Frank Deford: life on TV. File photoESPN tonight aired a 90-minute documentary on Westporter Frank Deford, the legendary Sports Illustrated journalist.
The documentary, “You Write Better Than You Play: The Frank Deford Story.” will be rebroadcast Monday on ESPN2 at 10 p.m.
The title comes from Deford’s sophomore year at Princeton. While serving both for the Daily Princetonian and a deep bench reserve on the basketball practice squad, Deford was pulled aside by Tigers coach Franklin (Cappy) Cappon. “Frank,” the coach said, “you write basketball better than you play it.”
The film by Neil Leifer, a former Sports Illustrated photographer, looks with fondness at the life and times of the 66-year-old writer and NPR commentator.
Richard Deist, in a review on SI.com, said, “Where the documentary crosses over from an elegant fan tribute to something deeper is when Deford discusses the death of his 8-year-old daughter Alex, who died in his arms in 1980.
“Deford wrote a memorable book on his daughter (“Alex: The Life of a Child”) that was later turned into a made-for TV film and helped shine a spotlight on cystic fibrosis.”
Leifer interviewed 41 subjects—including 10 hours with Deford alone—last October and November. Deford subjects Chris Evert and Bill Bradley also appear in the documentary, the reviewer said.
