Bob Ryan is one of the great sportswriters of this or any generation.  After 44 years at the Boston Globe, Ryan is retiring from full-time writing with the conclusion of the Olympic basketball tournament.  Ryan will contribute a Sunday column most of the year for the Globe, but the book has largely been closed on his sportswriting career.

Tributes have poured in for Bob Ryan, as well they should for someone that reaches the pinnacle of any industry.  A large chunk of sports fans under 30 will only know him as the old guy from Around the Horn or the one that subs for Kornheiser on PTI sometimes.  And maybe that in and of itself is a testament to Ryan's career and longevity.  He was able to transition into television without merely becoming a talking head or resisting the evolution completely.  But first and foremost Bob Ryan was a sportswriter, and one of the best ever.

I can't put Ryan's career in perspective any better than it has already been done by the anonymous wordsmith behind the @BIGSPORTSWRITER Twitter account.  BSW has made a name for himself (or herself) on Twitter with honest, incisive commentary on the sports world and media and has made multi-tweet sermons something of a trademark.  When BSW posts a few tweets on the same topic, you listen.  This tribute to Bob Ryan is no different.  So go read Ryan's final Globe column and the tribute below and you'll understand his impact on the industry.