Way back in 1998, when I was a staffer at Sports Illustrated, we’d occasionally get a call from someone at People Magazine, seeking advice about something related to athletics. Maybe a People writer needed to know a term. Maybe an editor sought to confirm the spelling of Y-I-N-K-A D-A-R-E. Whatever the case, we always found it funny, because the People folk knew absolutely nothing about sports. Which leads to the 1998 and the Sexiest Man Alive issue. This was an annual People specialty, and along with having an overall “sexiest” man (usually a Clooney-type) gracing the cover, the inside pages would feature a Sexiest This, Sexiest that. Sexiest Librarian. Sexiest Doctor. Sexiest Fisherman. For the ‘98 issue, People sought out a Sexiest Athlete. I’m sure they asked the good folk at SI for ideas, and as rumor has it (and as I verified years ago) an editor with our magazine suggested Rich Gannon, my fellow Blue Hen and—at the time—the Chiefs’ dashing quarterback. So a photographer named Toby Black headed to Kansas City with the assignment, “Shoot pictures of the Chiefs quarterback.” Which he did. Only, eh, he shot the wrong quarterback.
Elvis Grbac was, indeed, a Chiefs quarterback. But not the Chiefs quarterback, and certainly not the sexiest Chiefs quarterback. But People’s editors knew not what to do, so they swallowed their pride and presented Elvis Grbac—not a sexy man—as a sexy man. Hilarity ensued. Long story short: Lists don’t mean shit. They don’t mean shit when People botches a sexy athlete. They don’t mean shit when I handled the 1999 Sports Illustrated 50 Greatest Athletes from Every State project (and we, cough, left Evander Holyfield off Georgia). They’re just a bunch of people noting that the end is near, and a compilation is required. So, with that as a backdrop, here is the first-ever Jeff Pearlman Yang Slinger Best of Media List (for 2022). It’s random, it’s quirky, it’s sincere. And it’s not nearly as sexy as Elvis Grbac …
The Yang Slinger Media Superstar of 2022: L. Jon Wertheim:OK, so there’s some obvious bias here, because Jon is a longtime friend and colleague. But this is my Substack, dammit. I’m not sure anyone in this business works harder—or with more conviction and decency. Jon is an editor/writer at Sports Illustrated who produces stuff like this and this. He’s a correspondent for 60 Minutes who produces stuff like this and this. He’s a Tennis Channel guy who says stuff like this and this. Oh, and he writes books like this and this. He’s absolutely e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e, and despite the successes I’ve never, ever, ever seen him treat someone poorly or sans dignity. I like to think I work hard. But this hard? No way. The Yang Slinger Lost Cause of 2022: Jason Whitlock:Once upon a time, not all that long ago, Whitlock teamed up with Joe Posnanski to form the Kansas City Star’s dynamic one-two sports columnist punch. Jason wasn’t merely one of the most powerful Black voices in this medium (where there were far too few people of color writing sports), he was one of the most powerful voices—period. Through the years, however, well … eh … um … something has gone terribly wrong. Insecurity? A need to be seen at all costs? I’m not entirely sure what’s unfolded. But Whitlock was hired to lead The Undefeated, then blew it and was kicked to the curb. He has since bounced from one medium to another to another, all the while growing increasingly conspiratorial and weird. He seemed to find a perfect landing spot alongside Clay Travis at the hard-right Outkick the Coverage, but his stint there lasted a wink and a half. As the old saying goes, “If you’re too warped to stick at Outkick, something’s really off.” Now, on the heels of this embarrassing ass kiss of Donald Trump, Whitlock lives on the fringiest of fringes, hosting a podcast and a YouTube channel that both exist within the deepest realms of the MAGA echo chamber. Rumor has it he’ll soon be doing twice-a-day hits via CB radio in certain corners of the Greater Reno municipality. To be clear, this brings me no joy. I’ve never liked Whitlock’s schtick, but he’s not without talent. The Yang Slinger Rising Star: Payton Titus, University of Florida:Payton appeared on my podcast back in May, after some remarkable reporting on the college level led to her school dismissing the women’s soccer coach. She’s spent the past few months writing for the Miami Herald, and her work leaps from the page. There’s something about this up-and-comer that feels different from most other young journalists. She’s poised. She’s savvy. She’s experienced. She has a legitimate maturity in approach. She’s ready.
