Walsh Is Double Winner in FWAA Writing Contest September 2012 Christopher Walsh and Dave Matter Walsh
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Walsh is double winner in FWAA writing contest September 2012 Christopher Walsh and Dave Matter Walsh. Vol. 50, No. 3 were the big winners in the 20th annual The other first-place winner was Joe FWAA Best Writing Contest. Rexrode for his Enterprise story in the Walsh, from BamaOnline.com, be- Lansing (Mich.) State Journal. The only came a rare two-time first-place winner in other double placer was Ivan Maisel of Inside this issue: the same year when he picked up top ESPN.com for second place in Column places in Game and Column categories. and honorable mention in Game. All the Matter, from the Columbia (Mo.) Daily writers will be honored at the annual Executive Director’s 2 Tribune, placed first in Feature and was FWAA Awards Breakfast Jan. 7 in South column second in the Game category behind Florida. GAME First Place —Christopher Walsh, BamaOnline.com Game winner: Second Place — Dave Matter, Columbia Daily Tribune Christopher Walsh, 3 Third Place— Pete Thamel, New York Times BamaOnline.com Honorable Mention — Andy Staples, SI.com; Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com; Chris To- masson, FOX Sports Florida Feature winner: FEATURE Dave Matter, Co- 5 First Place — Dave Matter, Columbia Daily Tribune lumbia Daily Trib- Second Place — Andrea Adelson, ESPN.com une Third Place — Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune Honorable Mention — Brett McMurphy, CBSSports.com; Greg Barnes, InsideCaroli- na.com; Thayer Evans, FOXSports.com; Matt Fortuna, ESPN.com Column winner: Christopher Walsh, 8 COLUMN BamaOnline.com First Place — Christopher Walsh, BamaOnline.com Second Place —Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com Third Place —Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN.com Honorable Mention — Malcolm Moran , published in NY Times; Pat Forde, Yahoo! 2012-13 Contest 9 Sports; Brett McMurphy, CBSSports.com Information ENTERPRISE First Place — Joe Rexrode, Lansing State Journal Second Place — Chris Tomasson, FOX Sports Florida Enterprise winner: Third Place — Michael Rothstein, WolverineNation Joe Rexrode, Lan- 10 Honorable Mention —Ryan McGee, ESPN.com; Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY; Don sing State Journal Kausler Jr., The Birmingham News/(Mobile) Press-Register/The Huntsville Times Page 2 THE FIFTH DOWN President Lenn Robbins New York Post Executive Director’s First Vice President Chris Dufrense Los Angeles Times column Second Vice President With the 2012 berspace. Kirk Bohls football season In the directory, we also have provid- Austin American-Statesman underway, greet- ed an FWAA Awards Calendar (Page ings from the 23) that can help you navigate the time- Board of Directors FWAA! line of our awards during and after the By this time, if 2012 regular season. All members are Lee Barfknect you have paid eligible to send in ballots to our All- Omaha World Herald Vahe Gregorian your dues, you America Committee in November. You St. Louis Post-Dispatch should have re- will receive those via email. All members Greg Wallace ceived your 2012- will also be urged to vote electronically Anderson (S.C.) Independent- 13 Print Directory for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Mail through the regu- Year Award in December. Jimmy Burch lar mail. On the same Page 23, we highlight Fort Worth Star-Telegram STEVE Once again a the weekly award programs we currently Matt Sign RICHARDSON tip of the hat to are running: Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Na- National Football Foundation Ted Gangi for pro- tional Team of the Week (Mondays), the Malcolm Moran ducing the directo- FWAA/ Bronko Nagurski Player of the Knight Foundation ry, which to most insiders is known as Week (Tuesdays) and, starting later in Mark Anderson “The Bible” for college football infor- September, the Discover Orange Bowl Las Vegas Review-Journal mation. You will find all the contact infor- Courage Award Nominee (Wednesdays). Jon Gold mation you will need in the directory and For the first time this season, an CBS Sports what is on-line at collegepressbox.com FWAA member appears on College John Silver (available to FWAA members). Sports Today on SiriusXM Radio on Manchester Journal Inquirer In addition, there are several member Monday mornings for 5-10 minutes to John Wagner benefits that are listed on the back of announce and talk about the winner of Toledo Blade Lee Feinswog your membership card and on-line at the Team of the Week. NCAA.com Membership Center at our website And finally, the FWAA has the pleas- Tom Kensler http://fwaa.memberclicks.net. To access ure of teaming with the Bell Helicopter Denver Post go to that site and click on FWAA at the Armed Forces Bowl to launch the Armed Mike Huguenin top of the page and a menu will drop Forces Merit Award (Page 24 of the rivals.com down. It is your responsibility