GOAT writers, by sport

Stuff like this:

It was 25 years ago today, on November 26, 1984. I was at my father's print shop, the Cornwall City Press. He handed me a copy of that morning's Montreal Gazette, wherein Red Fisher had scooped the hockey world, deducing that Lafleur had played his last game with Montreal that Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.

http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2009/11/26/1174682/25-years-ago-today-the-surprise

The team had to hold a hasty news conference that afternoon to confirm that, yes, Lafleur had retired, effective immediately.

Michael Farber of SI knows Red well and holds him in the highest regard:

Another Fisher policy is that when he does chat with players, he expects them to provide an insight or an anecdote. He detests platitudes even more than underdone toast. After Montreal won at Madison Square Garden to take a two-games-to-none lead over the New York Rangers in the first round of the 1996 playoffs, Fisher buttonholed Canadiens wing Mark Recchi, one of his go-to guys at the time. Recchi didn't deliver his usual bons mots but recited from his script about the hardworking Rangers until Fisher had had his fill. "Enough of your damn cliches," said Fisher, heading for the dressing room door. "I'm out of here."

"But Red," said Recchi, hockey pants around his ankles as he waddled after the writer, "what do you want me to say?"

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1024230/

 

Every time a thread involving the Los Angeles Times, college football writers or great beat writers comes up, Chris Dufresne's name is mentioned. And every time I ask someone to please link me to something he's written that stands out. And every time, no one does.

It's not that I think he's bad. I just think he's wildly average. What makes him so good?

 

I'll co-sign both of these. Someone mentioned Dr. Z and I think he belongs on the shortlist as well. Surprised that nobody has mentioned Dick Connor or Ray Didinger.

 

Can Fisher cover South Carolina football?

 

You must have read right past it, Schottey.

 

My thoughts on Thomas Boswell, good as he was, are: Did he cover an MLB team as a beat? Home/road with, who, the Orioles? Or was he more of a national guy?

Also, there are some longtime baseball-beat grinders who would tell you that some of the quotes that appeared in TB's stories were, let's say, polished up. Custom-fit. Heard that a good 25 years ago from more than one. Might have been jealousy, might not.

 

I think Boswell covered the Senators as beat reporter.

 

Yeah, that rumor has been around about Bos forever. Have no idea if it's true.
I'd put the late Larry Felser up with the other NFL beat greats. Dick Weiss for basketball should be noted, too.

 

Give me A.J. Liebling against the field for boxing, although he would defer to Pierce Egan.

 

A.J. Liebling was a beat reporter?

 

Reaching back decades, Dan Jenkins on college football. And then golf.

I like Doug Ferguson on golf, too. A good read every time.

 

I don't know if you would describe a national magazine writer as a beat reporter. Was Mark Kram? But Liebling covered the big fights for the New Yorker on a pretty regular basis at a time when boxing was much more prominent nationally.