The Atomic Albom
Posted: July 25th, 2010 | Filed under: Essays | 122 Comments »
This is kind of insider sportswriting talk and so it almost certainly is of no interest to you. But, for personal reasons, I thought it would put it out there anyway.
In the last week or so, some people I respect and admire have taken some hard shots at Detroit sports columnist and best-selling author Mitch Albom. I thought those columns and posts were fair, as far as that goes, and entertaining without reservation. But I’m probably not the best person to judge. Albom has been awfully cold to me personally. I’ve heard horror story after horror story about the way he has treated people. And, like most of my journalism friends, I’ve had an issue with some of the things he has done as a sportswriter.
Still, it just feels like a part of the story isn’t being told. Let’s reset the story first. Mitch Albom, you certainly know, is a longtime sports columnist at the Detroit Free Press. Before he became famous for writing Tuesdays With Morrie and the gift books that followed, before he became a regular on Sports Reporters and various other TV outlets, before he got his own nationally syndicated radio show, he was just a sports hack like the rest of us. Well, not quite like the rest of us. His bio makes the strong point that Albom won the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) Award for best columnist an unprecedented 13 times.*
*His bio also would brag that he was the only multiple-time winner of the award years and years after that stopped being true. The Los Angeles Times’ Bill Plaschke, the Washington Post’s Sally Jenkins have both won the award multiple times (and, I just realized, St. Petersburg’s terrific Gary Shelton) … and later, yes, sadly I did too. I suppose that speaks a bit to the issue I’ve had with Mitch Albom’s public persona … he has never seemed content simply being the best. He never seemed generous with his success.
This leads us to the latest deal. A couple of weeks ago, the APSE gave Albom its highest honor — the Red Smith Award. The award was named for the Patron Saint of Sports Writing, the legendary Red Smith, who in many ways invented the modern sports column. Red wrote his daily columns (and in those days it was DAILY) with the lightest touch, the driest humor, the most powerful force. He was an original, and virtually impossible to replicate. And he said it was easy — all he had to do was go to the typewriter and open a vein.
But the Red Smith Award is not a writing award — it is supposed to go to people who have made a “major contribution to sports journalism.” And so, under normal circumstances, people outside sportswriting — and, frankly, most people inside sportswriting — pay no attention to the Red Smith Award. It has been given through the years to editors and writers, giants in the business, many who are most or less unknown outside the business — Dave Smith, George Solomon, Van McKenzie, Joe McGuff, Si Burick and so on.
The award was more publicized this time around because Albom is the most widely known sportswriter in years, certainly since the heavy syndication days of Jim Murray or Dick Young or Red Smith or Grantland Rice. Those four and others were probably bigger inside sports, but none of them had Albom’s appeal outside the realm of sportswriting. Damon Runyon might be a better comparison from a fame standpoint (but certainly not from a style standpoint).
The choice of Albom as Red Smith Award Winner was both obvious and controversial — obvious because he is the most celebrated and awarded sportswriter of his time and controversial because Albom had a well-publicized ethical dustup a few years ago. He wrote a column a day before Michigan State’s Final Four game as if the game had already been played, imagining a few details about former Michigan State stars Mateen Cleaves and Jason Richardson in the crowd that turned out to not be true (such as the detail that they were actually at the game — it turned out they were not). The column led to Albom’s brief suspension (and the suspension of various editors) and a lengthy investigation by the newspaper which turned up a bit of smoke but no fire. Albom returned to the paper, offered a tepid apology, and people in the business argued a lot about what it all meant.
At the Red Smith Award ceremony, Albom made no mention of his suspension but did once again take his opportunity to declare his superiority … telling his sportswriting brethren that cockiness is a dangerous thing, that you have to serve the reader and not your ego, that people will be jealous of you if you have success, that it’s important to be humble enough to admit a mistake. He also went to great lengths to praise himself for rising above other sportswriters, for avoiding them and their mediocrity in the various hospitality rooms across America. He says his purity emboldened his work but he has paid for it with sportswriters’ disdain and petty jealousies. Albom has many talents and gifts but self-awareness may not be one of them.
After the speech, several people could not hold back. One of them, Red Smith Award winner Dave Kindred, is one of my all-time heroes in the business and one of the classiest men I know. For Dave to “raise a little hell,” as his lede suggests, tells you how strongly he feels about this. Another Facebook friend, Charlie Pierce, is simply one of the great writers — in and out of sports — of our generation. A third, my longtime Kansas City Star columnist colleague and the nationally renowned writer Jason Whitlock, came forward with crushing words about Albom and the newspaper industry in general. The gifted Tommy Craggs over at Deadspin wrote perhaps the most pulverizing bit of all. I do not dispute what they wrote, not do I argue with their conclusions, nor do I deny getting a shameful bit of joy out of Albom getting a bit of comeuppance.
But … as time has gone by I have simply not been able to shake the thought that part of the story has been missing. I wrote a column a few years back saying how disappointed I was after the Michigan State thing because Albom had been a real sportswriting hero of mine. And it seems to me that while disappointment in Albom’s various shortcomings is part of the overall story, it’s too easy to forget the hero part. Mitch Albom inspired me to become a sportswriter. Mitch Albom inspired many of my friends to become sportswriters. He has been a remarkable sportswriting force … he is one of the most influential sportswriters in the history of American newspapers.
Albom, I think, redefined what a sports column could look like. He took sports columns out of their 800- or 1,000-word box and turned them into major events, into sweeping dramas and touching portraits and rousing reprisals of games. He was a musician before he was a writer, and his writing has long had a musical feel. Repeated phrases. Lyrical sentences. He had range too. Albom could write funny, he could write opinion, he could write slice of life. I think a lot of what you see in sportswriting — in newspapers, in magazines, on the Internet — is touched by Albom’s style.
The sad story of loss in sports — what Albom and his editors would later call the “Dreams deferred” series — became his calling card. The stories probably lost some of their freshness when he gave the series an actual name like “Dreams Deferred.” But forget that. Those stories of people in Detroit who fell short, who had hope stolen from them, who disappeared in the big city, who were devastated by life’s bad breaks, who fought back from oblivion, those stories felt breathtakingly new and alive when he told them. He was writing about the little guy, carrying on the tradition of some of sports journalism’s greats — of W.C. Heinz and Pete Axthelm and Bill Nack among others — but he added his own verve and melody. In those days, the greatest thing a young sports newspaper writer could imagine being was Mitch Albom.
He helped give Detroit an identity too, the way Jim Murray helped give Los Angeles an identity, the way Furman Bisher helped give Atlanta an identity, the way Leigh Montville helped give Boston an identity, the way Ed Pope and my friend Dan Le Batard helped give Miami an identity, the way Jason helped give Kansas City an identity, the way my friend Ron Green helped give Charlotte an identity, the way Jimmy Cannon and Mike Lupica and my friend Mike Vaccaro among many others helped give New York an identity. Albom never left Detroit — not physically and not emotionally either — and for that he became a voice for the city, a voice that transcended sports.
