Let's Be Frank: The Sports Public Intellectual Exists

If public intellectuals exist, then without any doubt Frank Deford is one. He certainly has the resume. After graduating from Princeton, Deford was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his respective field, voted writer of the year six times, named magazine writer of the year twice, authored 15 books (two of which became movies and one of which is becoming a Broadway musical), and won an Emmy. Today he works as a correspondent for one of television’s most acclaimed monthly magazine shows, is a senior writer for one of the most acclaimed magazines, has received honors from Northwestern and the University of Missouri, and speaks at universities across the country as a guest lecturer.

His body of work qualifies him as a public intellectual… it can’t be debated. And you can’t argue with awards and honors either as they are society’s way of pointing out which individuals have achieved the highest success for the most groundbreaking and influential work. Yes, Deford is one of America’s public intellectuals and he earned that title for all of his excellence as a sportswriter.

The conversation on public intellectuals is a long one. What is a public intellectual? What role do they play in our society? The answers vary greatly and the conclusions yield few agreements. Arguments have been made that public intellectuals only exist within the realms of politics, science, and other academic areas; that it is the job of these public intellectuals to engage themselves and the public, in critical discourse that is meant to present expert, educated, and resourceful views on relevant issues. If that is the role of a public intellectual, then the status should not be excluded from sports. As Stephen Mack succinctly puts it at the end of his essay The “Decline” of Public Intellectuals, “The measure of public intellectual work is not whether the people are listening, but whether they’re hearing things worth talking about.” Deford made his career talking about sports and in today’s world, sports is definitely something worth talking about. While it may not create new public policy or develop new innovative technologies, sports has etched itself into the fabric of our society. It is one of the largest consumer-driven industries in the country and has helped pave the way for social change throughout its history. Many of its prominent figures are some act as leaders who provide inspiration and have become role models for millions of people all around the world.

So the fact that Deford has been inducted to the National Sportswriters Hall of Fame; voted U.S. Sportswriter of the Year six times; been named the nation’s finest sportswriter by the American Journalism Review; described as the most influential sports voice among members of the print media by The Sporting News; and won an Emmy (for his work at the 1988 Olympic games) prove that he is one of the most influential and prominent intellectuals in an industry that has become so important to the public. Whether it be in his Sports Illustrated columns, his weekly segments on NPR, or his investigative stories for HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Deford provides educated opinions, well-articulated thoughts, and a smooth, conversational yet intelligent writing that can help any reader gain knowledge and formulate their own thoughts on sports. And if public intellectuals do serve to influence the opinions of their readers and change the landscape of their field, then Deford is as qualified as they come. If you don’t trust me, just start from the top and read again.