Joe Posnanski edges TJ Simers to win SJ.com's favorite sports columnist...

The votes are in...

First place - Joe Posnanski, KC Star
Second place - TJ Simers, LA Times
Third place (tie) - Mark Whicker, OCR; Bill Plaschke, LA Times; Norman Chad, syndicated
Fourth place - Rick Reilly, Sports Illustrated

 

Technically, that makes Rick Rielly 6th place since 3rd was a 3-way tie.

 

I don't know if you have the brain power to comprehend, but 4th place is the 4th best, and there are 3 people better, but there were 5 people ahead of Rielly.

 

WTF

you screw up like that and rip the guy who points it out? weak

 

Ah, shaddap. It was a throwaway line.

 

I'm just glad I'm finally on the popular side of some debate around here.

 

Mizzou's just pissed that he's been denied yet another opportunity to slurp Whitlock.

 

But he's just as happy slurping Simers.

 

Anytime you go up against Mizzougrad, you're on the popular (and usually correct) side of the debate.

 

Some serious haters around here. Mizzou has been accurate far more often than not.

 

Just a few points.
1. At least it was "favorite" columnist, which gets to heart of the matter-personal taste. Try working at a job where there's absolutely no accepted standard of performance. That class, is why us columnists (or former columnists) have outsized egos. You can't do the job without it.
2. Generation gap. Joe's a wonderful writer. TJ is too. But I'm willing to bet that the posters who voted for them were almost all 40 or under. I know the Whicker demo was just us old farts.
3. Columnizing is about a voice. My voice was way outside what the Herald wanted, and I'm grateful the paper treated me as well as it did as long as it did.
But it's a gig with no right answers. Case in point. I am not a particular admirer of Dan Shaughnessy's work except on its obvious technical merit. Yet both my wife and daughter love what he does. Their ears hear Danny, whille mine get a muted faraway noise. RANKING that intimate a relationship is stupid.

 

I liked the little contest ... as a writer, when you don't see your name on the list, it makes all that more determined ...

I'm sure Joe Posanaski is brilliant, I just havne't read anything from his that blew me away. then again, don't read him much at all. Simers and Chad do it for me cause i like to laugh; Selena Roberts did it for me because i felt i learned a new word or two each time i read her.