All this is not to downplay what people are saying about him — I think those general points hit home — but to help try and paint a more complete picture. Some of the best journalists I know went into this business to be like Mitch Albom. We took from him, among other things, the value of telling a story and the joy that comes from celebrating and commemorating where you live. He made it seem like the greatest thing you could do was become a big city newspaper columnist.
There’s no real percentage in writing these words about Mitch Albom, someone I don’t really like, someone whose work and attitude irks my journalism friends to no end, someone who has inspired more horror stories than just about anyone I know. But I feel like I should say this anyway. Because Mitch Albom, with his passion and words, gave me something to pursue, a goal that was better than anything I ever would have come up with on my own. I don’t know how many kids at 20 or 21 know what they want to become … I just know that I had no idea. Then I read Leigh Montville and Frank Deford and Mike Lupica and Jim Murray and Mike Downey and Dave Kindred and Bill Nack and Buzz Bissinger and Gary Smith and Scott Raab and, yes, definitely, Mitch Albom. I would print out his columns and read them again and again and again.
Then, suddenly, I knew what was possible. It’s the greatest gift a stranger ever gave me. Mitch Albom did that for a lot of young sportswriters. I can’t tell you if that gift outweighs all the other stuff. I can only tell that it does for me.
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Thanks, Joe! I’ve been hitting refresh on the ol’ blog all weekend!
Can’t Albom serve as both an inspiration and cautionary example?
Mid-west “niceness”: You are the master. No snark intended, I’m often impressed by things I can’t do. God bless you.
Sports Reporter’s may be the single worst program on television. Including “Paid Programming” infomercials.
/really hope someday someone isn’t writing that sentence about Fangraphs chats.
I went to Cooperstown this spring with my wife, my kids and my parents. In the book shop, I bought my Dad “The Soul of Baseball” and told him it was the best book written about baseball since “Ball Four.”
I won’t be buying him– or anyone else– “Tuesdays with Morrie” or “The Five People You Meet in Heaven.”
You’ve eclipsed your idol, Joe. Yet, you’re humble enough to write a kind word about the man, even as he is receiving a much deserved comeuppance.
I hope you look in the mirror tonight and feel good about yourself.
If you consider inspiring people to want to become sportswriters to be a high honor, you’re going to have to stop being so humble pretty soon.
When anyone under 30 talks about the greatest sportswriters, the first name on any list is “Posnanski.”
And as a personal note, you’ve been one of the two main influences on my writing style; right alongside Wodehouse.
It takes a lot of class to write kind words about someone that you don’t care for. And, having met neither Joe nor Mitch, I think I can safely say that both are great sportswriters. But, even more importantly, Joe is a great individual.
Um, Joe, how were you printing out his columns twenty years ago? I love your writing, which is why I come back day after day, but sometimes I think the reach for lyricism might get in the way of the truth.
Editor’s note: Printed them out every single day as agate clerk at Charlotte Observer … Still have those printouts. We try to stick to the letter of the law here Rob.
Sorry if I make you blush, but you, Joe, give me that gift every time you write.
One of the greatest lessons I have learned in life is that you cannot think rationally about irrational people. For better or worse Mr. Albom is an irrational person about many things. I was born and raised in Metro Detroit, and have had the pleasure of being surrounded by the great sports town of Detroit. I find myself being dissatisfied with many of Detroit’s writers, but Albom is highest on the list, mainly for what you he could be. I wanted to say I truly enjoy your refreshing outlook on sports and your honest assessment of life, and your place in the sports world. I have started my own sports blog(http://puremichigansports.com) a few months ago, and hope to build it into something that I can be proud of and a blog that Detroit fans find refreshing and respect my insight. Thank you for providing a positive example within sports blogging.
I grew up just outside of Detroit so I remember Albom from the very beginning – he was a funny gifted writer and I really enjoyed his stuff. After Oprah made him a household name he seemed to Jump the Shark.
Fortunately the guys at Baseball Primer introduced me to this guy Joe Posnanski who has all the writing talent of Mitch Albom be he infuses it with a deep sincerity to create the most interesting, thought provoking essays I’ve ever read.
Joe, someone mentioned this in a previous post but for sportswriters like myself who are in my generation (early-late 20s), you’re our Mitch Albom. Luckily, you’re not a pompous a-hole like Albom, and you actually seem to enjoy writing about sports— something that Mitch seemed to have gotten bored with 20 years ago.
I always thought Mitch’s sports columns before the whole “Morrie” thing were alright, much better than they are now, but I don’t think he was ever a great prose stylist to begin with. His work has always— always— reeked of sap and exaggeration and fake grandeur.
I think that’s why we all admire Joe so much— he’s always funny, never sappy and writes like he talks— very well.
Thanks for being my Mitch Albom, Joe. I really hope you win the next 27 APSE awards.
I’ve long respected Albom’s sports writing, but never knew anything about him as a person. I met him breifly at a book singing on the Plaza several years ago and told him how much I loved “Hit Somebody!” the song he wrote with Warren Zevon.
Albom attempts to pass fiction for truth, and then bloviates about ethical conduct. He crosses picket lines, and then talks about representing “the guys on the assembly line.” It’s surely no coincidence that his columns have always seemed extremely condescending and wildly inauthentic to many of us in Detroit.
Confession: I did read “Tuesdays With Morrie” before it became the big Oprah production. He did admit a bit to being an asshole in the book, but didn’t really seem to change what he did after that – which lessened the effect of what he wrote.
I grew up across from Detroit, so of course I’m well acquainted with Albom. But my respect for him went out the window about 15 years ago with a single column. There was some tragedy where a bunch of Detroit-area teens had pulled their van off the side of the road and the surrounding weeds caused the exhaust to fill back into the van and they all died of CO poisoning. So Albom wrote one of his typically poignant columns about it, and about the loss of youth. And then he concluded with a line like “they would never have friends like the ones they would at that age. Jesus, does anyone?”.
I don’t know what was more insulting – that Albom would lift a line like that, or that he wouldn’t expect that anyone else had seen Stand By Me…
Kindred’s piece is fair enough, but the other three….oh brother. How self-serving can you be? Three blowhards ripping an even bigger blowhard.
Bravo , Joe!!
Now thats what I call mannin up. I have long suspected that the “cool kids” in the fraternity of sportswriters hated Albom for one reason: Jealousy. Childlike jealousy.
After all , he is like the Russell Celtics dynasty of that APSE award. Thirteen times!! They couldnt find anyone else to give it to??
