Dick Weiss will receive McGrane Award in Atlanta July 2013 The FWAA will kick off the 2013 Vol. 51, No. 2 season in style with President Chris Dufresne of the Los Angeles Times presenting the Bert McGrane Award to Inside this issue: Dick Weiss on Aug. 28 at the Omni Ho- tel in downtown Atlanta. The presenta- tion will take place during enshrinement of the College Football Hall of Fame’s President’s column 2 2012 Class. Weiss, longtime college sports writ- er for the New York Daily News, is the 40th winner of the award, which is sym- bolic of the organiza- Bert McGrane (left) is shown at Football world mourns tion’s Hall of Fame. his retirement party from the Des death of former FWAA 3 president Joe Doyle Weiss was the associ- Moines Register in 1964 after a ation’s president in Pho- 2004 and is expected 41-year career at the paper. to cover his 29th na- to courtesy of the Bert McGrane Family. tional championship football game in early News & Observer — were giants in our Outland Trophy watch 4 January in Pasadena. profession who gave college football a list Weiss’ name and bi- bigger than life feeling with their writing ography will be listed every Saturday afternoon in the fall. Dick Weiss with the 39 other Bert They made us want to read the Sunday McGrane winners papers. when the new College Football Hall of “Recent recipients like Steve Rich- Fame opens in Atlanta in the fall of ardson, Mark Blaudschun, Tony Barn- Bronko Nagurski 2014. The FWAA began awarding the hart and Dave Sittler have carried on 5 Award watch list McGrane Award in 1974. the same tradition,” Weiss added. “I am “I feel humbled and honored to re- pleased to be in their company.” ceive this award from the Football Writ- Weiss has covered college sports ers Association,” Weiss said. “So many for the New York Daily News since of the past recipients — Furman Bisher 1993 and before that held a similar post of the Atlanta Constitution, Paul Zim- for about 10 years at the Philadelphia Orbitz, FWAA partner merman of the Los Angeles Times, Ed- Daily News. He graduated from Temple on new member 6 win Pope of the Miami Herald, Blackie in 1969 and then worked at the Balti- benefit Sherrod of the Dallas Morning News, more Sun and the Trenton Times be- Maury White of the Des Moines Regis- fore moving to the Philadelphia Daily ter and Dick Herbert of the Raleigh News. Page 2 THE FIFTH DOWN President Chris Dufresne Los Angeles Times President’s column First Vice President From your Presi- panies that used to cover membership Kirk Bohls dent’s desk: As sum- fees, including mine, do not any longer. Austin American- mer ends it’s easy to I would argue the directory alone is Statesman get, as we internet worth the money. I would tell you the Second Vice President surfers say in Califor- membership fee has been a deductible Lee Barfknecht nia, “bummed out.” item on my income tax return for years. Omaha World-Herald As a kid I remem- There are also many other perks and ber dreading the start benefits associated with membership that Board of Directors of school by staring will easily cover the fees cost. Please refer Mark Anderson at the wall clock to the FWAA website for more information. Las Vegas Review- while watching the It will be my honor to travel to Atlanta Journal Jerry Lewis Telethon in late August to present the Bert Dave Jones over the not-long- McGrane Award to Dick Weiss during Hall Harrisburg Patriot-News enough Labor Day of Fame Week. I will then stick around for George Schroeder CHRIS Weekend. the Alabama-Virginia Tech game. USA Today DUFRESNE Thank God and The watch lists for the Outland and Lee Feinswog Bear Bryant for col- Nagurski awards went out on July 11. Sports 225 lege football, which almost makes it worth Once the season nears, and then starts, Malcolm Moran watching 31 August sunsets disappear there are several important dates to note. NSJC helplessly over Chino Hills. Our regular season kicks off Aug. 26 Mark Blaudschun There is nothing like the sights, smells with the release of the Grantland Rice AJerseyGuy.com and sounds of a new season, and this Preseason Poll. On Nov. 11 the recipient John Wagner year certainly marks a season of dramatic for the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Merit Toledo Blade change. Award will be announced in Fort Worth. Phil Steele I could show off and recite all the de- The Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalists Phil Steele Magazine tails of conference realignment but instead will be announced Nov. 21 in Dallas fol- Tony