There was never a doubt as to who would win January’s “Article of the Month” award. This story chronicling the Manti Te’o debacle from Deadspin.com may be one of the most monumental pieces in sports writing history.
No. Not because of the subject matter. Yes, the entire ordeal was Lifetime movie-esque, but that’s not why this article deserves so much recognition. The significance in Deadspin posting this masterpiece is this:
It’s a new age in sports journalism.
No longer do you need an Ivy League journalism degree to make it as a sports writer. No longer is it necessary to read the “mainstream” sports media outlets to gain access to intellectually written, well-crafted sports columns. And no longer does “potential” have to go by the wayside due to a few unlucky breaks.
It’s a new age in sports journalism.
So thank you Deadspin for your fantastic journalism. Thank you Timothy Burke and Jack Dickey for your hours of research on a hunch. And thank you Manti Te’o for making this all possible.
Sports Righting 