Grantland: Curtis:No Chattering in the Press Box

A few months ago, George Vecsey stopped writing his regular sports column for the New York Times. This is a big deal. Among the members of the most exclusive club in sportswriting, Vecsey was the last to trudge to a newspaper office. He was the last of the Chipmunks.

The Chipmunks were founded in 1962 or thereabouts. No one seems to remember. But their origin story goes like this: One day, in the New York Yankees locker room, there was a group of young sportswriters chattering away like they owned the place. Which they pretty much did. Across the room, there was an old sportswriter. The old sportswriter had once been the undisputed king of the locker room, but in this youthful chatter, he saw the future.

“You sound like small, furry animals,” snarled Jimmy Cannon, the old sportswriter. “You’re making that kind of noise. You sound like a ####### lot of chipmunks.”

a fairly long but interesting piece (well, I found it interesting)