Jeff Pearlman is a writer for Sports Illustrated. You’ve likely never heard of him because, well, no one has subscribed to Sports Illustrated since they stopped offering a free sneakerphone with every subscription. But apparently they still publish the magazine and they even have a website.
Mr. Pearlman wrote a piece on Shawn Merriman’s move from San Diego to Buffalo. In this article, Pearlman hits on all the usual hackneyed Buffalo stereotypes. It’s cold. It snows. It’s really really cold and it really really snows. Pearlman really cranks up the originality as he goes on:
Plus, what Buffalo lacks in surf and fish tacos, it makes up for in other things. Like, uh, chicken wings. Niagara Falls. Bars that stay open until 4 a.m. Frankie Vallie with the Four Seasons playing Sheas Performing Arts Center on Nov. 12. Buffalo is birthplace to such celebrities as Brian McKnight, Chad Michael Murray, Beverly Johnson and Nancy La Scale – an actress so famous I have never heard of her. There is a restaurant, Ms Goodies, that is very tasty, and Greg Kuppinger, the world’s most famous sandpaper artist, owns a studio in town.
As Americans can’t simply live on Pearlman’s SI writings alone, he also provides us with some valuable insight into how his life and mind work over at his personal blog – jeffpearlman.com. In today’s entry, Pearlman details how he came up with the idea to write about Merriman’s transition to Buffalo and, in particular his research “process.” Pearlman writes ” I started Googling “played for San Diego and Buffalo” and “former Bill
and Charger” and stuff like that. Came up with a couple of names. Only
got a callback from Mathison, who I actually remember playing for the
Bills. Turns out he’s a very nice guy and a very good quote.” Since he’s a paid sports writer, it’s nice that he “actually remembers” a former NFL quarterback.