One of the greatest leads ever

Nope ... because it needed an "on" between Giants and Tuesday.

 

I would have put the "on Tuesday" after "a 4-1 victory."

 

Ha, there used to be open warfare between the "on" and no "on" factions at AP.

 

It was driven into my head - no "on" - by an annoying asshole desker who would then be on my case telling me to write the way I would speak.

If I were speaking aloud to someone, I would say that the game was played "on" Tuesday, so why couldn't I write that? I never did get a straight answer other than "it's not proper style." Whose style? His, apparently. I never found that out for certain either. Well, fuck his style rules. I write the way I write. And I'm one of the best writers I know.

 

If people wrote the way they spoke, the lead would have been, "Johnny Bench hit the shit out of two balls..."

 

Okay, how about "write the way you would speak in polite company"?

Christ, I knew what the desker meant when he said it.

Besides, they might have just barely cleared the fence - if I didn't actually see them, how would I know whether he had "hit the shit out of" them or not?!

 

I'm not sure why the speak argument is even brought into it. Your brain processes verbal and written language in completely different ways.

 

Ebert is among the greatest pure writers I've ever read. Check out his blog every once in a while -- he's amazing.

And more on topic:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19940722/REVIEWS/407220302/1023

I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.

I hold it as an item of faith that Rob Reiner is a gifted filmmaker; among his credits are "This is Spinal Tap," "The Sure Thing," "The Princess Bride," "Stand by Me," "When Harry Met Sally" and "Misery." I list those titles as an incantation against this one.

"North" is a bad film - one of the worst movies ever made. But it is not by a bad filmmaker, and must represent some sort of lapse from which Reiner will recover - possibly sooner than I will.

 

The "Cat in the Hat" review was gold. Fascinatingly terrific.

Ebert's Schneider rip was classic, as well. He really is a great writer, and while I don't necessarily see the greatness in his lede, it is worth noting our appreciation of him as a writer and critic, though probably not suited for this particular forum.

 

Not to threadjack, but thought the subject line might have referred to this one that Dick Schaap called "the best lead, the best opening sentence, I ever read in a magazine article about sports, maybe about anything."

It's by John Lardner in a 1954 True magazine profile of Hall of Fame middleweight champion Stanley Ketchel:

Stanley Ketchel was twenty-four years old when he was fatally shot in the back by the common-law husband of the lady who was cooking his breakfast.

Can't disagree with the late, great Mr. Schaap.

 

Thanks, Pete. I had forgotten about that one. Perfect.