Who's the "best" sportswriter working today?

July 16, 2004 6:01 AM

I need to expand my horizons. In your opinion, who's the best sportswriter working today?
posted by luser to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (12 answers total)

Who do you read now? What sports are you looking for? What nationality?
posted by loquax at 6:06 AM on July 16, 2004

for comic sports writing, try Steven wells.

You might want to check out a similar discussion over on Sportsfilter.
posted by BigCalm at 6:07 AM on July 16, 2004

Gregg Easterbrook. He's probably among my favorite writers and his football columns are insightful, smart and funny.
posted by Coffeemate at 6:11 AM on July 16, 2004

Response by poster: Currently read the Globe in Boston & the Philly writers. And I'm more interested in the quality of the writing than the specific sport -- a good writer will make anything interesting.
posted by luser at 6:11 AM on July 16, 2004

'Paper Lion' from George Plimpton? (from 'The New Journalism', T. WOlfe): "By living, training and scrimmaging with the Detroit Lions, Plimpton was able to get the athletes to tell him the sort of things they had never divulged to sports writers of the ordinary sort." Warning: it dates from 1966.
posted by NekulturnY at 6:18 AM on July 16, 2004

Bill Simmons. Given that he's on ESPN.com's Page 2, he's a bit chattier and intentionally funnier than most sportswriters.

Plus if you're from Boston, he's quite biased towards us and make no apologies for it. He started out on a tiny site here.
posted by Mayor Curley at 6:20 AM on July 16, 2004

DOES STEPHEN A. SMITH YELL IN HIS COLUMNS TOO?
posted by mookieproof at 6:24 AM on July 16, 2004

(Simmons seconded--though I wish he were allowed to tell the truth about his ESPN colleagues.)
posted by mookieproof at 6:25 AM on July 16, 2004

Simmons thirded. I, too, wish he could tell us what he really thinks about Dick Vitale.
posted by willpie at 6:53 AM on July 16, 2004

I like Gary Smith of Sports Illustrated. Writes great profiles.
posted by Succa at 6:56 AM on July 16, 2004

I like Thomas Boswell for golf and baseball.
posted by coelecanth at 7:49 AM on July 16, 2004

I'll fourth the Sports Guy (Simmons), as his mixture of sports and pop culture are damn funny. I recommend Gregg Easterbrook as well. His Tuesday Morning Quarterback during the NFL season is a must read. Be prepared to have 20 minutes or so set aside, as it's a LONG read. Another NFL writer worth his salt is Peter King of Sports Illustrated. His Monday Morning Quarterback columns are very informative.
posted by bawanaal at 9:00 AM on July 16, 2004