Anybody hear anything from Columbia, SC?

I didn't think about that ... very good point.

 

Did you do a pool the day he decided to cover Clemson and Georgia home games the same day?
That would've been a real money-maker.

 

Bob Spear is a great golf partner and an even better writer. Best wishes on a nice, relaxing future. You deserve it.

 

As proud as I am that Mr. Spear can retire comfortably and safely from this business, today is a sad day if you've ever worked alongside him. He worked in Columbia since 1964, when he spent furloughs writing gamers during his days in the Marine Corps. He is a South Carolina journalism legend, and I'm young enough that I've never known any different.

He has a sharp wit, a strong writing style and a unique voice that won't be duplicated. The Old Pro talks like he writes, and there are a lot of us whippersnappers who have been educated and amused by spending time with him in the office, in a press box, or in a car as he dropped a few of us "drunk ol' daaawgs" off at a bar.

I hope retirement treats you well, Mr. Spear. You absolutely deserve some time away from deadlines and inch counts. What a great time it was working with you.

 

Back when I was a young college punk, I used to freelance quite a bit for The State. The highlight of my day would be when Ernie Trubiano would ask me to join him for lunch. I'd sit in The State's cafeteria eating lunch with Trubiano, Bob Cole and Bob Spear. I wouldn't say a word; I just listened. The stories those three could tell always kept me entertained.

I had the pleasure of sitting next to or near Jim McLaurin at a few NASCAR races. He was always willing to answer a question posed by a lowly small-town sports editor.

McLaurin and Spear are fantastic reporters and fantastic writers, but they're even better people. Best of luck to both.

 

Godspeed to both. Both are great newspaper people who know the ins and outs of the business. Better yet, they're great people. It's a loss for the industry.

 

From Bob Spear:
http://www.thestate.com/sports/story/450892.html

From Jim McLaurin
http://www.thestate.com/sports/story/450896.html

Good luck to both of these guys. The State newspaper, and South Carolina's sports journalism landscape, won't ever be the same.

 

Saw an update via Facebook -- the State is down to 6 full-time writers.
Eek.

 

Obley's leaving. I also heard a high school writer is departing. Not sure who will be replaced, given McC isn't giving raises until Jan. 2009.

 

Here's a JimmyMac story for you.

In 1998, his car broke down on the way to the Richmond race in May. He had to stop at a relative's house, i think, and wrote a column about how his relative screamed at the TV when Wallace wrecked Gordon. It was comedy gold. The headline was, "Thank you, timing belt."

After we put the paper to bed at The State, we all drank Rolling Rock and ate chicken wings outside. I can still see Coach throwing the bottles away in a big ol' trash can.

Coach, Trubiano, and all the old guard treated all the new guys like beloved sons, and it really helped the section as a whole.

 

Who's the preps writer leaving and where is he/she going?

 

Where is Obley going? That's a surprise - he's a great writer and they'd just assigned him to the USC baseball beat.