I had a great idea for a column this week. Unfortunately, this isn’t it. After about 20 minutes of deep soul-searching, it occurred to me that some of you might be wondering how I write these columns.

Jerry Brewer, who has been writing columns for 22 years, has joined The Athletic and wants to raise his game in an era that favors attention over nuance. Courtesy of Lydia Brewer For the last six ...