Detroit Sports Media: Rating the Analysts, Journalists, and Commentators

Detroit is one of the premier sports cities in America, and as such, there are some pretty great media-types covering the teams. They're a passionate bunch. Here's how they stack up.

In attempting to come up with a ratings system, I've created four categories on which each will be judged on.

Knowledge: No one wants to read an article or listen to an announcer that doesn't know what he or she is talking about. Those with an intimate understanding of the sport they are covering will earn the highest marks.

Credibility/Legitimacy: What is it about this person that would compel us to listen to them or read their articles? Are they a former player? Have they won awards?

Empathy: A good sportswriter or commentator should be able to hit home with the fans and make you say "yeah! I agree!" or "that's a good point!" when you're listening to them or reading their articles.

Creativity/Passion: Lastly, no one wants to read a dry article or listen to Ben Stein announce a game. A good color commentator should have his or her own set of phrases that are unique to them. A good sportswriter should be able to take distinct angles on stories from time to time.

I'll only be covering the major journalists and commentators to keep the length somewhat suitable.

So without further ado, here they are.

Mitch Albom - Detroit Free Press

Mitch Albom is indisputably the top sportswriter in America. His transcends beyond the standard world of sports and has forayed into different types of media, but we'll be focusing on his sports columns here.

Knowledge - Mr. Albom might not be your prototypical sports nut. His knowledge on the intricate workings of the game might be somewhat mediocre. His true strength, however, lies in his intimate knowledge of the players. Through his countless interviews and articles, Mitch Albom has given us insights to some of our favorite players that we otherwise might never have gotten.This can best be exemplified in a recent interview he conducted with Detroit Red Wing, Pavel Datsyuk.

Credibility - Simply put, there is no sports journalist in America that can even come close to touching Mitch Albom. He has won the award of best sports columnist in the nation 13 times, while no other journalist has won it more than once. He has also won over 200 awards from various other publications.

Empathy - Mitch certainly understands his readership. In a recent article published in Sports Illustrated, Albom defended the honor of the Detroit sports fan to the entire nation, while speaking on the strength and will of the city itself. It nearly brought tears to my eyes. His human interest pieces are second to none.

Creativity - Albom knows how to keep a story interesting. He sometimes uses alliteration, repeating a phrase several times throughout an article to hammer the point across. Other times he'll imagine a conversation and play it out through his article. Many sportswriters around the nation, and even Bleacher Report writers, have borrowed his techniques from time to time. He sets the standard for making an article unique.

Drew Sharp - Detroit Free Press

Drew Sharp might be called the anti-Mitch Albom. Taking a stark contrast to Albom most of the time, Sharp takes what some would call a pessimistic view of Detroit sports, particularly his articles on the Lions. He is highly critical, yet his polarizing views have earned him a large readership.

Knowledge - Sharp's expertise lies in basketball and football, although he'll delve into the NHL and baseball from time to time. He knows the games like a religious fan and although he may not have that personal connection with the athletes that Albom does, he is smart with his criticism and makes his point eloquently.

Credibility - Drew Sharp has gained respect for "telling it like it is." However, he's gotten vitriol thrown at him for doing just that as well. He contributes frequently on ESPN on programs such as SportsCenter, Rome Is Burning, and PTI.

Empathy - This may be Sharp's weak point. His views can often be critical to the point of angering the Detroit fanbase. Reader comments on his articles often call for his resignation. However, he does stir the emotions of his readers, which is far better than not having your readers feel anything at all. On the rare occasion that Sharp writes a glowing assessment of a team, the usual response is "what? Drew Sharp wrote this? I could have sworn I was reading a Mitch Albom article!"

Creativity - Sharp doesn't stray from his style much, but there are certainly no limits for him. Just when you think he couldn't possible go there, he writes an article asking new Lions draft pick, Matthew Stafford, to buy season tickets for poor fans, AND buy up foreclosed property to give back to the community. Part of what makes Drew Sharp intriguing is wondering what he'll write about next. He's become a shock-journalist of sorts for the world of Detroit sports.

Mickey Redmond - Detroit Red Wings

Mickey Redmond was a prolific scorer in the NHL, and was the first Red Wing to ever score over 50 goals in a season. Back injuries cut his career short at the age of 28, however, and he later became a color commentator for the Red Wings.

Sometimes compared to Don Cherry for his love of the game and controversial remarks, he is beloved by the Red Wings fanbase.

Knowledge - Mickey Redmond knows old school hockey and will often relate what's currently happening on the ice to something that happened in years past. He is an expert on the definition of penalties and will often point out when something should or shouldn't be called, while trying to stay objective.

Credibility - Being a former player for the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings, Redmond knows the game and enjoys it fully. He played with some of the best, including Marcel Dionne and Alex Delvecchio.

Empathy - There aren't many commentators out there that understand the mindset of the fan like Mickey Redmond. When a bad call happens, before you can even throw something at the TV, Redmond is already up in arms about it. He watches the game like a fan and calls it like one too.

Creativity - Mickey Redmond is probably best known for his unique phrases such as "he wouldn't make a good fish, he didn't bite on that one!", "He got the whole jar of mustard on that one!", or "bingo bango, that's a dandy!" His old school style of calling the game sounds as fresh as ever in 2009.

Rod Allen - Detroit Tigers

Rod Allen has been the color commentator for the Detroit Tigers for six years. As a former player, he had brief stints with the Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, and Cleveland Indians. Before coming to Detroit, he did color commentary for the Arizona Diamondbacks for five years.

Knowledge - Rod has an intimate understanding of the game and demonstrates his knowledge on a daily basis when covering the Tigers as he breaks down pitchers' mechanics or a batter's stance at the plate.

Credibility - As a former player with multiple teams, Allen has been around baseball for a long time. He's also won Emmy's in 2006 and 2007 for his coverage with the Tigers.

Empathy - Allen often times doesn't speak directly to the fans, but does help in the fan's understanding of the game. He does keep a good beat on the message boards, but often times takes the side of the players defending them against fan criticism. But Allen being a former player, you might expect this.

Creativity - Allen has his share of "rod-isms" such as, "well, at least it died a hero" when a player gets a hit and breaks his bat at the same time, and "if they're scared, they oughta get a dog" after a Tigers player stole home. He has a lot of energy and gets really into the game.

Future articles on Detroit media personalities may be forthcoming.