Wright Thompson

{{Infobox writer  | name = Wright Thompson | honorific_prefix = | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | pseudonym = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|9|9}} | birth_place = Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S. | death_date =  | death_place = | resting_place = | occupation = Journalist | language = | education = | alma_mater = University of Missouri | period = | genre =  | subject = Sports, society | movement = | notableworks =  | spouse =  | partner =  | children = | relatives = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | years_active = | module = | website = | portaldisp =  }} '''Wright Thompson''' (born September 9, 1976) is a senior writer for ESPN.com and ''ESPN The Magazine''. He formerly worked at ''The Kansas City Star'' and ''Times-Picayune'' in New Orleans. Thompson's topics have covered a wide range of sports issues.

== Early life and education == Thompson is a native of Clarksdale in northern Mississippi, the son of Mary Thompson. His late father, Walter Wright Thompson, an attorney, played a pivotal role in Clarksdale's emergence as a tourist destination based on blues music. The senior Thompson was an ardent Democrat who was the Mississippi finance chairman for John Glenn's 1984 presidential campaign. He later supported Michael Dukakis and Bill Clinton in their campaigns against George H. W. Bush. Thompson is a 1996 graduate of Lee Academy, where his peers voted him Most Likely to Succeed and student body president.

== Career == Thompson started his sportswriting career while a student at the University of Missouri in Columbia, having covered Missouri sports and writing as a columnist for the School of Journalism's ''Columbia Missourian''.

Between his junior and senior years, he interned at the ''Times-Picayune'' in New Orleans and later was the LSU beat writer there. He later moved to the ''Kansas City Star'', where he covered a wide variety of sports events including Super Bowls, Final Fours, The Masters, and The Kentucky Derby.

In 2006, he assumed full-time writing duties at ESPN.com.

In 2008, after watching the University of Alabama narrowly defeat Louisiana State University in a home game in Baton Rouge, Thompson described Tiger Stadium as "the best place in the world to watch a sporting event."<ref>Chet Hilburn, ''The Mystique of Tiger Stadium: 25 Greatest Games: The Ascension of LSU Football'' (Bloomington, Indiana: WestBow Press, 2012), p. 7</ref>

His 2010 article "Ghosts of Mississippi" inspired the 2012 ESPN ''30 for 30'' series documentary film ''The Ghosts of Ole Miss'' (which Thompson narrated),<ref>{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Wright|title=Ghosts of Mississippi|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=mississippi62&redirected=true|work=Outside the Lines|publisher=ESPN|access-date=November 3, 2012|date=February 2010}}</ref> about the 1962 football team's perfect season and concurrent violence and rioting over integration of the segregated university by James Meredith.<ref>{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Wright|title='Ghosts' a story of family, home|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/espnfilms/story/_/id/8572413/ghosts-ole-miss-deeply-personal-story-integration-family-home|work=ESPN Films|publisher=ESPN.com|access-date=November 3, 2012|date=October 30, 2012}}</ref> He also narrated the ESPN ''30 for 30'' film ''Roll Tide/War Eagle''.

In 2024, Penguin Press published ''The Barn'', Thompson's account of the 1955 abduction, torture, and lynching of the fourteen-year-old Black boy Emmett Till by white men near Drew, Mississippi.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Wright |title=The barn: the secret history of a murder |date=2024 |publisher=Penguin Press |location=New York |isbn=9780593299821}}</ref>

== Reception and influence == Thompson's long-form sportswriting has received critical praise. In 2019, ESPN ranked his 2013 ''ESPN The Magazine'' profile of Michael Jordan, "Michael Jordan Has Not Left the Building", among the 49 greatest stories published by the magazine; senior writer Kevin Van Valkenburg called it Thompson's "masterpiece".<ref>{{cite web |last=Van Valkenburg |first=Kevin |title=From Tiger to Jordan: The 49 greatest ESPN The Magazine stories |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/27535491/49-greatest-espn-magazine-stories |website=ESPN |date=September 6, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2026}}</ref> The article also drew a large readership on publication; ESPN said in 2013 that it generated nearly 2.5 million page views across ESPN's web and mobile platforms.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ota |first=Kevin |title=ESPN’s storytelling resonates with nearly 2.5 million page views for Wright Thompson’s feature on Michael Jordan |url=https://www.espnfrontrow.com/2013/03/espns-storytelling-resonates-with-nearly-2-5-million-page-views-for-wright-thompsons-feature-on-michael-jordan/ |website=ESPN Front Row |date=March 5, 2013 |access-date=April 5, 2026}}</ref>

