For the National Football Post, Bunting covers every prospect and big event related to the NFL draft. The truth is that Massarottis primary role, at present, is to generate controversy. One of the best things about Mortensen on Twitter is how much he interacts with fans. With apologies to Ray Fitzgerald, whom I am too young to have read. Weaknesses: His diverse responsibilities have led to an inevitable decline in production. Weaknesses: Occasionally gets bogged down in metrics, losing the forest for the trees. 5 John Feinstein - The Washington Post. The following is a partial list of sports writers. Don't believe me? When Bill Russell Wrote for The Boston Globe - Sports Illustrated Excerpt: When Bill Russell Wrote for the Globe In 1969 the Celtics' player-coach, who had a complicated relationship. Will McDonough, Bob Ryan, Leigh Monville..no one else is close. It was a moment. He's always got the inside information on who to start and who to sit for fantasy football leagues. I also liked tim horgan. Yes, because nothing plays better to the masses than inside jokes about their favorite multi-sport, multi-media columnist, beat writer and radio star. In most game stories, theres a conspicuous lack of creative analysis, which is compounded by the local medias apparent allergy to the type of advanced statistics that other outlets have used to shine new, interesting light on old sports. Case in point, his recently launched Minor Details podcast. Miserable for more than a decade, they were thought of as somewhere between laughable and preposterous. Cheesy to reply to your own message, but for Ryans most emblematic column, Id pick I-saiah. Weaknesses: Perfectly embodies and argues the voice of the angry talk show caller. Clockwise from left: Marvin Hagler; Dave Cowens and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; a crowd; Kevin Garnett; the 1980 Miracle on Ice; and Dave Roberts' iconic steal. The worst of the worst? it was the best. His Sunday Notes column, penned by Nick Cafardo these days, introduced me to the wider world beyond Boston, a game whose nuances I had to that point been missing. Im not naive enough to expect something erudite and grounded to ever sell well on a volume basis; Mencken, better than any of us perhaps, understood this. And its not just the citys core sports personalities that havent changed much. However, they are also some of the funniest sports-related content on the planet and definitely worth a read. Which is why his inability to adapt remains a tragedy. I had the pleasure of reading him for a couple of decades. Marring this reputation, if only slightly, was an incident last season in which Okajima essentially ducked commentary following an ugly appearance, which is reportedly his custom. While he retweets quite a bit, Caplan also does a good job at providing depth into team situations and team needs. These days, theyre all trying to be loud and provocative so they can become fixtures on TV and radio. It was full of tid bits and humor and occasionally an inside scoop. The Boston Globe / Chad Finn / Jul 18 "Greg Bedard, who covered the Patriots and the NFL for the Globe from 2010 until leaving for Sports Illustrated's Peter King-helmed Monday Morning Quarterback site in 2013, is launching his own independent site, four months after he was caught in the most recent layoff maelstrom at SI." What made the game special for me was the local angle four of the players were from Boston University. Deceptively good stylist, too. The Boston Globe. My parents made me a Red Sox fan, but it was Peter Gammons that made me a baseball fan. Click the answer to find similar crossword clues . Editor-at-large in Globe Opinion, former editorial page editor Bina Venkataraman. ), Automattician. We all love rumors about the NFL, and who to better bring them to you than the rumor central for media giant ESPN. Occasionally over-rotates, a la Olney, on human interest stories. Few people provide quality draft content on Twitter like Josh Norris. ", "Sports News | New York Sports | New Jersey Sports", "Post-Gazette.com - Sports Columnist Mark Madden", "Post-Gazette.com - Sports Columnist Stan Savran", "San Francisco Bay Outdoors with Tom Stienstra", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_sports_writers&oldid=1121166930, This page was last edited on 10 November 2022, at 21:30. Nick Cafardo, former Boston Globe sports columnist, poses in this undated photo. But thats probably as it should be, and the relevant point is that hes not afraid of numbers, or of learning more about them. Borges, a Globe sportswriter for 24 years who was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year four times and is a regular guest on a local sports radio station, was also barred from broadcast. It set the stage for Kevin Garnetts (pictured) Anything is possible! yell after winning the Celtics first title since 1986. I knew Will, he was a regular guy, his fame never over-took him. I still can see him vaulting over the dasher, heading for open ice, taking a pass from the corner, and scoring the shocking goal that capped off the. and the Bruins. I never really considered McDonough a columnist, but more of an information guy. As great as Ryan is, Montville was better. Today, the papers sports section remains synonymous with Ryan, now semiretired, and his fellow columnist Dan Shaughnessy. His piece on Tom Brady after Super Bowl XLVI was pure genius. Ray Fitzgerald hands down. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Columns are written, statements are made simply to generate buzz. if for no other reason than the NFL had few secrets when he was around. Was this review helpful? Thats the way I did it.. Sat morning Globe was a must read because of his Sports Page 1 columns on the left. After his more than 30 years at the Globe, everybody knows the columnists shtick: Be contrarian, be over the top, and, if at all possible, be part of the story. Which is to his credit. Tom Palmer, a former editor and reporter at The Boston Globe, said the arguments against objectivity "were dead wrong back then and I believe are dead wrong even more so today." Kayana. Always made at least one good point in his columns, something that rarely happens these days. Hes mentioned a few times that he feels obligated to cover off the field issues only to the extent they affect play on the field; as someone with no desire to hear about the pecadilloes of wealthy grown men, I appreciate this. Clif Keane - Boston Globe Larry Claflin - Boston Record/American/Herald Harold Kaese - Boston Transcript Austen ''Duke'' Lake - Boston American Bob Ryan - Boston Globe Will McDonough - Boston Globe Tim Horgan - Boston Herald Dave Egan - Boston Record Dan Shaughnessy - Boston Globe Ray Fitzgerald - Boston Globe Leigh Montville - Boston Globe Ill use that feedback to compile another list, from which well vote on the all-time best. It's a great way to keep up with all the major NFL commentators just by simply following Silva. Gary Smith is a great writer, who happens to write about sports. Ater he retired joe became an official score keeper at Fenway.__My other choices are Timmy Horgan, Peter Gammons and Joe Fitzgerald. Whiny, petulant, entitled, self-importantno, it's not Boston fans we're talking about, it's Boston sportswriters. Gammons would compare the Sox to battles from mythology and make it work. I always enjoyed Jackie MacMullan,but I didnt see her listed. I think he is worthy of the best. Matthew Berry is Mr. Fantasy Football for ESPN. Of course, you're likely to get complaints about the quality of looks at the Playboy Mansion, but it is definitely worth it for the NFL business information you'll receive. The Globe sports section was filled with lively language and writers wanted in. For being such a respected writer, King has quite the sense of humor on Twitter. The mood on Main Street outside the Lake Placid arena that afternoon in 1980 was defiant, almost militant. Diversity of responsibilities writer, radio host, etc have negatively impacted his quality of coverage. I covered every postseason game. However, if you ever need to know the inside and outs of the draft, look to Kiper to provide some quality information. A grave injustice. So it remained 2-0, not 4-0, when Bucky Dent broke his bat on a running fastball from Mike Torrez, then launched a slider into the screen. When he does write, however, its worth reading. @PFWAwriters. Since he was one of the best to ever play the game, he has loads of knowledge about what really goes on inside the world of the NFL. Which leads to the logical conclusion that he understands exactly what his place is in the market, and is filling it intentionally. Its a similar story over at the Herald, where old mainstays like Gerry Callahan and Steve Buckley continue to occupy top billing. Right Bruce? While these types of stories have the capacity to be poeticGammonss lyrical piece after Game 6 of the 1975 World Series is considered the modern standardtodays versions rarely rise to such levels and, in the end, just end up rehashing hours-old events (as if the highlights werent immediately available online). His connections were solid. In the dugout, Sox manager Terry Francona winked at Roberts. It set the stage for Kevin Garnetts (pictured) Anything is possible! yell after winning the. 6 Gary Smith . She's covered the New England Patriots, the Boston Celtics. The picks were not the real attraction. Shalise Manza Young: Yahoo Sports columnist/former Boston Globe Patriots beat writer Two Writers Slinging Yang 01:06:43 Play Audio Add to Playlist Share Report On the highs and lows of Belichick, Brady and the dynastic Patriots; on whether columnists ever need to admit they were wrong; on the ills of social media and the future of the industry Its just that too many of our sportswritersahem, sports personalitieshave become adept at using these 21st-century tools to serve up what is little more than the same old slop. Even my mom stopped following me on Twitter. i remember those columns as being classicwould love to re-rea that one from 84. }Customer Service. I still miss his Sunday column. There is one thing you should know. You are basically obligated to follow him if you're an NFL fan. Courtside sat 29-year-old fledgling sportswriter Dan Shaughnessy. As a young reporter at the Des Moines Register (I was raised a Red Sox fan in Iowa by my Malden-born and Manchester, Conn.-raised father), I had access to the sports wire services. They are sure to cheer you up. He has great knowledge about players, coaches and organizations as a whole. Tight end Aaron Hernandez offered this enlightening bit of pablum: Weve still got one more to go to get to the big dance, so weve got to keep playing and come to play next week. And defensive standout Vince Wilfork was captured saying, Its sweet playing in the AFC Championship. Another big shocker. As I stood beside him on that February night, it occurred to me: This guy might be pretty special. However, when you need a good break from your day and need to know if Tom Brady was mentioned more than Eli Manning on SportsCenterlast week, Deadspin is the place to go. Peter Gammons invented the Sunday notes column, and as a baseball writer/reporter, he was peerlessabsolutely peerlessin the 70s and 80s. And the biggest chunk of that world belongs to the