Barnhart recommend that you “Google” a summa- lowed by the Outland Trophy finalists an- CBS Sports tion story written by Yahoo! word wizard nouncement Nov. 25 on ESPN. Matt Sign Pat Forde, an FWAA member in good (or Circle Dec. 8 as the day the Rose Bowl National Football Founda- at least decent) standing. All-Century Team, in conjunction with the tion “You’re forgiven if you’ve lost track of FWAA, will be announced in Pasadena. Mike Griffith all the announced changes,” Forde writes. The month also includes the naming of MLive.com “…The new geography will take some get- this year’s Eddie Robinson Coach of the Vahe Gregorian ting used to.” Year (Dec. 16) and the FWAA All-America Kansas City Star Funny, they said the same thing about Team (Dec. 18). Ceremony season con- Jimmy Burch Krakatoa. cludes Jan. 9 with the Outland Trophy Fort Worth Star-Telegram We know this is the last year of the Banquet in Omaha. Wally Hall BCS, the last year of double hosting and You can find a full listing of the 2013- Arkansas Democrat- the only time the Rose Bowl will celebrate 14 FWAA awards calendar on Page 6. Gazette th its 100 anniversary game before hosting As the season nears, we at FWAA will Tom Kensler the last BCS title game on Jan. 6. continue to be vigilant in monitoring player Denver Post It will also be an exciting season for the access and press box issues that seem to Steve Wieberg FWAA. be cropping up more and more each fall. Freelance The new media directories will be is- We as FWAA members deserve the right sued in mid-to-late August. I think most of to do our jobs in a safe, professional work- Ex-Officio you would agree the directories are one of place. We don’t deserve to be seated be- Joe Hornstein the great perks of FWAA membership. hind a post while the booster in front of us Florida International Our goal was to spread the FWAA gos- marvels at his fantastic sight lines. We (CoSIDA) pel all summer. I personally set up FWAA should not fear, after games, making the Gina Lehe lemonade stands at media days for the trek from the press box to the parking lot. BCS-Rose Bowl Mountain West and Pac 12 conferences. Do not hesitate to make me, or Steve, Scott Chipman I understand the concern some writers aware of any situation and we will do our Big Ten (ConSIDA) have about having to pay for membership best to get them resolved. out of their own pocket. Many media com- THE FIFTH DOWN Page 3 FWAA President Joe Doyle will Be Long Remembered This story by FWAA member Eric Hansen was reprinted “There really were from the May 10, 2013 editions of the South Bend Trib- weekends when Joe would une. Doyle was the FWAA's President in 1979. hustle off his stories after a Notre Dame football game By Eric Hansen and then be the navigator South Bend Tribune on a plane taking troops SOUTH BEND — Their last attempt at a conversation and/or supplies into or out ended without any actual words being exchanged. of Vietnam the following Ara Parseghian just trusted that long-time friend Joe day,” wrote Bill Moor, the Doyle would be better the next day, even though the 92- man who followed and year-old South Bend Tribune sports editor emeritus was added to the Doyle legacy confined to the intensive care unit at St. Joseph Region- as Doyle’s successor as al Medical Center. sports editor. Joe always bounced back. That’s who he was, a man “While Notre Dame fans who led with his heart when it came to adversity and were living and dying with rarely, if ever, measured his words when it came to his the Irish again by reading bold points of view. his accounts in the Sunday His weakened condition, driven by a bout with pneu- paper, at that same mo- Joe Doyle monia, kept the two friends from reminiscing in May ment Joe himself may have about their morning talks over coffee decades ago at been dodging anti-aircraft fire halfway around the world. Milt’s Grill, about politics or golf, about what kind of Notre But chances are he would be back in time to have coffee Dame football team Brian Kelly was concocting for the with Ara Parseghian at Milt’s Grill early Monday morn- fall of 2013. ing.” Nor did they get to tell each other good bye. “We made a deal early,” Doyle said back in 1981. Joe Arthur Doyle died peacefully in his hospital bed, “Ara wouldn’t tell me how to write and I wouldn’t tell him surrounded by family. He already had penned his obitu- how to coach.” ary years earlier, but never approached a day in his life Parseghian’s favorite memory of their early-morning as if he’d ever have to actually put it to use.