In the second, the Celtics’ Dennis Johnson would jam his hands in his back pockets and bob his head up and down like a duck. In the first, the Globe’s Clif Keane would pull his pants up high and flap his arms. Ryan made it such a swaggering pulpit that during three tours on the Celtics beat (all between 19), there existed dueling Ryan impressions. In the age of NBA League Pass, the game story has become a sad anachronism - a recap of an event we already saw, quoting players disinclined to relive it. See that categorical statement? MacMullan learned from Ryan. “He’s the best game-story writer in journalism history,” said former Globe writer Jackie MacMullan. No one was quite as likely, after Paul Silas would grab a rebound and throw it to Havlicek to start the break, to turn to a fellow Globie and give them a hug. No one’s game stories glowed with more opinion, more enthusiasm, more - call it what it is - fandom. “He talks like 78 RPM records,” said ex-Globie Peter Gammons. No one talked in the same blustery, Joycean word bombs. No newspaper ever had an NBA beat writer like Bob Ryan. In game stories, categorical statements are minor embellishments that help readers see the uniqueness of the thing before them - e.g., “No coach ever had a greater asset than John Havlicek.” Pierce, who wrote for three Boston papers. Ryan was the king of the categorical statement, noted Grantland’s Charles P. Ryan replied, “I’ll tell ’em what they ought to know!” Quotes were the chief information-dispensing device of other NBA writers.īob, Powers asked, why aren’t Globe readers hearing from the athletes? Something he could extract from his brain before deadline that would give the reader a proverbial starting point.Ī fellow Boston Globe writer named John Powers once noticed that Ryan didn’t include many quotes in his game stories. When Bob Ryan would begin writing a Celtics game story - a “gamer,” as it’s known in the trade - he’d look for a lede.
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