Dave Barry

And you're like, okay, I'm the young sports writer, and you're the star columnist, so you'll just pick my brain. No, that's not what it was. That wasn't the goal at all. The goal was just to go have a few drinks. I mean, speaking of tropic things that we could do, I don't know how you could do them now, but when the Miami Heat – became a franchise.

And you're like, okay, I'm the young sports writer, and you're the star columnist, so you'll just pick my brain. No, that's not what it was. That wasn't the goal at all. The goal was just to go have a few drinks. I mean, speaking of tropic things that we could do, I don't know how you could do them now, but when the Miami Heat – became a franchise.

The only other franchise in Florida was the Orlando Magic, and they were both brand new, as I recall. And we decided to start a rivalry. When I say we, Tropic Magazine, So we ran a cover story of me spinning a basketball on my middle finger. And I wrote this just absolute vicious attack on the city. On Orlando. On the city of Orlando.

The only other franchise in Florida was the Orlando Magic, and they were both brand new, as I recall. And we decided to start a rivalry. When I say we, Tropic Magazine, So we ran a cover story of me spinning a basketball on my middle finger. And I wrote this just absolute vicious attack on the city. On Orlando. On the city of Orlando.

But this is where it was like went beyond just like a regular newspaper thing and just into performance art. We rented a bus. And we we we ran a competition in the in the in Tropic for people to come up with anti Orlando slogans. We were determined to start a bitter rivalry because we figured there's only one other team we could beat in the NBA, which would be Orlando.

But this is where it was like went beyond just like a regular newspaper thing and just into performance art. We rented a bus. And we we we ran a competition in the in the in Tropic for people to come up with anti Orlando slogans. We were determined to start a bitter rivalry because we figured there's only one other team we could beat in the NBA, which would be Orlando.

And so we we we get a bus like 40, 50 people get on the bus with the winners of the the He would written the most vicious anti Orlando cheers, rode up to Orlando on the bus, had to stop on the way to get more alcohol because we ran out on the way up. And we get there and and we they had Pat. Remember Pat?

And so we we we get a bus like 40, 50 people get on the bus with the winners of the the He would written the most vicious anti Orlando cheers, rode up to Orlando on the bus, had to stop on the way to get more alcohol because we ran out on the way up. And we get there and and we they had Pat. Remember Pat?

So we show up having written this vicious story, and the Orlando Sentinel columnist, Bob Morris, they printed it, and here they come with these Miami people. And Pat Williams had... cordoned off a section for us to sit, and they put crime scene tape around it, and then they put baking soda all around, which they claimed was cocaine.

So we show up having written this vicious story, and the Orlando Sentinel columnist, Bob Morris, they printed it, and here they come with these Miami people. And Pat Williams had... cordoned off a section for us to sit, and they put crime scene tape around it, and then they put baking soda all around, which they claimed was cocaine.

You're saying that was why the newspapers went right down the toilet. That's correct. You bankrupted newspapers with your expense account.

You're saying that was why the newspapers went right down the toilet. That's correct. You bankrupted newspapers with your expense account.

Wow, it was so much fun.

Wow, it was so much fun.

But it's not just here. It's everywhere. I mean, it's really sad what's happened to – newspapers. I always say it's really bad to be in an industry run by English majors, but that's kind of what happened to us. You know, like, well, the internet? What internet? You know, we didn't really catch that wave is what I'm saying. And we ended up being destroyed by it. But it's everywhere.

But it's not just here. It's everywhere. I mean, it's really sad what's happened to – newspapers. I always say it's really bad to be in an industry run by English majors, but that's kind of what happened to us. You know, like, well, the internet? What internet? You know, we didn't really catch that wave is what I'm saying. And we ended up being destroyed by it. But it's everywhere.

I mean, there's no local journalism left. You know, there's big papers like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. But There's very few successful local papers. They're just all struggling. They're all out of money. There can't be a new Dave Barry, correct? No, I agree.

I mean, there's no local journalism left. You know, there's big papers like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. But There's very few successful local papers. They're just all struggling. They're all out of money. There can't be a new Dave Barry, correct? No, I agree.

I mean, I think there are a lot of funny people, but they're writing substacks and they're writing Twitter and they're writing for TV shows. But there's no, yeah, I was pretty much the end of that line. And I was lucky enough to get to know like Art Buchwald and Russell Baker and Irma Bombeck, the kind of generation I had in me.

I mean, I think there are a lot of funny people, but they're writing substacks and they're writing Twitter and they're writing for TV shows. But there's no, yeah, I was pretty much the end of that line. And I was lucky enough to get to know like Art Buchwald and Russell Baker and Irma Bombeck, the kind of generation I had in me.