How ESPN destroys the art of the sports column

Sonny Bunch nails it:

A recent study by Missouri School of Journalism doctoral student Scott Reinardy purports to show that sportswriters and their editors "believe jargon, entertainment-based writing and ESPN's SportsCenter is altering the tone of sports writing," and that "creativity is being substituted for fact-based reporting, and sports reporters' aspirations of being on radio or TV has impacted their sports writing and reporting." One needs look no further than shows like ESPN's Around the Horn and Quite Frankly--which feature current and former sports columnists and loud-mouthed TV sports pundits--to see the effect that the channel has had.

Tony Kornheiser, Michael Wilbon, and Stephen A. Smith (A is for ass, in my book) come in for some critical scrutiny. That's why I will miss Bill Lyon and why I appreciate Phil Sheridan. The era of the sports columnist who writes about sports as a window into life is being lost, in favor of columnist-as-provocateur. I like the old style much, much better.