R
rawdeal
TID Board Of Directors
- Nov 29, 2013
- 4,314
- 3,476
Somehow I missed his death on 07/07/2018. Although briefly touted as an American strength star in the 1960s back at the infancy of organized PL, his REAL place in history and contribution to strength sports was in his intelligent writing and scholarly approach to everything he did.
Mainstream media had a passing fascination with Paul Anderson back in the 50s, but we had resumed our normal place in the public eye after that . . . a weird cult like pasttime that received more mockery than it did respect. More than any other person, it was Todd's coverage that began to make us acceptable to print and tv media, long before the Internet. He was there when CBS first did WSM on tv, partnering with then-big name in announcing, Brett Musberger, and beginning a rep as the go to guy network tv would use during their occasional forays into strength sports coverage to explain things to their clueless full time announcers. He wrote a few for Sports Illustrated, a lot for PL USA, and appeared here and there in the old Iron Man and other publications. Somewhat unknown to the public, he nevertheless caught the eyes of people in the industry.
His wit and style were on full display during a write-up of Dennis Wright, an early PL star who could post the best subtotals in world class meets, but invariably be let down in the DL to perennial world champ Ron Collins. "Dennis nemesis is the deadlift" was how he began that article, I had a writing idol from, of all places, a muscle mag when I saw that one. I got to talk to him years later at a meet and gushed adult age fanboy praise over that line. He smiled and said he wasn't sure anyone would notice, adding "I just wrote that one for my own amusement."
We will never be as big as the major sports, not even the 2nd tier sports, but anyone who appreciates whatever un-opinionated coverage we can get has Dr Todd to thank for launching us as a minor sport worthy of respect and admiration before the public.
Mainstream media had a passing fascination with Paul Anderson back in the 50s, but we had resumed our normal place in the public eye after that . . . a weird cult like pasttime that received more mockery than it did respect. More than any other person, it was Todd's coverage that began to make us acceptable to print and tv media, long before the Internet. He was there when CBS first did WSM on tv, partnering with then-big name in announcing, Brett Musberger, and beginning a rep as the go to guy network tv would use during their occasional forays into strength sports coverage to explain things to their clueless full time announcers. He wrote a few for Sports Illustrated, a lot for PL USA, and appeared here and there in the old Iron Man and other publications. Somewhat unknown to the public, he nevertheless caught the eyes of people in the industry.
His wit and style were on full display during a write-up of Dennis Wright, an early PL star who could post the best subtotals in world class meets, but invariably be let down in the DL to perennial world champ Ron Collins. "Dennis nemesis is the deadlift" was how he began that article, I had a writing idol from, of all places, a muscle mag when I saw that one. I got to talk to him years later at a meet and gushed adult age fanboy praise over that line. He smiled and said he wasn't sure anyone would notice, adding "I just wrote that one for my own amusement."
We will never be as big as the major sports, not even the 2nd tier sports, but anyone who appreciates whatever un-opinionated coverage we can get has Dr Todd to thank for launching us as a minor sport worthy of respect and admiration before the public.