Pen mightier than jump shot
When I was a sports writer, I got to meet lots of famous athletes and coaches. And it wasn’t that I was just in the same room or in the same stadium with these celebrities. I was shake-you-hand, genuine close.
I had once had Tommy Lasorda one-on-one to myself for 20 minutes before a banquet at Middle Georgia College in Cochran. I’ve had breakfast with Herschel Walker at the 1842 Inn in Macon, lunch with Pat Dye in a cafeteria in Warner Robins and sat with Joe Namath as he tried on shoes in the golf shop at Barrington Hall.
I was at arms-length across the table from Muhammad Ali when he came to Fort Valley State (I was practically speechless). I stood with Arnold Palmer under a big oak tree next to the clubhouse at Augusta National. I hung out with Chipper Jones at the batting cages during spring training at West Palm Beach.
I was thinking about this the other day because this week marks the 10th anniversary of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. For 16 days, I was around some of the greatest athletes in the world.
But that’s not what I will remember about it.
I will remember being at the same work table with two famous writers.
Yes, when you’re a writer, you look up to other writers. Given a choice between being able to go back and spend 10 minutes with Babe Ruth or Ernest Hemingway, you can probably guess which I would choose.
The pen is mightier than the home run.
At the 1996 Summer Games, our paper was part of the Knight-Ridder sports bureau. We had a large area on the main floor of the press building with stations for the various writers and editors.
For two weeks I found myself working at the same table with Dave Barry and Mitch Albom. Barry is probably the most famous humor columnist of this generation. His writing is known and respected all over the world. I was familiar with Albom’s work in Detroit and admired his style. Later, he went on to write two best-selling books – “Tuesdays With Morrie” and “The Five People You Meet in Heaven.’’
So when people ask me about my highlight for the 1996 Summer Olympics, I would have to say that ranks right up there near the top. Yes, I have been in the company of kings.
When I was a sports writer, I got to meet lots of famous athletes and coaches. And it wasn’t that I was just in the same room or in the same stadium with these celebrities. I was shake-you-hand, genuine close.
I had once had Tommy Lasorda one-on-one to myself for 20 minutes before a banquet at Middle Georgia College in Cochran. I’ve had breakfast with Herschel Walker at the 1842 Inn in Macon, lunch with Pat Dye in a cafeteria in Warner Robins and sat with Joe Namath as he tried on shoes in the golf shop at Barrington Hall.
I was at arms-length across the table from Muhammad Ali when he came to Fort Valley State (I was practically speechless). I stood with Arnold Palmer under a big oak tree next to the clubhouse at Augusta National. I hung out with Chipper Jones at the batting cages during spring training at West Palm Beach.
I was thinking about this the other day because this week marks the 10th anniversary of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. For 16 days, I was around some of the greatest athletes in the world.
But that’s not what I will remember about it.
I will remember being at the same work table with two famous writers.
Yes, when you’re a writer, you look up to other writers. Given a choice between being able to go back and spend 10 minutes with Babe Ruth or Ernest Hemingway, you can probably guess which I would choose.
The pen is mightier than the home run.
At the 1996 Summer Games, our paper was part of the Knight-Ridder sports bureau. We had a large area on the main floor of the press building with stations for the various writers and editors.
For two weeks I found myself working at the same table with Dave Barry and Mitch Albom. Barry is probably the most famous humor columnist of this generation. His writing is known and respected all over the world. I was familiar with Albom’s work in Detroit and admired his style. Later, he went on to write two best-selling books – “Tuesdays With Morrie” and “The Five People You Meet in Heaven.’’
So when people ask me about my highlight for the 1996 Summer Olympics, I would have to say that ranks right up there near the top. Yes, I have been in the company of kings.
posted by Ed Grisamore at 6:37 AM
1 Comments:
I was supposed to have spent the hot days of the 1996 olympics in hotatlanta but don and I had received an invite from the
duke of farnsfoot to spend time at
his family villa near pamplona.
the dukers best selling testimonial entitled*Never Run With the Bulls Sober" was a runaway best seller while there..Don read it twice....
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