It was also made into a television film in 1999, starring Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria.
Motor City Sportswriter
Albom attended Brandeis University, where he first met Morrie Schwartz, a professor of sociology, but lost touch with him after moving on to earn two graduate degrees from Columbia University. After stints in New York and Florida, Albom arrived in Detroit, Michigan, in 1985 as a staff member of the Detroit Free Press. Introducing himself to his new audience in his first column, he explained that readers could expect "some opinion, some heart, some frankness. Some laughs. Some out of the ordinary." Albom also made a good first impression with area sports fans by rejecting the negative stereotype--a crime-ridden and dying city--that Detroit held for the nation. He added, "Some people apparently look at a new job in Detroit as something to be endured or tolerated. . . . I, for one, am thrilled to be here. For sports, they don't make towns any better than this one."
One of Albom's most distinguished traits as a columnist is his sympathy with disappointed fans when local professional teams struggle unsuccessfully for championships.
