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RIP Jim O'Connell

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Steak Snabler, Jul 2, 2018.

  1. Steak Snabler

    Steak Snabler Well-Known Member

    Veteran AP basketball writer. Never met "the OC", but always enjoyed his work and his appearances on the Tony Kornheiser Show.

    Been rumored for weeks he has not been well, but looks like he has passed.



     
    HanSenSE likes this.
  2. Steak Snabler

    Steak Snabler Well-Known Member

  3. Buck

    Buck Well-Known Member

    Read his stuff for many, many years on the wire.
     
  4. TigerVols

    TigerVols Well-Known Member

    The OC was a mentor to me; fuck this stings a bit.

    Funny how ages work...when I was under his wing, he seemed like he was 30 years older...not half that.
     
  5. Bronco77

    Bronco77 Well-Known Member

    I still remember from my first job coming in at 5:30 a.m. for the Christmas Eve day shift (it was a p.m. paper in '82) for sports slot duty with my boss out for the holidays and seeing his Virginia-Chaminade game story atop the AP sports wire. No question about our lead story that day.

    Mr. O'Connell belongs on the Mount Rushmore of college basketball writers.
     
    BadgerBeer and I Should Coco like this.
  6. Jake_Taylor

    Jake_Taylor Well-Known Member

    Growing up a basketball nut in the pre-internet era, I can't think of many people outside the local reporters and SI writers I read more often.

    RIP
     
    BadgerBeer likes this.
  7. KJIM

    KJIM Well-Known Member

    These hurt more and more.

    RIP
     
  8. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    I didn't know Jim well, but I saw him at so many games I also covered I felt I did. Very sad news. RIP.
     
  9. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    I talked to him a couple of times on the phone when I was checking progress of stories with New York. Always extremely kind, extremely helpful. Feels like I saw a gofundme appeal on some of my AP follows within the last week.

    RIP.
     
  10. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

  11. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

  12. cjericho

    cjericho Well-Known Member

    Good job St. John's.
     
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