Ryan Glasspiegel runs through sportswriting's reaction to the sad death of the Boston Phoenix, where Charles P. Pierce and Bill Simmons both got their careers started (and where the infamous George Kimball served as a writer and editor for many years). The Phoenix folded yesterday after a 46-year run.

From Pierce's remembrance for Grantland today:

In 1982, when the 76ers beat the Celtics, and the Garden erupted into a chant of “Beat L.A.!,” the great Bob Ryan interviewed Darryl Dawkins and found Michael Gee, then covering the game for us. You have to have this quote, Ryan told him, because we can’t use it. Ryan had asked Dawkins what he felt like when he heard that chant from a Boston crowd.

“Man,” Dawkins said, “when I heard that, my dick got stiff.”

If I recall correctly, that was Gee’s lead.

[ Sports Rapport]