One of my very good friends told me
back in college that my writing style was very distinct. So distinct that one
could take my name off the story and it’s still apparent I was the author.
At the time I didn’t believe him. I
figured he said because both of us were known for thumbing our noses at
conventional methods for sports journalism.
To this day I still do, albeit, with
more pragmatism than my college years.
My style is intricately descriptive. I
am bluntly honest and routinely write exactly what people are thinking, but
won’t say in mixed company. Above all, I’m fair to those who take the time to
speak with me.
I’m a sports writer, not a policy
maker, or crafting diplomacy dictums.
People may not always like what I
write, but, again, I’m a sports writer. I like to make people think about
things beyond the realm of sports.
Today’s rapid-fire style of reporting
usually prevents that. Context is washed away in the race to get the minutia
first, fastest and factual.
The best piece of journalism I ever
read was published by Wright Thompson back in 2009. It was about the whirlwind Fall of 1962 at the
University of Mississippi.
The story was published on ESPN.com.
It was more than 14,000 words explaining the cultural shift that was underfoot
at a university that James Meredith later wrote was “the holiest temple of white supremacy in America, next to the
U.S. Capitol and the White House, both of which were under the control of
segregationists and their collaborators," just two years prior.
Until I read Thompson’s story I had no
clue Mississippi’s football team were undefeated in 1962.
The forgotten Rebels finished No. 3 in
the country that year. That year was the last time Mississippi rolled through
the Southeastern Conference without a loss.
The best writing, sports or otherwise,
the author invests something in every word they share. Words are tools to take
you to the scene of the action, even if the action is fictional, takes you
there. An empty soul produces hollow copy that lack passion, zest and
credibility.
Great writing can be a teaching tool.
It can expand vocabularies, horizons, and understanding. The best of us do it
consistently.
Every Monday, I log onto ESPNFC.com to
read Phil Ball’s column. It’s supposedly a column about Spanish soccer, but it
intertwines politics, culture, current events and behind-the-scenes context
about the game in the Iberian peninsula.
Of course there is more to the world
than sports. And, we all prefer different styles of writing.
My style may not be the most popular,
yet, but it certainly has its devotees. My fiancé might be the most committed,
considering she once told me “…I liked your writing before I liked you?”
Laughs and liveliness,
-Wb
