Joe Sixpack
Another example of why I love American Journalism Review:
The Philadelphia Daily News played it big on its April 23, 1998, front page for everyone to see. “Squeeze Play on Tap: Suds Fans Cheated 2 OZ. Per Cup At Vet, Adding Up To Big Bucks,” the headline read.
“In a town where beer is a fundamental part of baseball lore..failing to give an honest pour is worse than striking out with the bases loaded.
“It’s un-American.
“Joe Sixpack uncovered the rampant short-cupping during Tuesday night’s game against the Reds,” the story went.
Don Russell wrote that story. Wrote all of the Joe Sixpack stories, as a matter of fact. Still does, once a week, for the city’s pugnacious tabloid. Became so associated with the hometown hero most folks just call him Joe Sixpack. He left the newspaper racket after nearly 30 years to do Joe Sixpack full-time. The Joe Sixpack column, a Joe Sixpack Web site (joesixpack.net) and, coming in March, a book: “Joe Sixpack’s Philly Beer Guide.”
“The beer business in Philadelphia is a very tightly knit community, and Joe Sixpack is an absolutely huge part of it,” says Tom Peters, owner of Monk’s Café in center city Philadelphia, one of America’s great beer bars. “But the unique part of it is that the column is directed at a broader audience.”
Calling Joe Sixpack a beer column is a little like calling Mike Royko’s a tavern column or A.J. Liebling a boxing writer. Like all the best columns, Joe Sixpack is about people and place. “He tends to tell Philadelphia stories that just happen to be about beer,” former Daily News Editor Zack Stalberg says.
Where Joe Sixpack’s investigation of the short-cupping at Veterans Stadium leads is worth the price of admission. A fun article about a very interesting columnist.
