Legendary Sports Editor and Columnist Speaks with Students
Tucson, AZ – Bill Dwyre, recently retired sports editor and columnist for the LA Times, spoke Tuesday in the Race Track Marketing and Media Relations class and Wednesday in the Hirsch Speaker Series.
In the Race Track Marketing and Media Relations class, Bill discussed the ways in which sports reporting has changed over the years, specifically the fast-paced environment that the rise of social media has created. He shared several stories that emphasized how quickly toxic information can disseminate. On the topic of what racing currently needs most, he emphatically held his stance that racing would benefit from having a commissioner to present a unified voice and representation of the industry and even provided a few names of potential candidates.
In the Hirsch Speaker Series, Bill shared some of his favorite stories of special people and races. He told stories about how lucky he was to meet racing columnist Joe Hirsch, for whom the class is named, and Robert B. Lewis, owner of many champion thoroughbreds. Bill talked about following Silver Charm and Charismatic on the Triple Crown trail. Joe Hirsch was instrumental in showing him the ropes around the backstretch, and Bob Lewis included Bill and his family on a chartered plane to see Silver Charm’s Belmont stakes. He, like many others, has a great love for Zenyatta, and referred to her historic campaign as one of the greatest things to happen to racing. Bill told the students in both classes that there always great stories in racing that can be found and reported on with a little hard work.