NFL. Leigh Montville. He is so classy and so informative that following him on Twitter is something that absolutely needs to be done. Reporters will almost universally argue that it does, but what they typically dont address is how much of the need to report it is driven by frustration with or dislike for the player at issue. One thing worth noting that Ive always appreciated from Edes has been his respect for the privacy of the players. Sports, Doug Farrar has everything you could want from a journalist. He'll tell you exactly what he thinks about a situation, which is usually correct, and he does a great job at interacting with followers. Roberts stole second on a close call, scored on a single by Bill Mueller, and the Sox won it in 12 on a David Ortiz homer. Respect for the profession of sportswriting, then, I do not lack. Dont know if I could pick a third, but if I had to, it would be Egan or Ryan. Seriously, move onto the next slide already. As one of their top NFL analysts, Clayton is always up to date on the biggest happenings around the league. Kevin Garnett yelled Anything is possible! after the Celtics won their first NBA title since 1986. Leverages his strengths and advantages well. Meanwhile, the sharp minds over at the national website Pro Football Focus informed their readers that the Texans blitzed on 48.8 percent of their plays, a decision that allowed Brady to pick their defense apart. He has a fantastic sense of humor and is fearless about taking shots at whoever deserves it. He seems to break the biggest stories, have all the inside information and is able to give great insight into the league as a whole. Bob Ryan The next bearer of Ray Fitzgerald's mantle. For those who did not have the pleasure, it was just that a pleasure. interesting angles. He has all the who, what, where and hows of the draft, and is always up for some quality draft talk. Marvin Hagler winning the. But while his relationships are none of my business, his coverage, to some extent, is. Michael Silverman is an American journalist and sports business reporter. I covered every postseason game. Why did Cafardo give Beckett the edge? Priority on this list, with a few exceptions, is given to writers focused exlusively on the Red Sox. In addition to being the all-time NBA scoring leader, he is currently fourth in assists, and he has always been about T-E-A-M. 4. The majority of content that Greg Bedard puts on Twitter is related to the New England Patriots, but as a former journalist covering both the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins, Bedard does a good job at sharing about most NFL teams. He was football coach at CM for 19 years and although his '72 team lost to Swampscott High, they rebounded to win Division 2 titles in 1973 and 1978. Heres my list, which are all guys Ive actually read: Fitzgerald (You need this book.) Everything had been skewed against the visitor from Brockton, Massachusetts Minter in his Union Jack trunks, the promoters with their sly tricks, the nationalistic crowd that rioted at the end but the two judges had made the final decision. Jerry Remy hit a rope in his direction; Burleson respected Piniellas baseball guile and held at second, minimizing the damage. . By Peter Abraham, Bob Hohler, Bob Ryan, Dan Shaughnessy, Michael. Id have to go with Montville as well; as someone else noted, regardless of the topic he could make it worth reading, which is probably about as good a compliment as a writer can get. The Crossword Solver finds answers to classic crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. Andrew Brandt has been around the NFL for quite some time. Photo by Landov (McDonough). His knowledge of the sports world could not be challenged, Ray Fitzgerald- The Grandaddy of them all. Twitter has taken the world by storm. On the plus side, hes got excellent context for the market, having covered it for so long. 1) Ray Fitz. He does a fantastic job of providing key information on players and provides great insight into what they excel at and what they could improve. I maneuvered my way onto the field, 20 feet from Tom Brady, who, hands atop his head, looked incredulous as confetti fluttered onto his jersey. Diverse approach at the keyboard, with good coverage that blends a focus on local events with national context. But when Adam Vinatieri booted a field goal as time expired, our citys sports landscape shifted permanently. One on how it is his life goal to never run 26.2 miles cumulatively for the rest of his live and another on how he couldnt even drive the marathon route, never mind run it. To help you sort the rational from the irascible, here are our Boston Writer Rankings for 2010. 8 Frank DeFord - Sports Illustrated. I freely admit to liking his old weekend thoughts/notes. Will Mc in by a landslide. While the NFL isn't technically a sportswriter, they are the freakin' NFL. Enter the length or pattern for better results. Players love him, fans love him and other journalists love him. All of which is fine, and none of which is my concern: it would be absurd to suggest that because Abraham took a new job, he should sever all ties from his years on the Mets and Yankees beats. I finally unfollowed Abraham on Twitter because I didnt really want to read about Yankees on a Boston beat writers Twitter feed. I made these my referee and judges, Hagler said, holding up his two fists. As my wife can relate, given that she had to step in and do the talking once I trailed off, stammering. All yo have to do is read Shank or Nickles dreadful impersonation of his Baseball Notes after he left to see that he was different and what he did was deceptively difficult. Solid