A genuine example of working class values, attitudes and common sense can be found in The Chicago Tribune Sports Department under the direction of Dan McGrath.
Dan McGrath, in my opinion, is the absolute best crafter of prose. Though Sports is Dan's beat, his heart directs a pen that follows a masterful path to the truth. He never engages in willful thinking like a Jay Mariotti, an Eric Zorn, a Mary Mitchell, or a Cathleen Falsani. Dan McGrath puts his own desires for what might be aside and gives the facts as they are presented to us.
Like a working man, with a limited income, a mortgage, tuition payments, medical, insurance, Taxes, and desires, Dan McGrath puts what is necessary before what he might like. No agenda, only a task before him, Dan McGrath gets the work done.
Dan's White Sox Championship reports were examples of good writing. Today Dan eclipses that brilliant series with a consideration of the personally loathsome Barry Bonds and his place in the Hall of Fame and in the Baseball Record Book. I think the guy has been doping up for years, like so many others, but is protected by image and dollar conscious leaders of National Baseball - it's their shame: Barry Bonds like any self-absorbed person will do whatever he is allowed to do -ala Michael Vick.
McGrath cuts through the nonsense and prejudice and need to appeal to popular sentiment that afflicts so many writers and presents a sound working man's reflection on any issue. Dan McGrath is fair, balanced and genuine. When asked if he could vote for the obviously 'juiced' and insulated Bonds for admission to the Hall of Fame, McGrath told San Francisco Chronicle's Tom Fitsgerald:
Yea or nay?
Voting members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America were asked whether they would vote for Barry Bonds for the Hall of Fame if they had to decide today.
Yes -- Bob Nightengale, USA Today Sports Weekly; Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune; Mike Klis, Denver Post; John Henderson, Tampa Tribune; Doug Krikorian, Long Beach Press-Telegram; Bob Elliott, Toronto Sun; Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News; Dan McGrath, Chicago Tribune.
No -- Hal Bodley, USA Today; Dave van Dyck, Chicago Tribune; Ken Rosenthal, FoxSports.com; Hal McCoy, Dayton Daily News; Larry Stone, Seattle Times; Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times; Bob Klapisch, ESPN.com.
E-mail Tom FitzGerald at tfitzgerald@sfchronicle.com.
Voting members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America were asked whether they would vote for Barry Bonds for the Hall of Fame if they had to decide today.
Yes -- Bob Nightengale, USA Today Sports Weekly; Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune; Mike Klis, Denver Post; John Henderson, Tampa Tribune; Doug Krikorian, Long Beach Press-Telegram; Bob Elliott, Toronto Sun; Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News; Dan McGrath, Chicago Tribune.
No -- Hal Bodley, USA Today; Dave van Dyck, Chicago Tribune; Ken Rosenthal, FoxSports.com; Hal McCoy, Dayton Daily News; Larry Stone, Seattle Times; Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times; Bob Klapisch, ESPN.com.
E-mail Tom FitzGerald at tfitzgerald@sfchronicle.com.
Today in Tribune Sports Dan McGrath clearly and magnificently tells why. That example of writing is working class! That writing reflects working values. That is what working people expect to read for their $.50 or $.75; certainly Not shilling for wealthy people with an agenda that goes counter to the values of working people of all races.
The Chicago Tribune editorial board, like the pygmies at Chicago Sun Times, bait their hooks with cookie-cutter agendas crafted by some very powerful enemies of the working man - Maybe Sam Zell's direction of the Trib will be an opportunity to knock the HS out their hearts.
A Great beginning would be the appointment of Daniel B. McGrath as managing editor.
Here's why:
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