"The way we consume media has changed exponentially but the core of it — our love for reading great stories told well — has not," says McCallum.
"Some of the very best writing is found in sports journalism. If you can take a reader every step of the way down the winding path from introduction to the last paragraph, then you have done your job. It's about describing the less ordinary and also making the ordinary seem special," adds McCallum.
AllOverTheBarShouting.com will include contributions by McCallum and guest columnists, with plans to launch a series of podcasts in the very near future. McCallum also intends to provide a platform for athletes to be able to tell their stories in a first-person format.
The new platform got its name from a slip of the tongue by Abdul Bhamjee, the former PR manager of the old National Soccer League. One day, he claimed a match was 'all over the bar shouting'. The phrase became a legend at
The Star’s sports desk, where McCallum worked.
McCallum was the chief sports writer of
The Star for 16 years, a journey that took him to three Olympics, five Paralympics, rugby, football and cricket world cups, three Commonwealth Games and the Tour de France.
His work has appeared in:
- Business Day
- Mail & Guardian
- ESPN
- The Sunday Times (London)
- The Sunday Telegraph (London)
- Bicycling SA
- GQ
- SA Cricket
- SA Rugby
- Sports Illustrated
- Style
- Femina
- The Red Bulletin
- FHM
- Fox Sports Australia
- Players Voice, and
- Wanted magazine.
McCallum has co-authored two best-selling sports trivia books with broadcaster David O’Sullivan and
In Search of South Africa’s Perfect Woman.
For more information, visit
www.alloverthebarshouting.com.