03-04-2024, 11:33 AM -
One of the best.
For NFL watchers and readers of a certain age, Chris Mortensen was the defining insider of his generation. He first joined ESPN at a time when most sports information brokers such as Mortensen plied their trade for local newspapers. His work ultimately helped develop an entire cottage industry that is ubiquitous today — the sports television insider.
Peter King, who retired last week from full-time NFL writing and whose career aligned with Mortensen’s time, said in an interview on Sunday afternoon that Mortensen’s career was a testament to doggedness.
“He belongs next to Will McDonough on the Mount Rushmore of NFL information people,” King said. “They are the two guys. He did it for so long and did it so incredibly well that it was the sort of thing that for years no matter where I was, I would make sure that I watch every one of his segments on the ESPN pregame show. I’m a little emotional about it because after I retired the other day he called me. He sounded great. He called me and he said a bunch of nice things. I just always appreciated my relationship with him and appreciated his vigor.”
“Mort was widely respected as an industry pioneer and universally beloved as a supportive, hard-working teammate,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN. “He covered the NFL with extraordinary skill and passion and was at the top of his field for decades. He will truly be missed by colleagues and fans and our hearts and thoughts are with his loved ones.”
“An absolutely devastating day,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on X. “Mort was one of the greatest reporters in sports history, and an even better man.
King said the story that he will always remember Mortensen was involved in was breaking Peyton Manning’s retirement in 2016.
“The guy is sitting in the MD Anderson Cancer Center in March 2016 having very recently, within the last six or seven weeks, been told that you have Stage Four throat cancer, and we have to start attacking this right now,” King said. “Then one morning that month we all wake up and see that Chris Mortensen has tweeted out that Peyton Manning is going to announce his retirement tomorrow from pro football. I think most people probably knew Manning thought he was probably going to retire, but for Mort to break the story while being in a hospital getting intensive treatment for something that was threatening to kill him, that is my story about Chris Mortensen.”
https://theathletic.com/5313763/2024/03/...nsen-died/
For NFL watchers and readers of a certain age, Chris Mortensen was the defining insider of his generation. He first joined ESPN at a time when most sports information brokers such as Mortensen plied their trade for local newspapers. His work ultimately helped develop an entire cottage industry that is ubiquitous today — the sports television insider.
Peter King, who retired last week from full-time NFL writing and whose career aligned with Mortensen’s time, said in an interview on Sunday afternoon that Mortensen’s career was a testament to doggedness.
“He belongs next to Will McDonough on the Mount Rushmore of NFL information people,” King said. “They are the two guys. He did it for so long and did it so incredibly well that it was the sort of thing that for years no matter where I was, I would make sure that I watch every one of his segments on the ESPN pregame show. I’m a little emotional about it because after I retired the other day he called me. He sounded great. He called me and he said a bunch of nice things. I just always appreciated my relationship with him and appreciated his vigor.”
“Mort was widely respected as an industry pioneer and universally beloved as a supportive, hard-working teammate,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN. “He covered the NFL with extraordinary skill and passion and was at the top of his field for decades. He will truly be missed by colleagues and fans and our hearts and thoughts are with his loved ones.”
“An absolutely devastating day,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on X. “Mort was one of the greatest reporters in sports history, and an even better man.
King said the story that he will always remember Mortensen was involved in was breaking Peyton Manning’s retirement in 2016.
“The guy is sitting in the MD Anderson Cancer Center in March 2016 having very recently, within the last six or seven weeks, been told that you have Stage Four throat cancer, and we have to start attacking this right now,” King said. “Then one morning that month we all wake up and see that Chris Mortensen has tweeted out that Peyton Manning is going to announce his retirement tomorrow from pro football. I think most people probably knew Manning thought he was probably going to retire, but for Mort to break the story while being in a hospital getting intensive treatment for something that was threatening to kill him, that is my story about Chris Mortensen.”
https://theathletic.com/5313763/2024/03/...nsen-died/