Didnt Adrian Woj win it twice?? I love Adrian. He takes no prisoners. What is it about Bonnie sportswriters?? What are they teachin them over there?? If I ever decide to finish my degree…
Anyway, two names, in my opinion, require mentioning if we are going to take a walk through the tallest trees in sportswriting.
Jimmy Breslin
Jerry Izenberg
Last, a proper farewell to my lansman Vic Ziegel who died this past week. I hope that Vic and one of my heroes — Bill Handleman — have nice seats at the big racetrack in the sky.
Oh — one last word — for you youngsters attempting to emulate Joes writing style. Be careful. Under normal circumstances , this stream of consciousness , endless flow of words comes off as self indulgent and watered down. It works for Joe for two reasons: He is a) extremely insightful b) extremely entertaining.
So, I bought The Machine hoping to be taken for wild winding psychedelic ride through Cincy (I cant spell Cincinnati) and all of a sudden he gets all tight and brief on me. WTF??
Earn your own style. What works for Joe doesnt work for John. If you are going to spend my time with an extra few hundred words they better teach me something and make me laugh. Like Joe.
Jason Whitlock, as fine as he is, wasn’t the only sportswriter who gave Kansas City an identity. I grew up reading you and Jason and Mike Vaccaro and Jeffrey Flanagan, and didn’t realize how fortunate I was until I moved.
I watched Bill Madden give his Hall of Fame speech today. Someday you’ll be up there as well, Joe. Can’t wait for that day to come.
I’ve honestly never heard of him, and I’ve been a sports fan for almost 35 years.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Patrick Hayes and Ben Cotton, KJ@theonlycolors. KJ@theonlycolors said: If only Mitch Albom had half the class that @jposnanski does… http://bit.ly/93HCxL [...]
What #20 said – this was the first I’d ever heard of Albom (although I remember reading reviews of “Tuesdays With Morrie” when it came out). I’ve also heard of (and read) all the other sportswriters mentioned in the second to the last paragraph. Certainly Albon has never done what Jim Murray did, which was to gain a national readership for a column written for a local newspaper.
Think Detroit, think Joe Falls.
fuck albom, go joe
very classy Joe, to take this angle for a guy you (understandably) don’t like.
I’m somewhat happy to have my personal thoughts verified…Mitch Albom IS as big of an A-Hole as I suspected – And that’s only from seeing him occasionally on that terrible Sunday AM ESPN Sportswriters TV program and reading just a handful of his columns. (I am not a Detroiter.)
My other thought…My god, the newspapers and most of the damn sportswriters in this country are as bad or worse than our stupid Hollywood yahoos. How many damn award dinners can we fit into a calendar year and still get a little bit of work done? How in God’s name could Albom receive the same awards 13 times!? I think I’d try another profession at some point if I was so much damn better than the other schmucks – So, apparently that is the route that Mitch Albom took, all the while still receiving more sportswriting awards. I won’t be surprised in the least if he isn’t in Hollyweird or at least SoCal working on a film or his very own TV variety show, ala Howard Cosell. He and Rick Reilly could share the top billing except I can’t imagine Albom sharing anything …except blame. Did you read Albom’s mea culpa regarding his bogus 2005 Final Four column? He threw his editors under the bus first, and only then took a glancing blow off of the side mirror himself to admit that what he did wasn’t 100% pure. What a pompous butthole!
Good piece, but don’t forget about Mike Royko in your “city identity” list.
The summary would be: Albom is apparently a great sportswriter, and now we’re trying to figure out whether his a$$holiness is even greater.
Joe, thanks for the column. I thought it was fair and well-written.
As someone who read Albom as a kid when he was just coming up, I can’t tell you how good he was (and still is, when he wants to be). He would write stories about the Iditarod (a race no one really knew much about in the pre-internet days) that were funny and got you involved with something you previously cared zero about. His articles were real page turners (as Joe noted, they could be unusually long). The man definitely has serious writing skills and for those who hate his “life lessons” books, realize that he writes differently for different audiences. Don’t discount one b/c of the other.
Re how he is as a person. I don’t know him personally, and it doesn’t surprise me (from listening to him talk on his radio show & in interviews) that people have found him pompous or cold. That said, his Tuesday’s with Morrie stuff is not a shtick. The amount of charity work he does, in a city that really needs it, has been astonishing. He has spearheaded the building of free med clinics, the repair of churches, feeding the homeless, building playgrounds, you name it.
His apparent lack of personal graces/being a real d*ck with his fellow sportswriters should not be discounted, as it sounds like a serious flaw. However, as I’ve seen a number of folks call him an “a-hole” on this board, realize he’s an “a-hole” who has committed a lot of his time & money to helping those less fortunate — which is a decidedly un-a-hole thing to do.
@29 I think you mean ‘can’ instead of ‘can’t’
Joe Falls was ‘the’ guy when Albom made his debut in Detroit. I couldn’t stand Joe Falls – his rambling, seemingly pointless columns were unreadable. Albom was fresh & funny. I also read ‘Tuesdays’ before it became big and before I knew what the heck it was about. I too think it was sincere.
Your post reminds me of a recent article from Joe that forever changed my mind about Phil Mickleson. Like Mitch, Phil has a similar rep as his nickname ‘FIGJAM’ would suggest. Perhaps the post ‘Tuesdays’ Mitch is trying to compensate for being such an ass in person by play acting what he thinks he should be. However for every Phil you get a dozen Ted Haggards – I wish him well on his journey.
“They’d [Cleaves and Richardson] told Albom early in the week that they’d be there, then they changed their minds.”
Is that it? I mean, Albom or his editors clearly made a mistake in not checking what he had been told, but it hardly counts as “fabrication”.
Looking at Albom’s summary of the fiasco from a few days after the Final Four game, there’s no “I’m sorry if I offended anyone”. Instead, there’s a not entirely self-serving apology:
http://mitchalbom.com/d/node/4320
“…it was wrong. You can’t write that something happened that didn’t…It wasn’t thorough journalism. While our deadlines would have required some weird writing – something like, “By the time you read this, if Mateen and Jason stuck to their plans, they would have sat in the stands for Saturday’s game”- it should have been done.” [End of quote]
This isn’t a rhetorical question…if it had all been past tense, and Albom had naively reported something false that two athletes had told him, would he have been criticised so strongly? The whole criticism sounds as though people are looking for something to attach for their dislike for the man and his writing.
Great piece again, Joe. It’s always good to acknowledge our mentors, both in-person and distant.
Like many of your other readers, you’ve been an inspiration to me as well. I’ve probably read more words from you than just about anyone else, and your style has influenced mine immeasurably.
There is only one thing that bothers me about Albom(well, two things, but I’m sure those mawkish books help pay the mortgage) and the thing that bothers me is his ears…or his hair. He’s gotta fix one or the other.
[...] and the guys at Deadspin, to even the more reserved likes of Dave Kindred, Charles Pierce, and Joe Posnanski have expressed outrage at this hypocrisy. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Speed [...]
