The Best Local Columnist, Who Might it Be?

I grew up idolizing Jimmy Breslin, Mike Royko and Tom Gavin, who worked in my hometown of Denver. I am trying to think who is the best city columnist in America is today. It seems to me that the giants such as Royko are gone but perhaps that is just me becoming dogmatic in old age.

 

Sam Mellinger in KC or Gregg Doyel in Indy

 

Mellinger, Doyel, Mike Finger, Kirk Bohls. Hochman in St. Louis, Keeler in Denver

 

I believe the request was about local city columnists, not sports. like the recently retired carl hiaasen in miami....

 

Shoot, John Kass left the Chicago Tribune this year. I think he was good early, but became pretty bitter as the years went on. A good city columnist is like a good pitcher, strong fastball, solid curve or slider and the occasional change-up, so you never get too predictable. You write about local politics, local problems and the "little people" who make a city tick and/or give the area color.

 

Do they even have city columnists anymore? Serious question. To me, it's either sports columnists or editorial people.

 

Shaughnessy’s still got his fastball after all these years. Steve Buckley too.

 

Tom Archdeacon

 

Arch! I've heard so many stories about him. A legend, for sure.

But Mike Finger is the best guy for my money that I've read in the country. He's terrific.

 

You guys continue to confuse lead sports columnists, which most big city newspapers have and general local columnists, which are getting thin on the ground, even in Boston there's no discernible lead metro columnist at the Globe. More of a tendency to have specialization. Shirley Leung is the lead columnist in the business section and she's pretty good, but that's the sort of thing they have.

 

Honestly unless you're taking papers from all over the country there's no way to know who the best local columnists are. My paper just got a new one and he will never be confused with one of the best ones. I suspect most of us because of our backgrounds read more local sports columns around the country than we do regular general columnists.