Writing for Style: Rick Reilly

Richard "Rick" Paul Reilly (born February 3, 1958 in Boulder, Colorado) is an award-winning American sportswriter. Long known for being the "back page" columnist for Sports Illustrated, Reilly announced a move to rival ESPN that begins June 1, 2008. He has won the national Sportswriter of the Year award 11 times.

Reilly is a “popular” writer and probably will not be remembered as long as Chandler or Carver or E.B. White, but he can make me laugh out loud and bring tears to my eyes. What else do you want from a writer?

Reilly's style is usually humorous, poking fun at the absurdities of athletes, coaches, and almost anyone involved in sports at any level. Reilly does have a serious side, and has written on many subjects, from small town heroes to his own personal life. Reilly has also done features, notably one about a week spent with Marge Schott that ultimately helped lead to her suspension from baseball.

He has said in his columns that he doesn't write about sports, but writes "about people IN sports."

Bibliography

Slo Mo! – A fictional diary of a naive 7'8" kid taken from high school to the NBA.

Missing Links – A novel about an eccentric group of golfers who are regulars at the worst course in America

Shanks for Nothing – A novel which is the sequel to Missing Links

The Life of Reilly – An anthology of Reilly's best early works from Sports Illustrated

Hate Mail from Cheerleaders and Other Adventures from the Life of Reilly – An anthology consisting of one-hundred Reilly's best weekly articles from 2000-2006.

Who's Your Caddy – A collection of stories about Reilly caddying for several remarkable people ranging from Donald Trump to the blind golfing world champion.

There's more on the Rick Reilly page of Writing Tips at Moore Partners.