Boxing Writer and Veteran Observer Rein Wins CJ Award for May -- Abramson, Smith are Runners-Up, with Special Mention to Graham
The Sweet Science is the world's foremost online boxing publication, and includes a world-class roster of boxing writers. So it is no small feat to win the CJ Award, which is rapidly becoming the most prestigious honor in boxing journalism. The website aspires to a level far above what can normally be found online, and May 2005 winner of the CJ Award -- Joe Rein -- is symbolic of that vision.
(PRWEB) August 10, 2005 -- Talented freelance boxing writer Joe Rein has a
style all his own. And that style now manifests itself in his being named over
an accomplished field of candidates as winner of the May 2005 CJ Award, bestowed
by TheSweetScience.com (http://www.thesweetscience.com).
Rein's award-winning
story, "What a Tangled Web We Weave," covered a Los Angeles press conference
along the promotional trail for the upcoming middleweight title fight between
Bernard Hopkins and Jermain Taylor, and did so with such lyricism as to separate
itself from the level of reporting one usually sees from these self-serving
events.
"What a wonderful surprise to hear I've won the CJ Award," said
Rein, upon hearing of the honor. "It's especially gratifying, considering the
talent on the site."
Rein got a #1 vote from all panelists, a first for
the CJ Award.
"In another era, a writer like Joe Rein would be known by
everyone interested in boxing," said Robert Ecksel, editor of The Sweet Science.
"His quirky, idiosyncratic style elevates his work from pure 'journalese' and
his boxing background gives his work an authenticity often lacking from the work
of his equally enthusiastic but less experienced colleagues. This was an unusual
bit of work from an unusual boxing columnist not beholden to any
conventions."
"My only approach to this article, as with everything I
write," says Rein, "is to have the reader experience it, painting the most vivid
picture possible."
Rein, who currently teaches television production at
UCLA, is a former amateur boxer who trained at the Fifth Street Gym on Miami
Beach and fought for the University of Miami at a time when the sport was more
commonplace on the collegiate level. He has contributed to a number of websites
over the years and has an essay in the book "Shadow Boxers," which is now in
release.
Runners-up for May were Mitch Abramson for "The Life and Rhymes
of Don Majeski," and Greg Smith for "Ezzard Charles: Subtle
Greatness."
Abramson, a New Yorker who has written for the New York Times
and Village Voice among others, addressed the career of one of boxing's
intriguing "underground" characters - the peripatetic Majeski, who is one of the
sport's most influential behind-the-scenes operators.
"This story went
below the surface, exploring a subject the average fan doesn't know very much
about," said Charles Jay, editor-in-chief of The Sweet Science. "And it was
extremely well-crafted. As such, it's an ideal CJ Award
candidate."
Smith's story about Ezzard Charles, the former heavyweight
champ, was long overdue, in Jay's opinion. "Ezzard Charles may have been, at one
time or another, the best middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight in the
world, or very close to it," he said. "Precious few fighters can say that. Yet
he is not recognized enough by history, and certainly not by this generation of
fight fans."
Special mention went to Tim Graham, boxing writer for the
Buffalo News, who also writes a weekly column at The Sweet Science. Although
none of Graham's stories received enough individual consideration for the award,
each member of the voting panel put a different Graham entry into
nomination.
"That is a testament to the depth and breadth of Tim's
ability," Jay says. "He's versatile and professional, possessing a pundit's
mindset and a reporter's work ethic. He's a heavy hitter for us."
Graham
won a first-place "Barney" award from the Boxing Writers Association of America
last year for his coverage of the Mike Tyson-Danny Williams fight, which
appeared on The Sweet Science. It was one of four "Barney" awards the website
captured - more than any other media outlet.
The CJ Award is a monthly
honor named for Jay, an acclaimed boxing scribe whose "Operation Cleanup" books
are regarded as the most hard-hitting look at boxing from the inside. It is the
only award for boxing writers that is accompanied by money - the winner of each
month's prize receives $300, with the runners-up receiving $100 apiece.
CJ Award winners are determined by the editorial board of The Sweet
Science, a group of people involved with the sport that, aside from Jay,
includes editor Robert Ecksel, web editor Chris Gielty, and Dino daVinci,
founder of the International Brotherhood of Prizefighters (IBOP). Editorial
board members and officers of TheSweetScience.com or IBOP are ineligible to win
the CJ Award.
The Sweet Science sets the gold standard for boxing
journalism. Updated on a daily basis, it includes hundreds of features,
interviews, columns, predictions, odds, angles and more. Anyone interested in
boxing will find a treasure trove at The Sweet Science, located at http://www.thesweetscience.com. More details about the CJ
Award, as well as links to the award-winning stories, can be found at http://www.thesweetscience.com/cj-awards.php.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/8/prweb257922.htm