He is so classy and so informative that following him on Twitter is something that absolutely needs to be done. The last two writers' elections produced just one entrant to Cooperstown David Ortiz and that stingy trend is expected to continue By Peter Abraham, Bob Hohler, Dan Shaughnessy, Michael. He'll often repeat what a guy like Todd McShay or Mel Kiper, Jr. said and give you his take. Heres my list, which are all guys Ive actually read: Fitzgerald (You need this book.) This is Detroits best sports writers, isnt it? His connections were solid. What still sets them apart is access, which Speier uses brilliantly, getting everyone from Anthony Rizzo to Keith Law to Mike Hazen on his podcast. Thats where I discovered Leigh Montville. When you want to know about the business side of the NFL, there is no better man to follow on Twitter than Darren Rovell. The second thing I like about him is his commentary to what other people say. He knows everything there is to know about the Giants and tweets about them constantly. As the public relations man for the NFL, McCarthy is an elite source for the most secretive information. Today, the papers sports section remains synonymous with Ryan, now semiretired, and his fellow columnist Dan Shaughnessy. Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo dies at 62 | AP News But the least I would expect from a sportswriter, particularly in an age where the commentary is growing more sophisticated at an accelerating rate, would be some basic logic to offset the emotionally driven opinions. None with more panache than Brady. Diversity of responsibilities writer, radio host, etc have negatively impacted his quality of coverage. Boston Herald staff - Boston Herald It all came together. He is loaded with information in every facet of the game and shares it willingly on Twitter. Bowen tweeted what a stiff arm from Williams felt like. The Hall of Fame tennis writer and TV commentator Bud Collins, who helped popularise the sport during his decades-long career, died at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts on Friday after a long. Best Sports Writers - Top Ten List - TheTopTens Or 10 Patriots. Then, right on cue, Shaughnessy appeared on The Sports Hubs Gresh & Zolak show, on which he managed to name five Texans and 10 Patriots. The Globe has as proud a history in sportswriting as any paper in the country, from the aforementioned Gammons to Ryan to Montville to MacMullan. Turd one would think that this was Bruces attempt at playing to the masses after last week but you just never know. ), Automattician. Come on, he's the NFL Commissioner for crying out loud. Senior staff writer and columnist Kevin Paul Dupont. 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. What made the game special for me was the local angle four of the players were from Boston University. Gone forever. His pen dripped blood, more often than not Ted Williams blood. It was inside baseball before there was inside baseball: the behind the scenes of major trades, the trends shaping the game, insights on players never before even whispered. Predictably, it provoked a strong reaction. Dave Cowens was renowned for his intensity, but he played with particular passion in Game 7 of the 1974 NBA Finals versus the Milwaukee Bucks because he felt he had let his team down with a 5-for-19 showing in a losing Game 6. Several 2008 Pulitzer winners have N.E. ties - The Boston Globe Bud Collins, tennis writer and TV commentator, dies aged 86 I dont see some of the older elitist being so inclined to drop down to the class of the fan. The following is a partial list of sports writers. June 24, 2021 at 11:36 a. he bill liston, a beat writer, bob chick whalen. 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. Whats equally apparent is that his former ties rub some fans the wrong way. One of them was Eruzione, the teams irrepressible captain. Just to clarify, were talking straight columnist here not a reporter or anything else. Apart from the benefit it saw as an outlet for one of the rival factions during the Red Sox front office schism, the Herald Sports Sections fortunes have been in decline for years. Former SI, Boston Globe writer launching subscription-based Boston 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. Jackie MacMullan remembers Larry Bird once saying, Bob Ryan, hes as famous as we are. Butover time, the citys sports punditocracy has expanded to include not just the truly wise, like Ryan, but any sportswriter willing to blow hot air. There has to be a willingness to put yourself out there and make statements without knowing what youre talking about, Rich Levine, an online columnist for CSNNE, told me. Its a similar story over at the Herald, where old mainstays like Gerry Callahan and Steve Buckley continue to occupy top billing. I think he does, and so do you. Mike Barnicle - Wikipedia 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. Beat writers may blog, chat, and utilize social media now, but after games, theyre still churning out the same kinds of vanilla recaps that have long been a newspaper staple. How did the sports media in this town, once the envy of the nation, become so awful? If you want to see some of Zerkle's crazier side, I recommend you follow his alter-ego, @PUNTE. With that context, herewith are the rankings. His mailbags are enjoyable, and his columns are informative, but theres little that sets him apart in the way that, say, Finns humor or Speiers diversity does. Just a name that probably should be on the list for some consideration, Jackie MacMullan(sp?). Im with Bruce on choosing Montville, Fitzgerald, and Ryanin that order. Respect for the profession of sportswriting, then, I do not lack. Editor-at-large in Globe Opinion, former editorial page editor Bina Venkataraman. 