John Feinstein Dead At 69

The Duke grad left a deep mark on sports writing

We were very sorry to see that Duke grad and famed sportswriter John Feinstein passed away on Tuesday.

Apparently he died at his brother’s house in McLean, Virginia, though his brother says the cause of death is not yet clear.

Feinstein began his career with the Duke Chronicle and it was immediately clear that he was different. His talent was well beyond his years, his voice far more confident than you would expect from a college-aged student.

He went on to work for the Washington Post and NPR, where he had a delightful weekly call with the legendary Red Barber for some time.

Most famously, he wrote “A Season On The Brink,” which Bob Knight allowed him to do, much to his later regret.

On a personal note, we called him several years ago, on Thanksgiving no less, and he was kind enough to answer. We were asking questions about another sportswriter, who we won’t name here, only to hear Feinstein answer: “you mean other than a gambler and a junky?”

That was Feinstein: short, succinct and to the point.

He leaves behind his wife, Christine, a daughter, Jane, who is around 13-14 now, and many friends who loved and admired him.

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