Best of: Quarantine Sportswriting
Just because there aren't any sports doesn't mean there isn't any sportswriting.
Welcome to the first edition of the Music City Sports Report.
Going forward, this will be the section where I post something I’ve written this week - an interview, a blog, etc. - before moving to the links. But as a special edition for the first newsletter, I’m diving right into the links this week with some of the best Tennessee sportswriting I’ve read during the pandemic. I tried to feature a variety of reporters, publications, and sports as a sample of what’s to come in future editions. On to the links!
Links
One of the inspirations for this newsletter, Mike Organ, wrote one of my favorite stories I’ve seen in Nashville lately: On Michael Jordan’s connection to Nashville during his baseball stint.
The Athletic Nashville has been doing a lot of great work. Here’s Mitch Light on Shan Foster’s senior night performance, Adam Vingan on his favorite Preds games, John Glennon on my beloved Marcus Mariota, David Ubben on how UT fans helped save Gus’s, and Joe Rexrode on the without-a-doubt best college basketball team in the state this year: ETSU.
Several outlets wrote about former Titans safety, Rhodes Scholar, and neurosurgeon Myron Rolle taking on the pandemic. But you have to go with the Titans beat GOAT Jim Wyatt.
While we’re on the Titans, Turron Davenport has a great introduction to Titans first-round pick Isaiah Wilson.
Speaking of the draft, here are some fun local angles: Michael Gallagher with a guide to the Nashville-area draft prospects and Cory Woodroof with a feature on the Rowland brothers, formerly of TSU and Ravenwood. Plus a J.R. Lind story on the return of sports in town (sort of ) with the draft. Expect a bonus newsletter on the draft’s local flavor early next week.
Charles Pulliam had a Q&A with former Lipscomb and Franklin star Garrison Mathews on his rookie season in the NBA. I’m biased, but Garrison has legitimately earned a rotation spot with the Wizards.
Drake Hillis, the only reporter full-time on the soccer beat in town, with a feature on Nashville SC’s analytics process during the quarantine.
Slightly before the quarantine, but here’s Steve Cavendish’s Scene cover story on Nashville SC.
Adam Sparks has basically transitioned into a Coronavirus reporter. Here’s his story on former athletes from Belmont, Lipscomb, and Tennessee Tech taking on the pandemic as first-year nurses.
Eric Bacharach and Blake Toppmeyer on what the absence of sports means to the city of Nashville.
Let’s take a look at some stories out of Knoxville.
It’s unbelievable how Teresa Walker covers just about everything in the state. She has a fun story on Jeremy Pruitt reaching back to his high school days to get creative in virtual coaching.
John Adams on Tennessee’s spring sports stars.
Rhiannon Potkey is usually writing for D1 Softball, but she freelances in local papers too. I really liked this story on a former Lady Vol-turned-doctor using Pat Summit’s teachings during the pandemic.
In Memphis, the Daily Memphian writers continue to do great things.
Geoff Calkins on super agent Jimmy Sexton working during the pandemic.
Memphis beat extraordinaire Jonah Jordan on new Memphis QB Tevin Carter.
One of my absolute favorite writers Chris Herrington with a Grizzlies Rewind on the infamous triple OT game against the Thunder.
Evan Barnes holding it down at the Commercial Appeal with a story on Grizz Gaming taking center stage with no sports.
This Ja Morant rookie year highlight reel set to Otis Redding is beautiful.
Back to some Nashville links to close this first edition out.
Lipscomb volleyball coach Brandon Rosenthal ran 24 miles in 24 hours in honor of Kobe Bryant. The whole adventure is chronicled at @LipscombVBall.
Belmont’s backdoor plays are undefeated.
Vanderbilt bowling continues to be dominant.
I had fun voting on 102.5 The Game’s Nashville Sports Bracket. RIP Steve McNair.
I don’t have a specific link for them, but follow Fastbreak Breakfast on Twitter and on Patreon. For a die-hard NBA fan in an NBA-less town, they are a salve.
And if I can humbly plug a couple of my pieces: An interview with five former Lipscomb athletes playing professionally overseas about how they were affected by the pandemic.
And the piece I’m most proud of from this sports season, a story on Brent Leber’s journey from an 855-day medical absence to the first national championship appearance in Lipscomb cross country history.
There won’t normally be this many links, but I was choosing from months of work. I hope you enjoyed the first edition of the Music City Sports Report!
Great work, Logan! So very glad to see a Memphis included.