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
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Great writer when si was relevant. Rip.
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.
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.
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.