The story of Wes Leonard is one that has been well traveled in the past few weeks. The best player for Fenville High School is Minnesota hit a game winning shot to cap an undefeated regular season for his team, and then tragically passed away on the court from cardiac arrest. Not only has this story brought true emotion to millions, but it has also raised awareness for testing of enlarged hearts.
From a journalistic standpoint, the story of Wes Leonard has hit every major news outlet. It has nothing to do with sports; it is a tragedy that transcends all areas of life. Every major news outlet has picked up the story, but I think ESPN has done the best job.
Bob Holtzman is a terrific live journalist, taking live shots from NFL training camps to federal court cases. In this case, he has been on location in Fenville since Leonard tragically passed. His demeanor is confident; he does a great job conveying information on even the most brutal of information in such a calm manner. He stands tall, is not distracting with his attire, and reports without a script for a minute or longer in most cases. He handles questions from anchors on live TV, which points to his great handle over scripts and scripting.
Also, sending cameras to a little known high school in Minnesota is not what ESPN does; they are a national leader. However, by them covering the games each day, they have added emotion to this story that is unprecedented. The shot of a teammate crying on the bench during a game is one that is so powerful it is hard to imagine. They provide powerful imagery without having to talk over the true point of the story; this was a kid who gave his heart to a community, and his death will leave a last impact.
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