The New York Post lead sports columnist Mike Vaccaro may be one of the last of the legendary general sports newspaper columnists. From Jimmy Cannon to Dick Young to Mike Lupica, New York has been a sports newspaper town forever, led by the top columnists. Vaccaro has continued that tradition.
He’s also a best-selling author with his latest, The Bosses of the Bronx: The Endless Drama of the Yankees Under the House of Steinbrenner out this spring.
Vaccaro is the guest on the 52-minute “The Main Event with Andrew Marchand.”
The Rundown …
How in the 1970s, Vaccaro first dreamed of being a sports columnist for the New York Post when his dad brought him to Shea Stadium
From Ian O’Connor to Mark Kriegel to Wally Matthews, Vaccaro had big competition
Former New York Post sports editor Greg Gallo told Vaccaro that “sometimes I have to hire a search party to get the point out of your column”
What type of athlete was Vaccaro growing up
How did he get Gallo to hire him at The Post
Jerry Izenberg, Dave Anderson and Steve Serby were all great mentors
How a college-aged Vaccaro wrote Lupica a letter and Lupica wrote back …
Later, the relationship changed
Vacarro said he wasn’t perfect either in the relationship when it was Post vs. News
His relationship with Harvey Araton, Anderson and George Vecsey were better
The great advice he received from Anderson and O’Connor
The St. Bonaventure connection from Adrian Wojnarowski, Chris LaPlaca, Tim Bontemps and more
Assessing Woj as the St. Bonaventure Men’s Basketball GM
What Vaccaro’s first jobs were like
How Vaccaro was fired in Fayetteville
His fight with Frank Broyles over Title IX that led to issues
He would annually call the guy who fired him with a profane message
How a Peter Hamill line stuck with him over the firing
Editor Bill Burr giving him a second chance
Marchand tells how he was almost fired from his first job in Texas
How Vaccaro gives credit to his father for how to act
In the Kansas City Star, Vaccaro had to compete with Joe Posnanski, Jason Whitlock and more in what was an All-Star staff
How he is happy for others, like Steve Politi, when they do award-winning work
His rivalry with Frank Isola …
How Isola should’ve been a 20-year newspaper sports columnist
Why Lou Lamoriello has been the best person to cover
A tremendous Lamoriello/Larry Brooks story
How Lamoriello gave Rick Pitino his break
What Vaccaro has learned in ripping Steve Phillips and Jeff Wilpon
Calling Wilpon, “Paris” as in Hilton
Yelling with Steve Phillips about making his wife cry … and a good line
Isiah Thomas appearing in a clown suit on the back page
His editor at Harper/Collins, Sean Desmond, hatched the idea for the Steinbrenner book
The new book is written in Vaccaro’s columnist’s voice
Steinbrenner calling Vaccaro in the middle of the night
Discussing the Yankee payroll today compared to yesteryear
Vaccaro goes through the process dealing with his leg amputation
How it has impacted his job
Vaccaro fears the Papa Clicker review
Related Sports Media Podcasts
New York Times Best Seller Ian O’Connor tells the stories of legends
How Chris (Mad Dog) Russo became the greatest sports talk show host of all-time
Frank Isola’s trip from New York sports media institution to the national spotlight
Sponsor: WSC Sports … Tell them Marchand sent you
On Deck Tuesday: Marchand & Meterparel
