Bob Ryan to retire

[birdbrady]

http://www.boston.com/sports/blogs/thebuzz/2012/02/bob_ryan_planni.html

I'm sorry.  Why don't I see threads anywhere on this? This is the best basketball writer in history - no arguments.

This is a real shame.  Ryan in Simmons' podcast (an absolute must-listen) says he's just going to 'scale it back' after the Olympics.  Either way, this is a huge, huge loss.  There's not anyone in the media, especially covering the Celtics (or basketball in general) who's opinion, both historical and present, matters to me more than Bob Ryan's.

From the 70s-early 00s, the Boston Globe had 'the best sports section' in the nation.  Some of the Globe's writers over those years were Ray Fitzgerald, Bud Collins, Will McDonough, Ron Borges (pre-2001), Dan Shaughnessy (pre-98), Peter Gammons, Bob Ryan, Jackie MacMullan, Leigh Montville, Charlie Pierce, Kevin Paul DuPont, and I'm sure I'm missing some.  A lot of those are in the Hall of Fame of their respective sport.  With Ryan's retirement, it is the official nail in the coffin of the 'best-in-the-nation' sports section of the Globe (although, I'd say it pretty much lost that title in earlier part of this decade, as its probably not even as good of a sports section as the Herald now.)

So, farewell Bob Ryan.  And hello Twitter morons, Chris Broussard, Eric Wilbur.  A sad, sad day for the game of basketball.

[Employee8]

To the general public and casual fans of the C's, Dan Shaughnessy will now be the top voice in the Boston Globe for the Celtics.

gag.

[Redz]

It's been a while since I was a regular reader of the Globe sports, but Ryan was/is a great writer.  I'm lucky to have grown up with all of the guys the OP mentioned writing.  The Sunday Globe sports section was once an amazing collection of columns.

[birdbrady]

To the general public and casual fans of the C's, Dan Shaughnessy will now be the top voice in the Boston Globe for the Celtics.

gag.

Nah, Bill Simmons is generally looked as the #1 celtics fan in the media.

I actually like Shaughnessy when he talks Celtics.  The Celtics, in the present day, is the only team he's been reasonable with in terms of covering.  He used to be a great writer for all teams prior to 1998.

Have you ever read his book 'Ever Green?'   Must read for any Celtics fan.

[Donoghus]

Its amazing how far the Globe sports section has fallen in recent years.  The Ryan departure is only going to exacerbate things.

Guy was one of the best out there in his prime and can still write a heckuva column every now & then. 

Can't go wrong with those BC guys, either. 

[Employee8]

To the general public and casual fans of the C's, Dan Shaughnessy will now be the top voice in the Boston Globe for the Celtics.

gag.

Nah, Bill Simmons is generally looked as the #1 celtics fan in the media.

I actually like Shaughnessy when he talks Celtics.  The Celtics, in the present day, is the only team he's been reasonable with in terms of covering.  He used to be a great writer for all teams prior to 1998.

Have you ever read his book 'Ever Green?'   Must read for any Celtics fan.

Never read it.  I don't know, it's hard for me to actually like him because I don't see him as a fan of any team at all.  He even said it himself in an interview that he doesn't write for the team but only for the story.  I'd probably be more eager to read the book if I knew he was more of a fan of the game.  There's the difference between him and Bob Ryan.

But you're right, the general public does tune into Simmons for his insights.  I guess I read too much of his works to now become so annoyed by his oft hyperbole and his writing style.  And of course there's that Clippers lovefest that kind of drives me away from him.

But there's also Jeff Clark.  I can roll with that. 

[birdbrady]

Never read it.  I don't know, it's hard for me to actually like him because I don't see him as a fan of any team at all.  He even said it himself in an interview that he doesn't write for the team but only for the story.  I'd probably be more eager to read the book if I knew he was more of a fan of the game.  There's the difference between him and Bob Ryan.

Well you should.  Shaughnessy was just a different writer prior to his whole "curse" schtick, and before he became bitter in  '98.  The book was written after the 1990 season and is just about the history of the franchise.  It's a quick, but great read and you'll become far more knowledgeable about the Celtics once you read it.  It's one of my favorite Celtics books, likely top three.

But you're right, the general public does tune into Simmons for his insights.  I guess I read too much of his works to now become so annoyed by his oft hyperbole and his writing style.  And of course there's that Clippers lovefest that kind of drives me away from him.

But there's also Jeff Clark.  I can roll with that. 

