Boswell Reflects on Taylor

[SmootSmack]

This is such a great piece by Thomas Boswell, especially the comparisons of Gibbs to Taylor.

washingtonpost.com

[JWsleep]

Boswell has long been my favorite at the Post. He always finds the right words to capture what is going on with the skins, and with DC sports in general. Very classy, indeed.

I used to think (back in the day): Kornheiser for humor, Wilbon for bluster, Boswell for the truth. I care less and less for the other two, but Boswell is still spot on. Glad he's writing for the paper at a time like this.

By the way, I have been extremely impressed with Jason La Canfora over the last few days (and in general--say what you will about his lack of "homerism"--completely appropriate, IMO--but his blog is one of the best sources of skins info day in and day out). Props to JLC.

[dgack]

Agreed, Boswell's piece was a much-needed tonic for the soul after so much terrible media coverage.

I know it doesn't surprise many people around here anymore, but I'm still extremely disappointed in Mike Wilbon. I knew getting him to write anything really positive about the Skins was generally rooted in its overall convenience factor and ability to coexist with his blatant Chicago homerism, but I really had no idea he could be so callous and oblivious to the damage his words could cause.

I think Boswell's piece illustrates that you don't have to be a suck-up or have blinders on to treat a delicate subject with responsibility and the respect it requires.

[BringBackJoeT]

This is typical Boswell--simple, crisp and insightful. For this subject, he didn't try to write something that will get his column attention, or try to give some sort of eulogy for Sean. You read his columns over time, and you begin to think he does this effortlessly. Boswell always has just the right touch.

[SC Skins Fan]

Boswell nailed it again. He's been my favorite columnist at the Post for a while now. I actually think the Post has been pretty good all around. Even Wilbon's column made good points, even if he was kind of an ass the other day.

[Sammy Baugh Fan]

That was well written
peace
mike

[SC Skins Fan]

After saying the Post did a good job, I just read Leonard Shapiro's column. Not so good. It's a Wilbon redux without broader context that Wilbon suggests is the necessary component missing from other discussions. It's basically the end of every article on ESPN.com et al. from Monday.

[70Chip]

Boswell is the absolute best. There's your real local. This guy was in the stands at Griffith Stadium as a kid.

[memphisskin]

Great piece, clearly a reflection of the fact that he's more attuned to the local scene than Wilbon.

[BringBackJoeT]

Originally Posted by 70Chip

Boswell is the absolute best. There's your real local. This guy was in the stands at Griffith Stadium as a kid.

Absolutely, Boswell is the quintessential local guy. Wanna know how local? If you didn't read it when it was published, check out the article he wrote about RFK in September as the Nationals' last game at RFK was approaching (link attached below). I'm not trying to take away attention from Sean in talking about Boswell, but rather emphasizing how important Boswell's column is on Sean, because, since Shirley Povich himself died, Boswell is THE D.C. sports writer. When a tragedy like this happens, all of the other area columnists actually ought to hold off their own columns until Boswell has had his chance to speak. It's too bad they popped off before hand, because they only demonstrated how un-Boswell like they are.

Thomas Boswell - RFK Is Full Of Concrete Memories - washingtonpost.com

[sportscurmudgeon]

Thomas Boswell's column today is very good.

And so is Michael Wilbon's column today very good. If you want to bash Wilbon for not being "a local" like Boswell, have at it. Just remember at the same time to acknowledge that Wilbon has insights into growing up in something akin to Sean Taylor's enviornment that Bowsell can only speculate on.

Newspaper columns are there for the writers to express opinions and interpret facts the way the writers see them. Not surprisingly, these two writers - - both of whom are excellent - - see things differently.

Just because someone else takes a different view on a subject than you do does not make that other person a bad person or a stupid person. In fact, it is a lot easier to learn something from someone who disagrees with you than it is to learn something from someone with whom you agree on just about everything.