I really do admire your kindness.
I was a fan of the “live albom” collections from the mid 90s. My favorite may have been when he got all the “humble” detroit superstars together (Barry, Stevie Y, Dumars) to go to a Tigers game.
And, as smug and pompous as he might be on Sports Reporters, he’ll still finish second on the panel in those categories with Lupica around.
Does anybody know what Albom’s stance on steroids/PEDs and the Hall of Fame is? I hope he at least has enough self-awareness to vote those guys in (assuming he has a vote, of course).
Joe, I imagine you have passed that gift on to the next generation of sports writers, only you serve as an example that one can be great and still be humble.
Thanks you, Joe, for writing with such passion that I always look forward to your blog entries, especially those about things that are new to me.
Joe You set the standard in kc along with Jeff.Not Jason.I wish you still had a column with the Star but with the internet can still follow along with you.Look everday for your column.Thanks for your pen.
I grew up in Michigan, and by the time I was following sports, Albom was well established. In reading him over the years, I think there was a shift where he went from writing to tell a story or share another angle, to where he now it seems like he’s writing to try to impress and get more recognition. For the last few years, I’ll only read his writing when there is something substantial in Detroit sports going on where I want to feel sentimental and/or nostalgic, such as Steve Yzerman retiring or anything about Ernie Harwell.
We celebrate men like John Wooden because amid all the success and recognition, he stayed humble, accessible and friendly. I think we also celebrate them because if we were put in a similar situation, we don’t know if we’d be able to do the same.
I never got all the Albom love. I grew up in the U.P. and we only got the Freep on Sundays. I must have read some of Albom growing up, but it made no impression.
When I was college and more aware of such things, I read his column denouncing the Wings’ brawl with Colorado by linking it violence in Detroit. Which struck me as complete and utterly asinine. That and awareness that he wrote some kind of touchy-feely crap novels led me to pretty much ignore him until this date. Other than tut-tut at him for his silly fabrication.
Here’s King Kaufman’s (an insanely good sportswriter currently not sportswriting) column from the time that made lemons out of lemonade by highlighting Nikki Overfelt, then copy editor at the Duluth News Tribune who edited Albom’s column to say that Mateen and Richardson planned to go to the game.
http://www.salon.com/news/sports/col/kaufman/2005/04/12/tuesday
But, this does make me curious and I wonder what I’m missing. Does anyone want to point to any of Albom’s book collections or anything that would explain why the guy was thought to be so good?
@Rob V:
How do you like DEM apples?
I always thought “Tuesdays with Morrie” was just a ripoff of NPR’s Bob Edwards’s “Fridays with Red,” about Red Barber’s every-Friday appearances on Morning Edition.
I shudder to think what identity KC has if Whitlock had a hand in creating it. I prefer to believe that Ernie Mehl, Joe McGuff, Buck O’Neil and Joe Posnanski are better examples of my hometown that the blowhard you cited.
I don’t like what I know of the guy, I think his columns are hokey, his books are awful and he’s on the Sports Reporters which means he has some Mike Lupica on him. All bad things.
But like #31 I’m not sure what was wrong with his apology. He heard something, had a deadline and wrote what he heard. In a perfect world he doesn’t miss the mark like that but I wouldn’t compare him to the dude from the NYT. Apples and oranges imo.
Ever thought about a foray into chick lit, Joe?
I hope Rob V. will come back to this thread and offer an apology for his attempt to call out Joe on the “truth.”
Whitlock is amazing. I don’t get the hate for him popping up on these comments.
Like #31 and #45, I didn’t understand the fuss about Albom’s Mateen Cleaves’ column. At the time, I was surprised at all the attention it got and thought maybe journalistic ethics were so sacred that even a minor slip up would get you burned at the stake.
Now it seems the whole outcry was based mostly on petty vindictiveness.
Ron @48 – for me, I’m not a Whitlock fan because it feels like he buys “Race Cards” by the pallet at CostCo, then deals them out (often with great indignation) whenever it pleases him, and whether the situation calls for it or not.
Sometimes he’s right, sometimes he’s out of line, but overall he feels like a one trick pony who brings race into every single conversation.
I am jealous of Rob V. While I think I lead the league in comments deleted , I never got an editors note.
I never called Joe a liar. But, I did call one of his buddies a liar. And, if I am reading Joe right, to him , thats worse. He deleted the comment. One of the proudest moments of my life. I should have used the word “allegedly.”
And , I admire Whitlock. His comments on J Jackson and Sharpton earned him a special level of respect from me as someone who calls them like he sees them. He doesnt seem to worried about what other people feel about him.
Also, Lupica didnt get to where he is by winning it in a lottery. Yes, hes on the 17th hole now , but on his front nine the man was as good as it gets. However, admittedly, between his childrens books and political ramblings (he recently wrote President Obama is a “very smart guy.” Gee Mike thanks , I wouldnt have figured that one out without ya) he has completely lost his mind. And what he did to Lisa Olsen is despicable. Yknow , now that I think about it , he is a douche.
It’s a shame Axthelm is no longer among us; he’d have called some of John McGuire’s old contacts, and Albom and his hair would be floating in Sheepshead Bay.
Joe Posnanski has never defamed New York more than he did today.
MIKE FREAKING LUPICA gave New York City its image?????? WHat a horrifying thought.
Obviously, I have never met Mike Lupica and can’t judge hi mas a human being. MAYBE Joe knows Lupica well and has good reasons for thinking he’s a wonderful guy.
But the PUBLIC Mike Lupica, the guy who appears on “SPorts Reporters” and makes himself the most important character in every column he writes, is an utter a-hole, and the great majority of New Yorkers have always thought so.
Even in his earliest days, as a beat report for the Yankees in the Seventies, he ALWAYS came across as a bitter Red Sox fan sniping at a team he’d grown up loathing, rather than as a genuine reporter.
I’ve only read “Tuesdays,” but it took me all of about 6 pages to see that Albom’s books are treacle. Finding out that Albom is an arrogant jerk just fits with the profile that slithers through the pages of his work. Another hypocrite in this mess is Tony Kornheiser, who skewers all sorts of hacks in every profession in the world, but praises Albom as if he’s a genuine talent — because Kornheiser likes him.
Mitch Albom is why I no longer use Just For Men hair coloring. About five years ago I saw him on TV and thought later when I saw another color-user, “Aw, man, I don’t want to age as gracelessly as that…have that craggy face, with the jet-black, no sign of gray, who-you-trying-to-kid…that Mitch Albom-look”. Made me re-examine my vanity (and Mitch’s.) and put down the bottles.
53- I don’t read Lupica or watch any of the TV shows he might appear on, but your description of him sounds a lot like New York.
