PODCAST: The state of sportswriting (plus Sammy Sosa reaction)

This week’s episode of the “The Two Ricks: Unfiltered” brings Sun-Times sports columnists Rick Telander and Rick Morrissey together to weigh in on the state of sports writing and the recent Sammy Sosa interview in which he discussed the possibility of mending his relationship with the Cubs.

Sosa might be an important part of memories for a lot of fans, but to Morrissey, bringing back the former slugger would beg the question of what he’s done to deserve such treatment.

“There are a load of people out there who believe Sammy should be forgiven, should be welcomed back with open arms, and be honored at Wrigley Field. And I have no doubt that he’ll be cheered. My question is, what are we cheering?”

NBC Sports Chicago multi-platform director Mike Allardyce also joins Telander and Morrissey to offer insight into the changing sports writing business and what it takes to make it in 2018. What do the rise of blogs and decline in access mean for aspiring journalists?

“What I see with blogs and with a lot of writing – I see a lot of good writing out there, believe me – but what I don’t see are a lot of people who want to do anything,” Telander said, emphasizing the importance of on-the-ground reporting in an age where that’s increasingly rare.

The good news is that sports is still one of the best arenas for writings to challenge themselves linguistically. “Sports writing lends itself to the possibility of great writing because there are clear winners, clear losers, there’s heroes, there’s villains,” Morrissey said.

Check out all of that and more in the latest episode of “The Two Ricks: Unfiltered,” presented by Sun-Times Media Productions.

Sun-Times sports columnists Rick Morrissey and Rick Telander are co-hosts of a weekly podcast called “The Two Ricks: Unfiltered.” Don’t miss their candid, amusing takes on everything from professional teams tanking to overzealous sports parents and more. Download and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Google Play or via RSS feed.