Neil Best (journalist)
Neil Best is a retired sports journalist for Newsday, where he worked for over 40 years, specializing in sports media.
Early life and education
[edit]At age eleven, Best moved from Hillside, New Jersey to East Northport, New York, on Long Island.[1]
He attended Northport High School, where he wrote for The Rag, the school's student newspaper. He attended Cornell University, where he evaded a necessary swim class, wrote for The Cornell Daily Sun, and graduated in 1982.[2]
Career
[edit]After his graduation from Cornell, Best began his career at Newsday in 1982. He left for a few years to work at the Anchorage Times.[1] He returned to Newsday in 1985 and stayed for the remainder of his career.[3]
Throughout his career at Newsday, Best covered a variety of sports topics. He began writing about St. John's men's basketball and later became the beat reporter for the New York Giants.[1] He periodically appeared on Giants Online, a television show hosted by Bob Papa and Pat Hanlon.[4] In 2005, he began his sports media and business column, "SportsWatch".[3]
At Newsday, Best appeared on various media platforms, evaluating everything from sports radio shows to the Super Bowl.[5][6] Best was widely cited in 2008 for his reporting regarding the end of WFAN sports radio show Mike and the Mad Dog.[7][8] In 2017, The National Sports Media Association named Best "New York Sportswriter of the Year".[9][10]
Best retired from Newsday in 2025, after over 40 years.[11] The announcement of his retirement was met with fondness from others in the industry, noting the consistency of his work at Newsday through decades of evolution in sports media.[12][13]
Personal life
[edit]Best is married. He and his wife have two daughters.[2]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "SMJ Interview- Neil Best, Newsday", "Sports Media Journal", 14 August 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- 1 2 McIntyre, Jason. "On Blogs, Old Media and New York Characters: An Interview with Newsday's Neil Best", "The Big Lead", 8 August 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Neil Best | Newsday", "Newsday", Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ "Giants vs. Bills Gameday TV & Radio Listings", "Giants.com", 14 October 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ Arnoldine, Tony. "WFAN's Craig Carton blasts Newsday's Neil Best"[dead link], "Bleacher Report", 25 February 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ↑ Keefe, Neil. "Keefe To The City: Chat With Neil Best", "CBS New York", 8 February 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ Best, Neil. "Mike and the Mad Dog' radio show could be history", "Newsday", 21 June 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ Koblin, John. "Are Mike and the Mad Dog About to Split Up?", "Observer", 23 June 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ "Meet 2017 New York Sportswriter of the Year Neil Best", "National Sports Media Association", 17 June 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ Rose, Mike. "Newsday’s Neil Best named NY State sportswriter of year", "Newsday", 16 January 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ Best, Neil. "Neil Best farewell column: After 40-plus years of telling stories at Newsday, here's mine", "Newsday", 29 December 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ "Neil Best Retires From Covering Sports Media at Newsday", "Barrett Media". 29 December 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ Neumann, Sam."Neil Best retires from Newsday after covering sports media for nearly half a century" "Awful Announcing", 28 December 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
