done that a number of times, not in a star struck manner but in genuine attempt to
tell people that I've enjoyed their work over the years. I've never come away with the feeling that I was imposing and I believe the people that I've spoken too are appreciative.
I try to be specific and not just say "love your work".

Zim was a true football pioneer. I followed him from his days at The New York Post when he was The Jet beat writer. I do think that part of his success was that he played the game and truly understood it. He could relate. Still have my original copy of "The Thinking Mans Guide to Pro Football.

I remember reading -- maybe it was in The Thinking Man's Guide -- that when Dr. Z covered the Jets, Weeb Ewbank would bring writers in for film sessions.

Allie Sherman did the same thing.

Must have been a New York thing.