OT: Frank Deford passes
I was fortunate to subscribe to Sports Illustrated when he was writing regularly there. Definitely a master of his medium.
Joe Posnanski's tribute to Frank Deford:
His sports commentary will be missed. I always enjoyed Frank's contribution to NPR's morning edition every Wednesday.
I'm glad to see JUB get some opportunities to carry that torch.
Frank Deford was a great writer.
Somewhere at my mom's house I have a copy of the first issue of The National.
Here's a Grantland write up on The National for those of you that aren't old enough to remember this paper:
http://grantland.com/features/the-greatest-paper-ever-died/
Kind of ironic Grantland writing a piece about a sports outlet that died.
I still fondly remember picking up the first issues of The National on campus at UofM way back when. A great writer from a different time.
NYT obit here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/29/sports/frank-deford-sportswriter-dies-at-78.html
My roommates and I lived by the National. I think I still have copies somewhere in my basement.
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in my basement with just about every issue of the Daily inside. I was in high school when the newspaper came out and would get an issue from the local Dunkin Donuts every morning. I "acquired" the newspaper stand the week The National folded. Great memories....
Great writer when si was relevant. Rip.
I enjoyed his sports writing.
Wasnt Deford responsible for the SI april fool's joke -- about a Mets pitcher who threw at 120 mph but decided to pass on baseball bc of his religion. Even got photos of Mets players to accompany the article. That was while I was at UM and it was brilliant. The firdt paragraph was written cleverly so that the first letter of each wird in it spelled out "happy april fools."
I believe that was the work of George Plimpton. Sid Finch, quite the prospect.
https://www.si.com/vault/1975/07/28/606686/no-death-for-a-salesman
Some major then-and-now differences, but I liked how some things never seem to change:
"Recruiting, a damn-fool apparatus to begin with, is now completely out of hand and threatening to turn into a Doomsday Machine. Everybody cheats; well, everybody-but-me cheats, and gee, I might have to start cheating soon because everybody-but-me cheats."
And if you're going to try to make your program a big moneymaker, don't forget the winning:
'Says Bob Foreman, president of the Michigan Alumni Association, "In 16 cities, we have alumni groups that watch Michigan game films every week during the fall. Most colleges are delighted if they can get an alumni club to meet twice a year. But I don't kid myself, and neither does Don: they're not coming out to watch any team go 3-8." Nor are they going to give to a 3-8 school.'
That was an awesome article. Thank you! I'd never read it before and didn't know all that background on Canham.
Canham even prints tickets with different scenes on them—the most beautiful and expensive football tickets in the nation, he says—because he figures people will save the stubs for scrapbooks, providing Michigan with an insidious kind of advertising.
He was so visionary and had so many interesting ideas, including that one. He was right, and I fondly remember these growing up when my folks would bring them back from their once-a-year game, and still enjoy looking back at them to this day (along with the programs and my favorite feature - "This I Remember" :^). I wish they would start doing it again.
His SI writings were probably the biggest reason that magazine used to be a must-subscribe. I often started with Deford's column inside the back page before I even got back from the mailbox.
Absolutely. Me too. He was so good. RIP Frank.
Unfortunate. Everyone remembers his writing, but he wasn't half bad on TV, either. One of the classics...
Loved him on Real Sports.
Great writer. Always a good read. I didn't like reading books growing up...but loved SI, and Frank was the best.
Back in the 7th grade. The story of his daughter Alexandria who died from Cystic Fibrosis. Deford was a gifted writer. May he Rest In Peace and that he is reunited with his daughter.
I remember his interview with Boomer Esiason and talking about their children being heart-wrenching. Couldn't help but feel for the guy after that.
Positive thoughts on his writing. I've defended him several times in these pages. He may have mailed it in a couple times in his advanced years, but truly a fine writer. Rest in peace Frank.
He just retired from his NPR role this month. He sure didn't get to enjoy retirement. Poor guy.