RIP Matt Dobek

[Knighthawk]

The longtime Detroit Pistons PR guy - he had been there 29 years when he left after the season - died this afternoon at his home. He was only 51.

 

[KJIM]

RIP. Too young. Was he sick? I don't see an obit posted at the moment.

 

[noodles]

Detroit Free Press story said he was fired in May, and committed suicide at his home today.

 

[Moderator1]

Jesus.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100821/SPORTS03/100821013/1051/Matt-Dobek-Pistons-former-PR-director-dies

 

[Moderator1]

Very tactfully handled in that story - didn't blow it up but didn't ignore it either.

 

[KJIM]

I must be looking at a different version. The link above currently has no reference to suicide or dying at home.

 

[Moderator1]

Nope, you're not nuts (and neither am I - honest). It's been changed. Original version "The family confirmed it was suicide" before the last graph - and it isn't there anymore.

 

[playthrough]

From the looks of it, were the Pistons his only employer after college? Very sad. RIP.

 

[Joe Williams]

Heard that his firing from the Pistons was handled in the most cold, officious manner possible. Have no idea if there was any link between that job loss and this tragic news, but I know how deeply a lot of people on both sides of our business in sports media identify with their jobs. To have that suddenly and summarily taken away...

Again, no inside knowledge. But based on how it ended, I'm thinking Matt D. gave the Pistons better than he got from them.

 

[BYH]

It's shocking this doesn't happen more often. Hope whomever handled this firing has a sleepless night tonight, and many nights to come.

RIP.

 

[slappy4428]

Holee ****...

 

[WolvEagle]

This is an absolute shock. Matt was so well respected.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

Makes it all the easier to despise a contemptible franchise, whose glory years were largely keyed
by a creep like Zeke.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

It's shocking this doesn't happen more often. Hope whomever handled this firing has a sleepless night tonight, and many nights to come.

RIP.

I know of five instances where reporters have killed themselves in the last year, largely due to layoffs that created havoc in their families and personal lives. I'm sure there's tons more. It just rarely gets reported.

 

[Sea Bass]

In May 2009, An iconic alt-rock DJ in Toronto offed himself after being fired. Posted a suicide note on Facebook.

 

[mustangj17]

Jesus. Doesn't Dobek's son write for the Free Press?

 

[Bubbler]

RIP. That's just awful.

 

[BYH]

It's shocking this doesn't happen more often. Hope whomever handled this firing has a sleepless night tonight, and many nights to come.

RIP.

I know of five instances where reporters have killed themselves in the last year, largely due to layoffs that created havoc in their families and personal lives. I'm sure there's tons more. It just rarely gets reported.

This thread reminds me of the editorhoo thread from last year, and in particular Starman's fantastic post about why he attended editorhoo's funeral:

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/posts/2471818/

The money quote, summing up just how thin a line it is between forging onward after your dream job and profession has been yanked away from you by soulless, bound-for-hell scumbags, and being enveloped by the despair:

There are hundreds, probably thousands, of other Daves out there, and for the most part, their stories have simply disappeared into the darkness. In the future, there will be more; I may be one of them.

 

[crusoes]

I went to school with Matt and knew him very slightly. Still, a shock, to say the very least.