It’s honestly crazy to think that it wasn’t that long ago that you could argue that Rick Reilly was the most respected sportswriter in America. Writing on the back page of Sports Illustrated, Reilly’s column was always my favorite part of every issue. It didn’t matter what Reilly was writing about, but his conversational style made me want to read every word. When he decided to leave SI for ESPN, I was heartbroken that my favorite writer would no longer be checking in weekly, but was intrigued at his move to ESPN.
Reilly never translated to television, highlighted by his awkwardness on Monday Night Countdown, where he begged Stuart Scott to attribute a story to him.