An ominous sidebar to the Wilbon Thread-RIP Steve Grayson

The Wilbon thread hit home this week with a vengeance.

I don't know how many of you know who Steve Grayson was. What he was was a damn good sports photographer, one of the best golf photogs I've ever seen. And as good a shooter as he was, he was a better human being and owner of two of the coolest tattoos I've ever seen: Beavis on one forearm, Butt-head on the other.

I was fortunate enough to work with Steve on about 12-15 golf events over the last four years. In 2004, I was coordinating my second 18th-hole trophy ceremony at the Samsung World Championship. What I do there is help the photographers get their trophy shots with the winner, get the winner TV interviews and basically stay with them until I get them to the media center for their press conference.

Invariably, Steve would take the lead and tell me where he and the rest wanted the winner to stand. Annika Sorenstam won this event and after Steve and Co. got their pictures, she handed me the SWC crystal. Steve took one look at me and shot several pictures. For nearly two years, this was my screensaver. It also became a trend; he shot several other pictures of me with various golf trophies.

Steve worked for the Riverside Press-Enterprise, WireImage, then -- after their buyout by Getty Images -- he shot for Getty. He shot golf, celeb stuff, you name it. But everything he shot was first-rate.

The other day, I got two e-mails -- one from my boss, one from a photo friend of mine who knew him -- saying that Steve died of an apparent heart attack Sunday night. He was in his mid-40s and one of the more cut and fit human beings I know.

RIP Steve. Apparently the Supreme Being had an urgent request for a shooter and wanted one of the best. :'(

 

RIP.

I thought originally Wilbon died when I read this thread.

 

And I believe he came to the P-E from the Her-Ex when it folded.

 

You are correct, OTD. Forgot that entry in Steve's resume.

 

Engaging guy and a great sports shooter. He'll be missed.