Story on Cannon worth replaying (11.1.09)

When sportswriting is good, it is great and an article on ESPN.com is the best I have read in a very long time.

If you watched college football on Halloween you probably saw black-and-white replays of Billy Cannon's punt return that gave LSU a Fright Night victory over Ole Miss half a century ago. It's a classic run that is worth replaying.

This time around, ESPN.com senior writer Wright Thompson wrote a story that updates the up and down life of Cannon, 1959's Heisman Trophy winner and a Southeastern Conference hero long before the birth of Tim Tebow.

Thompson's work is also outstanding.

As a recovering sportswriter, I believe the work done on sports pages is often overlooked when good writing is discussed. Read the piece on Cannon and see why it should be considered and then Google Thompson and find other examples of his work.

Click here to read this outstanding sports literature.