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NHL has lost one of the one of the sport's best hockey writers |
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Thirty-some years ago, in my first couple of seasons as USA TODAY's hockey writer, I had carte blanche when it came to picking games I attended.
I spent a lot of time in Edmonton and Pittsburgh chasing around Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. But I also spent considerable time in Philadelphia because it was a 2 1/2-hour drive to my home in Falls Church, Virginia. Appreciated nights in my own bed. All that time in Philadelphia meant I spent plenty of time kibitzing with Philadelphia Inquirer sportswriter Jay Greenberg. Razzing was part of our ritual.
"Of all the games being played tonight, you decided New Jersey versus Philadelphia was the best game of the night?," Greenberg would say, trying his best to sound incredulous.
That was our standard greeting. For more than three decades when we ran into each other, he would immediately harangue me comically for my choice of games.
"You couldn't find a better game than this one?," he would say as he extended his hand.
We'd laugh, tell old war stories, generally picking up where we left off the last time we spoke.
I will miss our ritual. We lost Jay this week. He died at 71. His suffering is over. But it is still too early for such a special man and writer.
I have always considered Greenberg the most clever, maybe the most gifted, hockey writer of my generation. He could write like Frank Sinatra could sing. Snappy. Lyrical. Perfect pitch. Always on key.
His game stories were works of art. His words were like athletic poetry. Few could make a hockey story sing like Jay could. I Remember years ago reading Greenberg's take on Kjell Samuelsson's struggles on Philadelphia's defense.
His opening paragraph was something like this: "Kjell Samuelsson is a trained carpenter, thereby possesses the skills to construct the gallows by which Flyers fans would like to hang him."
The wording isn't exact, but that was the gist of his lead.
What followed was an insightful piece about Samuelsson's efforts to improve his game and how the boos were impacting him. Jay could be clever, critical or compassionate, sometimes all three. But he was always thorough and well-researched. He was the journalist all of our professors wanted us to be.
Players and coaches respected him, his peers marveled at him and coaches and general managers worried about him.
Owner Ed Snider was always interested in what Jay Greenberg had to say.
Sometimes I think Greenberg's kindhearted personality overshadowed his writing ability. Undoubtedly there are dozens of other writers who carry stories about their friendship with Jay Greenberg. He made everyone feel appreciated.
We are talking today about what a good man he was, not what an exceptional writer he was. Probably that's the way it should be.
Jay was funny. I remember sitting in the press box with him at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena during the Penguins' dominating heyday in the early 1990s.
The Penguins owned a two-goal lead in a playoff game. I don't recall who they were playing. But I know it was late in third period.
"Well I guess the two-goal is safe," I said to Jay, sitting next to me. "Time to start writing."
"Not yet," Jay said, a smile growing on his face. "(Pittsburgh defenseman) Larry Murphy still has three shifts remaining."
I remember talking to him about that quip the last time I saw him. Jay always thought sports should be fun and went out of way to write it that way.
But Jay owned a serious side. When my daughter Kelsey was diagnosed with a scary disease 13 years ago, he was among those in the hockey world who reached out to me. She has been in and out of remission a few times since then.
Each time I've run into him through the years, he asked about her. He always pressed for more details than most, always concerned about how my wife and I were handing it.
Coincidentally, my daughter is the currently in the midst of a relapse. But this week her blood counts showed signs she is headed back into remission. The next day I learned Jay passed away.
I wish I could still tell Jay that my daughter is doing better. But maybe he already knows that. Hope so.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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