Sports Writers Aren't Exciting.

I do love sports, but some analysts from ESPN get on my nerves. Maybe that's because they ones on air aren't nearly as good at writing as the ones that are in the thick of it. Take the NHL coverage on ESPN, it was a mainstay in the 90's, but now its almost all, but gone in coverage. Scott Burnside is one of those journalists at ESPN who doesn't get nearly enough credit as he deserves. His colleague Pierre LeBrun and him are in the shadows for most of the time. Burnside's article about the rise of rookie goaltender Jimmy Howard resonates with me, for the mere fact its exactly what I and what most Michiganers have been looking to with Howard.

Burnside mixes the past and the present Howard netminder on his article, which specifically talks about his Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year) and MVP (Most Valuable Player) canidacy.

"Pretty heady stuff for a guy who was so worried about his future as an NHL starter, he postponed his honeymoon last summer so he could concentrate on getting his game in shape."


What I really enjoyed about this article is by far his use of past historical stats when it comes to Detroit goalies and Howard himself. Giving us a glimpse at how exactly Howard is doing for the Red Wings: "Or rather, another signpost on what has been a meteoric rise from giant question mark to potential hardware recipient."

Lastly, this sentence alone is what all Red Wings fans pondered for nearly 5 years, where Burnside strikes the nail straight on the head: "The Wings simply never rush players. But in Howard's case, it was more a case of whether the fruit would spoil on the vine." What may look like a simple and unattended article isn't that at all. The story itself can't be hyped over or circumstantial unlike some news articles nowadays (see CNN, FOX, etc.), which is why Burnside's work isn't exactly compelling, but truthful as it can be.

Scott Burnside's information is few and far on the world wide web. What I managed to find out was mostly on his current profile on ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2005, before he was a reporter for the Windsor Star and Toronto Sun. He has dabbled in publishing of books as he co-authored the best-selling "Deadly Innocence". Lastly his recognition as a journalist was awarded in 1990 claiming the National Newspaper Award.

ESPN Profile
ESPN Blog
Jimmy Howard Article
Deadly Innocence (Amazon)