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A few words...
I always thought the sports-related articles I read in the news were a bit too dull. I wanted to create something more special - something with more meaning. I wanted those who read my work to think of me not just as a simple reporter, but as a writer. Many have said that my articles changed the face of sportswriting forever. I like to think they are correct, but there are some who disagree. This section will deal with how one believes my most well-known article "The Four Horsemen" is actually a rather poor piece of journalism. This person's comments will be in bold. My responses will be in regular text.
The Objection
Coke Ellington's article, which lambasts my work, can be found by clicking here.
"For more than the half-century since his death, Rice has been considered one of the greatest sportswriters of all time. I won't argue that point; I'm merely criticizing a single overrated story."
Good, I do have somewhat of a respect for this guy. He is at least acknowledging my abilities as a writer. But let's see what he says about the story itself...
"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse lead is unquestionably well-known, but is it truly 'a sports-writing classic,' as it's described in one textbook? I think not...Isn't identifying people properly one of the most basic rules of journalism? 'Refer to both men and women by first and last name' is the simple advice of the Associated Press Stylebook. Most textbooks seem to take it for granted that writers know that."
Mr. Ellington, this argument is null and void because at the time the article was written, the "rules" of journalism were still being codified and defined. As sportswriters, all of us were attempting to create a voice for ourselves. Each and every one of us wanted to write in a manner that would have a greater effect on audiences. As long as the people reading my story knew who I was talking about, what did I matter whether or not I used their full names on first reference? Additionally, shouldn't you know that in almost every case of great writing, rules and norms must be broken?
"What was Notre Dame: A cyclone, a tank, a wild jungle creature, a tornado or a howitzer?"
To put it simply, they were all of the above. How can one not see the similarities between these players and the items to which they were compared? Football is an epic struggle - a game in which men become heroes, elevating their status in the eyes of individuals across the country. Is there some other "rule" somewhere stating that only a certain number of metaphors can be used in a journalistic piece? Most critics agree that the metaphors and allusions included in this piece were timley and well-placed.
"In the penultimate paragraph Rice editorializes: 'We doubt that any team in the country could have beaten' the 'great football team brilliantly directed.' Granted, sportswriting isn't held to as strict a standard as newswriting, but the examples from this story seem to be pushing the envelope pretty far, at least by the standards of the past 40 years."
Haven't you ever heard of the column? This type of piece needed not to remain objectionable. Also keep in mind that over the course of that season, the Fighting Irish dominated every team they faced, going on to win the national championship. This being the case, how was my statement incorrect? Only now are we beginning to develop well-defined rules regarding what can and cannot be said in sportswriting. Still, it seems today that it is much more common to blast a team or player for downfalls rather than the positives that they may possess. Had sportswriters chosen to follow my example of idolizing players for their skills, we may have been reading sports articles with much more positive themes. This may have resulted in the entire nature of sports changing. Who knows? With a more positive outlook, maybe players would be concentrating more on the game itself rather than the wins, losses and contracts that go along with playing.
Regardless of what Mr. Ellington had to say, my work has inspired many sportswriters in the present day. All types of sportswriters now attempt to create nicknames for their favorite player or group of players. Often, these names give the player or players God-like status. Has anyone ever heard of Air Jordan?
Additionally, my writing has allowed sportswriters and writers in general to be more creative with their work. Several years after my death, Tom Wolfe introduced an entirely new style of writing to the media - new journalism. In many ways, my decision to open up and write in a manner that didn't simply convey just the facts helped lead to this new style of journalism. As all journalists should know, it takes a little bit of deviation from the norm to set yourself apart from others in the field. So try something knew, experience something different and most importantly, remember that in your quests for greatness, it's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.