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 also happens to be rather hysterical on Twitter. The Fellowship of Awful, Miserable Boston Sportswriters 50 Sportswriters Every NFL Fan Simply Must Follow on Twitter But as far as somebody that has been consistent, uncompromised, and is well rounded, I dont think you can find anybody but Bob Ryan. While Brian McCarthy isn't technically a sportswriter, he definitely acts like one on Twitter. While the CEO composed his concession speech in executive Box L-1, Kevin Millar drew a leadoff walk against Mariano Rivera and was called back to the bench for a pinch runner. Whether its been in print or as a guest on WEEI and such, McAdam has exuded calm in a sea of irrationality. Strengths: Tomase shows some creativity, rather than just rehashing news that has already been covered by one of the dozen other media members in market. He and his fellow Boys of Winter played the greatest one in Games history and I wrote about it from the overflowing press box. Wetzel is one of the classiest and most talented writers currently covering the NFL. . He wrote about some of the famous things he remembered seeing during his years at the Globe, like watching Harvard tie Yale on a 2-point conversion play with no time left on the clock in that famous 29-29 tie in 1968while he was standing in the middle of the field! To help you sort the rational from the irascible, here are our Boston Writer Rankings for 2010. While that type of honesty is certainly refreshing, if you cry easily, you may want to stay away from his tweets. The first is that he knows what he is talking about. McAdam and several of his colleagues publicly called him out on this behavior, justifying their actions with claims that it was affecting Okajimas teammates. It doesn't get much better in sports writing than Peter King. One of them was Eruzione, the teams irrepressible captain. Chris Mortensen has been around the league for a long time which makes him a wealth of information. If you're an NFL fan, here are 50 sportswriters that you simply must follow on Twitter. display: none; Massarotti, however, is less than grounded by facts. Former Boston Globe sports writer and foreign correspondent Steve Fainaru, now with the Washington Post, received the International Reporting Pulitzer for his stories on private security contractors in Iraq. And for the record, he was very gracious about my verbal implosion. These days, theyre all trying to be loud and provocative so they can become fixtures on TV and radio. The worst of the worst? Sports, Doug Farrar has everything you could want from a journalist. Austen Lake did pretty well after joinging the sports beat from being a straight type columnists. He's. 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. Ray Fitzgerald was terrific as well. Ray Fitzgerald. Montville, Ryan & Fitzgerald& Larry Whiteside should be included on list. His analysis is always spot on, he never jumps to conclusions and is generally one of the nicest individuals you could follow on twitter. Dave Cowens and the Celtics outlasted Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1974 NBA Finals. The 2004 Red Sox never lost another game. A fellow Boston Globe writer named John Powers once noticed that Ryan didn't include many quotes in his game stories. They called him. 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. I would no doubt vote Haggerty, Haggerty and then Haggerty. National writers (Law, Olney, etc) are excluded from this ranking, though I may do a similar national list at a later date. Theres no question. Then, after carefully making a point to praise the work of his own baseball writers, he added, Its like in sportsyoure going to lose some games. Although his staff has shrunk overall in recent years, Sullivan has increased the number of reporters on the marquee Patriots and Red Sox beats from two to three each. Will Mc in by a landslide. Saturday mornings were never the same after he retired. (LogOut/ Let me first say that Deadspin isn't for everyone. Meanwhile, sports talk radio station WEEI has stuck with many of the same hosts theyve had since the 90s, like Callahan, John Dennis, Glenn Ordway, and even Mike Adams. After the game, George Steinbrenner appeared in the Red Sox clubhouse. I had the pleasure of reading him for a couple of decades. Leaving them off this list would be like leaving pumpkin pie off a list of the best desserts in the world. Strengths: An original innovator in the Boston media landscape, brought an evolved approach to the market, properly leveraging his access to provide differentiated coverage. Kaese who wrote for the Globe long after the Transcript folded. 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.