Neil Best is a retired sports journalist for Newsday, where he worked for over 40 years, specializing in sports media.
Early life and education At age eleven, Best moved from Hillside, New Jersey to East Northport, New York, on Long Island."SMJ Interview- Neil Best, Newsday", "Sports Media Journal", 14 August 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
He attended Northport High School, where he wrote for The Rag, the school's student newspaper. He attended Cornell University, where he evaded a necessary swim class, wrote for The Cornell Daily Sun, and graduated in 1982.McIntyre, Jason. "On Blogs, Old Media and New York Characters: An Interview with Newsday's Neil Best", "The Big Lead", 8 August 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
Career After his graduation from Cornell, Best began his career at Newsday in 1982. He left for a few years to work at the Anchorage Times. He returned to Newsday in 1985 and stayed for the remainder of his career."Neil Best | Newsday", "Newsday", Retrieved 12 September 2026.
Throughout his career at Newsday, Best covered a variety of sports topics. He began writing about St. John's men's basketball and later became the beat reporter for the New York Giants. He periodically appeared on Giants Online, a television show hosted by Bob Papa and Pat Hanlon."Giants vs. Bills Gameday TV & Radio Listings", "Giants.com", 14 October 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2026. In 2005, he began his sports media and business column, "SportsWatch".
At Newsday, Best appeared on various media platforms, evaluating everything from sports radio shows to the Super Bowl.Arnoldine, Tony. "WFAN's Craig Carton blasts Newsday's Neil Best", "Bleacher Report", 25 February 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2016.Keefe, Neil. "Keefe To The City: Chat With Neil Best", "CBS New York", 8 February 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2026. Best was widely cited in 2008 for his reporting regarding the end of WFAN sports radio show Mike and the Mad Dog.Best, Neil. "Mike and the Mad Dog' radio show could be history", "Newsday", 21 June 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2026.Koblin, John. "Are Mike and the Mad Dog About to Split Up?", "Observer", 23 June 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2026. In 2017, The National Sports Media Association named Best "New York Sportswriter of the Year"."Meet 2017 New York Sportswriter of the Year Neil Best", "National Sports Media Association", 17 June 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2026.Rose, Mike. "Newsday’s Neil Best named NY State sportswriter of year", "Newsday", 16 January 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
Best retired from Newsday in 2025, after over 40 years.Best, Neil. "Neil Best farewell column: After 40-plus years of telling stories at Newsday, here's mine", "Newsday", 29 December 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2026. The announcement of his retirement was met with fondness from others in the industry, noting the consistency of his work at Newsday through decades of evolution in sports media."Neil Best Retires From Covering Sports Media at Newsday", "Barrett Media". 29 December 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2026. Neumann, Sam."Neil Best retires from Newsday after covering sports media for nearly half a century" "Awful Announcing", 28 December 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
Personal life Best is married. He and his wife have two daughters.
References