Good morning! John Feinstein, the sportswriter, died unexpectedly yesterday at the age of 69 at his brother’s home in Virginia. He was best known for the books he wrote, mostly about college basketball and golf, most famously “A Season on the Brink,” about the year he spent following Indiana University’s basketball team and its coach, Bobby Knight. Like many well-known sportswriters of his generation, Feinstein was assigned to cover soccer – the NASL’s Washington Diplomats – as a young reporter for the Washington Post. He got to know Johan Cruyff well when the Dutch great played for the Diplomats in 1980 and 1981. “He might’ve been the smartest athlete I ever met,” Feinstein told the Post’s Steven Goff upon Cruyff’s death in 2016.

SUBSCRIBE TO KEEP READING


Start for $0 & enjoy free unlimited access for 30 days.

  • Daily TV listings for U.S. and global soccer.
  • Inside access to USA’s 2026 World Cup prep.
  • Exclusive interviews with players and coaches.
  • Expert analysis of top soccer headlines.
  • Cancel anytime.

Already have an account? Sign in here.


Not ready to subscribe? Sign up here for our free newsletter.

Already have an account? Sign in here.