The more dirt I hear, from voices I respect like Joe, about Mitch, the sadder I get. Mitch was my absolute favorite Detroit sportswriter growing up. So I’m glad that at least Joe validated my impression of Mitch Albom the sportswriter, while at the same time tearing down the image of Mitch Albom the person. And I’m ok with that.
Joe,
Thanks for the clarification. I was wrong, and appreciate the correction.
@ Jim Ignatowski #23:
Joe Falls is certainly the first in my mind, too.
@astorian #53:
Thanks for saying that. I, too, do not get what people see in Lupica, and remember his writings back to his beat days, as well. But, good, bad, or indifferent, he in no way “gave” NYC any part of its image.
@Joe:
If anyone deserves to win an award named after Red Smith, it is you. I had the great fortune of reading him for about the last 20 years of his column, plus anything I could find in anthologies, etc. I am not an autograph collector by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have a signed copy of “The Best of Red Smith”, which I had signed by him while I was attending a seminar he gave at the New School on “Sports and the City” (many, many years before “Sex ATC”). So, obviously, he is absolutely my all-time favorite sportswriter.
Having said that, there is nobody currently writing who could hold a candle to him — except you. I am pretty sure that some day in the future, there will be a “Joe Posnanski Award”, probably for web writing.
Keep up the good work!!!
Even before Albom got in trouble for the MSU story, I never liked his style at all, felt he was too cute, used poetic license too much. And he always came across as incredibly smug and arrogant, at least to me.
I moved to the suburban-Detroit area about nine years ago and thought I’d have trouble finding any other people who didn’t like Albom. Surprisingly, it’s about 60-40 against with the people I’ve met, and I always get their Albom opinion before I give mine.
Add it all up, and I think he’s one of the most overrated sportswriters (or writers) of our times.
@Joe M. #56 –
In addition to not watching or reading Lupica, it is clear from your comment that you also do not know much about NYC. Trust me, as someone who has lived here for the past 57 years (since I was 2), Lupica is in no way representative of real New York or real New Yorkers.
Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble.
But… anyone who inspired Joe do be a sportswriter is A-OK in my book.
I don’t think Albom is an overrated writer. He’s not my style of sportswriter, though. I’m more into reading his columns when there is a colossal triumph, say when MSU beat Louisville and then UConn to make the NCAA finals 2 years ago. Then I turn to Albom. He taps into emotion better than most. He likes to play up that kind of thing in his writing.
His fan base is enormous. Perhaps it’s not made up of hardcore sports fans, and I suppose that’s why him winning the Red Smith award is so egregious to a few folks. I posted earlier than it was probably petty vindictiveness why people were complaining about this award. But maybe it’s just that they don’t like the fact that a “softie” won the award rather than a true sports journalist. I’m sure their personal feelings about Albom played a role in the harshness of some of the comments, but that’s the way it is with everything.
Here’s the bottom line with Albom – he’s not here to tell you a story so much as he is to paint a pretty picture that everyone will look and gush at. That might not sound so terrible at face value, but he takes so many freakin’ liberties to get there. He’ll go overboard with any sappy or emotional angle if it leads to where he wants to go, and like so many writers, he’ll do all he can to make sure the facts don’t get in the way of his story. That’s why I’ve always found him absolutely nauseating to read.
Albom in his recent acceptance speech: “Be fast, but not rushed.”
I guess it’s okay to blatantly rip off John Wooden (“Be quick, but don’t hurry”) when he’s not around to defend himself. Good grief.
I’d say Lupica fits in exactly to the stereotype of the egocentric New Yorker (or at least Connecticut suburbs).
I have to say that I like ‘The Sports Reporters’ and I like Mike Lupica. Of course, my enjoyment of Lupica stems from when I lived in NYC, in particular in the month of October from 2002-2005 when Lupica would trash the entire Yankee organization when they were eliminated from the playoffs. I always enjoyed that.
Then again, every columnist at the Daily News and NY Post trashed the Yankees at those times of the year.
you, my friend, are an evil genius
When this many people come to your blog to read about any number of topics that they normally wouldn’t care so much about, you know you’re a great writer.
I’ve been to hear both Joe and Mitch promote books with talks, and simply based on that, I know that Joe is a genuinely nice man and Mitch genuinely loves himself. Certainly Mr. Albom wouldn’t have made it so far without some talent and good qualities, but Joe can outclass anyone.
Hector #65: I thought the very same thing when I read Albom’s “rushed” line. I realize there are many ways to say things but don’t just blatantly rip-off a much more famous line and tweak it into your own. Doesn’t someone ever call him on this stuff?! How does this guy keep winning awards? – from sportswriters no less! GAGGG!
I attended a charity event in Kansas City a few years back, where Joe was the master of ceremonies, and the second act on the bill was Norm Stewart, Billy Tubbs and Johnny Orr sitting on stools and telling stories. It was great, rollicking fun. Then came the headliner. Mitch Albom doing what was, essentially, Tuesdays with Morrie Live! It was as painful a bit of “entertainment” as I can imagine. One platitude after another, delivered in hushed tones with dramatic pause, about living each day to the fullest and being kind to people. Valuable notions, sure, but it’s kindergarten civics. Everyone in the room knew those things, but Albom acted like he had uncovered one of life’s great truths.
I’m going to guess on that night when he gave the crowd warm fuzzies for a hefty honorarium, he gave Joe the cold shoulder backstage.
I spent a day with Mitch in ’92 jamming at a mutual friend/athlete’s house. I’ll say this – he can really play the keyboard. About a month later he wrote an article on that athlete lamenting his emotional and mental collapse and blaming his sycophant friends. At least he didn’t use my name. It made for an interesting angle, so Mitch didn’t let the facts get in his way.
Ran into him about a year later at a local bar/restaurant and he totally big-timed me. I’ve survived far worse, but it’d be an easier pill to swallow if he could (or would) still write. A previous commenter used the word “treacle”, and that’s exactly what he churns out now. Once upon a time he was a very good sportswriter, but that hasn’t been the case since at least 1995.
The 2005 Spartans incident may seem a bit overblown, but the fact is if you don’t have credibility you ain’t got nothin’. What he did is the very worst thing a journalist can do, and had he been a lesser light, Albom would have been summarily dismissed by the Freep.
He wasn’t here a long time and I was just a kid, but I remember Mike Downey being a WAY better columnist than Mitch. Just one man’s opinion.
A bit off-topic, but: Am I the only one mystified by Joe’s apparent reverence for Mike Vaccaro? I read both N.Y. tabloids every day and Vaccarro is, if anything, nearer to the back of what is a not-very-distinguished pack of writers. (If I had to pick, Filip Bondy is the best.)
I wonder if Joe feels (consciously or unconciously) the need to preface Vaccaro’s name with ‘my friend’ every time he uses it because their friendship is the only reason Joe deigns to mention Mike among the greats. Lupica, at least, once had it. But if Vaccaro ever did, it wasn’t during my reading lifetime.
