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Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat: A Lifetime on Deadline
Memories and stories from more than half a century of writing, reporting, and ranting by a Minnesota sports icon.
Minneapolis Star Tribune senior columnist Patrick Reusse is a legendary fixture in Minnesota sports. Like his late colleague Sid Hartman, he is known by his legion of fans (and those who find him curmudgeonly) by one Reusse!
Starting as a sportswriter in 1965 and still going strong in 2021, Reusse has covered every major sporting event imaginable and met scores of unforgettable characters during his long career in newspapers, radio, and television. Reusse's unique writing style and eye for human-interest angles have made him a master storyteller. He has collected a trove of stories along the from growing up in tiny Fulda as the son of an undertaker, to landing a columnist gig at a big-city newspaper; from covering Tom Kelly's Twins championship teams, to handing out fictional turkeys every Thanksgiving; from Olympic triumphs and failures, to countless major moments from Twins Cities sports teams.
Reusse has seen a lot in his more than half a century reporting on sports in Minnesota and around the country. With his coauthor and fellow Star Tribune sports journalist Chip Scoggins, he brings together here his favorite stories, characters, and memories in that distinctive Reusse voice.
Minneapolis Star Tribune senior columnist Patrick Reusse is a legendary fixture in Minnesota sports. Like his late colleague Sid Hartman, he is known by his legion of fans (and those who find him curmudgeonly) by one Reusse!
Starting as a sportswriter in 1965 and still going strong in 2021, Reusse has covered every major sporting event imaginable and met scores of unforgettable characters during his long career in newspapers, radio, and television. Reusse's unique writing style and eye for human-interest angles have made him a master storyteller. He has collected a trove of stories along the from growing up in tiny Fulda as the son of an undertaker, to landing a columnist gig at a big-city newspaper; from covering Tom Kelly's Twins championship teams, to handing out fictional turkeys every Thanksgiving; from Olympic triumphs and failures, to countless major moments from Twins Cities sports teams.
Reusse has seen a lot in his more than half a century reporting on sports in Minnesota and around the country. With his coauthor and fellow Star Tribune sports journalist Chip Scoggins, he brings together here his favorite stories, characters, and memories in that distinctive Reusse voice.
- GenresSports
216 pages, Paperback
Published August 16, 2022
14 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 4, 2023
Back in the spring of 1984, when I was a freshman at the University of Minnesota, a friend of mine recommended that I listen to Patrick Reusse and Joe Souchery's radio show, Monday Night Sports Talk. I was hooked. It was hilarious, irreverent, and they talked about everything under the sun. I've been a fan of Reusse ever since and still listen to his appearances on local radio and read his columns in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Reusse is a great sportswriter and can really tell a story. Plus he is a bit of a curmudgeon and has been a great agitator over the years, a nice change of pace from the homers and pollyannaish sports writers which are all too common. His best attribute in my opinion is his humor, he never fails to make me laugh. He had me laughing about the Timberwolves today.
Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat is part autobiography, part Patrick's greatest hits, and part Patrick's greatest mishits. For me much of this was a review. I've heard almost all of these stories already over the last ~40 years in his columns, radio shows, and even his 90s TV show which featured three other sports reporters and ran for 20 years. He has been a Minnesota sports reporting institution since he arrived at the St. Paul Dispatch in 1968.
This January, Patrick was given the Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award by the Minnesota Twins for his sports writing and reporting. In true irreverent Patrick fashion, during his acceptance speech he needled the Twins' brass for trading away the American League batting champion during the offseason and needled Twins manager Rocco Baldelli for his overmanaging of the pitching staff the prior season.
Anyone who is a fan of Patrick or is in to the Minnesota sports scene will get a kick out of the stories in this book. Heck, I can even think of a few hilarious stories that didn't make it. Good stuff.
Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat is part autobiography, part Patrick's greatest hits, and part Patrick's greatest mishits. For me much of this was a review. I've heard almost all of these stories already over the last ~40 years in his columns, radio shows, and even his 90s TV show which featured three other sports reporters and ran for 20 years. He has been a Minnesota sports reporting institution since he arrived at the St. Paul Dispatch in 1968.
This January, Patrick was given the Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award by the Minnesota Twins for his sports writing and reporting. In true irreverent Patrick fashion, during his acceptance speech he needled the Twins' brass for trading away the American League batting champion during the offseason and needled Twins manager Rocco Baldelli for his overmanaging of the pitching staff the prior season.
Anyone who is a fan of Patrick or is in to the Minnesota sports scene will get a kick out of the stories in this book. Heck, I can even think of a few hilarious stories that didn't make it. Good stuff.
May 30, 2022
Many cities have a sports broadcaster or sportswriter who over the years become very familiar to the fans of that city. Often they are recognized when one states just either their first or last name. In the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Patrick Reusse is one of those sports writers as one just needs to say “Reusse!” and fans will know not only who that is but will have both an opinion and a memory or two about him. Reusse, who has been a sportswriter in Minnesota since 1965, teams up with Chip Scroggins to produce this excellent memoir.
