RIP, W.C. Heinz

As am I, now.
(Sorry, IW. Didn't mean to implying you were shilling your own work.)

 

Sirs, Madames,

One man's worthless opinion.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=joyce/080303

YD&OHS, etc

 

Damn.

 

RIP.

The world has become a slightly darker place.

 

Of the great Heinz, Jeff MacGregor paints an elegant tribute in this week's SI. Page 22.

Cool to see craftsman honoring craftsman.

 

A nice piece from Allen Barra at the WSJ:

http://online.wSportsJournalists.com/article/SB120468415698812507.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

It's a shame SI doesn't have the link mentioned in his piece working.

MacGregor references a 2000 profile of Heinz and there's a notation that "It's online at SI.com/heinz." I went to SI.com/heinz and got a page not found message.

Anybody wanting to read the profile from eight years ago needs to go to ... http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/magazine/02/27/heinz.flashback092500/index.html

 

I can't believe it's been a week and this is the first I've heard of Heinz's passing. That saddens me almost as much as the news itself.

For what it's worth, I'll be turning 22 tomorrow and won't graduate until December, but Heinz's work has inspired me as an aspiring sports journalist more than any other writer - and that's by light years. I only came upon his work recently on a whim and ended up writing a 15-page term paper on him for a literary journalism class. I could've written much more. I think that was the most enjoyable experience I've ever had in writing a paper for school. I couldn't put down "What a Time It Was" and I can't tell you how hard it was to finally turn the book in to the library - weeks late. I need a copy of my own.

RIP, Bill. You will be sorely missed, but you will live on in the writing of those you've inspired and influenced.

 

Mr Ignorance,

You've restored my faith.

Twenty-two and read Heinz. Can you put yourself up for adoption?

YD&OHS, etc

 

Seriously, friend. It's like the skies have opened up.

Tools, if you're not worried about outing yourself to me, PM me your address and I'll send you one of my copies of What A Time It Was. My SportsJournalists.com Secret Santa got me a new copy last year -- bless his heart -- and I think it would be nice to pass along an old one to a yung'un. No pressure, but if you want it, it's yours.

All I ask is that you keep it in sight when you're writing.

 

Hoo-fucking-rah!

 

It's Ms., actually. And hey, I have a few surrogate parents. What's one more?

Jones, your offer is one of the best presents I've received today. Honestly, you don't know how happy that would make me. It won't leave my line of sight, I'll tell you that much. PM's a-comin'.