WRITING SAMPLES by Nunyo Demasio
1. Book Excerpt: Parcells: A Football Life
This is a Sports Illustrated excerpt, published before Penguin Random House released my only book, Parcells: A Football Life: It features the strangest resignation in NFL history: Future legendary coach Bill Belichick’s operatic split from his iconic mentor, Bill Parcells. The 545-page biography became a New York Times bestseller after I interviewed more than 100 people, in several cities, over a four-year stretch.
https://www.si.com/nfl/2014/10/15/bill-parcells-excerpt-bill-belichick-new-york-jets
2. Podcast Debut: NUNYO & COMPANY Media
This is based on a viral podcast episode, my debut of NUNYO & COMPANY, featuring NBA Commissioner Emeritus David Stern. With an overview published on my site, the episode generated dozens of headlines from media outlets such as the Washington Post, USA Today, and ABC News while drawing listeners from more than 60 countries. (I was quietly working on a collaborative book with Stern before he died of a stroke in January 2020.)
https://nunyodemasio.com/podcast/david-stern
3. Financial Journalism: Covering America’s trillion-dollar mortgage industry
In 2023, I expanded into financial journalism and corporate storytelling as a freelance writer, particularly for Home Equity Lending News, the premier trade publication covering second mortgages. As a stock market enthusiast, I’ve long been immersed in business news, enabling a smooth transition. In this straightforward news story, I write about the power players planning to attend the Mortgage Business Association’s annual convention in Philadelphia.
4: Investigative Reporting: Finding the missing NFL star
In the most adventurous assignment of my career, the Washington Post asked me to travel to the Miami area to try to find a top Washington football player, Sean Taylor, who had gone AWOL amid legal troubles. After visiting one of Florida’s most dangerous neighborhoods and having a nerve-wracking interaction with a mixed terrier, I was relieved to come back unscathed! But only two years later, Taylor would tragically die during a home invasion, leading to my ESPN column while I was working on my first book.
5. Social Issues: The opioid epidemic amid the pandemic
Before the pandemic, I interviewed the DEA special agent, Ray Donovan, who oversaw the operation to apprehend El Chapo. Donovan tied the drug trafficker’s prolific distribution of fentanyl to the worst overdose crisis in U.S. history. That insight spurred me to assess the epidemic during the pandemic. Published on NUNYO & COMPANY’s Facebook page, the analysis received substantial reader engagement, especially comments and shares.
6: Analysis/Opinion: NUNYO & COMPANY’s debate on the best living comedian
Eddie Murphy’s plans to return to standup after a lengthy hiatus amid Dave Chappelle’s emergence merited a debate on who’s the funniest comedian alive. A Google search query for "Eddie Murphy or Dave Chappelle” shows NUNYO & COMPANY’s story on the first page. While the story generated more than 1,000 comments and opinions, a consensus on the two icons remained elusive.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=525128114790229&set=pb.100038963634269.-2207520000
7. News Reporting: Starbucks’ Howard Schultz purchases Seattle’s NBA team
Early in my career, in 2001, Starbucks honcho Howard Schultz purchased the SuperSonics, his hometown’s NBA franchise: the NBA’s most significant event of the year. The Seattle Times, where I worked as a beat writer, assigned me this front-page story that was as much business development as sports news.
https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20010112&slug=sale120=
8. History: Discovering the inventor of the tennis bubble as a news clerk
Finally, I remain proud of this story that uncovered some sports/technology history while I was a New York Times clerk. I pursued a tip that the inventor of the tennis bubble was a black engineer who lived in my neighborhood in West Harlem. My investigative story led to his belated recognition as major news organizations picked up the story.