The 10 Sports Media Influencers of 2022:
Bill Simmons, The Ringer:Over the course of the past two decades, Simmons is The Guy who has not merely adjusted to the times, but spearheaded dramatic shifts in the way people consume content. Bill was The Sports Guy. Then he was Grantland. Then he was The Ringer. He had an HBO show. He did NBA games. Podcasts start blowing up—Bill rolls into the world of pods. It’s a remarkable career that keeps on producing. Not all that long ago, I was a pretty big Bill complainer—“Wah, the way he doubles as a fan is killing the industry. Wah.” And while I remain uncomfortable with the erosion of the line, I’ve come to admire his ability to see six steps ahead. Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor and Ryan Clark, The Pivot:There are plenty of podcasts hosted by retired athletes. But something about The Pivot has moved the needle on the medium. The realness. The honesty. The rawness. It’s an outstanding product that opens listeners up to a world most never visit. In many ways, Crowder, Taylor and Clark use their status as retired athletes to empathize in ways I’ve never been able to. It’s a powerful tool. Clay Travis, Outkick:Look, he’s largely full of shit. Probably votes for Biden and funds abortion clinics and has a trans neighbor who comes by for Thanksgiving and trades secret stories about MAGA dolts while laughing over passages of “Gender Queer.” And his site is often a cesspool of the grotesque, the vile, the stupid, the transparently phobic. But love him or hate him, Clay’s Outkick has found a market among conservative sports fans who need them some Trump and need them some college football. He’s lasted far longer than most of us anticipated, and clearly works hard honing in on a message. In this age of micro-markets and focused readership, it’s no small trick. Taylor Rooks, Bleacher Report:I hate what Bleacher Report has become. Hate, hate, hate. Back a few years ago, it was one of the great spots for deep-dive longform. Then it dumped that plan for flash, splash, quick hits, clicks. And, in many ways, Rooks isn’t entirely my cup o’ tea—the whole journalist-as-celeb celebrity thing. BUT … some of the best athlete-reporter interviews of the past few years have been conducted by Rooks, including this one with Tyrese Haliburton and this with Ja Morant. She probes, she digs, she gets stuff others don’t. So, hey, maybe I was wrong. Adam Schefter, ESPN:This one comes with a slight twist. I’ve got no personal agenda against Adam. And he’s clearly an important figure in the NFL media landscape. But if we learned one thing over the past few years, it’s that, well, um, he’s sorta, eh, compromised. A real reporter doesn’t run a story past a source. A real reporter also doesn’t Tweet this …  This is why Deshaun Watson, from the beginning, welcomed a police investigation: He felt he knew that the truth would come out. And today, a grand jury did not charge him on any of the criminal complaints. or this … Deshaun Watson has made what NFL and NFLPA experts have described as "signs of progress" during his mandatory treatment program, per sources. The price of access is often integrity. Adam shows precious little. As a result, he’s actually served as a cautionary tale for many young folk in the media. It’s one thing to make it. But don’t make it … like that. Chris Long, Green Light:Less than a half decade after his last NFL game, Long (one of the true good guys in sports media) jumped into the podcast space with gusto. When he speaks, people legitimately listen. He’s smart and charismatic, pulls surprisingly few punches and breaks down the intricacies of a game as well as anyone out there. He’s also become a fairly big spokesperson for the intersection of gambling and football as open, accepted recreation. Which, cough, I don’t really enjoy. But it’s now as much a part of the NFL experience as beer and overpriced parking. So what do I know? Candace Buckner, Washington Post:The (still relatively new) Washington Post sports columnist is one of America’s best scribes—and an important voice in the increasingly diverse world of sports media. She’s simply a wonderful writer and a standard-bearer in the industry who, over the past year, moved toward the top of the AMERICA’S BEST SPORTS COLUMNIST conversation. Katie Strang, The Athletic:The senior enterprise and investigative writer takes no shits. She’s fearless, edgy, smart, savvy and as good a prober as we have in the business. Her recent work on Zvi Levran, the Michigan “hockey doc,” sums up all she does well. If you’re someone who works in sports, and Katie is reporting on you—run. Bomani Jones, HBO:A certain dipshit frog boy at Outkick likes criticizing Bomani because, apparently, ratings of his HBO show, Game Theory with Bomani Jones, were just meh. But here’s the thing—Bomani Jones, mere sports writer not long ago … HAS HIS OWN FUCKING HBO SHOW! WITH HIS NAME ON IT! THAT GUESTS BEG TO APPEAR ON! AND THE SHOW IT LEGITIMATELY GOOD. So, hey, the last laugh is the best one. Plus, Bomani is one of the legitimate good dudes in the business. Hard working. Detailed. Wise. His success is an inspiration/motivator for every grinder with a dream. Stephen A. Smith, ESPN:Look, it’s not my thing. Not really. But to pretend Smith’s impact on sports media doesn’t remain huge would be to delve into bullshit. In many ways, I hate what Smith and Skip have wrought—a generation of up-and-comers who think the way to do this is to bark and snarl and rip and yelp. But, well, maybe the way to do this is to bark and snarl and rip and yelp. So, fuck. We’re doomed—but Stephen A. is at the forefront.
