Mark Whicker retires ...

Right before a local team plays in the Super Bowl in its home stadium. I presume this date was established by management a while ago and without regard to whether it would be a good idea to have a sports columnist on the staff when the area hosts the Super Bowl.

 

Buyout day was the buyout day. Don't be fully surprised if this wasn't all his idea.

 

I don't think any of the holiday weekend deskers had that authority. But that wouldn't have prevented a phone call to an editor who did. Or a discussion with Whik about it and possible rewrite of the ending.

I don't remember. There was a whole thread about this at the time. You can find it if you want, but I'm not going to. This thread is not for that. This thread is to pass along that a highly successful sports columnist is retiring. He is 69. He deserves to retire and not have the one glitch be the only thing remembered.

 

Mark does a helluva Dean Smith impression.