A conversation with n d Dan Shaughnessy
by Steve Sheppard
It was Super Bowl Sunday and Dan Shaughnessy had the day off

s l - a rare occurrence for the awardwinning

Boston Globe sportswriter who regularly turns in three columns a week i and who has penned several books about Boston's pro teams, including the best-selling "Curse of the Bambino."

"It's not my year to go," he said. "But if the Patriots had made it I'd be there."

Like other fans, Shaughnessy was able to relax for a change and watch the game with friends. Before kickoff, he reflected on the last Patriots game of the season, the heartbreaking loss to the Colts that propelled the horseshoe helmeted team into the title game. "I thought that was this year's Super Bowl," he said. "The Patriots didn't give up 32 points in a game all season long, and they gave up 32 in the second half to the Colts. It was one of the best games I'd ever seen."

He's seen plenty in his career, the last 18 as premier columnist for New England's largest daily. This weekend, he'll share his thoughts on journalism as a featured speaker during the annual New England Press Association meeting in Boston. What he'll most likely convey, he said, is "what a privilege it is to have this job in Boston. People care so much about sports; it's the best place for a sportswriter."

One aspect of his job he plans to share is that coming up with column ideas doesn't get any easier. "It's an ever-changing, evolving science," he said. "You learn something new every week of every year."

He gave a preview of his ideas for this week. One is to catch up with Red Sox legend Dom DiMaggio, who celebrates his 90th birthday next Monday. He's planning that piece for this Sunday's paper. Before that, "I'm going to see the Celtics, but how many times can you kick the crap out of them?"

Although he is perceived at times as being negative, that is a misconception, he says. "The way I look at it is this," he said. "If I go out to my car and before I do I put on my coat because it might be cold, that's not being negative. Sometimes you say what you feel, but the bulk of my work is positive. There might be one negative line out of 600, but it's that one line that people will point to."

He also thinks too much emphasis can be placed on what an athlete or coach says to the press, or doesn't say. "It's not their job to help us. If a guy doesn't talk, I don't care. It has no bearing on what I think about him. There's no retribution if you don't talk to me."

He said he's been blessed through the years by getting the chance to know some of the unforgettable personalities of sport. "The first baseball team I ever covered was the Baltimore Orioles and Earl Weaver was the manager - a Hall of Fame manager and a Hall of Fame talker." He enjoys interviewing Celtics coach Doc Rivers, and says Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein is "really smart and articulate," but admits that Patriots coach Bill Belichick can be a bit guarded.

"I wish I could talk to him more," he said. "It's like talking to the Pentagon at times, but I understand that."

And with the Patriots famed quarterback, what you see is what you get. "You'd want your daughter to marry Tom Brady," he said.

Other athletes loosen up after they retire. Shaughnessy developed a wonderful relationship with the once press-shy Ted Williams, and was able to share Williams' keen insights about baseball (and life) with readers. Another all-time great superstar who has abandoned his reticence is Larry Bird. "Larry's the greatest," he said. "He's genuine.

"As the years go on they like you more. I think even Jim Rice likes me now."

The Celtics were his beat during their last championship runs of the '80s, but, as every New England sports fan knows, there's one team that fires the imagination like no other. "The Red Sox are the single greatest entity in the history of sports writing. There's always something with those guys, and people care about them. Writing about the Red

Sox is a slam dunk with an 8-foot rim." I