RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . .

Re: RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . . he passed away Wednesday

An incredibly moving tribute, Piotr, and a sad day around these parts. Rest in peace.

 

Re: RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . . he passed away Wednesday

That sucks.

Safe journey to other side Tripp.

Hope you and your grandfather are happy once more.

 

Re: RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . . he passed away Wednesday

That's terrible news. May he find peace and happiness on the other side.

 

Re: RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . . he passed away Wednesday

So very, very sad.

Just read the other thread. Can only hope Tripp is sitting next to his grandfather, smiling and chatting away right now.

RIP.

 

Re: RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . . he passed away Wednesday

James was lively, funny, hardworking, occasionally bawdy, and unfortunately, more fragile than we knew.

He was unfailingly gallant to me on the phone and in person, but had a ribald sense of humor that lightened the mood in the newsroom. He had such an outsized personality that it was easy to forget his physical challenges.

James will be missed by all and my thoughts go out to his mother and kid brother.

 

Re: RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . . he passed away Wednesday

Just heartbreaking...

RIP James.

 

Re: RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . . he passed away Wednesday

Words can't express how awful I feel right now.

I keep tying and deleting words because I have no idea how to say the right thing. I sent him a PM I signed with my real first name when I saw that his grandfather died. He was really appreciative of everyone's support.

He seemed like such a great guy from what I saw on SportsJournalists.com. Wow. This hits like a ton of bricks.

RIP, James. I haven't known you nearly as long as Piotr has, but I miss you.

 

Re: RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . . he passed away Wednesday

I sit here, at my desk, trying to keep it together only hours after hearing the news about my good friend, James.

Piotr's words at the start of this thread bring a smile to my face, especially the part about everybody liking James, his work ethic and the wonderful life he led in spite of circumstances he dealt with 24/7 and his 36 years (his birthday was June 13). It was so unfair for a guy as great as James to have to live in such constant pain (he was physically challenged since birth with arthrogryposis, a muscle and tendon defect.)

To those of us who had the pleasure of knowing James -- for me it was a friendship born in August 2000 -- today is the first day of many years to come in which I spend at least a few moments each day remembering a funny joke, a funny story or something that reminds me of him. I will never forget him. I remember all the Friday football nights, the way-too-long prep notebooks and choice comments that were traded in the cramped sports department and retold even to this day. I remember his passion for the newspaper business and being a leader in the sports department. I remember driving him home when I was the slot or we were both working the rim shift (I think he lived in at least 4 different places in the four years we worked together). We'd laugh, we'd joke around, we'd insult each other in a sarcastic tone. Any time we hung out or burned up the cell phone minutes it could be about anything from work, women, family, TV, movies, SportsJournalists.com, professional wrestling (ROH, PWG and his guy, CM Punk) and MMA (I tolerated it, he immediately fell in love with it and the stories he wrote were a hit with the paper's Web readers). It was time well spent. I remember driving him to Las Vegas for a mid-week trip in which we not only went to the sports book and played blackjack, but the female dealers we encountered were smiling and laughing and eating up his charmful ways (and they meant it, too).

Yes he loved the Rams, Angels, Lakers and UCLA. I'm so happy he was able to see each one of those teams win a championship, especially the Angels. He was in attendance for the clinching game of that 2002 World Series along with one of his best friends, another die-hard Angels fan. James and I went to a few Angels games together, always eating prior to the game at the National Sports Grill located near the stadium. We'd hit on the waitresses and they'd always stop and talk to James. He just had a great way about him. I've never been much of a basketball fan and he and I would go back and forth on his love of the Lakers and UCLA as opposed to my love for all things hockey.

There's obviously a lot more I could say about my friend James, but in many ways, I'm glad all the pain he's suffered is gone and that he's at peace. I also hope he and his grandfather, DAD, are having a great time together.

I do, however, feel the most sorrow for James' mother, who, within a week's time, has lost her father and her oldest son. No mother should have to go through something like that. James also has a younger brother who is in high school. He gets good grades, but James was always making sure his little brother wasn't slacking off. James was a big presence in the home and I feel confident that his little brother will pick up right where James left off and take good care of their mom.

I've been fighting off the tears because I think I'm still just in shock from getting the news from another former co-worker at the paper earlier today. James won't ever be forgotten and as the days go on, thinking of him will always put a smile on my face. I've chosen to keep my SportsJournalists.com name, but I've made CM Punk, James' favorite wrestler, my avatar and I've copied the sig that James had on his Tripp McNeely profile to run with my profile for good.

I know some of you have already put up posts asking about a memorial fund or some way to give back. As soon as I find out that information, or if Piotr does first, we'll be sure to pass the information along. I know James' family and friends appreciate your kind words on this thread.

Thanks James for everything you gave me in the nearly eight years I was fortunate to know you. I will keep your memory close by always and I plan to stay in touch with your family and friends. Together, we'll find a way to move forward, but we'll never forget the wonderful gift of having you in our lives.

Your friend,

Claws

 

Re: RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . . he passed away Wednesday

Oh my. Terribly sad news. His posts were good stuff--intelligent, well-written, funny and he seemed like a good guy. Condolences to his loved ones. RIP Tripp.

 

Re: RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . . he passed away Wednesday

Jeez, I am just stunned, and sorry.

I only knew Tripp through posts here, but that was enough to make him someone I looked forward to reading and hearing from, whatever the topic.

I have to admit that I've been so focused on the journalism board, and all the bad news going on there, that I'd lost a little perspective.

This gives it back, but also, it reminds us, again, that this job is not just a job, makes us realize, again, just why.

For most of us, it's not so much the work. It's the people.

And Tripp was one of them.

One of us.

RIP

 

Re: RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . . he passed away Wednesday

The gimpy pimp...
Gimpous Maximous...
Darth Gimpous the Pimp...
Any moniker would sell James short. He might have been the size of half a man but he lived twice the life of most people. A life that ended sometime in the middle of the night today.
James was only 36-years-old.
Far too young for someone like him to be taken from us...
I sit here at work still shocked, we had just talked on Tuesday night.
If it wasn't for him I never would have gotten my job at the Singleton prison, he vouched for me despite the fact that it had been 10 years since I did anything newspaper related.
Now I sit here thinking about the first time I went to Vegas with him, on that trip when he started running low on funds he broke out the heavy shades and acted blind...
People just started giving him money...
I knew from that moment that we would be friends for long time...

 

Re: RIP (the poster known as) Tripp McNeely . . . he passed away Wednesday

James and I talked a few times on here and on MySpace.

This really fucking sucks, even though I didn't know him that well like Claws and Piotr.

I can't even begin to type anything more than that right now.