Who are your journalism heroes?

She's ours too.

 

Andrew Auger

 

Anybody who has the balls to search for the truth and tell it, no matter who it might piss off. Not many of those around in this day and age.

 

Lisa Olson and Jackie MacMullan. Olson for her writing skills and refusing to be driven out of the business. MacMullan for reporting and being one of the first to make a career out of it while raising a family. And she still plays in a weekend pickup league.

 

Writers whose work I admire: Simmons, Posnanski, Peter King.

 

Since most of the biggest names have been hit, I'll go with a couple of more personal ones, not just writers who work I really loved...

-- Berry Tramel. Taught me a lot about writing when I was in college, and is one of the all-time great guys in the business, IMO. Also one of the most overlooked columnists in the country. I truly believe he's as good as anyone out there. He did a lot to shape my career even though we never worked together.
-- Mike Strain. To me, one of the best sports editors in the country before he got promoted. The guy knows how to run a section and how to get the best out of his people. I've learned a lot working with him.
-- William Nack. Met him at a college sports journalism seminar. One of the all-time great storytellers. He mesmerized us college kids with his stories. Afterward, I went to find everything I could that he wrote. And a really nice guy from the little interaction I had with him.

 

so startled -- and appreciative -- that freddie cranwell's name comes uo here. i'd wager you and i are the only folks here who have even a clue who he is, pete... well done, bud.

one name i do not believe mentioned yet is MIKE LUPICA, likely because anyone who's thought it probably feels like they'd have to duck for cover. but if i was a teen growing up in nyc in the '80s instead of the '70s, loopy would be the writer i mentioned instead of merchant. only some of us around here remember the young, hungry, striving mike's work before he morphed into the shrill caricature he is today, but in his 30s he should have been the person any kid with sportswriting aspirations looked up to (no jokes, please) more than any other scribe in the nyc area.

 

Schiez and Rhody.

 

What if it turned out Schiez and Rhody are the same person.
Would the publisher owe him only half as many work breaks??

 

Really surprised to not see Royko's name as many times as I would have guessed. maybe because he was newsside.