Seven Mighty Sports Books of 2022
Obviously any literary list comes with limitations—like (cough, cough) I haven’t read every sports book. But for my money, one of the the 2022 kings of sports lit has to be Howard Bryant’s “Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original.” It’s the subject I wish I tackled, but then realized (after reading) that I would have been the wrong guy. Howard’s dig into Rickey’s Oakland roots, his quirky behavior, his misunderstood approach is page-turning bliss. Along those lines, David Maraniss never disappoints—and “Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe” is everything you’d expect when a top-shelf researcher meets a subject itching to be examined. There are roughly 100 moments when—mid-reading—you’ll ask yourself, “How the fuck did he find that?” The name Stephen Guinan doesn’t have the nationwide familiarity of a Bryant or Maraniss, and that’s because—when he’s not kicking ass on the literary front—the man teaches high school English in Columbus, Ohio. But “We Are The Troopers: The Women of the Winningest Team in Pro Football History” is an absolute treat. It’s the story of the long-forgotten (if ever remembered) Toledo Troopers, a woman’s football team that dominated the land for a good decade. Guinan is a fabulous writer, and his joy dances from page to page. Unlike the Troopers, Muhammad Ali has been the subject of, oh, 8,532 books through the decades. But somehow, against all odds, the great Dave Hannigan brings forth a stunningly original approach in “Muhammad Ali: Fifteen Rounds in the Wilderness.” I don’t want to spoil much, but Hannigan looks at The Greatest in a way that feels fresh and unique and keeps on soaring from page to page. Chris Herring’s “Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks” chronicles a period from Pat Riley’s 1991 Big Apple landing thru the wrinkled suit heyday of Jeff Van Gundy. What I dig—beyond the color and wildness of the era—are the stories. And more stories. And more stories. They never end. Herring was meant to do this book thing. Anyone who has worked in sports media for a good chunk of time has come across Mike Zagaris, the iconic Bay Area photographer. And his new compilation, “Field of Play: 60 Years of NFL Photography,” elicits all sorts of feels. Z doesn’t just see moments—he attacks them. It’s beautiful stuff. One might think, “Ugh, who needs another Kobe book?” Yet Mike Sielski’s “The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality,” is something special. First, it’s not a Kobe book, but a Kobe origin saga. And second, it’s a beautifully written masterpiece of basketball history.
Ten Best (Random) Media Moments of 2022:
Oh, wait. I found a greater singular moment. 
Ten Articles from 2022 You Should Read:
The Random 2022 Shit I Dug …
For no particular reason, in no particular order … Aaron Rupar’s Public Notice Substack. Michael J. Lewis’ Wide World of Stuff blog. Mirin Fader’s work-in-progress Instagram feed. Bo Jackson’s two Tweets (one and two) about my book. The first volume of Michael Namikas’ Tupac Encyclopedia. The knock-off jerseys of DHGate. Richard Deitsch’s weekly sports media podcast. The soothing sounds of Rebecca Lobo and Steve Rushin discussing everything and nothing. Alan Shipnuck never flinching in the face of golf criticism. Dick Morris, the long-ago disgraced political consultant, writing a book on Donald Trump’s inevitable 2024 presidential triumph, needing a picture for the back cover and realizing the only one he had features Dick in full nipple bloom and The Donald coated in sweat (see above). Antonio Brown as a Deadspin Idiot of the Year. The sweet cover for Jonathan Eig’s upcoming MLK biography.
Lastly, I’ve dug this Substack—writing it, thinking about it, trying to come up with ideas and worthwhile topics. I appreciate anyone who’s taken the top to stop by, and will do my best to make it better in 2023. Merry new year, and keep writing …
Best Newsletters Tommy AaRon Rupar michael j lewis podcasts the pivot chris long
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The Yang Slinger: Vol. XXVII
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