Later commentators have cited Thompson's Jordan profile as an important work in the literature about Jordan's post-playing life. In 2020, ''The New Yorker'' described it as the "definitive profile" of Jordan in retirement,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Rosenwald |first=Michael S. |title=“The Last Dance” Shows a Michael Jordan You May Know and a Scottie Pippen You Probably Don’t |url=https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/the-last-dance-shows-a-michael-jordan-you-may-know-and-a-scottie-pippen-you-probably-dont |magazine=The New Yorker |date=April 20, 2020 |access-date=April 5, 2026}}</ref> while ''Newsweek'' called it perhaps the closest in-depth post-career portrait of Jordan.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Ten Surprising Things We Learned From the Michael Jordan ESPN Documentary |url=https://www.newsweek.com/ten-surprising-things-we-learned-michael-jordan-espn-documentary-1497872 |magazine=Newsweek |date=April 15, 2020 |access-date=April 5, 2026}}</ref>

Thompson's books have also received positive reviews. ''Kirkus Reviews'' called ''The Cost of These Dreams'' "richly researched and textured",<ref>{{cite web |title=The Cost of These Dreams |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/wright-thompson/the-cost-of-these-dreams/ |website=Kirkus Reviews |date=January 20, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2026}}</ref> and ''Publishers Weekly'' said in a starred review that ''Pappyland'' "uncorks a fast-paced and colorful history of 20th-century Southern culture".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=This Week's Bestsellers: November 23, 2020 |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/84980-this-week-s-bestsellers-november-23-2020.html |magazine=Publishers Weekly |date=November 20, 2020 |access-date=April 5, 2026}}</ref> In 2024, ''Time'' included ''The Barn'' on its list of "The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024",<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Berenson |first=Tessa |title=The Barn |url=https://time.com/collections/must-read-books-2024/7172922/the-barn-the-secret-history-of-a-murder-in-mississippi/ |magazine=Time |date=November 13, 2024 |access-date=April 5, 2026}}</ref> and ''The Washington Post'' described it as an "extraordinary new book" and "a deep meditation on Mississippi and America".<ref>{{cite news |title=An extraordinary new history of Emmett Till, Mississippi and America |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2024/09/18/barn-emmett-till-wright-thompson-review/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=September 18, 2024 |access-date=April 5, 2026}}</ref>

Thompson's 2017 ESPN article on Conor McGregor and Dublin drew criticism in Ireland, where commentators and residents said its depiction of the city was inaccurate and overly sensationalized.<ref name=ii-espn-article-on-conor-mcgregors-dublin-so-dangerous-men-cant-walk-their-dates-home>{{cite news|title=ESPN article on Conor McGregor's Dublin: 'So dangerous men can't walk their dates home'|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/espn-article-on-conor-mcgregors-dublin-so-dangerous-men-cant-walk-their-dates-home-36009140.html|date=7 August 2020|access-date=April 5, 2026|work=Irish Independent}}</ref><ref name=guardian-espn-wright-thompson-conor-mcgregor-crime-dublin-reaction>{{cite news|title=ESPN's portrait of a gang-infested Dublin attracts bemusement in Ireland|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/aug/08/espn-wright-thompson-conor-mcgregor-crime-dublin-reaction|last=Lutz|first=Tom|date=8 August 2017|access-date=April 5, 2026|work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name=it-conor-mcgregor-crumlin-and-the-kinahans-an-unrecognisable-dublin>{{cite news|title=Conor McGregor, Crumlin and the Kinahans: an unrecognisable Dublin|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/conor-mcgregor-crumlin-and-the-kinahans-an-unrecognisable-dublin-1.3180419|last=O'Connell|first=Jennifer|date=8 August 2017|access-date=April 5, 2026|work=The Irish Times}}</ref> Writing in ''The Irish Times'', Jennifer O'Connell described the article's portrayal of Crumlin and Drimnagh as "unrecognisable", while Fintan O'Toole later called Thompson's description of Dublin "ludicrous".<ref name=it-conor-mcgregor-crumlin-and-the-kinahans-an-unrecognisable-dublin /><ref name=the42-wright-thompson-conor-mcgregor>{{cite news|title=Three years on, Wright Thompson reflects on infamous Dublin/McGregor piece|url=https://www.the42.ie/wright-thompson-conor-mcgregor-5205063-Sep2020/|last=Cooney|first=Gavin|date=15 September 2020|access-date=April 5, 2026|work=The42.ie}}</ref>

