The National Sports Daily
| Type | Daily sports newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | Emilio Azcárraga Milmo |
| Publisher | Peter O. Price |
| Editor-in-chief | Frank Deford |
| Associate editor | Vince Doria |
| Managing editors | Van McKenzie |
| Founded | January 31, 1990 |
| Language | English |
| Ceased publication | June 13, 1991 |
| Headquarters | New York, New York |
| ISSN | 1052-1232 |
The National Sports Daily, simply referred to as The National, was a sports-centered newspaper published in the United States beginning on January 31, 1990. The newspaper was based in New York City, was printed tabloid format, and was published five days a week.
The National was an American attempt to emulate the model of several international all-sports publications, such as La Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy), L'Equipe (France), and others. The paper was founded by Mexican-American media mogul Emilio Azcárraga Milmo, who had owned Mexican television conglomerate Televisa and whose family had founded Univision. Azcárraga was also the chief financier for the paper and used the success of the international sports papers as his inspiration for founding The National.
When The National was launched, it featured National Basketball Association superstars Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Patrick Ewing on the first cover to represent the Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York media markets (where the paper was initially available). The cover price was 50 cents.
For his editor in chief, Azcárraga turned to veteran sportswriter Frank Deford. At the time of the forming of the paper, Deford was a writer for Sports Illustrated and an NPR contributor. He also had very little newspaper experience, especially where editing was concerned. Future ESPN executive Vince Doria was brought in to be executive editor.
Deford immediately set out to get what was referred to by Bill Simmons as a "murderer's row" of sportswriters to join The National. Deford said that hiring Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports editor Van McKenzie away from the paper was the "best thing he did" and was the linchpin for getting many of the writers who eventually signed up to write for The National interested. Once McKenzie was hired, he brought his auto racing writer Ed Hinton and investigative reporter and NFL analyst Chris Mortensen with him. Tony Kornheiser and Norman Chad, both of whom had been writing for the Washington Post at the time, were hired as well, as was New York Daily News writer Mike Lupica, Rocky Mountain News writer Jay Mariotti, Wrestling Observer Newsletter writer Dave Meltzer, Dallas Morning News writer Ivan Maisel, Boston Globe writer Leigh Montville, and various others.
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