reputation in the market both for integrity and rationality. Gammons and McDonough were great reporters. As a Boston Globe staff writer for almost 20 years, Shira reported on all four major Boston professional teams, the NBA Finals, the World Series, the Olympics and the Boston Marathon. Always. Michael Lombardi is one of the most well known NFL sportswriters there are. Quotes were the chief information-dispensing device of other NBA writers. He was said to be the basketball guru in America and also was recognized as 'the quintessential American sportswriter.' He started his career as a sports intern with 'The Globe'. He's a fantastic interviewer and often sees and picks up on things that no one else does. Boston Globe Magazine Annalisa Quinn. He was the first Boston sports columnist that I truely adored, and the Globe has been the same since he left. During the 30s, 40s and 50s no true Boston Sports fan went to bed before reading The Colonel Now he counts three dozen. Glenn Stout, the editor of the Best American Sports Writing series and a longtime New Englander, says, a place like the Globe hasnt had a turnover of voices in 20 or 30 years.. Its partially offset by his discovery of the asset that is Alex Speier who heads this list and is clearly cut from the same cloth, but less Bradford cannot be spun as a positive for Red Sox fans. But as far as somebody that has been consistent, uncompromised, and is well rounded, I dont think you can find anybody but Bob Ryan. Leigh Montville (I learned how to fly a few minutes before midnight on Oct. 27, 2004.), 2. It appeared the series would be tied at 2 when the Lakers took an 18-point halftime lead in Game 4 in Los Angeles. A columnist at The Boston Globe, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, fabricated people and quotations in four of her columns this year, and the newspaper has asked for her resignation, The Globe. Injuries, contracts, trades and more are all likely to be covered by Clayton via Twitter. Kapler). Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. What makes him so enjoyable to follow is the way he interacts with his fans. Strengths: Well adapted to modern baseball coverage, both in tone and approach. All due respect to the guy b/c hes good at what he does but hes not an all-time great. Loved the fact that he could really master the but, after all, its just a game air without getting pompous about it (Hello to the Toy Department referencers out there!). Just to clarify, were talking straight columnist here not a reporter or anything else. But sad to say, the quality of the current scribes is uneven. Note that clicking the link below will block access to this site for 24 hours. For those that want an early jump on their fantasy football leagues, Fabiano is the man to get your information from. None with more panache than Brady. Hes an exception on this list because he covers all of the major teams, not just the Red Sox, but hes included because I value his thoughts on the team. Case in point is his focus on pitcher wins as the metric by which pitchers should be judged. For my part, Ive always appreciated the measured tone which hasnt, for the most part, been impacted by the impatience and urgency of Red Sox Nation. Jim McBride Retweeted. Particularly those that trace him back through the Herald to the Eagle-Tribune. Gregg Rosenthal has been in the world of the NFL for quite some time and as such, he provides great insight. Michael Lombardi is one of the most well known NFL sportswriters there are. The Yankee ties which may well have abated, as I havent followed him for some months can be grating. If your favorite team is in the NFC West, and you aren't following Mike Sando, you may be clinically insane. Strengths: Excellent national context with broad coverage across the league. Will McD gets the nod here. He would lecture me on the evils of camel cigarettes that i smoked for some 45 years. His pen dripped blood, more often than not Ted Williams blood. I wanted to talk about what a bitter pill it was, Lucchino recalled months later. Will McDonough and I flew with the team and often played racquetball with the players. I meant that some of YOU (meaning the readers) might not think he deserves to be considered. Cafardos willfull ignorance, then, is regrettable. My list of those inducted on the first ballot would match yours Montville, Fitzgerald, Ryan. When the team added stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to go along with Paul Pierce before the 2007-08 season, there was suddenly hope to hang up banner No. Well, of course Bleacher Report is going to make their own list. He cites sources, gives insight and has great knowledge about the game of football. Back then, the paper had a must-read sports section featuring, among others, Peter Gammons, who pioneered the baseball notes column; Bob Ryan, whose knowledge of the Celtics playbook rivaled that of the teams head coach; the late Will McDonough, an NFL insider from Southie who was one of the first print reporters to appear regularly on television; Leigh Montville, a wordsmith who eventually moved on to Sports Illustrated; and Jackie MacMullan, a pioneering female columnist and feature writer whos still one of the greats. Ryan would be my call at number three, but Ive always looked at him as a great analyst someone who can break down a game. One single writer and the subtle, self-contained perfection of the game itself, of course was all it took to turn a rooting interest into a lifetime of obsession. If there is any doubt, Ray Fitz wrote the two greatest columns in the history of marathons. The way the local media covers games is stuck in the past, too.