Agent Gary Wichard (of UNC FB mess) dead, according to early report

[D-3 Fan]

This just the wire, Sports Agent Blog is reporting, that Gary Wichard, the agent in the center of the UNC football mess, is dead. No further information was given.
http://www.sportsagentblog.com/2011/03/11/gary-wichard-of-pro-tect-management-has-passed-away/

 

[LongTimeListener]

Tag at the bottom says "Popularity: 1%." Is that a reference to the story's Web placement or to the man himself?

 

[D-3 Fan]

It's linked to a un-related blog. Must be some cheap-ass site showing how to get more people to either comment or read blogs.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

I shouldn't post this, but on Google News the first story listed is "Gary Wichard Of Pro Tect Management Has Passed Away‎" with a link to related articles. Underneath that is an article from March 3 entitled "Gary Wichard's Problems May Get Substantially Worse‎"

 

[Steak Snabler]

National Football Post has it now:

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Veteran-agent-Gary-Wichard-dies.html

Wichard was also the agent for Dwight Freeney, Terrell Suggs, Jason Taylor and Jimmy Clausen, among others.

 

[D-3 Fan]

More is coming out, per Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal. Wichard died from complications of diabetes and pancreatic cancer at his home today.

http://twitter.com/#!/SBJLizMullen

 

[Pancamo]

Wasn't his office just raided by the FBI? Helluva of way to avoid an investigation.

 

[shockey]

holy crap. i've known gary, like forever... well, since '83, my first year on the jets. he represented richard todd, among several jets. he later represented mark gastineau. his biggest 'prize' rookie later became brian bosworth. crap, dude was just 60.

he was always straight up with me over the years, never failing to return phone calls. nor did i ever catch him in a lie... i know many folks had different experiences with him. i think he like guys from n.y. who remembered his days as a star qb at c.w. post. the n.y. times did a hugade sunday feature on him -- early '70s, maybe? -- but he never lived up to the hype... i believe he had a cup of coffee with the baltimore colts, then began his agent career in baltimore. gary was living large in l.a. by the mid-'80s.

i knew he had battled diabetes, had no idea about the pancreatic cancer, a true killer. gary was always a buffed, workout warrior back in the day and was great at recruiting college players... i'm still taking this in, excuse me.

there were always disparaging remarks and rumors surrounding gary; other agents didn't much like him. he was drew rosenhaus before there was a drew rosenhaus.

r.i.p., gary. i wanted to get on board with this, figuring several posters won't be as kind...

nice obit by tom friend: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6207397&campaign=rss&source=ESPNUHeadlines

 

[LongTimeListener]

Wasn't his office just raided by the FBI? Helluva of way to avoid an investigation.

The Ken Lay of sports agents.

 

[DanOregon]

I read a story that he was the inspiration for Jerry McGuire. Is there a sports agent who wasn't?

 

[shockey]

I read a story that he was the inspiration for Jerry McGuire. Is there a sports agent who wasn't?

i know for sure that rosenhaus and leigh steinberg have always claimed they were the inspiration. steinberg may be the most convincing, since he has a cameo near the end of the film with troy aikman....

 

[LongTimeListener]

I read a story that he was the inspiration for Jerry McGuire. Is there a sports agent who wasn't?

i know for sure that rosenhaus and leigh steinberg have always claimed they were the inspiration. steinberg may be the most convincing, since he has a cameo near the end of the film with troy aikman....

Steinberg was also the agent for Tim McDonald, creator of "Show me the money," so he probably has the most legitimate claim to fame. I always thought Wichard tried to claim retroactive credit because he got screwed out of Tim Couch the same way Jerry Maguire got screwed out of Kush.

 

[LarryCathey]

I guess heaven needed a blue-chip defensive end.