Tom Friend on William Perry

[Herbert Anchovy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2010/news/story?id=6091766

A great piece.

 

[BYH]

That was a sad and excellent read. I can't imagine the Fridge has too much time left.

 

[nmsports]

Wow. Not too many stories that length will hold a reader to the end. Riveting.

 

[oscaroscaroscar]

Sad and excellent is a spot-on description. Friend is one of the best.

The best thing about this story is Friend just tells it without any extras, really. Just phenomenal reporting and detail that makes for a compelling story. He doesn't have to dramatically wonder anything through most of this story -- as we all might be prone to do in this type of piece -- he's too busy showing you every step of the way.
Makes it all the more powerful.

 

[Drip]

It's a sad but old story about the Fridge.

 

[Joe Williams]

Really felt the roller-coaster effect of Fridge getting all that love, in an intervention way, and getting pretty healthy again ... only to slip back into old habits and jeopardize his life once more.

Well-done. Friend stayed out of the way, which is more less than some of our more self-conscious scribblers would have done.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Excellent piece. Thanks for sharing, LJB.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

"Show me a hero, and I will show you a tragedy."

-- F. S. F.

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

It was the only proper way to write the story. No florid mush, no trying to get inside the guy's head, no artificial sweeteners. A straightaway and unblinking portrayal of self-destructiveness.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

The guy was so quick on his feet for a lineman, it shocked you. Multiple minus points to Buddy Ryan for initially dismissing him out of hand.

 

[shockey]

Really felt the roller-coaster effect of Fridge getting all that love, in an intervention way, and getting pretty healthy again ... only to slip back into old habits and jeopardize his life once more.

Well-done. Friend stayed out of the way, which is more less than some of our more self-conscious scribblers would have done.

always the most effective way to tell a story, especially when the people involved let it fly with you.

most basic advice remains the best: when you have it, tell it. when you don't, write it.

for the most part, what people remember from a story are the facts/observations the writer put out there. no one has ever quoted a sentence or graf i or anyone else has put together in a piece; but they sure as heck can tell you what was in the piece and why it spoke to them...

 

[oscaroscaroscar]

Really felt the roller-coaster effect of Fridge getting all that love, in an intervention way, and getting pretty healthy again ... only to slip back into old habits and jeopardize his life once more.

Well-done. Friend stayed out of the way, which is more less than some of our more self-conscious scribblers would have done.

always the most effective way to tell a story, especially when the people involved let it fly with you.

most basic advice remains the best: when you have it, tell it. when you don't, write it.

for the most part, what people remember from a story are the facts/observations the writer put out there. no one has ever quoted a sentence or graf i or anyone else has put together in a piece; but they sure as heck can tell you what was in the piece and why it spoke to them...

Excellent points, but the one bolded really stands out for me. So true. It's stories like Friend's that remind you of the difference.

 

[Drip]

Really felt the roller-coaster effect of Fridge getting all that love, in an intervention way, and getting pretty healthy again ... only to slip back into old habits and jeopardize his life once more.

Well-done. Friend stayed out of the way, which is more less than some of our more self-conscious scribblers would have done.

always the most effective way to tell a story, especially when the people involved let it fly with you.

most basic advice remains the best: when you have it, tell it. when you don't, write it.

for the most part, what people remember from a story are the facts/observations the writer put out there. no one has ever quoted a sentence or graf i or anyone else has put together in a piece; but they sure as heck can tell you what was in the piece and why it spoke to them...

Excellent points, but the one bolded really stands out for me. So true. It's stories like Friend's that remind you of the difference.

Tom Friend is a good writer and this is a good story but it's an old story. Many have known about Perry's problem and written about it. Again, it's not a knock by any means against TF, but the story doesn't shed anything new.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

Really felt the roller-coaster effect of Fridge getting all that love, in an intervention way, and getting pretty healthy again ... only to slip back into old habits and jeopardize his life once more.

Well-done. Friend stayed out of the way, which is more less than some of our more self-conscious scribblers would have done.

always the most effective way to tell a story, especially when the people involved let it fly with you.

most basic advice remains the best: when you have it, tell it. when you don't, write it.

for the most part, what people remember from a story are the facts/observations the writer put out there. no one has ever quoted a sentence or graf i or anyone else has put together in a piece; but they sure as heck can tell you what was in the piece and why it spoke to them...

Excellent points, but the one bolded really stands out for me. So true. It's stories like Friend's that remind you of the difference.

