Best NFL Columnist

[dave mcbride]

Oddly enough my least favorites would ahve to be Easterbook and that Simmons guy. Neither one of them seem to have much interest in the actual game (or perhaps know much about it) and instead are more interested in babbling on about their vapid observations regarding bad music and worse television. They are the American Idol of football journalists.

Also a dishonorable mention to Peter King whose columns usually seem to focus on his favorite subject, Peter King.

I like Len Pasquarelli(sp) because he's a decent writer, tells it likes he sees it, seems to have pretty good sources (particularly in Buffalo) and keeps his commentary to football.

My favorite is probably DrZ. Many dislike his often abrasive style but it doesn't elicit much reaction from me aside from the occasional chuckle. He doesn't waste his time or mine writing about personalities, soap-opera storylines or salary nonsense; aside from occasional snippets about wine(which I skip) or old stories(which I love) he sticks to what he's supposed to be sticking to, football. I also like the fact that he often represents the feelings of the real fan (as opposed to the imaginary corporate demographic), giving our knowledge and understanding the credit it deserves while at the same time taking frequent shots at the frequent stupidity of the networks and league offices.

When you consider he's a former player and watches more ball than any other writer (with nobody else even being a close 3rd), it goes without saying that he sees and knows more about whats going on than any other journalist on the planet.

Also an honorable mention to the late, great Ralph Wiley whom I really miss. An old school guy who wasn't just a journalist, but instead was actually a writer. And a good one to boot. We miss ya' Ralph.

Cya

233121[/snapback]

simon - read easterbrook's take on the super bowl this week. his analysis of the eagles offense after wilson went down is laughable.

[dave mcbride]

Oddly enough my least favorites would ahve to be Easterbook and that Simmons guy. Neither one of them seem to have much interest in the actual game (or perhaps know much about it) and instead are more interested in babbling on about their vapid observations regarding bad music and worse television. They are the American Idol of football journalists.

Also a dishonorable mention to Peter King whose columns usually seem to focus on his favorite subject, Peter King.

I like Len Pasquarelli(sp) because he's a decent writer, tells it likes he sees it, seems to have pretty good sources (particularly in Buffalo) and keeps his commentary to football.

My favorite is probably DrZ. Many dislike his often abrasive style but it doesn't elicit much reaction from me aside from the occasional chuckle. He doesn't waste his time or mine writing about personalities, soap-opera storylines or salary nonsense; aside from occasional snippets about wine(which I skip) or old stories(which I love) he sticks to what he's supposed to be sticking to, football. I also like the fact that he often represents the feelings of the real fan (as opposed to the imaginary corporate demographic), giving our knowledge and understanding the credit it deserves while at the same time taking frequent shots at the frequent stupidity of the networks and league offices.

When you consider he's a former player and watches more ball than any other writer (with nobody else even being a close 3rd), it goes without saying that he sees and knows more about whats going on than any other journalist on the planet.

Also an honorable mention to the late, great Ralph Wiley whom I really miss. An old school guy who wasn't just a journalist, but instead was actually a writer. And a good one to boot. We miss ya' Ralph.

Cya

233121[/snapback]

p.s. lenny p gets some good inside stuff, and i like his morning after column in which he gets good insight from anonymous scouts and gms. but honestly, he's a terrible writer -- his prose is beyond purple, and he's never met an overheated metaphor that he didn't like. i actually find him painful to read.

 

one other guy i liked who passed away - joel buchsbaum. great american weirdo, and he really knew his stuff. in fact, i heard an interview with bobby beatherd once in which he said that with regard to the draft, JB was the only writer who actually knew anything valuable. john butler went to his funeral, by the way.