I don't know if Barry Horn falls into this category or not, but the sportswriting world is chalked full of people who are bad at writing sports. I'm sure that's the case at the Dallas Morning News, among many, many others. I enjoyed the article for what it was. Uplifting information. But I'm sure it could have written better.
Another thing — and this has nothing to do with Horn's article — what I hear from the youngsters that come through my shop, poor writing, in the name of uber-attribution, is being taught at the J-schools. Everybody, even unquoted, has to have "said" something. Like, "Gern Blanston said he was 21 when he first began paying attention to women's curling." Can't we take anybody's word for anything?
Two completely different thoughts. Didn't mean to hijack the thread.