| December 28, 2007
COHEN CLAIMS HERVEY FOR NEWS/COMMENTARY WRITING
Andrew Cohen, a legal analyst and journalist by day, rediscovered harness racing a couple of years ago and turned his critical eye on issues that he feels the industry should confront.
Combining his passion for racing and his training as a lawyer, he offered the "Commissioner's Inaugural Address," the winning entry for the 2007 John Hervey Award for news writing and commentary, it was announced by the United States Harness Writers Association.
"This series of three columns strikes the right 'voice' of a public speaker and is well-organized," said veteran journalist Sherry Ross, who judged the category. "The writer does not ramble, but presents his arguments in a fairly concise manner, while maintaining a conversational tone that prevents the column from becoming overly dry and dull.
"Breaking up so many subjects into a series of three columns served the material well, and the writer quite obviously has a passion for the sport," Ross noted. "This would have benefited from some editorial tightening to avoid the repetition of certain words and phrases, but overall this is a good read."
Ross, currently a hockey broadcaster after 12 years with the New York Daily News, also awarded an honorable mention to Neil Milbert for his profile of Phil Langley in the June 26, 2007 edition of the Chicago Tribune.
Cohen's entry was from his "Wire to Wire" column, which debuted 18 months ago on harnessracing.com, the website of Horseman & Fair World magazine.
Harness horses were part of Cohen's life while he was a youngster growing up in Montreal. After establishing himself as a lawyer and journalist, the Colorado-based Cohen returned to racing as an owner as well as embarking on "Wire to Wire" to "try to foster debate and new ideas about controversial issues in the world of harness racing in the hope of effecting positive change within the industry."
Cohen serves as CBS News chief legal analyst and legal editor and as a columnist for washingtonpost.com.
"I am honored and thrilled," said Cohen. "I write "Wire to Wire" but the hundreds of horsemen and horsewomen who write me with their comments and suggestions and ideas are responsible for it and for them I am truly grateful."
Milbert traced the route that brought Langley to his Hall of Fame induction.
"The writer maintains the interest and the energy of the story throughout, and the final paragraph is strong, as are all of the quotes used through a well-paced biography," Ross said, in selecting the honorable mention. "This would have benefited from a stronger lead, since the subject's life provided enough material to attract the reader."
Ross, a sportswriter for more than 30 years, has covered the National Hockey League as well as major horse racing events such as the Breeders' Cup, Kentucky Derby and Hambletonian. She recently left the New York Daily News to rejoin the New Jersey Devils as their radio color analyst on WFAN. She was the first woman to work as a team broadcaster for a major men's professional team in North America, and is currently the only female in that role in the NHL. As a freelancer, Ross has also written for publications such as California Thoroughbred and Thoroughbred Style.
Winners will be honored as part of the Night of Champions Awards Banquet at the Dover Downs Hotel in Dover, DE on January 27, 2008. For tickets to the banquet, contact Mark Short or Scott Warren at (302) 398-7595 or DEValleyUSHWA@aol.com. Further information is available on www.ushwa.org.
PAST HERVEY NEWS & COMMENTARY WINNERS
| YEAR | WINNER | AFFILIATION |
| 2007 | Andrew Cohen | harnessracing.com |
| 2006 | Chris Wittstruck | ustrotting.com |
| 2005 | Bob Summers | Buffalo [NY] News |
| 2004 | Brad Schmaltz | Columbus [OH] Dispatch |
| 2003 | Bob Roberts | Cleveland [OH] Plain Dealer |
| 2002 | Pohla Smith | Pittsburgh [PA] Post-Gazette |
| 2001 | Robert Strauss | New York Times |
| 2000 | Bud Poliquin | Syracuse [NY] Herald-American |
| 1999 | Donnie Webb | Syracuse [NY] Newspapers |
| 1998 | Mike Harden | Columbus [OH] Dispatch |
| 1997 | Jenny Kellner | New York Times |
| 1996 | Dave Ramsey | Syracuse [NY] Herald-Journal |
| 1995 | Shelly Anderson | Pittsburgh [PA] Post-Gazette |
| 1994 | Brad Schmaltz | Columbus [OH] Dispatch |
| 1993 | Bob Summers | Buffalo [NY] Evening News |
| 1992 | Maryjean Wall | Lexington [KY] Herald-Leader |
| 1991 | Bill Finley | New York Daily News |
| 1990 | Clyde Hirt | Sports Eye |
| 1989 | Maryjean Wall | Lexington [KY] Herald-Leader |
| 1988 | Phil Pines | syndicated |
| 1987 | Dave Joseph | Ft Lauderdale [FL] Sun-Sentinel |
| 1986 | Clyde Hirt | Sports Eye |
| 1985 | Steve Lowery | Los Angeles [CA] Times |
| 1984 | Jay Bergman | Sports Eye |
| 1983 | Chuck Slater | New York Daily News |
| 1982 | Clyde Hirt | Sports Eye |
| 1981 | Mark Schwartz | Middletown [NY] T-H Record |
| 1980 | Mark Schwartz | Middletown [NY] T-H Record |
| 1979 | John Berry | SBOA of New Jersey |
| 1978 | Doug Looney | Sports Illustrated |
| 1977 | Craig Barnes | Sun Sentinel [FL] |
| 1976 | Jack Kiser | Philadelphia [PA] Daily News |
| 1975 | Lynn Simross | Los Angeles [CA] Times |
| 1974 | Maryjean Wall | Lexington [KY] Herald-Leader |
| 1966 | Pat Ryan | Sports Illustrated |
| 1965 | Gerald Eskenazi | New York Times |
| 1964 | Jack Kiser | Philadelphia [PA] Daily News |
| 1963 | No grand winner 7 divisional winners |
| 1962 | No grand winner 7 divisional winners |
No awards made in 1967 through 1973
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