RIP Don Bloom

Don was the sports editor of the late, great Sacramento Union from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. He hired me in 1978, and I never had more fun in the business than I did in those days. He died Tuesday in his hometown of Woodland, Calif.

We had a staff that most of us knew was a once-in-a-career meshing of personalities and talents. Most of us were in our mid-20s, and we worked like crazy but had an amazing amount of fun doing it. It was a staff composed of rising stars - Dan McGrath, Ron Borges, Tom FitzGerald ... people who later made names for themselves in bigger markets.

But the Bloomer was the guy who put it all together and hired nearly everyone in that era. He was a good boss, and he'll be missed.

 

Boy, a sad run of these on this board today. Sorry to hear this.