FalconVoice 38 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Hey guys, as is the case every year, I'm allowed to cast 3 votes for the following categories for the NSMA (National Sports Media Association, formerly the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association) Awards. I think I know who I'm voting for, but any suggestions (or reminders for a particularly great piece or body of work, and please list them if there is something that needs to be included as a seminal moment in sportscasting/sportswriting) are welcome. Also, just in case someone were to be kind enough to ask me to nominate myself, that is not allowed, and I'm sure there are much more deserving candidates as well. The deadline is 5 PM ET today, so I'll check back before then. State Sportscaster (VA)State Sportswriter (VA)National SportscasterNational Sportswriter Deleted Account 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewHampshireRed 94 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 I honestly must say Lloyd combs, he suffered a stroke a short while back and has been in/out of nursing home. But yet in his wheelchair he has been hand carried into press boxes to announce games for 100.7 while also contributing to the herald carrier, bluefield daily, and Virginia mountaineer. Ryan4VT, cityofRaven, rvtne216 and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixcat 2,920 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Tom Verducci should win the National Sportswriter award for his piece on Vin Scully alone. Deleted Account 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconVoice 38 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Verducci has won it the last 3 years running, so I wouldn't be opposed to some new blood, but yeah, he's good. FWIW, here's where I'm likely leaning so far for National Sportscaster: Vin Scully, SportsNet LA, KLAC, Gary Cohen, SNY, WPIX, WABC I've also seriously considered Kevin Burkhardt, FOX, Kevin Harlan, CBS, TNT, Jessica Mendoza, ESPN and John Smoltz, ESPN for the third spot, but will still take any suggestions on that. Also, the latter two are color commentators, which are frowned upon in this vote, but I have found that the work that these two have done is so exemplary it merits consideration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMan 3,569 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 VA Sportscaster/Sportswriter of the Year No such person... Deleted Account and sixcat 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigWinners 1,643 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Verducci is a very good writer but he isn't the only very good writer out there. Some great pieces have popped up on some big blogs, but as someone who doesn't subscribe to SI any more (or ESPN Mag, its complete garbage now. Just horrendous) I can't really say there was one piece in particular that wowed me. Grant Wahl does fantastic soccer coverage, Feldstein is an arrogantr ass but is great in CFB and Kirkjan writes some great pieces wit obscure factoids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widespread_Panic 197 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 No such person... Amen. Bristol Herald coverage is really bad unless you want to read about what happened 30 years ago in local sports history. The Coalfield has the best sports section around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chappy 72 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Amen. Bristol Herald coverage is really bad unless you want to read about what happened 30 years ago in local sports history. The Coalfield has the best sports section around. Or you want to read about a dying sport, NASCAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swva_havok_fan 1,261 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Or you want to read about a dying sport, NASCAR. Lol... they don't hardly even cover NASCAR anymore. Before September, the last several years, race week in Bristol had more coverage on the Battle at Bristol than the actual race week itself. I enjoy reading Tim Hayes' work, especially on the History with Hayes each Friday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconVoice 38 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Ended up going with Teel, Bitter and Cody Elliott of the News Virginian (and omitted Mark Robertson who's doing a BANG UP job for the News Advance. The first thing I do to scout all of my Lynchburg/Roanoke area teams is to put in a call to Mark and see if he's seen them, so my apologies on this Mark). As for sportscaster, I went with Pete Michaud of the Norfolk Tides/Admirals, Josh Floyd of the E&H Radio Network and Kevin Burke of the Salem Red Sox. Thanks for the suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 No such person... David Teel is about as good as it gets in VA. sixcat and FalconVoice 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixcat 2,920 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Verducci has won it the last 3 years running, so I wouldn't be opposed to some new blood, but yeah, he's good. FWIW, here's where I'm likely leaning so far for National Sportscaster: Vin Scully, SportsNet LA, KLAC, Gary Cohen, SNY, WPIX, WABC I've also seriously considered Kevin Burkhardt, FOX, Kevin Harlan, CBS, TNT, Jessica Mendoza, ESPN and John Smoltz, ESPN for the third spot, but will still take any suggestions on that. Also, the latter two are color commentators, which are frowned upon in this vote, but I have found that the work that these two have done is so exemplary it merits consideration. Any such yearly award should be based on the merit for that year, not past performance. Otherwise, it becomes a lifetime achievement award. Verducci's piece on Scully in May was as good as anything I have ever read. http://www.si.com/mlb/2016/05/10/vin-scully-dodgers-tom-verducci-profile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconVoice 38 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 David Teel is about as good as it gets in VA. And he's a downright nice guy to boot. In every interaction with him that I've had, he's been class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconVoice 38 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Any such yearly award should be based on the merit for that year, not past performance. Otherwise, it becomes a lifetime achievement award. Verducci's piece on Scully in May was as good as anything I have ever read. http://www.si.com/mlb/2016/05/10/vin-scully-dodgers-tom-verducci-profile Agreed with that. I usually try to do just that, but there's just so much out there to read that doesn't get the plaudits its writers deserve. So I went Adrian Wojnarowski, Jon Bois and Spencer Hall (of SB Nation and SB Nation's EDSBS). Internet only guys should get the rightful pub too, and Bois in particular is the best writer you've never heard of (and if you have, kudos to you). I find myself laughing so hard that I cry in his pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigWinners 1,643 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 Agreed with that. I usually try to do just that, but there's just so much out there to read that doesn't get the plaudits its writers deserve. So I went Adrian Wojnarowski, Jon Bois and Spencer Hall (of SB Nation and SB Nation's EDSBS). Internet only guys should get the rightful pub too, and Bois in particular is the best writer you've never heard of (and if you have, kudos to you). I find myself laughing so hard that I cry in his pieces.I feel that way about Hall from EDSBS. I loved reading his site, been reading it before he took off to SBNation, whe he basically did EDSBS by himself. Local wise, Tim Hayes is a very, very good writer. Insightful, intelligent and has a mind to history, and honestly one of the nicest guys I've ever met. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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