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Saturday, June 07, 2008

A master of words

For ten years, I was a sportswriter. For me it was a chance to combine my love of sports, my love of writing, and my love for my children and desire to pursue a job that allowed me to spend maximum time with them. I tried to write with passion, humor and dignity, and I modeled my work after some of those journalists I admired: Bill Lyon and Frank Deford come to mind in terms of print journalists.

But one of those I most admired was ABC Sports' Jim McKay, who died this morning at age 86. He had been retired and in failing health for some time, and, to tell you the truth, I kind of thought he had passed a while ago. You know how that is - you hear about the death of someone who had been out of the limelight for a while and you think, "I thought he/she had died a long time ago." Anyway, I am watching some tributes to McKay on ESPN and they remind me of what a truly gifted WRITER he was, not just a broadcaster. He started in the newspaper business (all the great ones do, in my opinion!) and, of course, this news background served him so admirably in 1972 in Munich. I'll never forget coming home from one of my first days of student teaching and seeing my roommates sitting around the TV, stunned. McKay handled this horrible scene with such sensitivity and grace.

Those of us who truly love sports look at icons like Jim McKay and Keith Jackson as keepers of a trust - they understand our passion and share with us their own without making it all about them.

Let's hope this generation of sports journalists can appreciate this responsibility.