Arpie: John Blanchette is a hell of a writer and deserves all the awards he gets. Even when he's writing about a sport I don't follow he's worth reading just for the joy of it. Today's column is agreat example.

DFO: Blanchette is one of the best writers in the U.S. -- sports or no. If you aren't reading him, you should be. Doesn't matter if you're a sports enthusiast or not. He's that good. The Washington sportswriters award he received this week indicates there's no one better in a state that includes the Seattle and Tacoma newspapers.

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