Jim Kelley --30--

Sirs, Madames,

Completely bummed. Can't write about it right now but will later.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/article270178.ece

YHS, etc

 

a terrible loss for the business, for the game, of course for his family and friends.

jim was a gentle giant of the hockey business, a man who never lost his sense of humor even as the ground shifted beneath him personally and professionally these last 15 years. he never shied from a fight but certainly never provoked them, earned respect for his patience and fairness, refused the bait of the easy cheap shot and always showed up at practice the next morning.

and among a group of colleagues who often chose to bemoan and belittle the business they entered and the games they covered, jim could be counted on to remember how great newspapering and sports was.

i'm proud to have worked with him and alongside him.

 

Hackel's obit from SI:

http://nhl-red-light.si.com/2010/12/01/recalling-jim-kelleys-fire/?eref=sihp

 

It's a way long time since I covered hockey but I remember Jim Kelley well from trips to Buffalo. Good man, good reporter. Very sorry to hear this news.

 

Wow. What a shocker. Very, very sad. And RACK Jim for standing up for David Branch. He was absolutely right all along.

http://m.si.com/news/archive/archive/detail/1998094;jsessionid=5AF7BDCB0C40605AA0D294700F0F88B8.cnnsi2

 

Very nice Jerry Sullivan column about Kelley in today's Buffalo News.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/columns/jerry-sullivan/article271387.ece

 

beautiful job by jerry....

 

I was Jim's column editor at SI.com, and he was one of the most gracious gentlemen I have ever worked with and an absolute champion of the profession. When we were in the same place at the same time -- a few All-Star Games, Cup finals, etc .. -- I made sure to just tag along behind him and learn what I could about hockey, about journalism ... When I heard of his passing, I immediately remembered an epic dinner at the Atlanta Fish Market with Jim and Jon Barkan, who also is too soon gone and missed. Too much of that going around.

 

i know this is kelley's thread so sorry for the minor jack ... barkan was a like a brother to me and i miss him a lot. still have his phone number on my phone and still have the email he sent me the day before he died, almost three years ago to the day. the email was a dilbert cartoon poking fun at tim tebow. there are things that happen today in sports, in the world and i still expect a barkan phone call to discuss it. and every dinner with barkan was epic. i'm trying to get work done and i'm just sad.