Jimmy Cannon
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Cannon was a sports journalist inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
for his coverage of the sport.
, Cannon started at the New York Daily News
when he was 17. He later wrote for the New York Post
, New York Journal-American and King Features Syndicate
. He was a war correspondent for Stars and Stripes
during World War II
. He also wrote a column for Newsday
during the 1950s.
When Sugar Ray Robinson was making his famous come back, Cannon told him not to return to the ring. He wrote about this several times in his column.
He famously said of Joe Louis
that "he is a credit to his race, the human race" and was one of the first sportswriters to see the importance of the black athlete. A contemporary of Ernest Hemingway
, they were friends and mutually admired each others writing.
Whenever American journalists are informally or formally polled to choose the greatest columnists of all time, Jimmy Cannon is almost invariably voted the best sportswriter, and usually ranks near the top of any list of newspapermen in all categories.
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
for his coverage of the sport.
Early career
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Cannon started at the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
when he was 17. He later wrote for the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, New York Journal-American and King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate, a print syndication company owned by The Hearst Corporation, distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5000 newspapers worldwide...
. He was a war correspondent for Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He also wrote a column for Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
during the 1950s.
Boxing
A long-time boxing writer, Cannon once wrote that "boxing is the red light district of sports".When Sugar Ray Robinson was making his famous come back, Cannon told him not to return to the ring. He wrote about this several times in his column.
He famously said of Joe Louis
Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...
that "he is a credit to his race, the human race" and was one of the first sportswriters to see the importance of the black athlete. A contemporary of Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
, they were friends and mutually admired each others writing.
Writing style
On frequent occasions, when Cannon had no particular sports news to report, he would still manage to fill his daily column space by starting off with the phrase "Nobody asked me, but..." and then filling the rest of the column with his random opinions on any and every subject outside of the sports world. This gambit has been eagerly seized upon by newspaper columnists ever since, not only on the sports page but in every other section. Columnists who "borrow" this device will typically lead off with some lip-service tribute to its originator, such as "In the words of the immortal Jimmy Cannon: Nobody asked me, but..." and then they're off.Writing awards
- Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
Red Smith AwardRed Smith AwardThe Red Smith Award is awarded by the Associated Press Sports Editors for outstanding contributions to sports journalism. It has been awarded annually at the APSE convention since 1981...
, 2004. - International Boxing Hall of FameInternational Boxing Hall of FameThe modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
, 2002 - Boxing Writers Association of AmericaBoxing Writers Association of AmericaThe Boxing Writers Association of America was originally formed in 1926 as the Boxing Writers Association of Greater New York. The association's purpose is to promote better working conditions for boxing writers, as well as hold its writers to the highest professional and ethical standards...
A.J. Liebling Award, 1996
Whenever American journalists are informally or formally polled to choose the greatest columnists of all time, Jimmy Cannon is almost invariably voted the best sportswriter, and usually ranks near the top of any list of newspapermen in all categories.
Quotable
- (speaking of Joe LouisJoe LouisJoseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...
in response to another person's characterization of him as "a credit to his race") "...he is a credit to his race, the human race" - "A sports expert is the guy who writes the best alibis for being wrong"
- "Nobody asked me, but..."
- "If Howard CosellHoward CosellHoward William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
were a sport, he'd be roller derbyRoller derbyRoller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
."