For many of you, Jack Craig might’ve been your first exposure to the world of sports media criticism. His SporTView column in the Boston Globe was really the first of its kind, and he was the first full-time TV sports critic in an industry that is now full of them (along with many part-timers and countless bloggers).
Craig passed away on Friday afternoon at his home. He was retired from the Globe, where he had worked for 29 years. He was a 1956 graduate of Boston University.
The SporTView columns appeared three times a week – Tuesday, usually with a recap of the weekend sports ratings numbers, Friday with a preview of the weekend’s events, and Sunday with a feature and notes column.
There will be more on Craig in the days to come.
Here’s a 1994 column from Craig on the 15th anniversary of ESPN: You needed ESP to know ESPN would click
Jack was a true professional. I wrote a paper in HS on how the Media Affects Sports. Given that conversation was in 1993, he was great with his time for myself only being a student, and I always continued to read his columns with interest, as he was certainly a pioneer.
Jack was a good man, and news of his passing is very sad. He was also that rarest of journalistic birds, an innovator. There were no sports media critics before him. Bruce, he invented your gig.
My condolences to his family and friends.
RIP.
I always enjoyed reading his stuff.
A class guy and a pioneer.
Will Eddie Andelman give the eulogy?
Will this site permanently rip-off his "SporTView" byline now? Let me guess, you were paying "homage" by stealing it before?
Aren't you just 'ripping off' WGBH? Lighten up, Francis.