No matter which sport or team is the favorite of a Minnesota sports fan (including this reviewer), Reusse will have seen them, written about them and includes them in this book. He does share his preferences on which sports he prefers to write about (baseball and golf are his favorites), which sports he admits to covering but not knowing much about it (hockey and figure skating) and a sport that he initially knew nothing about but became a big fan (volleyball). He writes about these in the same style in which he has written his column for many years – some are flattering, some are biting and some are humorous but all are clearly written from the heart.
As one would expect, he has plenty of stories with his interactions with not only some of the best athletes around but also with other sportswriters and other notable personalities. Because some of the stories come from a different time, he does note that when some of them took place, certain comments and actions would not be likely to be taken well today. While the stories with athletes are great and some brought back some nice memories of sports events, the best ones were about other journalists. His tales of pranks played on another long time Minnesota sports writer, Sid Hartman, left me in stitches.
Reusse not only worked for the newspapers in both cities, but he was also a radio personality for many years. He teamed up with another sportswriter, Joe Soucheray, for a Monday night sports talk show (originally on Sunday night) that took on a personality of its own, attracted many regular callers and was a can’t miss event that had the ears of many Twin Cities residents. In this chapter, Reusse is at his most humble self, giving all the credit to Soucheray for the success of the show. As one who was a regular listener before leaving the area, I can state that it took both to make that show as good as it was. Something in the book that Reusse states that seems amazing is that neither of them came in with a specific topic in mind to discuss – they simply let the callers drive the program. Whatever they did, it certainly worked.
Of course, there are sports stories in the book. Whether it was the good times, such as the two World Series titles for the Twins in 1987 and 1991, the bad times such as the Vikings’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the 1999 NFC Championship (he came up with the name of the famous “Weeping Blondes” photo from that game) or the background stories of various teams, such as the football team for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the 1960’s, Reusse covers it all. If there is something the reader remembers about Minnesota sports in the last 55 or so years, chances are Reusse has written about it or was there in some manner. Minnesota sports fans, whether they are fans of Reusse or or think he’s just a curmudgeon, should pick up this book as it is sure to be one that will contain at least some material that will be pleasing to them.
I wish to thank Minnesota Historical Society Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
No matter which sport or team is the favorite of a Minnesota sports fan (including this reviewer), Reusse will have seen them, written about them and includes them in this book. He does share his preferences on which sports he prefers to write about (baseball and golf are his favorites), which sports he admits to covering but not knowing much about it (hockey and figure skating) and a sport that he initially knew nothing about but became a big fan (volleyball). He writes about these in the same style in which he has written his column for many years – some are flattering, some are biting and some are humorous but all are clearly written from the heart.
As one would expect, he has plenty of stories with his interactions with not only some of the best athletes around but also with other sportswriters and other notable personalities. Because some of the stories come from a different time, he does note that when some of them took place, certain comments and actions would not be likely to be taken well today. While the stories with athletes are great and some brought back some nice memories of sports events, the best ones were about other journalists. His tales of pranks played on another long time Minnesota sports writer, Sid Hartman, left me in stitches.
Reusse not only worked for the newspapers in both cities, but he was also a radio personality for many years. He teamed up with another sportswriter, Joe Soucheray, for a Monday night sports talk show (originally on Sunday night) that took on a personality of its own, attracted many regular callers and was a can’t miss event that had the ears of many Twin Cities residents. In this chapter, Reusse is at his most humble self, giving all the credit to Soucheray for the success of the show. As one who was a regular listener before leaving the area, I can state that it took both to make that show as good as it was. Something in the book that Reusse states that seems amazing is that neither of them came in with a specific topic in mind to discuss – they simply let the callers drive the program. Whatever they did, it certainly worked.
Of course, there are sports stories in the book. Whether it was the good times, such as the two World Series titles for the Twins in 1987 and 1991, the bad times such as the Vikings’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the 1999 NFC Championship (he came up with the name of the famous “Weeping Blondes” photo from that game) or the background stories of various teams, such as the football team for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the 1960’s, Reusse covers it all. If there is something the reader remembers about Minnesota sports in the last 55 or so years, chances are Reusse has written about it or was there in some manner. Minnesota sports fans, whether they are fans of Reusse or or think he’s just a curmudgeon, should pick up this book as it is sure to be one that will contain at least some material that will be pleasing to them.
I wish to thank Minnesota Historical Society Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
December 15, 2024
I grew up on a farm in a small town in Western Wisconsin. As such, newspapers were a rarity save our high school library.
My exposure to world news, and most importantly, sports occurred at the kitchen table of my Grandpa and Grandma Case during those humid summers in South Minneapolis. That is when I first read Reusse.
I never stopped 40 years later.
My exposure to world news, and most importantly, sports occurred at the kitchen table of my Grandpa and Grandma Case during those humid summers in South Minneapolis. That is when I first read Reusse.
I never stopped 40 years later.