Sorry to criticize a friend of the blog. It’s just the one note Joe hits that always strikes me funny.
There’s an organization that gave Plaschke and award? For writing? More than once? So much for their credibility.
Joe name drop much?
My friend… my friend… that’s your problem Joe you want everyone to like you so much you just can’t make a definitive stand on anything. Talented writer sure, but man what do you stand for except being voted most popular in class.
[...] a guy he doesn’t much like, Posnanski writes: “Mitch Albom inspired me to become a sportswriter. Mitch Albom inspired many of my friends [...]
[...] a guy he doesn’t much like, Posnanski writes: “Mitch Albom inspired me to become a sportswriter. Mitch Albom inspired many of my friends [...]
But Mike Lupica is NOT a New Yorker- he’s a New Englander who went to Boston College.
First off, Vaccaro is great. The voice of reason in my favorite paper, and all around nice guy. I think he and Joe worked together as young pups and they both seem like the kind of guys to value and maintain a friendship.
Second, when Joe did his map , and we all put down our hometown , I was astonished at how many readers were from the NY/NJ area. Wanna know how dumb I am?? I thought you were all from Kansas City. Anyway, I attribute this geographical concentration, in part, to Mike being a good friend , and giving Joe his due from time to time.
Now, many readers commented on who gave NYC its image. I agree it wasnt any of the aforementioned writers. In fact, to state so , is a bit ridiculous. So , who did give NYC its image? I made a list:
11: Frank Sinatra. No NYC list would be complete without this Jersey guy.
10: Alexander Hamilton. One bad ass mofo. Started my favorite newspaper. A man of monetary means. And died in a duel. NYC all the way.
9: Industrial Revolution Philanthropists: Everywhere you go in NYC there is a Carnegie this, and a Rockerfeller that.
8: Def Jam. Say what you want, but Russell and Rick — two evil vatos — took a vibe and spread it around the world. Jazz, R&B, Rock n Roll started down south, but hip hop was invented in the South Bronx and Queensbridge, then commercialized in a dorm room at NYU.
7: The Ramones: Until today kids arrive in NYC from all over the country trying to be the next Joey Ramone. I wish them luck. If the defninition of genius is taking something very difficult and making it look easy , well…to me, the band from Forrest Hills exemplify the term — just do it — better than nike.
6: The Gambino crime family: Forget the 20′s and the 50′s. I’ll take Demeo, Gotti, and Gravano over any gangsters of any time or any place.
5: Broadway. Hollywood is in California, but more successful and influential actors start on the stages of the Big Apple.
4: The early 70′s Knicks. Probably never a more diverse collection of uber successful individuals gathered in one locker room. Bradley, Jackson, Dave D , Reed, and Clyde — who taught every pimp on the planet how to dress.
3: Warhol/Basquat/The Velvet Underground NYC answer to San Fran and the base for turning out expensive artwork I am too stupid to understand.
2: The Yankees. Ruth. Gehrig. Dimaggio. Mantle. Martin. Williams. Jeter
1: Wall Street. No explanation necessary.
I ran out of room. I cant even count to eleven, but I want to opine on who gave NYC its image.
Listen, Wall Street aint the winner. The women of NYC are. In South Beach they are more scantily clad. Out west they are alot friendlier. But, no where on Earth will you find more modelesque , stunning, jaw dropping, did you see her? , ladies per square inch than NYC. And thats what inspires everybody else.
RE: Astorian
Yes, but Lupica’s been writing in and about New York for a few decades now. (Wolfgang Puck is from Austria, but that doesn’t mean his food isn’t Californian.)
I’m not sure how where Lupica and Vaccaro are from has any bearing on their ability.
to #73…
I don’t know how many of Joe’s “friends” are really his friends, but Vaccaro did work at the KC Star for a while, so he and Joe have that connection. My recollection is that Vaccaro did occasional columns, but more often longish features. he wasn’t going to crack the columnist ceiling (that’s 2 fulltime in KC Star sports) unless Posnanski or Whitlock left…so he sought greener pastures. I guess you would say he landed on his feet nicely at the NY Post, but my dim memory is that he was a below-average columnist and as a writer a “look at me” type who was not nearly as clever as he thought he was. I’d give you examples, but I have erased them from my memory. But if Joe says he’s good people, Vaccaro probably has some redeeming characteristics that don’t show in his writing.
Joe, I’m shocked you failed to mention Wally Hall in your list of sports columnists who define a particular city in which he writes. If any writer defines a city, Wally Hall defines Little Rock.
Love ya, Joe. But the graf about sportswriters (columnists in particular) and the “identity” of cities couldn’t be more cloistered.
The last time a newspaper columnist of any subject, sports or otherwise, could not have been later than the 80′s, when Dick Young and his ilk hadn’t died off. Nowadays even hardcore sports fans can’t recognize more than maybe two or three of those names in your paragraph on average. Really hardcore NFL/MLB fans might recognize some names of beat writers in other cities because they saw them mentioned on rotowire blurbs often enough. How these people can even form their own identies, let alone influence the national perception of their respective cities, is a preposterous question.
Just use this thought experiment. Mobsters. I contend that (cinematic mostly) gangsters influence the identies of cities much more than sportswriters. Luchiano/Pentageli in New York, Heyman Roth in Miami, Al and Bugsy in Chicago, Lefty Rosenthal in Vegas, the Departed gang in Boston. How many more people identify them with cities than sports columnists? How many people even care about the sports columnists outside of the newspaper industry?
loneweasel: Luchiano? Heyman? I don’t want to be a dick, but if you’re going to write about a topic, you might want to know how to spell names. Lucciano. Hyman.
Also, Bugsy was a Vegas guy. He built the Flamingo in ’47.
I will give you this. Sportswriters probably don’t give cities an identity as much as they used to, and Joe is probably aware of this fact.
This is America. Home of the Food Network and the world’s most obese children. FOOD is what identifies our cities and even our states.
83&84
Actually, youre both wrong.
First off Hyman Roth aint real. You nincompoops. He is a figment of the imagination of Mario Puzo and Francis Copolla.
Roth was loosely based on Meyer Lansky — a New York guy. And one of my least favorite guys in the world for selling out Ben Segal.
Plus, calling Segal a Vegas guy doesnt sit well with me. Vegas is a Segal town. Not the other way around. (And there isnt even a plaque…)
Segal too , was from New York. And if he ever read my post at # 79 I am sure he would kill me.
Nobody in media gives New York its image. Some just understand it and convey it better than others.
In 16 years of living here, the people who have come closest to capturing the heartbeat of NY sports were Mike Francesa and Chris Russo. Nobody else was even a distant second.
Mike and the Dog were always a must-listen the day after a big NY event. I have never, ever heard anyone say they couldn’t wait to read Lupica’s take on anything, and that’s true of all the NYC writers. They matter way less to local fans than they think they do.
Well, you won’t be so stuck up about the spelling of such luminaries such as Vaccaro or Lupica. The point stands. Gangster films are a very small part of American culture. But their characters contribute more to their city’s identities than sports columnists.
You can make a list of 1000 things our culture associates with New York City without the sports columnists making an appearance. Ditto with a list of 1000 things with New York sports. I doubt any current NY columnists would make a top 100 list of things about New York tabloids (1. “Headless Body in Topless Bar”; 2. “Ford to City”…)
It’s pretty much the same with most cities. Joe maybe makes it to the top 20 of our Kansas City or Cleveland list. But that’s because we actually care about his writing. Now that he’s off the Star, he’s not that heavily attached to the image of KC either.
86.
Great point.
But even Mike and Dog mattered only to the image of New York sport. And their impact fell very distant behind the thousand actual performances of the teams. They had hardly any influence if we are talking about the identity of the town itself.
Ron @48 – Seriously, with absolutely no snark intended, I’d love it if you would post a link to a Whitlock column that you think shows what makes him awesome. He’s just never seemed that knowledgable to me, and it seems like he covers a lack of insight by taking extremely aggressive positions and writing about race a lot (and, you know, that’s a rich topic but I’ve never seen him write about it in an original way). But he’s got a lot of fans. I guess I’d be curious to read what one of his fans sees as some of his best stuff.
Joe, who are your current can’t-miss writers? I think a lot of us would be interested to know.
@79 – I’ll quibble with the model statement. I think you’re right about the US, but London blows NYC away in that department.
@87: I was going to say “The Bronx is burning” is a memorable line…but that was Howard Cossell…so you might be right.
I would say the thing most associated with an area isn’t the sportswriters or gangsters….but rather its food or music.
For those who do not fully grasp the total douchebaggery of Mike Lupica-behold the book-length ravings of a man who now writes 95 steroid columns a year lambasting Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez-
“Summer of ’98: When Homers Flew, Records Fell, and Baseball Reclaimed America”, by Mike Lupica.
Lupica these days rarely leaves his Connecticut mansion, except perhaps to be featured on some Food Network show. And why should a sportswriter bother actually
attending games when he writes the same column 3 times a week,while changing it up by writing his “Obama is great!” column once a month. When he did show up to the All Star game at Yankee Stadium, hilarity ensued as the diminutive scribe tried to big-time his way onto the field past working stiff security who didn’t know or care who he was. “I’M MIKE LUPICA!”, cried he!
Mike Lupica is the only web column, sports or otherwise, in any NY newspaper website that does not allow comments.
Picture Robert Duvall’s Max in “The Natural”, except again Lupica stopped actually covering the games in person a long time ago.
92.
The mention of Cossell and by implication made me thinking, isn’t the whole idea of the local newspaper sports columnist obsolete? In fact it’s been obsolete for a long time. Only now everybody in America has realized it.
Back during the days of Grantland Rice when the only way to see a baseball game was going to the ballpark and World Series games were not even filmed, one did need a wordsmith to chronicle sports. “Homer in the Gloaming”, “Splendid Splinter”, “Merckle’s Boner” were more than just clever phrases but an essential means for the masses to access the game.
Why then do we need sportswriters to pump out 2000 words every week in every paper in an age of widespread television coverage and sports highlights at a mouseclick? As early as Willie Mays made that play in the Series, America needed only to call it “The Catch” without needing someone to coin a name because everybody saw it, when it happened and countless times since. To watch it was enough to understand the greatness of the play. The visual medium won, a long time ago.
Not that good sports writing is useless. The few great ones like Posnanski survive and have prospered, often outside of print. Beat writers have their role too. Fluff pieces aside they do provide a necessary service. But most of the run of the mill columns newspapers carry today almost obligatorily add nothing to our interest or knowledge. At their most benign they are generic and repetitive, merely a waste of trees and ink. At their worst they are petulant, vindictive and actively poison the debate. Good riddance.
@93 Look, if Lupica is bad at his job, that’s one thing. But this idea that someone can’t be a good baseball analysis if he doesn’t attend the games has been pretty well discredited by now. I’ll take — and I suspect there is an emerging majority, if not an outright majority already here, that would agree with this — Bill James analysis even if he doesn’t attend or watch a single game this year, over probably any analyst who “covers the game in person.”
And I don’t say that merely because I have terrible vision and can usually only afford the cheap seats.
95.
To turn the argument around, a security guard from Lawrence, Kansas has produced analysis that blows out of the water anything the weekly columnist for the New York Daily News has ever produced. He writes better than Lupica too. Why do we then need Lupica? Or Mariotti? Furman Bisher? Schaunessey? The whole profession, really?
Lupica’s only arguable advantage is his access, to the press box, the press conference and the lockerroom. If he doesn’t utilize that and produces inferior product anyway, why does he get to draw a paycheck? And if newspapers continue to foist his kind of work on the public, why should the public support newspapers?
@87
If we actually compiled a list of 1000 things our culture associates with New York City, I suspect the New Yorker magazine would rank highly. And there is a certain type of NYer sports article that I think would immediately come to mind to people considering the magazine and the city more generally — Updike or Angell on baseball, say, or McPhee on sports generally. These not only bring to mind a certain urban, civilized, NYC sophistication, but have been wildly influential on shaping sports writing and journalism more broadly.
Sure, neither of the three I mentioned are “sports columnists” in the convententional sense (and Updike is dead and McPhee is in Jersey). And perhaps you’re right that the more meat head element of sports writing would not appear in the top 1000 list. But I think you’re vastly undervaluing the New Yorker.
Taking a different tact, I’ll say I’m sorry he is not a good guy. Or at least not considered a good guy by his peers. I’ve never met the guy and don’t know him personally. However, I have read one of his books and it gave me something to think about which is all you can ask of a book.
It really doesn’t matter if he is disliked by his peers. What matter is whether he is right with his maker and finds redemption. I’m not from Detroit and don’t care if he ever writes another sports column. I do hope he continues to write about things besides sports.
[...] a guy he doesn’t much like, Posnanski writes: “Mitch Albom inspired me to become a sportswriter. Mitch Albom inspired many of my friends [...]
@96. I suppose I don’t feel comfortable saying who does and does not deserve a job.
But let’s keep our eye on the target. If the ultimate goal is to produce superior quality, then let’s come up with a metric to judge superior quality and apply it. (I mean this rhetorically; I’m not interested in actually coming up with such a metric.)
If the end result of producing inferior quality is to get fired, and Lupica produces inferior quality, he should be fired, whether or not he covers games in person.
The ‘covers games in person’ argument seems largely a red herring to me, regardless of how it’s applied.