to access Members Directory). It will be presented Kelly Lyell and activate the benefits that are provid- to “an individual and/or a group who Fort Collins Coloradoan ed for you if you want them. have created, developed and produced a Iliana Limon With your email (username) and the program within the realm of the sport of Orlando Sentinel password you received when you joined football that provides care, concern and Wally Hall or paid your dues, you can access your support for past or present members of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette benefits at the website above. Hopefully, the United States Armed Forces and/or Brett McMurphy you customized the password and have their families.” ESPN.com it grouped with other usernames and The FWAA has appointed a five- passwords you use. If you did not do so, person committee to assist in choosing Ex-Officio and have lost the password provided, I the honoree for this award, which will be Joe Hornstein can retrieve it for you. announced on Nov. 12. Florida International We have basically become an online Meanwhile, in this issue of The Fifth John Paquette world at the FWAA. So that is why it is Down, we highlight the winners and plac- Big East-BCS important for YOU, an FWAA member, to ers of the Best Writing Contest for the th Charles Bloom keep your information updated on-line so 20 straight year. Christopher Walsh of SEC we can reach you. Especially critical is BamaOnline.com is a rare double win- the right email. If we do not have a work- ner. Dave Matter of the Columbia (Mo.) ing email for you, then you will not re- Daily Tribune placed first in one category ceive releases about what is going on in and second in another. the organization. You will be lost in cy- Enjoy the season! Page 3 THE FIFTH DOWN Game winner: Christopher Walsh, BamaOnline.com Comment by the judge, Mickey Spagnola: What a Christopher Walsh wonderful job of capturing the emotion of the Alabama BamaOnline.com team, and likely the entire state, after winning the nation- Age: 44 al championship game, while at the same time giving us College: University of New Hamp- an account of what actually happened in this Alabama- shire LSU rematch. Especially a game of this magnitude, Background: I have covered Univer- where most readers likely watched the game on TV, we sity of Alabama football since 2004 needed something more than being bombarded with and for BamaOnline (247Sports) stats and play-by-play. I was in the stands for this game, since 2009. I’ve also covered three and I would have wanted to read this the next morning. National Football League teams and Major League Baseball. But, like Nick By CHRISTOPHER WALSH Saban, this is the longest I’ve ever been in one spot. BamaOnline.com Honors include a previous FWAA Best Writing Contest first in enterprise in 2007 and two second places, a First NEW ORLEANS — Between the hugs and falling Amendment Award (formerly Freedom of Information pieces of crimson and white confetti, the emotions al- Award) from the Associated Press Managing Editors, most got the best of him. The long-off look and effects the Alabama Sports Writers Association's highest honor from months of agonizing pain were still displayed on his for story of the year, and two Pulitzer Prize nominations. face, only for once they were being washed over by pure I’ve written 18 books, including the recently updated joy. “100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know & Do Be- Overwhelming doesn’t begin to characterize what this fore They Die.” My latest "side" project is the Ultimate past year has been like in Tuscaloosa, leading to this Football Database: ultimatefd.com. This fall I’m going to one shining moment when he could smile, and nearly dare to get married during the middle of football season. cry, after winning an incredible and almost unbelievable national championship. “It’s awesome,” University of Alabama junior long- eventually turned into a beat-down in all three facets of snapper Carson Tinker said. “There are no words that the game. can describe this. Just a lot of work paid off. Everyone However, for one half it was all but a continuation of here faced some kind of adversity, and just to see how the 9-6 loss in overtime, complete with another blocked they all came out of that is a great thing.” field-goal by LSU, and neither team able to reach the Behind him, Nick Saban was on stage at the Mer- end zone. While Alabama was repeatedly knocking on cedes-Benz Superdome to accept another crystal foot- the door, and managed three field goals, LSU notched ball, his third, with the Crimson Tide claiming its 14th title just one first down while running more of an option of- that just a few months ago seemed like a distant possi- fense behind quarterback Jordan Jefferson. bility. Still on the minds of everyone enjoying the cele- “They did a lot of different stuff tonight,” defensive bration were the 52 people killed in the horrible tornado coordinator Kirby Smart said.