October 1, 2022
This book included a nice variety of elements from Reusse's sports-fan upbringing to his legendary career in the newspaper and sports-talk business. Reusse is a humble, talented and respected journalist in Minnesota. It was very enjoyable to read about how he found his love for sports, particularly baseball. It really showed how much the man loves baseball and the early days of the Minnesota Twins. I recommend this book to anyone who's been a Minnesota sports consumer over the years.
January 17, 2023
There is no doubt that Patrick Reusse has become an institution unto himself on the Minnesota sports scene. Love him or hate him, he has put in the time and work to garner such a position. While this sports & career-centric autobio does a good job of telling Reusse's MN sports ascension, it does so in a style that is (ironically) more suitable for the newspaper medium in which he made his name.
"A Lifetime on Deadline" can basically be thought of as a career bio of Reusse--from his roots in the small town of Fulda, MN to his fame as a beat writer and columnist covering just about every MN (and other) sport imaginable. He imparts a lot of interesting stories throughout the book and it truly is amazing the breadth of sporting activities he has covered.
That being said, this is a book best enjoyed by those who can similarly recall Reusse's nostalgic minutaie about Minnesota sporting events and figures. For example: as a primarily baseball/football guy, I loved those stories--but would glaze over a bit on sections about golf and high school or college athletics. But for the true all-season MN sports fanatics, I can see how this would be a bit of a gold mine.
Also, the writing style here is far more pursuant to his newspaper columnist origins than anything one would find in a traditional autobiography. Each chapter is organized around a loose theme, but ultimately contains a lot of loose ramblings and short, choppy prose.
If able, I'd give "Lifetime on Deadline" 3.5 stars, for at base it is a solid jog down memory lane for MN sports enthusiasts. But for the reasons above and a sort of "you had to be there to hear the story from Reusse himself" sentiment, I have to round down here.
"A Lifetime on Deadline" can basically be thought of as a career bio of Reusse--from his roots in the small town of Fulda, MN to his fame as a beat writer and columnist covering just about every MN (and other) sport imaginable. He imparts a lot of interesting stories throughout the book and it truly is amazing the breadth of sporting activities he has covered.
That being said, this is a book best enjoyed by those who can similarly recall Reusse's nostalgic minutaie about Minnesota sporting events and figures. For example: as a primarily baseball/football guy, I loved those stories--but would glaze over a bit on sections about golf and high school or college athletics. But for the true all-season MN sports fanatics, I can see how this would be a bit of a gold mine.
Also, the writing style here is far more pursuant to his newspaper columnist origins than anything one would find in a traditional autobiography. Each chapter is organized around a loose theme, but ultimately contains a lot of loose ramblings and short, choppy prose.
If able, I'd give "Lifetime on Deadline" 3.5 stars, for at base it is a solid jog down memory lane for MN sports enthusiasts. But for the reasons above and a sort of "you had to be there to hear the story from Reusse himself" sentiment, I have to round down here.
December 26, 2022
Patrick Reusse is THE sportswriter of the Minnesota cynic. He has never been afraid to call out sports owners. executives, managers, and players for arrogance, incompetence, or self-inflected issues. On the other hand, he's the same sportswriter who loves to write about town baseball, or rags to success stories where the individual worked hard and excelled to get a chance to the next level, whatever it is. This book is a breezy recap of his life. It's a pretty quick read, with bunches of stories of his time covering a variety of sports.
I've been a fan of Mr. Reusse for over 30 years, so this was fun. A worthy read for Minnesota sports fans.
I've been a fan of Mr. Reusse for over 30 years, so this was fun. A worthy read for Minnesota sports fans.
August 5, 2025
I’m a Minnesota sports fan, and a daily reader of the Minnesota Star tribune newspaper, so I’ve become very accustomed to Patrick Reusse and his sports journalism career. He’s entertaining on numerous radio talk shows and podcasts. I’ve enjoyed laughing at him on his radio show “Garage Logic” and in person on stage at the Minnesota State Fair radio booths … often in non-sports conversations. I enjoyed the book of Reusse’s memories and anecdotes. It’s especially well written by Chip Scoggins, and I especially enjoyed the forward by Dan Barreiro and a chapter by Joe Soucheray. It’s a quick-read book.
December 2, 2022
Have always enjoyed Patrick. He never takes himself too seriously and loves to showcase small town MN. Plays the part of the curmudgeon but can write a tribute that has you in tears. He’s one of a kind and this book is a fantastic collection of an incredible career.
June 16, 2025
Par for the course for a sportswriters autobiography - prepare yourselves for short newspaper / podcast-like prose, though longtime Reusse readers and listeners throughout the Twin Cities will surely eat up every story with glee.
December 3, 2022
Devoured this fun book in 2 days. It was a good one. Yah, you betcha!
March 29, 2023
Some interesting sports insights into the Minnesota sports scene. Informative!
July 17, 2024
My rating comes from reading and listening to Reusse for most of my life. If you’re not “one of us”( i.e. not from MN), view this as a 4-star rating as it is full of great sports stories.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews