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The musings of a Detroit-area sportswriter in the digital age.

Monday, May 09, 2011

Little things remind you why it's awesome to cover sports for a living

A recent clip of a Kansas City beat writer taking an 80 mph fastball is pretty funny to watch. If he can take it, why can't I? I've always thought it would be fun to do a video where I try and accomplish what the players are going through. The closest I've come is a getting beaten badly by Oakland guard Blake Cushingberry at a game of Around the World.


As the KC writer grimmaced in pain, it reminded me of the Sunday night program "Dare Don" on WXYZ Channel 7 in the late 80s and early 90s (estimate), where readers would submit ideas for sports anchor Don Shane to carry out. I even remember him playing goalie for the Red Wings for a brief period, but I can't recall if it was Tim Cheveldae who was coaching him from the side.
Executors of the "Sports Show with Norm MacDonald" website immediately followed with a video of a reporter getting checked into the boards.
It's the little things like this that remind you how cool it really can be to cover sports.

1 Comments:

Blogger John Leach said...

Good stuff, Paul, but perhaps you forgot who started all this. One George Plimpton, as the Paper Lion. Great read. Besides, getting plunked by an 81 MPH ball is the equivalent of a change-up in modern day MLB. Those guys shrug it off like a fly, and gladly take their base. Now taking a Justin Verlander heater in the ribs would be different story.

May 10, 2011 at 5:33 PM 

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