== Bibliography (selected) ==

=== Auto racing === * [https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=earnhardtjunior&redirected=true "The son also rises"]

=== Baseball === * [https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=mcgwire&redirected=true "Fading Away"] * [https://proxy.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?id=2525583 "Bonds story to be continued"] * [http://apse.dallasnews.com/contest/2003/writing/over250/over250.project.first4.html "The long road from Las Martinas"] * [https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/22624561/ichiro-suzuki-return-seattle-mariners-resolve-internal-battle "When winter never ends"]

=== Basketball === * [https://www.espn.com/espn/blackhistory2007/columns/story?columnist=thompson_wright&id=2748078 "King's dream comes alive for Blazers"] * [https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=nazareth&redirected=true "Hoops of Nazareth"] * [https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story?_slug_=michael-jordan-not-left-building&page=Michael-Jordan&redirected=true "Michael Jordan Has Not Left The Building] * [https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39740282/caitlin-clark-iowa-2024-ncaa-women-basketball-tournament-ready-march "Caitlin Clark and Iowa find peace in the process"]

=== Boxing === * [https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=091216/JimmyRobinson&redirected=true "Shadow Boxing"] === Bourbon === ''Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last'' (2020). New York: Penguin Press. === Bullfighting === * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060615232752/http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/news/story?id=2455326 "Glory vs. Death: At the bullfights in Tijuana"] * "Haunted by the Horns"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=matador&redirected=true|title=ESPN.com - E-Ticket: Haunted By The Horns|website=Espn.com|access-date=9 December 2021}}</ref>

=== Cricket === * [https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=111225/testcricket&redirected=true "Test of Time: In defense of a game that lasts five days"] * [https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110329/Cricket&redirected=true "Why you should care about cricket"]; alternative title: [http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/509803.html "In Tendulkar country"] * [https://www.espn.com/extra/cricket/news/story?id=6142975 "Bangladesh madly in love with cricket"]

=== Father's Day === * [https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=fathersday&redirected=true "Holy Ground"]

=== Football === * [https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?lid=tab5pos1&lpos=spotlight&page=southernfootball&redirected=true "Pulled pork and pigskin: a love letter to Southern football"] * [https://proxy.espn.com/nfl/playoffs06/columns/story?columnist=thompson_wright&id=2746409 "An obsession realized: Manning and the Super Bowl"] * [https://proxy.espn.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=thompson_wright&id=2601673 "Patterson rumbles to glory as Eagles romp"] * [https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=100218/myronrolle&redirected=true "OTL: The Burden of Being Myron Rolle"]

=== Golf === * [https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/15278522/how-tiger-woods-life-unraveled-years-father-earl-woods-death "The Secret History of Tiger Woods"]

=== Horse racing === * [https://www.espn.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/29800835/how-listen-download-espn-investigates-podcast-bloodlines-reported-hosted-wright-thompson How to listen to and download the ESPN Investigates podcast 'Bloodlines,' reported and hosted by Wright Thompson]

=== Race === * ''The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi'' (2024). New York: Penguin Press.

=== Soccer === * [https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/23218226/juventus-team-transition-fighting-italian-soccer-supremacy-wright-thompson "The last days of Juventus?"] *[https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/10984370/portrait-serial-winner-luis-suarez-soccer-most-beautiful-player Portrait Of A Serial Winner]

=== Sports history / issues === * [https://proxy.espn.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=thompson_wright&id=2608378 "O'Neil was the real 'voice' of America"] * [https://proxy.espn.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=thompson_wright&id=2597995 "Thompson: Contempt for the system"] * [https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=wilson&redirected=true "Outrageous Injustice"] * [https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=101201/Cleveland&redirected=true "Believeland: A proud city forgets 'The Player Who Left' and remembers what it used to be"]

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090223194028/http://search.espn.go.com/wright-thompson ESPN's list of Wright Thompson articles]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Wright}} Category:Living people Category:People from Clarksdale, Mississippi Category:1976 births Category:University of Missouri alumni Category:Sportswriters from Mississippi Category:ESPN people