By John Bednarowski, APSE Fourth Vice President
Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star, took first place in the Associated Press Sports Editors 2014 contest in Column Writing category in the 75,001 to 175,000 circulation category.
Doyel, whose entry included a column on a former Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady’s combover, will be presented a first-place plaque at the 2015 APSE banquet. The banquet and awards dinner concludes the APSE Conference June 24-27 at The Westgate Hotel in San Diego, Calif.
He edged Jeff Jacobs of the Hartford Courant, who finished second, and Berry Tramel, of The Oklahoman, who came in third. Sports editors in the 75,001 to 175,000 category submitted 57 Column Writing entries.The contest is open to APSE members. Click here to join.
Contest chair Mary Byrne of USA Today Sports numbered each entry, assuring they had been stripped of headlines, graphics, bylines and any other element that would identify the writer or news organization.
In early February, preliminary judges at the APSE Winter Conference in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., selected a top 10, with each judge ranking the entries in order from 1 to 10 separately on a secret ballot. Entries were given 10 points for a first-place vote, nine points for second and so on down to 1 point for a 10th-place vote. The final 10 were given to a second judging group, which ranked the entries 1-10 in the same fashion. The winner and final rankings are determined by tallying the ballots.
The Column Writing category is judged based on style, writing quality, originality and local appeal. There is no restriction on subject matter and no requirement that the column appears regularly. Each news organization is permitted two entries in this category.
The top 10 is listed below with links to writers’ Twitter pages and winning entries.
1. Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, 49 points, two first-place votes
Gene Keady spent how much on that comb-over?!
From homeless and hungry, Shortridge star rallies
Laughter can’t hide the pain for Purdue captain
Downtown gym with a history hides in plain sight
This Pacers’ usher is a “player,” too
2. Jeff Jacobs, Hartford Courant, 42 points, one first-place vote
No links
3. Berry Tramel, The Oklahoman, 37 points
Douglass-Locust Grove: Why Locust Grove should agree to replay the game’s last 60 seconds
Chris Paul puts all the blame on his shoulders for Clippers losing Game 5
Adrian Peterson: Apologies have been replaced by apologists
Is Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury the Anna Kournikova of college football?
4. Greg Stoda, Palm Beach Post, 34 points, three first-place votes
Someone in Dolphins leadership must show a pulse; it’s up to Ryan Tannehill
Miami Heat fans — and players — give LeBron James a warm embrace
Florida AD Foley will look bad if McElwain hire doesn’t turn out well
Forget locker-room mentality; Miami Dolphins have a prison-yard mentality
In the end, Tevon Coney couldn’t entrust his dream to shaky Gators
5. Martin Fennelly, The Tampa Tribune, 31 points
Yzerman delivers cruelest ‘No’ of all
Zimmer’s passing leaves baseball, all of us poorer
FSU finally gets it right with Winston
Hits, losses just keep on coming
As one of 13 kids, Bolts’ Boyle knows Christmas highs, lows
6. Ron Borges, Boston Herald, 30 points
No links
T-7. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 29 points
No way to spin it, Carolina Panthers making a mistake with Steve Smith
Hairston’s rough history continues
Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson still has time to get it right on domestic violence
Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton hasn’t proven he’s a $100 million quarterback
The Charlotte Hornets should trade Lance Stephenson – now
T-7. Bob Wojnowski, Detroit News, 29 points
Wojo is down – err falling down – for curling’s cold stone challenge
For 50 years, Lions owner William Clay Ford kept the faith
NBA’s Sterling ban sends message: No tolerance for intolerance
Combating domestic violence would benefit NFL more than firing Roger Goodell
Harbaugh is fiery leader UM needs
T-7. Joe Strauss, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 29 points
I’m trying to love the World Cup
At Rams Park, Ferguson’s kids find peace
Port adds to her amateur golf legacy
Mixed reaction to ‘docu-series’ about Sam
Blues can’t explain disappointing finish
10. Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 20 points
No links
