Pitarresi: SI story has unqiue perspective

 

I saw Jack McCallum at the Syracuse-Georgetown game Saturday.

 

I thought the veteran Sports Illustrated writer was just covering the game, but no, McCallum hung out with the basketball team for a week, and wrote a story on life in the Big East, pretty much from the Orange point of view.

 

McCallum got access – to practice, the bus, the pre- and post-game locker rooms – that hometown writers just don’t get. I’m a little jealous of that, but I understand it. The bigger your publication, the more people it reaches, the more most coaches let you into their little worlds. When I spent four months at USA Today more than 20 years ago, I could get about any sports figure in the country to talk to me. They wanted their voices heard. As I recall, the only person who didn’t call me back was broadcaster and former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Bob Trumpy. Maybe he didn’t get the message, but I hate the guy to this day and think he stinks as a commenttor.

 

In any case, look for McCallum’s story. I don’t think anything in it will surprise you – in fact, I think McCallum could have spent more time finding out just what makes the Big East such a tough basketball league – but the story has a fresh, unique perspective.