Certainly one of the most powerful media people in the country, The Boston Globe's Will McDonough passed away last evening. http://www.boston.com/news/daily/10/mcdonough.htm
No matter what I thought of WM the man, I always loved ready his columns. Far and away the most interesting sports column that the Globe has had. FWIW, the mention of the "specific" TV show has to be one of the most classless things I have ever read. Even a man's death is cause for advertisement (whether intended or not) apparently.
I thought it was an effective way of illustrating that he still loved sports. Should they have just called it 'a popular sports highlights show?'
Yes. It's disrespectful because the effect is that Will McDonough has now involuntarily endorsed that show.
>Yes. It's disrespectful because the effect is that >Will McDonough has now involuntarily endorsed >that show. That has to be one of the most bizarre comments we'll see on these boards this year ... and it's only January. This isn't a matter of product placement in a movie. ESPN doesn't benefit from this information being public. It's just the answer to a very simple question: What was the man doing when he died? Watching SportsCenter. How is that classless? Just the facts. By this standard, reports of the death of Abraham Lincoln shouldn't have named the play he watching when Booth shot him. After all, look how popular "My American Cousin" has remained on local stages
They could have just said "a sports highlight show" or something like that. That's like saying when someone dies in their sleep that they died on a Sealy Possturepedic bed, which may be factually true, but totally irrelevent. Anyway, say what you will about McDonough, his columns were always an interesting read (other than the NFL playoff weeks, where he just lets a coach who knows both teams well evaluate each game--it takes no insignt on the writer's part and it's only good if you're interested in the game). You could argue that he has an axe to grind with the Krafts (which he I believe he does) but in an era where few local sportswriters dare criticize the sacred cows, he gets points for not sucking up to a popular owner. He didn't have the impact of a guy like Howard Cosell, who was really the first sports journalist to look at anything other than the on-field playing aspects, but he was considered one of the top people in his profession, especially when it came to reporting on the NFL. Condonences to his family and friends Tom PS--Full disclosure: We once named McDonough our "Bonehead of the Month" in an issue of Pictures of Chairman Mao.
Statement from Patriots Owner Robert Kraft on the passing of Will McDonough "First of all, I would like to express my sincere condolences to Will McDonough's wife, Denise, and his children, Sean, Erin, Terry, Ryan and Kara. "Personally, I have known Will for over 25 years and considered him a friend, long before I ever came into ownership of the New England Patriots. When I owned the Boston Lobsters tennis team, Will and I started playing tennis together. My fondest memories will always be the times we shared, both on the tennis court and on the golf course, and the stories that he told. I don't think I have ever met a better storyteller. He was a Boston native who knew everyone and everyone confided in him. He was a local icon. He was asked to speak at numerous local dinners for charitable events that I attended and, no matter who the headline speaker was, Will always stole the show. "Professionally, Will was one of a kind. As a Patriots fan in the early 1960s, I became a big fan of Will's coverage of the team. He was an institution, not only in Boston, but in the world of sports journalism. He was a larger than life reporter who, by the power of his pen, changed the way sports are covered. It is a great loss. Will McDonough will be missed."
What pething101 said. For heaven's freaking sake, someone lost their life. Many family and friends feel a huge loss here. Have a little class please. Yes falcon6 I'm talking to you.
To say that I was shocked after just watching him on TV this past weekend, is an understatement. You will be sorely missed Will. Rest In Peace.
I don't wish anyone dead, for sure. But he was no friend of soccer- so I am not sure this is the place to hold his memorial service.
A very prominent sports journalist with NE roots and then some lost his life. How he felt about soccer is irrelevant. People want to post condolences to his friends and family. Let it be.
falcon how about you don't post at all you freaking jackass? You add nothing to any discussion, and are nothing but a dumbass troll. Now get the F out of here.
very well-spoken. Aren't you the guy who used to rant about Brian McBride all the time on the USA page? Until he led the uSA to the 1/4 finals, at least.
Please cease the personal attacks... this thread was seemingly created to be a tribute to McDonough, so please put all personal squabbles aside. That means everyone.
Used to. But then, in a classy manner, Mike ate a very public meal of crow out of respect for McBride's performance on the world stage. One should not hold a man to comments which he has so humbly taken back. On the other hand, Mike, your response ("It's not really the place...") would have been just as effective, or more so, without adding the "dumbass" at the end, whether or not "Bruce S" actually is one. I honor your right to explain why you do or don't agree with having a McDonough thread on this particular forum, but I don't agree with personal attacks from either camp. "Drawing on my fine command of language, I said nothing." - - Robert Benchley
Interesting tidbit I heard as I was watching some sports show that brought together quite a few of the sports newspeople from the NE area. From what was said it seems that that McDonough lost a lot of respect for Kraft at the time of the Parcell's debacle. It was said that McDonough felt at that time that Kraft was outright lying to him about the situation. Seeing that McDonough was one of those that you could trust to keep "off the record" remarks truly "off the record" their relationship was never the same after that. Condolences to his family. He did what he did the best. Jane
While being praised for his "loyalty", I find McDonough less than a high example of ethics. When the Red Sox were sold to a group other than his pal Joe O'Donnell's, WM told John Harrington that he'd protected him for 25 years and because of the slight of his friend, Harrington was now on his own. Clearly, McDonough's loyalty didn't extend to his readers (who should be his first loyalty as a journalist).
Does whether someone likes soccer or not be the litmus test of someone's value as a human being? I said this to Falcon on the business & Media forum, and it's worth repeating here: McDonough was not a "soccer guy," he was a mainstream sports journalist who wrote about the big four, particularly the NFL. He is typical of many of his generation. However, I can't think of a time when he unfairly bashed the sport like some of these idiots who think they are funny when they wonder why the sweeper doesn't have a broom. He may have said a few negative things here and there, but generally I thought him to give the sport a reasonably fair shake. He even included an anecdote of a Rev supporter in this fall's "urine-gate" fiasco, so you can't say he was oblvious or hostile to the sport. And all that is beside the point, it's pretty classless to bad-mouth someone you didn't like when they die. It's fine to give an honest view of their work like rkupp did, whether you agree or not. If you want to point out examples of when he slammed soccer, I'd be glad to listen. Otherwise, you are the types of people who make every soccer fan with a legitimate complaint wince. You are why people think soccer fans are crybabies. Tom