RIP Vic Ziegel

Vic, a longtime columnist and sports editor at the New York Daily News, passed away this morning, leaving wife Roberta and daughter Katy. It's an awful day for the many, many, many people who loved him, loved working with him and loved reading his wit and insight over the years.
His columns and personality never failed to bring a smile, no matter the subject, so maybe this will ease the sadness for a minute or so. It's Vic, on the joys of being a sportswriter:
http://www.evesmag.com/ziegel.htm

Here is one obit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/24/sports/24ziegel.html?_r=1

And here are the funeral details:
Sunday, 10 am, Schwartz Bros., 11403 Queens Blvd., Flushing.

 

Just terrible news. A guy with a great sense of humor and often made himself the target of that humor.
I believe when he was at the NY Post he once wrote this lede on a baseball game that took a few wild turns in the 9th inning (spoofing the Post's penchant for "exclusives.")

"The game is not over until the final out, the New York Post learned last night."

RIP, Vic.

 

Always enjoyed reading him in The Daily News. In their story, it says he wasn't a smoker but learned he had lung cancer in November.

This is really good, from The Times' story:

 

Loved to read him back in the day when I was a kid.

 

Vic was a good man. That's all I got.

 

A fine and witty man who bridged the generations in this business. Didn't know him well but got a few laughs on the occasions I was around him. Very sad news.

 

A helluva lead.

 

I adored most everyone I worked with at the Daily News, but I adored Vic the most.

These are brilliant:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/2010/07/23/2010-07-23_fans_friends_and_colleagues_remember_longtime_daily_news_sports_writer_and_edito.html

 

Bondy's take:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/columnists/bondy/index.html

 

Wow. I met him just once, five years ago in the press cafeteria in Shea. I don't remember too much of the conversation, but he told me to keep busting my hump and never stop.

RIP

 

RIP.

 

We spend so much time ripping the egomaniacs of our business, I always want to make sure the record reflects that the overwhelming majority of the good people and great talents in our business are beyond generous and graceful. Three that I always cite are Dave Anderson, Jerry Izenberg and Vic, lions of the sportspage all three, remarkably willing to share wisdom, humor and insight. I remember not long after the Daily News launched its TV show on SNY, I asked Vic why I never saw him in there.

"Oh, you will," he said. "I was told by the producers that whenever an old-time boxer or baseball player dies, they'll have me on. I hope they don't make me wear the hood and sickle, too."

My favorite Vic story: one night during the 1994 NBA playoffs at Chicago Stadium, the Knicks were getting pummeled by the Bulls, and Vic was arm-wrestling the running deadline, and typing furiously, head down, steam out of his ears, and suddenly he hears the building go silent, he looks up, there's 1.8 seconds left and the Knicks have taken the lead.

"What the hell happened?" he asked.

So he went back to furiously typing. And as you have probably guessed, that's the game where Toni Kukoc hits his bank shot, the Bulls win, the Knicks lose, Vic exhales, and says before hitting the button: "See? Just like I said."

I miss him already.


-- Mike Vaccaro