Comments Thread For: Heavyweight Upset Reinforces Ancient Journalism Lesson

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Lyle Fitzsimmons - People of a certain age or journalistic intent will grasp a good “Dewey Defeats Truman” reference.

For the uninitiated, it stems from the wording of a front-page banner headline in the Chicago Daily Tribune on Nov. 3, 1948, which referred – incorrectly – to the results of an election that pitted incumbent president Harry Truman against New York governor Thomas E. Dewey.

The paper had an early deadline for its non-local editions, which meant those versions were printed and shipped before polls had closed. Conventional wisdom was that Dewey would win handily, so editors went ahead with the headline and gambled they wouldn’t be remembered for a historical blunder.

Those of you who’ve seen the photo of a beaming Truman know how the gamble turned out.

The image has been go-to lesson material in journalism schools for subsequent generations, reminding us writer/editor types of the perils of trying to get too far ahead of deadlines by putting pieces together before the events being written about have actually occurred. [Click Here To Read More]

[The Ninth Layer]

Haha ouch Lyle. At least you were man enough to admit your **** up. Nobody would have ever known had this not been published.

[PunchyPotorff]

No worries, most scribes (and fans for that matter) were in automatic mode, so don't feel alone. Gotta remember Dr Panic Attack's Achille's heel though. Many forget or don't acknowledge, but that's his weakness. No size/height/reach advantage = panic attack = loss.

[SteveM]

Well that has been an inventive way to STILL use the material. Seems like you must have turned to your wife at the end of the fight and said "this article is too good to leave on the shelf, it'll make a great Tuesday filler".

Now how about getting double mileage out of it by injecting Fury into the article somehow - how would Fury have done against Louis and Marciano? Doesn't have Wlad's jab and concussive right but has freakish movement for a guy that size = Nightmare!

[Eff Pandas]

**** I bet a bunch of writers do or at least have done that.

[Philantro]

He's not as elegant as The Greatest, not as rugged as the Real Deal and not as excellent all-around as the Easton Assassin. Put them in all in equally equipped race cars and Dr. Steelhammer qualifies somewhere other than the pole position in a race for history's top spot.

But when you consider the horsepower that being gigantic and capable brings – and you're interested in something more than esoteric resonance – there's no one else to be riding with when the light goes green. Because when it comes to the biggest men, he's the best there's ever been.

Wlad seems to enjoy admiring his own muscles in the mirror, and Lyle also comes across as Wlad's body admirer. However, boxing is not the same as bodybuilding.



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[Guest]

This was a good article, I enjoyed that read.

[mezoomozaa]

This article was a joy to read, no mocking, no discredit to anyone. It is a good chronicle for the historic event.

[Dr_Calvin]

Decent read up to the "best of the big men" part. Lennox Lewis must have only been a inch shorter than Vlad and would have mopped the floor with him. Likewise Vitali if they were not related would have iced him. I think the myth of Vlad being ever considered with the greatest was exposed during his pathetic showing at the weekend. For a champion of so long to feebly concede his title to such a limited challenger and then say he couldn't cope with Fury's speed is mind-boggling. None of the greats would have lost in that manner.