Frank Deford dead at 78

>>76208409
literally who?

RIP. Loved his NPR stuff.

>>>/asp/

>>76208409
>Frank Dedford

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https://www.si.com/vault/2001/07/02/306837/not-our-cup-of-tea-soccer-will-never-thrive-here-the-author-opines-because-its-simply-un-american

>It has long been a subject of fascination that the United States, virtually alone in the world, has rejected soccer.

>Desperately, soccer smug-nuts always fall back on accusing us American yahoos of failing to appreciate the grace and nuance of their superior game. First of all, any sport in which you hit a hard ball with your head is, ipso facto, neither graceful nor nuanced. Even ignoring that ugly idiosyncrasy, any run-of-the-mill 6-4-3 double play is more graceful than the most precious soccer maneuver. And nuance? For pete's sake, every sport has nuance. Hello. That's why Tim McCarver, John Madden and Mary Carillo have jobs. Nuance doesn't make people care. About 99.44% of NFL fans don't have the foggiest what nuances the nickel defense possesses. So what? It's third and three on the 36. Turn up the volume and crack another brewski.

>It is not only that soccer lacks scoring, either. It also has no small victories, no cumulative successes. Baseball teams build rallies. Football teams drive down the field, even if they have to settle for a field goal. Soccer is the coitus interruptus of sport. Watching TV, I'm astounded how announcers ooh and ahh over some failed play: "What a magnificent run!" Only the player did not succeed. In the end, the ball was taken from him and he stumbled back the other way. Nonetheless, analysts keep praising pretty disappointment, raving about the glory of almost. We expect satisfaction in the United States. Soccer celebrates frustration.

RIPIP Patrician.

>Soccer celebrates frustration.

>>76210282
ABSOLUTELY BASED

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http://www.npr.org/2016/01/13/462784424/soccer-s-foot-fancy-beauty-is-that-normal-sized-people-can-play-it

>Americans, of course, have virtually no interest in FIFA, for most of us are athletic aliens, caring not a whit for Earth's game. Sorry, but I must count myself among those who do not find soccer as entertaining as our own favored sports. I've always thought it was perfectly idiotic to call an exercise that you perform with your feet "the beautiful game."

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http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/pattisonave/NPR-Frank-Deford-Morning-Edition-Sweetness-and-Light.html

>“I have survived so long because I've been blessed with talented and gracious colleagues, and with a top brass who let me choose my topics every week and then allowed me to express opinions that were not always popular,” Deford said. “Well, someone had to stand up to the yakety-yak soccer cult.”

Working toward becoming a sports writer. Have a book of all the greatest pieces written in SI over the past 50 years. Deford easily had the best work, read everything from him in that book. RIP

>>76210397
>for most of us are athletic aliens, caring not a whit for Earth's game
spacejam2 confirmed

>>76208409
Lmao, rot in hell, soccer hating fag

>>76210819
t. seattle

Fucking piece of shit
>Tfw when we finally get to see all the soccer haters die out

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>>76210454

>Working toward becoming a sports writer

Enjoy working freelance and being paid scraps off the table for your work - If you're paid at all.

t. freelancer

>>76211886
Yeah that's why I have a plan b. And a plan c. I realize journalism is pretty much a rotting corpse at this point. Just my dream desu.

>>76212701
good luck bro, unironically

>>76211886
>>76212701
Chase your dream and succeed, both of you. Never give up, keep writing and eventually you're Tony Kornheiser. Or at least Boswell.

Didn't he just retire from NPR no more than a week or two ago? What the fuck happened?

>>76210282
/ourguy/ for sure