One dinner. Four journalists. And you. Whom do you choose?

I thought this might be interesting. Everyone has different styles and personalities they enjoy to read...

Pick four, living or dead, sports writers (or any writers, I guess) to grab a dinner with. Not a shitty bite to eat either -- we're talking Ruth's Chris Steak House with a fliet mignon, broccoli au gratin, garlic mashed potatoes and that banana shit that is amazing...

Mine:

Dick Schaap
Gay Talese
Bill Plaschke
J.R. Moehringer

I was tempted to include Gary Smith, but he doesn't seem like a guy who'd be good conversation, especially about journalism. He's my favorite writer, but I imagine his talent being completely innate, something he couldn't explain or share. . Also wanted to include Stephen A. Oh wait, no I didn't.

 

Bernstein, Lisa Olsen, Selena Roberts and Jemele Hill.

 

Mike Royko
Hunter S. Thompson
W.C. Heinz
David Simon

 

Edgar Allan Poe, P.J. O'Rourke, the person who wrote "Footprints in the Sand" and Dr. Seuss.

 

Dr. Seuss was a journalist?

 

He did say writers . . .

 

I never got why it was called "Ruth's Chris" . . .maybe it shows I know little of haute cuisine or something, but what the hell does that mean?

Let's say we're at Lawry's . . .

Dr. Z
Roger Ebert
Jim Murray
Ted Koppel (a TV guy, sure, but a hell of a journalist whose brain I would love to pick)

If it has to be four writers, then replace the TV guy with Neil Peart.

EDIT: found the Ruth's Chris info. Does nothing to diminish my view that it's a stupid name.

History
The chain was founded by the late Ruth Fertel, a single mother of two, in 1965, after she bought the existing Chris Steak House in New Orleans. In buying the restaurant, Fertel had to agree that the restaurant keep the "Chris" name for a specified period of time. After the original location sustained a kitchen fire, she relocated the restaurant about one-half mile (0.9 km) to the west on Broad Street and renamed the rebuilt establishment "Ruth's Chris." Under the purchase agreement, the name "Chris Steak House" could not be used at any other location, and she did not want to lose customers already familiar with the Chris name.[5] Fertel started to franchise the restaurant in the 1970s to locations throughout the United States and throughout the world.[6]

 

Missed that part in parentheses. Carry on.

 

Ring Lardner.
Jim Murray.
Bob Woodward.
Edward R. Murrow.

 

Scoop Jackson, Jason Whitlock, Mike Lupica, Bob Ryan.

Ruth's Chris will never be the same.

 

Sirs, Madames,

Joe Mitchell, A.J. Liebling, Budd Schulberg and Susan Orlean.

I'm old enough to have had lunch with Mitchell, maybe the nicest fellow you could ever come across. Had dinner at Schulberg's. I know one of these things doesn't belong but I'm a fan of SO.

YHS, etc

 

In the four writers I'd like to go to a buffet with category: Whitlock, Bill Conlin, the guy who wrote "Footprints in the Sand" and Dr. Seuss.