"Barnicle says he's made mistakes but never violated the Globe's trust. It's hard to tell. He writes in the style of the metro column, a genre that has included some of the best newspaper writing ever, but also its share of 'piping,' making stuff up in the tradition of Damon Runyon, who wrote fiction. (One columnist calls such fabrications 'Danny Boys,' as in 'Danny Boy, the pipes are calling . . .') "
—Richard Turner, "What Was He Thinking?," Newsweek