Friday, July 6, 2012

Cohn Zohn Must-Read in Bay Area Press; Lowell Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat


People often ask me what I read, who I like, and don't like; what I watch, listen to, etc.

Pretty much everything is my standard answer. Got to keep up with the world.

My appointment read of the morning is Lowell Cohn's blog in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

First off, Lowell writes very well. You might remember his early days in the Bay Area as a sports columnist at the Chronicle. I loved his blunt assertions on everything from Al Davis to Barry Bonds. He was pointed, relentless, and most importantly, a highly entertaining read.

These days, Cohn doesn't merely pen sports. Some of his best blog posts, (and print columns too), in fact, have nothing to do with sports. You like fine wine? Then you must read Lowell. Restaurants too.

No doubt though, his best work is sports, like this nails piece on Barry Bonds. A classic. This is a vintage "Cohn Zohn" because even if you disagree, you still make the time to read.

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20 comments:

  1. Lowell might be decent (sometimes) but his kid has to be the most arrogant, no-talent, never was, hack of all time.

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    1. Hey loser. Grant is a tremendous young man and a great person. He's also very talented. Its OK to say you don't like what he writes or how he writes it - but keep your anonymous personal attacks to yourself.

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    2. @4:31 - Do you sense any irony in calling @1:07 "loser" and then recommending keeping personal attacks to himself?

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  2. Cohn is great. I've been following his writing for over 30 years. I like when he calls out the lousy A's ownership. From silent majority owner John Fisher, who goes spares no expense on priceless art but spends little dollars on A's players, to minority owner and mouthpiece Lew Wolff, who has this constant obsession for moving to SJ, letting the team wither in the meantime. Money is all these two goons care baout. They don't care about winning, the fans or the great legacy in Oakland. Bastards!!

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  3. Why did Cohn leave The Chronicle?

    Funny... who is his son?

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  4. I used to like reading Lowell, but he's an annoying weasel on TV/Radio. It seems like his main goal in every press conference is to get under the skin of whichever athlete he's covering. After watching him in action, the opinions on his column seem like a transparent attempt at trying to prove he's better (and smarter) than his subjects.

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    1. Obviously why Rich likes him, an annoying weasel trying to get under the skin of whichever athlete he's following.

      Sound familiar?

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  5. Yes, of course Rich Lieberman would love Lowell Cohn.
    They are both so self-righteously outspoken yet so oblviously limited!

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    1. Says the guy who loves Bob Fitzgerald and posts defense of KNBR in his worthless time.

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    2. @3:33
      I don't care for either Lowell Cohn or Bob Fitzgerald. @2:13.

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  6. This post is ridiculous! Not only do I not agree with him, I no longer take the time to read. His opinion, analysis and writing style wouldn't challenge a fifth grader's intellect. So many times I've read his article or blog post and came away regretting the two or three minutes it took to read it.

    He is not the worst writer in the bay area but he simply isn't near the upper echelon. He's an ok writer for a second rate newspaper (my hometown paper fwiw). I do applaud his independence in freely attacking the teams when he feels it necessary. However like my neighbors Chihuahua, his articles are a lot of noisy barking and simply no bite.

    I can't leave this post without taking a moment to say that his son, Grant is in fact the worst writer I've ever taken the time to read. He has all of his father's lousy writing qualities mixed with his own youthful ignorance and immaturity. If I were Lowel, I'd be embarrassed with what this kid is producing. But all indications are that Lowel is blind to this.

    Anyway, Rich - once again - you are suffering a huge disconnect. You don't read the room well and you're showing your old age with post like these. Let me do you a favor by giving you another great idea to drive traffic, engage your users and help you get a clue:
    List all the bay area writers/reporters. Categorize it by sports, local news, etc. Let us engage in a poll that ranks them. I have almost no doubt that Lowell (perhaps along with his kid) will rank in the bottom third. It's almost a guarantee. Do it Rich! It can only help you!

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    1. Daniel--what on Earth is wrong with you?

      I don't always agree with Rich, but I appreciate the rich commentary he provides.

      If you think he's such a rotten writer, don't read his blog.

      And if you have new ideas, create a blog of your own!

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    2. I appreciate the commentary too. Rich is alright and I respect what he does here. But when his shit is weak, I will say so.

      You sir (or ma'am) as it relates to your opinion of me, keep it to yourself as you do your identity. I'm not interested.

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  7. The problem with these haters is...their idea of a sportswriter is writing a story or column like the back stats of baseball cards. Otherwise,any real opinion frightens them..and people fear what frightens them.
    Whats a great sportswriter to them? A writer version of Norman Rockwell. That's a fact. Its what Bob Costus on the left to George Will on the right try to call as all American. Instead, the best are more like Hunter S Thompson..and his type are very rare. The Bobs and Will? A dime a dozen.
    S

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    1. Gratuitous, provocative outrage is not opinion; it's noise calculated to draw attention to the writer. Just because it's controversial doesn't mean it's good.

      I'll take someone like Scott Ostler any day. He writes thoughtful columns that make a point without hyperbolic, exaggerated vitriol.

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    2. 7:40 PM: spot on.

      An opinion doesn't have to be controversial to be real or insightful. Controversy for controversy's sake isn't a "real opinion", its a ploy to get people to pay attention. If those people are gullible enough, they will pay attention. Its a time tested technique that still works. But its just that -- a technique.

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    3. Whats provocative or controversial is in the eye of the reader-holder. I read the same things and think-interesting. And neither one of you has accuse Lowell of not believing in what he writes. Unlike KNBR hosts who cant speak against certain local teams..but you dont mind that? You think if he wasn't paid by the Warriors,Bob Fitzy would still say what he says?..same for all of them.

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    4. No, deciding what's provocative or controversial isn't a matter of taste, it's an objective characteristic. In terms of judging written material by the writer's sincerity is idiotic.

      Someone reads an article, a collection of words, and decides how he feels about what is written. To presume that you are able to discern the writer's sincerity is ridiculous and than that you judge what's written relative to how the writer feels is stupid for too many ways to list here.

      If the best thing you can say about Cohn is that be believes what he says, than that's feint praise indeed.

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    5. I'm not a hater. I've hired many writers over two decades in the field, and I've been writing about as long as Cohn. I just dislike his style and the way he goes about interviewing, at least when it's been televised and I've heard him.

      As a professional journalist, I have a lot of contempt for lazy writing. Cohn is a lazy writer.

      Controversy does not make the column. Solid writing does.

      Cohn has a lot of the former and too little of the later.

      He'd never make it at a newspaper I managed. He would have been out the door in the early 1980s.

      That said, his son's sophomoric tendencies show he is not ready even for the small stage of The Press Democrat. You should read some of his comments. I can remember one in particular to a woman who did not like what he wrote. Amazingly immature and amateurish. They've probably been cleansed by now, as the elder Cohn does not allow all comments to be aired on his blog.

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  8. Lowell once in a while can write a great out of the park column, but most times he has to be the center of the attention of the column. I do read most of his columns except for the Raider and A's.

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