Tim McGhee
Correspondent II

Tim McGhee

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About

Offering the perspective of a lifelong college football fan with a novelist's insight and touch, the storyteller in me guides my right brain as the left side sorts through the numbers. It all sloshes around in my skull, resulting in what has been called an unusual point-of-view.

I played the game during the final days of the shamed Nixon Administration as a 5-10 175 lb. offensive lineman on the high school level. Accepting the anonymity, I was motivated by a) my team's victories, and b) executing the pancake block. My last year, we were 6-4 and I usually got 1 to 2 or sometimes 3 pancakes a night. That's not quite IHOP, but it was good enough for some All-Whatever votes.

The pancake quarry was generally maniacal linebackers who didn't know what the hell they were doing. It was big-time fun.

And, that's how I write.

*****

I have been writing sports since 2000, covering the NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers for the now-defunct Football Network, and for Lindy's online. In recent years, I have blogged about West Virginia football, following the Mountaineers during their 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons, and wrote about West Virginia football for Bleacher Report in 2009 and 2010.

I have written two novels. The first, Wise Fools, a 32.00 USD 225,000 word gushing, foaming, swirling brain download, like an endless roaring stream of Class V rapids, has a 1970s pine-riding college football wideout protagonist. The second, Risk, Return, and the Indigo Autumn, half as long, much more reasonable and readable and enjoyable and available for 7.99 USD in the Amazon Kindle format, is the story of the pine-riding wideout and his final months as a loser stockbroker during the go-go years in the decade of the '80s.

Also in my mind is a screenplay about college football in the decade of the 1960s.

Short List

  • All Time Sports Moment

    The Best) Rich Rodriguez calls a fake punt from midfield late in the fourth quarter while barely holding a 38-35 lead over Georgia in the 2005 Sugar Bowl. It worked for a first down as WVU essentially ran the clock down for the victory. How much titanium does a coach has to have in his guts to attempt the most big game special teams call in modern college football?...1) Super Bowl XLIII - My wife and I were in New Zealand visiting our younger daughter. The Mrs., being the big-time Pittsburgh-native Steelers fan she is, set up an opportunity for us to watch the first quarter on Australian sports TV, that's Super Bowl Sunday live at noon on Monday. After then, we had to travel from Auckland to the Blenhem wine country. Our older daughter back in the States, who is among the certifiable Steelers-crazed faithful, sent texts to us with updates. These updates included the back-to-back touchdowns of Larry Fitzgerald (a despondent text) and Santonio Holmes (a text of elation). That was a pretty wild way to follow our favorite team...1a) 1984 West Virginia over Boston College and Doug Flutie (WVU down 20-6 at half, won 21-20), and... 1b) 2008 Fiesta Bowl - West Virginia absolutely surprises Oklahoma and the rest of the free world 48-28

  • Most Memorable Game Attended

    A two-way tie...a) 2006 #1 Ohio State over #2 Michigan 42-39 at The Horseshoe as a guest of my good friend Ross...b) the 2001 season AFC Championship game between Pittsburgh and New England at Heinz Field, a forgettable game with six play reviews - six - that was memorable only because I was among the Working Press in the press box.

  • Most Unbreakable Sports Record

    Lynn Swann's 40.25 yards per catch (4 catch minimum), a Super Bowl record set during Super Bowl X. And, although they're difficult to quantify, Swannie's two absolutely superhuman acrobatic catches in that game also have to comprise a "style points" record that is impossible to beat.

  • Ruth or Mays?

    Roberto Clemente

  • Unitas or Montana?

    Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath, and you have to throw Terry Bradshaw and his 4 Super Bowl victories in there, which are of course different--not better, just different--than Joe Montana's since Terry actually threw downfield.

  • Petty or Earnhardt?

    The Intimidator

Bulletin Board

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or to post this comment

  • Josh Greller posted 141 days ago

    Josh Greller

    thanks for keeping it in perspective and realizing it is not a personal attack in any way

  • Runner Theriault posted 377 days ago

    Runner Theriault

    Tim I read your article about Bipolar runners! It helped me so much. I have been just diag. I am a runner as well. Just BQ for this April. I would love more support.

  • Chris Dickerson posted 407 days ago

    Chris Dickerson

    We're a legal journal in WV. Just found out about this case today.

    http://wvrecord.com/news/contentview.asp?c=232356


    Chris Dickerson
    Editor
    The West Virginia Record

  • James Williamson posted 575 days ago

    James Williamson

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/422910-why-joe-namath-is-completely-deserving-of-his-hall-of-fame-bust

    The most controversial issue of the NFL Hall of Fame, and I'm here to spell it out.. Please leave your comments.

  • Chris Young posted 577 days ago

    Chris Young

    Well thank you for the comment, after writing the article I received a lot of hate for it. I didn't expect to receive over 300 comments. I just got around 10 comments of this guy calling me a pompous, arrogant, cocky son of a bitch. Guys like him give Bleacher Report a bad name. Again, thank you Tim.

  • Michael Gartman aka My Dad's Son posted 631 days ago

    Michael Gartman aka My Dad's Son

    Thanks for the 'like' Tim!

  • Michael Gartman aka My Dad's Son posted 643 days ago

    Michael Gartman aka My Dad's Son

    First ever 'Giulty Pleasures' type article to help cope with the pain of football absense.

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/391864-2010-nfl-offseason-power-rankings-cheerleaders-edition

    Appreciate the feedback, Tim!

  • Suzette Lampard Brantley posted 789 days ago

    Suzette Lampard Brantley

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/310637-new-orleans-saints-and-fans-have-a-big-night-out

  • Mosang Miles posted 792 days ago

    Mosang Miles

    Hey Tim, if you've got any time on your leave of absence, join us in a bowl pick'em group: http://bleacherreport.lefora.com/2009/12/15/attention-bleacher-creatures-join-the-college-foot/

    Good luck with the screenplay—don't let that writer's block get you!

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