“Inside every sportswriter is a frustrated athlete” is an old saying of unknown authorship. “Whatzat you say about all scribes being ‘frustrated athletes’ who never stepped on the field ot competitive athletics?” was cited in 1958. “There seems to be a suspicion in some corners that a sportswriter more often than not is a frustrated athlete” was cited in 1966.
   
   
Old Fulton NY Post Cards
21 November 1958, Citizen Reporter (Ossining, NY), “Cribari Says,” pg. 16, col. 2:
Whatzat you say about all scribes being “frustrated athletes” who never stepped on the field ot competitive athletics?
 
20 October 1966, Arlington Heights (IL)Herald, “Kickin’ It Around: A Look At Our Profession” by Bob Frisk, pg. B1, col. 1:
There seems to be a suspicion in some corners that a sportswriter more often than not is a frustrated athlete whose failure to make it as a player directed him to sports through the back door.
 
While that’s not quite accurate in our case, we do admit that our athletic endeavors in high school were limited to four years as a sprinter in track for Russ Attis at Arlington High.
   
26 January 1968, Bartlett (IL) Herald, “Kickin’ It Around” by Bob Frisk, pg. B1, col. 1:
Doesn’t everyone know a sportswriter is a frustrated athlete?
 
21 August 1978, Winnipeg (Manitoba) Free Press, John Robertson column, pg. 47, col. 1:
Like most sportswriters, I’m a frustrated athlete.
   
Old Fulton NY Post Cards
3 April 1987, Finger Lakes Times (Geneva, NY), “Fantasy camp—A chance to prove you are as good as your memory” by Mike Cutillo,  pg. 16, col. 2:
Somebody once said sports writers are just frustrated athletes who weren’t quite talented enough to make it big in sports and so had reason to resort to watching them for a living. I think it was Howard Cosell. Or Bob Knight.
 
Google Books
Donkey Baseball & Other Sporting Delights
By Giles Tippette
Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Company
1989
Pg. 65:
The sportswriters were the worst. I am convinced, though I have no documentation, that within every sportswriter lurks a frustrated athlete.
 
Google Books
The Celebrant:
A Novel
By Eric Rolfe Greenberg
Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press
1993, ©1983
Pg. 197:
Inside every sportswriter there’s a frustrated athlete, according to the old saw. The same thing is inside every fan, or anyone who ever picked up a bat and ball.
 
Google Books
The Hockey Farmer
By Farhan Devji, Mia Romano
Tacoma, WA: Cacoethes Pub.
2008
Pg. 136:
About the Author
Ever heard the saying “Behind every sports writer is a frustrated athlete?” Well that sentiment unquestionably rings true with this proud native of Nanaimo, British Columbia.
     
The Ashburn Alley Bum
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Thoughts during the ninth inning of Florida Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Posted by Richard J. Marrella at 7:18 PM
(...)
I once heard that inside every sports writer lies a frustrated athlete.