Boston Globe columnist Will McDonough dies

[Dozerdog]

Boston Globe columnist Will McDonough dies
By Bill Griffith, Globe Staff, 01/10/03

http://www.boston.com/news/daily/10/..._mcdonough.htm
Will McDonough, the Globe sports columnist who continued to break stories and write regularly for the paper since his official "retirement" in July of 2001, died of a heart attack Thursday night at his Hingham home. He was 67

At the time of his official retirement, McDonough figured he'd written more words in the Globe than anyone else in the paper's history. As with most of his assertions, few would challenge it.

"If there ever was a guy who was bigger than life, it was Will McDonough," said Globe sports editor Don Skwar. "There were so many people who were touched by his life. There were people whom he cared about and they cared about him. This loss will be tough to get over.

"To so many people, including myself, this feels like the loss of a family member, because that's what Will was like to us."

McDonough was the benchmark for Boston sports reporting, and as news of his death spread this morning, it became the biggest news of the day

[Dozerdog]

Bar none, this guy was the best football writer in the nation. A sad day....

[Dozerdog]

McDonough truly was an influence

By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff, 1/10/03

PHILADELPHIA - When you wander through the visages of your life, there are people you will always remember. Those who were kind to you. Those who said something or passed along some wisdom that will stay with you forever. Those who always had your best interest at heart. Those you idolized and respected.



When I was awoken this morning with the sad and shocking news that colleague and friend Will McDonough had passed away at his home late Thursday, I did that walk through my own life and my career as a sports journalist, and as you will hear often in the days, and weeks to come, Will touched an influenced many people, including yours truly.

For those of us who fancy ourselves as sports reporters first and sports writers second, Will McDonough was our Babe Ruth.

He was the standard of excellence we all wanted to reach.

In my opinion, he was the greatest sports reporter there ever was.

http://www.boston.com/news/daily/10/mcdonough_cafardo.htm

[Pride]

Very sad, I loved his columns and analysis.

[Novacane]

How sad and what a shock! He was one of very few that I actually believed what he reported. He'll be missed.

[SABURZFAN]

this news really blows

this guy was one of the most respected people in his field.i can't believe it.

[The_Philster]

What a loss to the sports media world.

[Dozerdog]

It's a real shame. He did 2 hours a week on the Boston Radio (a non- sports orientated station) on Fridays with Mike Barnacle. I was so looking forward to listening to him on the drive into work today. He was full of fantastic behind the scenes stories.

This guy knew everything and everybody. Was the only true sports writer (and at the time, not a columnist) that finished second in the Pulitzer Prize award for reporting.... (others may have won as columnists, but never had a sports reporter come so close)

[BambinoSux]

I couldn't believe it when I heard it. I heard him on the radio yesterday.

[JayWood]

When you think WM right away you think New England sports. For all of us sport fans in this area of the country the news today is somber and sad. Hand down this man was the best sports columnist in the country, and a joy to listen to and read his thoughts. My prayers go out to his family and friends, today the sports world has lost one of its biggest fans.

[Bert102176]

It's a very sad day when such a great person as he was passes away, I bowed my head for a moments silence after I heard he passed away.

[The_Philster]

Farewell, Will

By Bill Simmons
Sometimes you read something so shocking, you feel the breath leave your body. That's how I felt this morning when I read that Will McDonough was dead. I grew up reading him in the Boston Globe, first as a Patriots beat reporter, then as a general columnist who always seemed to have inside info on everyone. Say what you want about the guy, but he mattered. Everyone was afraid of him. Everyone read him. Everyone knew him. He was a combination Max Mercy and Vito Corleone.


When I was growing up in Boston in the '70s, the Globe had Peter Gammons covering baseball, Bob Ryan covering the Celtics, McDonough on the Pats, Bud Collins on tennis, and Leigh Montville and the great Ray Fitzgerald as general columnists. As my friend Jeff said recently while complaining about the recent decline of the Globe's sports section, "Back then, reading that paper was like watching the '27 Yankees." People in Boston discuss those days like they would describe a great sports team in its prime. That's what it felt like to be there. And to be honest, reading those people every day was the main reason I wanted to write about sports for a living. So it's the end of an era today, at least for me......more

[The_Philster]

'The best football writer ever' will be greatly missed

By LARRY FELSER
Excuse the personal tone of this story, but Will McDonough was my closest pal in the newspaper business. He died late Thursday night. He had suffered from heart trouble for years, but this was unexpected and shocking.

On a professional note, he was the best-known columnist in the Boston Globe sports section, which is the equal of any in the U.S. In my opinion he was the best football writer ever.

He was also a superb news reporter, in the best meaning of that job description. His sources stretched from coast to coast. He dug for stories and the important details behind them. He broke dozens of big, national stories. He once was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.....more