@93-97:
The reason you point out is why I listen to games with the sound off and can only watch Sportscenter in small doses. I can seek out the content I want(Joe, for example) and for some reason the sports personalities I find the most grating are the ones foisted(to steal someones phrase) on me the most….Stu Scott, Chris Berman, Tim McCarver, Joe Morgan, Joe Buck….I honestly think that Skip Bayless and Rick Reilly would be decent if left to their own devices…but Skip Bayless take the contrarian view(when you can he doesn’t believe half of what he is saying) just so 1st Take will have some juice and Rick Reilly has a full on Albomilism, because his old stuff was actually pretty decent.
Grew up close to Detroit (now in KC since then) and read Joe Falls everyday as a kid. I also read Mitch Albom’s columns when I see them on freep.com Unless Mitch is talking about the Wings, I would rather read Joe Posnanski (and remember Joe Falls).
This line just sums up what’s wrong with some people in general: “Albom has been awfully cold to me personally.”
From what I’ve seen and read, Joe is an awful nice guy who is upfront and honest. What possible reason could Albom have to be cold to him?
I didn’t like Albom before, and I like him a lot less now.
[...] [...]
When I was a kid growing up and reading the Free Press, I always wondered who Iffy the Dopester was. I know the character was originally created by one of the editors back in the 30′s, but that obviously wasn’t the same guy that I was reading in the 80′s.
Does anyone have any idea who was the real person behind Iffy, or was it a conglomerate of writers?
Dreams Deferred lost me early when I detected a pattern of familiarity. Turns out many of them had run in the Freep before as prep features and Mitch just re-wrote them as if it was a caveman discovering fire.
The originals were far better — they were telling a touching story, not being written for contests or to show how Mitch discovered poor people.
Wonderful piece – gives such a full picture of how we admire yet also deconstruct our heroes as we come of age.
“There’s no real percentage in writing these words about Mitch Albom, someone I don’t really like, someone whose work and attitude irks my journalism friends to no end, someone who has inspired more horror stories than just about anyone I know.”
Had you not had the words “Mitch Albom” in there, I would have sworn you were talking about Sid Hartman…
While reading what Joe had to say and all the linked opinions of others, I was struck by this:
“All this began on April 1, 2005, the day before Michigan State’s basketball team would play in the NCAA’s Final Four. It was a Friday, the deadline for an Albom column that would run in the Sunday paper”
OK, wait a second. It was the Detroit Free Press’s corporate policy that a sportswriter had to submit his Sunday column on Friday, even if the event he was covering was on Saturday? Really?? No, I mean Really?????
And newspapers wonder why we the reader would rather read a story on the Internet 30 minutes after an event finishes than wait for their product to show up on our doorstep the next day, complete with dated columns.
Newspapers have pre-printed sections. The general sports section, including game stories would not have a Friday deadline for a Sunday sports section.
More than likely Albom’s column was in either a pre-printed section or was included in the sports section but as a pre-printed feature.
Done all the time for sections like Automotive, Arts, Movies, Travel etc.
Most likely he decided to cover the upcoming game because he could give a larger story than just the game story itself.
Up front: I know the late Dick Young had all sorts of failings and blind spots of his own, but just to show you that Mike Lupica’s laziness is NOT a recent development…
Thirty years ago, Dick Young lampooned Mike’s regular mailbag feature with a column of letters supposedly addressed to and answered by Lupica. The essence of the mailbag was…
“Dear Looper: Do you think there’s something wrong with Ron Guidry’s arm? He seems to be off lately. Sincerely, Bill in the Bronx.
Dear Bill:
I wouldn’t know. I haven’t been to a game in months.
Dear Lulu:
Do you think Larry Holmes deserves to be ranked with the greatest heavyweight champs ever?” Love, Mike in Staten ISland.
Dear Mike:
I wouldn’t know. I haven’t been to a fight in years.”
And so on. You get the idea. Point being, Mike Lupica isn’t a once-diligent, hard-working reporter who’s gotten a bit lazy and started coasting in his old age. He was ALWAYS lazy, and started coasting his first day on the job.
[...] Posnanski provides his two cents on the Mitch Albom [...]
Great post, but the best part for me was reading the comments on Kindred’s piece. It’s clear this struck a nerve. I love this one from Steve Klein (edited): “It would appear that Kindred’s column has served as an opportunity for everyone who has ever had a beef with Mitch Albom to literally take a dump on him. And APSE, which honored Albom with its highest award, has been party to all this. All I can say is I hope I’m never so honored.”
People literally took a dump on Albom in the comments section of Kindred’s piece? Now that’s entertainment.
“Fab Five” was my favorite book for a long, long time. The first time I finished it, I had tears in my eyes and immediately started the book again. It’s a great story told in the most perfect way possible.
Now I can barely even read it, partly because of everything that eventually came out about the payouts and other scandals involving those give. But mostly I can’t read it because I know Albom knew. He tells stories in the book that come so close to ending with an NCAA violation, but never quite get there. It seems to me that the right thing for a sportswriter to do would have been to scrap the book, do some hard, scary reporting, and write the true story of what was going on, years before it was ever discovered. My best friend’s dad worked with Mitch at the Free Press during that time and to this day swears that Albom knew all along, but never played the role of a true journalist.
I guess when “everyone’s dream showed up at the same time, and there was only one ball,” Mitch took it and went home.
From @113, 114
Paraphrasing: “People literally took a dump on Albom in the comments section of Kindred’s piece.”
See, I was right all along, you pussies! The internet *really is* a series of tubes.
[...] Joe Ponanski: Amid the fallout of Mitch Albom receiving the ASPE Red Smith award, Ponanski weighs in his opinion of the criticism (justified and over the line) of Albom. This entry was posted in Sports and tagged Auburn, BCS, Boston Red Sox, Dave Roberts, Joe Ponanski, Kansas State, Mitch Albom, Ron Prince, sports links, USC. Bookmark the permalink. ← The Missing Buffer Zone: The Middle Class [...]
Outside the Box: I’m not a regular Whitlock reader, but from what I do know of him he strikes me as the opposite of your description.
If I recall correctly, the Freep’s investigation after the Final Four fiasco also found that he was semi-regularly guilty of lifting uncredited quotes and lines from other writers. But that hasn’t been mentioned anywhere that I’ve seen, so maybe I’m remembering wrong.
[...] BORDEN: So Joe Posnanski recently wrote about Mitch Albom winning the highest sports journalism award in the land and, if you read his blog post [...]
Hey I loved “Tuesdays with Morrie”. I can’t think of one single reason why you wouldn’t want to grow up to be a writer like Mitch Albom. He writes what he feels and that’s okay with me! Thanks!
I admire Joe’s writing skills and his knowledge of American sports, but all of this bloviation about who is awarded what wall plaque is the equivalent of a Thanksgiving day argument about who gets to sit at the head of the kiddie table.