Springsteen gives 110 percent
I know a lot of Bruce Springsteen fans and a lot of sportswriters and have always remarked at the two groups' huge overlap.
So in one way I wasn't surprised when it turned out that quite by chance, the man standing next to me at Tuesday's concert by Springsteen and the E Street Band at Honda Center in Anaheim was sportswriter Victor Chi, until recently the hockey writer for the San Jose Mercury News and now with The Sporting News. The surprise was that we talked on and off for three hours before each realized who the other was. We'd never met, although I've admired Victor's work and I think he knew my byline.
Why are so many sportswriters drawn to Springsteen's music and performances?
I've had this conversation with David Lassen of the Ventura County Star and now with Victor Chi, and I'm afraid our explanations are a bit obvious.
First, we admire Springsteen's writing. When critics question the "authenticity" of a zillionaire rock star singing about factory workers' struggles, it's because he creates such vivid characters and stories that listeners want to believe they're real. Nobody ever accused Rod Stewart of inauthenticity, because there's nothing to be inauthentic about. Nobody ever complained that John Lennon wasn't really a walrus.
Second, and more important, I think we appreciate the literally athletic commitment Springsteen brings to the stage. At 58, he's going full-speed from the first song, dripping sweat before the first "Good evenin'!" Sportswriters would love to see such all-out effort more often from the real athletes we cover.
"If Bruce were a baseball player," Victor said, "he'd run out every ground ball."
About this blog
Kevin Modesti watches sports from a new angle since his promotion from sports columnist to sports editor for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group. In his new blog, Modesti not only comments on the big sports stories of the moment-- he talks about what makes them big. Think of it as a conversation with readers about how these stories should be covered.
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