Bill Reynolds: You name it, Paul Kenyon covered it

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH:

The new book is called "It’s about the People, Not Just the Games: 50 Years Covering New England Sports" and it's written by Paul Kenyon, the retired Journal sports writer whose career chronicled a half-century of change, both in society in general and the newspaper business in particular.

Kenyon is a great tour guide.

No big surprise.

He came of age in West Warwick, went to URI and worked for The Pawtucket Times for a few years before he came to the Journal in 1977. And along the way, he just about did it all. In his long career here, he covered high school sports, he covered the Patriots, he covered the Red Sox and PawSox, he covered URI basketball.

And he always covered golf.

So, maybe it's only fitting that Billy Andrade and Brad Faxon wrote the introduction for the book, for no one covered both of them more than Kenyon did.

In all the important ways, Kenyon's long career chronicles both how sports have changed and how the newspaper industry has also. That, too, is in this book, which is both a chronicle of a long, rich newspaper life, and the memoir of a wonderful man who saw all his dreams come true.

— This from The New York Times: There are now two separate American soccer cultures — one white, one Latino.

— A new poll from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, via the Boston Herald, says most Americans believe that tackle football before the age of 14 should be eliminated.

— The guy from "Duck Dynasty'' speaking at the Republican Convention? What? Hulk Hogan wasn't available?

— I suspect that Ben Bentil didn't help himself in the Celtics' Summer League season.

— Have we seen the last of Tiger, who has decided not to play on the PGA Tour this season?

— QUIZ OF THE WEEK: I am the first No. 1 pick in the baseball draft to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Who am I? (Answer near the bottom of the column.)

— LINE OF THE WEEK I is from David Ortiz, one that reportedly upset Major League Baseball, which doesn't like players talking about the prospect of adding other players: "Tampering? Who? I don't write no paycheck.''

— LINE OF THE WEEK II is from the Red Sox' Xander Bogaerts in Time magazine on diversity: "All you need to do is walk into our clubhouse to see that baseball is a true melting pot. It's like this in practically every clubhouse you go into.''

— LINE OF THE WEEK III is former football coach Lou Holtz at the Republican Convention on new immigrants: "I don't want to become you. I don't want to speak your language. I don't want to celebrate your holidays. I sure as hell don't want to cheer for your soccer team.''

— LINE OF THE WEEK IV is from Tony Schwartz, the cowriter of "The Art of the Deal,'' the 1987 book that spent 51 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list and made Trump a national figure: "I put lipstick on a pig.''

— The Jets still haven't dealt with Ryan Fitzpatrick? That's why they're the Jets.

— Speaking of New York sports, Carmelo Anthony keeps acting as if the Knicks are his team, even though he plays as if he's one of the most overrated players in the NBA.

— The only thing missing from the Republican National Convention was a tag team match between Trump and Ted Cruz.

— Julien Ayotte, a Rhode Island writer, is out with his third thriller, "A Life Before,'' which will keep you turning the pages.

— Memo from "when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro'' department: Phil Jackson said the NBA should add a 4-point shot, starting at 35 feet.

— According to Forbes, the Patriots are the second-most-valuable NFL franchise, behind only the Cowboys.

— Gronk playing air guitar with Paul McCartney the other night at Fenway? Why not? When it comes to Gronk, nothing should surprise us anymore.

— There's no truth to the rumor that the only thing missing from Melania Trump's speech the other night — as the New York Post pointed out — was: "I am a proud, independent black woman.''

— Or that Clay Buchholz is only one bad outing from being sent to baseball's witness protection program.

— Or that the only guy actually missing from the Yankees lineup is Father Time.

— Or that your IQ drops 10 points just by buying a ticket to see "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.''

— According to an Associated Press poll, 81 percent of us say we would feel afraid if either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump makes it to the White House.

— R.I.P. Nate Thurmond, one of the all-time top players in NBA history.

— And Bill Daby, too, a longtime Journal photographer, an artist with a camera.

— Did you see this week that George W. Bush said he fears he may go down in history as the last Republican president?

— QUIZ ANSWER: Ken Griffey Jr.

— What's the old line, the abnormal is the new normal? Welcome to summer 2016.

— South Kingstown's Tomas Murphy, a power forward, played for Finland in basketball's European U20 championship last week.

— You see where UConn now wants to join the Big 12? The old Yankee Conference turns it's lonely eyes to you.

— So begins a very strange season in the amazing career of Tom Brady.

— You know things are slow around here with the news that even Bunky's on vacation.