Rick Reilly

istewart · #1 10-04-2005, 05:13 PM

Quit writing crap.

I read SI for sports news. I don't need to read about Brett Favre's childhood friend who was dying of AIDS while Favre played in his first Super Bowl. I just don't care. The back page is a prime spot, SI: please put something worth reading there.

MCS · #2 10-04-2005, 08:22 PM

Rick Reilly has stolen about eight sportswriter-of-the-year trophies from Gary Smith.

TheRover · #3 10-04-2005, 08:25 PM

Rick Reilly is a massive prick. And a douche.

#4 10-06-2005, 12:17 AM

Reilly was to sportswriting in the late 80s/early 90s what Bill Simmons is today, but his well ran dry a long time ago. Ever since SI gave him the back page every week (he used to alternate it with 4-5 other guys), his work has deteriorated. The weekly columns about cancer survivors, storm refugees, etc. (that at best have tenuous connections to sports) are too rote anymore to be inspirational. And yet Reilly is still revered in the sports writing community (witness the numerous awards he's stolen at the expense of his SI colleagues). It's refreshing to see that others here share my opinion of him.

Pudge714 · #5 10-06-2005, 11:19 AM

One of my favorite sports book I have ever purchased is the best of Reilly. I have read it cover to cover several times. That being said you are all right he has started to write sappy columns too much, and he is also making personal attacks on other writers (Jayson Stark). I used to get SI and open up to read Reilly now I read Rushin more often, and often times don't read or wait untill I read Reilly.

MCS · #6 10-06-2005, 02:15 PM

I should add that I used to like Rick Reilly many moons ago.

But Gary Smith has been my crush for a while.

plaster8 · #7 10-06-2005, 02:31 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I should add that I used to like Rick Reilly many moons ago.

But Gary Smith has been my crush for a while.

[/ QUOTE ]

Smith has done a lot of nice work. But I find some of his stuff so overwritten that it's unreadable.

Oski · #8 10-06-2005, 04:37 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Quit writing crap.

I read SI for sports news. I don't need to read about Brett Favre's childhood friend who was dying of AIDS while Favre played in his first Super Bowl. I just don't care. The back page is a prime spot, SI: please put something worth reading there.

[/ QUOTE ]

I AM glad he wrote about the memorabilia scam artist who was using bum checks to buy mementos from old NFL's stars with Alzheimer's. They caught the bastard and his story spearheaded relief efforts for these guys and their families. It also helped bring to light that a lot of these old time atheletes are not well taken care of by the unions, even though they paved the ground that the modern-day multi-million dollar athelete walks on.

MCS · #9 10-06-2005, 06:33 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Smith has done a lot of nice work. But I find some of his stuff so overwritten that it's unreadable.

[/ QUOTE ]

I suppose I can see where you're coming from, but I disagree. To me, Gary Smith is just a great sportswriter who tends to write long, "important" pieces.

The undisputed, no-doubt champ of overwriting is Jeff MacGregor. I actually threw my SI down in disgust once at his nonsense.

Mike Cuneo · #10 10-06-2005, 06:52 PM

Get a newspaper and stop crying here please.