Tom Friend is a good writer and this is a good story but it's an old story. Many have known about Perry's problem and written about it. Again, it's not a knock by any means against TF, but the story doesn't shed anything new.

It's an update, by a guy who knows what he's doing. I'll take it.

 

[Drip]

Really felt the roller-coaster effect of Fridge getting all that love, in an intervention way, and getting pretty healthy again ... only to slip back into old habits and jeopardize his life once more.

Well-done. Friend stayed out of the way, which is more less than some of our more self-conscious scribblers would have done.

always the most effective way to tell a story, especially when the people involved let it fly with you.

most basic advice remains the best: when you have it, tell it. when you don't, write it.

for the most part, what people remember from a story are the facts/observations the writer put out there. no one has ever quoted a sentence or graf i or anyone else has put together in a piece; but they sure as heck can tell you what was in the piece and why it spoke to them...

Excellent points, but the one bolded really stands out for me. So true. It's stories like Friend's that remind you of the difference.

Tom Friend is a good writer and this is a good story but it's an old story. Many have known about Perry's problem and written about it. Again, it's not a knock by any means against TF, but the story doesn't shed anything new.

It's an update, by a guy who knows what he's doing. I'll take it.

Ben, it's not an update. There is no new information in the story. Well written, yes. Updated information, no.

 

[BYH]

Really felt the roller-coaster effect of Fridge getting all that love, in an intervention way, and getting pretty healthy again ... only to slip back into old habits and jeopardize his life once more.

Well-done. Friend stayed out of the way, which is more less than some of our more self-conscious scribblers would have done.

always the most effective way to tell a story, especially when the people involved let it fly with you.

most basic advice remains the best: when you have it, tell it. when you don't, write it.

for the most part, what people remember from a story are the facts/observations the writer put out there. no one has ever quoted a sentence or graf i or anyone else has put together in a piece; but they sure as heck can tell you what was in the piece and why it spoke to them...

Excellent points, but the one bolded really stands out for me. So true. It's stories like Friend's that remind you of the difference.

Tom Friend is a good writer and this is a good story but it's an old story. Many have known about Perry's problem and written about it. Again, it's not a knock by any means against TF, but the story doesn't shed anything new.

It's an update, by a guy who knows what he's doing. I'll take it.

Ben, it's not an update. There is no new information in the story. Well written, yes. Updated information, no.

Links please, indicating that all the people who spoke to Friend have also said what they said to him elsewhere and all the information he reported on has been revealed elsewhere.

 

[Drip]

Really felt the roller-coaster effect of Fridge getting all that love, in an intervention way, and getting pretty healthy again ... only to slip back into old habits and jeopardize his life once more.

Well-done. Friend stayed out of the way, which is more less than some of our more self-conscious scribblers would have done.

always the most effective way to tell a story, especially when the people involved let it fly with you.

most basic advice remains the best: when you have it, tell it. when you don't, write it.

for the most part, what people remember from a story are the facts/observations the writer put out there. no one has ever quoted a sentence or graf i or anyone else has put together in a piece; but they sure as heck can tell you what was in the piece and why it spoke to them...

Excellent points, but the one bolded really stands out for me. So true. It's stories like Friend's that remind you of the difference.

Tom Friend is a good writer and this is a good story but it's an old story. Many have known about Perry's problem and written about it. Again, it's not a knock by any means against TF, but the story doesn't shed anything new.

It's an update, by a guy who knows what he's doing. I'll take it.

Ben, it's not an update. There is no new information in the story. Well written, yes. Updated information, no.

Links please, indicating that all the people who spoke to Friend have also said what they said to him elsewhere and all the information he reported on has been revealed elsewhere.

http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2010/06/21/1008225?sac=Sports
http://www.thestate.com/2009/04/21/758361/william-the-fridge-perry-hospitalized.html

 

[Dick Whitman]

Friend is on a roll.

Have enjoyed his stuff since the Alexandra Stevenson/Dr. J piece in BASW five or six years ago.

 

[Drip]

Friend is on a roll.

Have enjoyed his stuff since the Alexandra Stevenson/Dr. J piece in BASW five or six years ago.

TF has always been a good story teller, long before the Stevenson/Dr. J piece.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Friend is on a roll.

Have enjoyed his stuff since the Alexandra Stevenson/Dr. J piece in BASW five or six years ago.

TF has always been a good story teller, long before the Stevenson/Dr. J piece.

I have no doubt that's true. That is simply the first time I noticed him. That's on me, not him.