I agree.  The Clippers stuff is over the top.  He's clearly a fan of the team.  Another thing that drives me nuts with Simmons is he clearly tries his best to be overly objective because he's afraid of potential readers saying to themselves "he's just a Celtics fan."  Which is a shame especially when you consider all the Knicks fans in the media who show no shame in hiding their allegiances.  And he also says things about the NBA where it almost seems like he's being paid by higher-ups to write.  He probably isn't but when you read his stuff, it seems like it suggests that.

[Employee8]

Never read it.  I don't know, it's hard for me to actually like him because I don't see him as a fan of any team at all.  He even said it himself in an interview that he doesn't write for the team but only for the story.  I'd probably be more eager to read the book if I knew he was more of a fan of the game.  There's the difference between him and Bob Ryan.

Well you should.  Shaughnessy was just a different writer prior to his whole "curse" schtick, and before he became bitter in  '98.  The book was written after the 1990 season and is just about the history of the franchise.  It's a quick, but great read and you'll become far more knowledgeable about the Celtics once you read it.  It's one of my favorite Celtics books, likely top three.

But you're right, the general public does tune into Simmons for his insights.  I guess I read too much of his works to now become so annoyed by his oft hyperbole and his writing style.  And of course there's that Clippers lovefest that kind of drives me away from him.

But there's also Jeff Clark.  I can roll with that. 

I agree.  The Clippers stuff is over the top.  He's clearly a fan of the team.  Another thing that drives me nuts with Simmons is he clearly tries his best to be overly objective because he's afraid of potential readers saying to themselves "he's just a Celtics fan."  Which is a shame especially when you consider all the Knicks fans in the media who show no shame in hiding their allegiances.  And he also says things about the NBA where it almost seems like he's being paid by higher-ups to write.  He probably isn't but when you read his stuff, it seems like it suggests that.

Interesting, I'll give the book a shot then.  My girlfriend is reading Rise of a Dynasty so I'm wondering what she thinks of it soon.  Says it's "good" so far.

[birdbrady]

Rise of a Dynasty is ok.  I've read virtually every Celtics book in history.  If I had to rank my top 3, it'd be

1.) Unfinished Business (Jack MacCallum's book covering the '91 Celtics, which is my favorite team since it was the first Celtics team I remember following)

2.) Drive (Bird's autobiography, written by Bob Ryan)

3.) Ever Green

Also, The Last Banner was great (Peter May was another great Globe sports writter before the Pitino years got to him and he became really miserable.)  The book on the '69 Celtics, (Dynasty's End I think its called) was great - had a lot of stuff on the racism then too, but the '69 Celtics were just special.

Lot of good reads out there.

[tyrone biggums]

To the general public and casual fans of the C's, Dan Shaughnessy will now be the top voice in the Boston Globe for the Celtics.

gag.

Please god no...I hate the CHB

[Neurotic Guy]

Hey birdbrady, great remembrance of the old Globe sports page.  Loved reading Ryan's Basketball notes back in the day.  And Jackie McMullen was a worthy successor.  Also, loved reading Bud Collins who somehow made a sport I couldn't have cared less about interesting.  But, Ryan was the jewel in my opinion. Just loved his writing, his insights, etc.  Still do. 

Ryan is not all that old -- I think he's only around 65.  I'll bet this could mean more local stuff for Ryan -- perhaps we'll see him more on C's broadcasts and such.

[birdbrady]

Hey birdbrady, great remembrance of the old Globe sports page.  Loved reading Ryan's Basketball notes back in the day.  And Jackie McMullen was a worthy successor.  Also, loved reading Bud Collins who somehow made a sport I couldn't have cared less about interesting.  But, Ryan was the jewel in my opinion. Just loved his writing, his insights, etc.  Still do. 

Ryan is not all that old -- I think he's only around 65.  I'll bet this could mean more local stuff for Ryan -- perhaps we'll see him more on C's broadcasts and such.

Thanks.  Peter May was another guy who was great too.  He did the basketball notes for some time.  The Pitino years really took a lot of out him though.  He just became so miserable after that it got out of hand.

But still, what was better than reading the Sunday sports page with Peter Gammons' notes on baseball? Ryan/MacMullan/May on basketball.  DuPont is in the hockey hall of fame.  Wow.

[Q_FBE]

We all get old - I enjoyed reading his columns when I was a Massachusetts school boy going to games and sitting right behind him on the baseline back in the 1970s when Cowens, Havlicek, and Jo Jo White ran up and down the parquet in the old Boston Garden.