In Memoriam: Ralph Wiley 1952-2004

Ralph Wiley was the senior writer of Espn's Page 2 and the author of the first Sports Illustrated feature (on Eric Davis) that I remember reading. One of his Page 2 companions said it best when he noted that Wiley wrote with "gravitas." Whether he was writing about baseball, boxing, basketball or the issue of race Wiley spoke with power and precision. Moreover, instead of feigning objectivity or indifference, Wiley almost always shared how the story connected with and influenced his experience. R-Dub was a rare writer indeed.

I haven't read any of his longer works, which include Born to Play: The Eric Davis Story or Why Black People Tend to Shout. The latter is now officially on my list.

For more about Wiley, check out Page 2's: A Writer, Celebrated.