RIP Vaughn McClure

Condolences to Vaughn's family, friends, and condolences around the country. Sounded like a great guy.

 

Jeff Passan too.

 

This one was really hard because Vaughn was truly one of my closest friends not just in journalism but in life. We began working together about 17 years ago and became instant friends and brothers. In fact, we spoke at length last Tuesday morning. I've gone through that conversation what seems to be 1,000 times now and I can't come up with anything that could have tipped me off that the text I received two days later might be coming. But I will say this work stress is real and Vaughn absorbed plenty of that. We never talked without that issue coming up, including last Tuesday. If we take anything at all from the untimely death of this otherwise healthy and health conscious man who was genuinely good people and worked his ass off is to put yourself first and don't let this crazy business run you ragged. I told Vaughn this so many times. I'm hurting right now because I'm missing my friend dearly. I don't know most of you but I do want us all to look out for ourselves because when we pass somebody else will be there to cover the game.

 

Sporty, I am so sorry for you. Take comfort in that you had such a relationship.

 

Who was the SE there? Some mid-level SEs have a rep of really developing great writers and writers who want to be great seek them out. Good tip for people on the way up - find out where the writers you admire worked before "hitting it big," if one paper comes up repeatedly, there is usually a reason.

 

Fresno is a McClatchy paper. In the mid 90's McClatchy had a reputation as spending a lot of money on sports sections (the company thought a good sports section boosted circulation) and an excellent chain to work for. McClatchy also owned Tacoma that produced a lot of talent that went on to bigger things including John Clayton. And Tacoma hired Clayton from the Steelers beat on the Pittsburgh Press.

Times have changed.

 

“Sorry, boss, but stir-fry is not part of my job description.”

 

Sid Hartman goes till 100, Vaughn McClure only makes it to 48.

Probably a good story to be written about "everything between 100 and 48" in the world of sportswriters.