Friends remember Will McDonough
Robert Kraft, owner of the Patriots:
"We go back 25 years. He started covering us when we owned the
Boston Lobsters, and through that we started playing singles tennis and
I'll tell you, he was just as aggressive making line calls as he was as a
reporter. Will always knew I wanted to buy the Patriots and in the mid-80s
I remember an article he wrote articulating that. He was always a
supporter, he was a good ear to listen to things I threw at him. When some
difficult things started taking place in 1993 in pursuit of the team, I
remember he set up a private breakfast meeting with Commissioner Tagliabue
at the Carlisle in uptown Manhattan. It was a delicate time and the
situation was complicated but Will helped us get through that."
As for the tenuous times during the Bill Parcells era, Kraft said, "On
a day like this I chose to remember all the good things about Will. Like
I've always said, life is short and you can't dwell on things. I considered
him a good friend and I enjoyed his fine family over the years and at a
time like this my heart pours out to Denise, and Sean, and Terry and Erin
and Cara and Ryan. With some of the health issues I went through, when you
have perfect health you tend to take things for granted. Nobody gives us a
guarantee about tomorrow. I appreciate all the blessings in life."
"One of the things that makes me feel good is that in the end, I know a
good reporter is supposed to be objective, but I know Will was a Patriots
fan. Out of a couple of thousand people who have covered the Super Bowl,
Will was one of six or eight who had covered every one, and what's nice for
me is that in the last Super Bowl he covered, the New England Patriots won
for the first time in 42 years. And I'll tell you, he helped our
organization get better," said Kraft.
Red Auerbach, Celtics president:
"We were pretty close. I had known him since back in the days when I
was coaching. We became close friends then. We'd go out together. We'd work
out together. We'd play tennis and racquetball together. We'd go out to
dinner with the wives. He was the guy who gave me the idea for, and then
spearheaded, my foundation. We have track meets and swim meets and
basketball tournaments for kids all over the state. That was Will's idea. I
just talked to him (Thursday) night. There was no indication anything was
wrong."
Senator Edward M. Kennedy:
"Vickie and I send our heartfelt sympathies to Denise and the entire
McDonough family on the loss of one of Boston's greatest. Will represented
the best of Boston. He was a legend who never compromised principles or
pride for what he believed in. Will always fought to promote and defend
the three things he loved most, journalism, sports, and family. He always
swung for the fences, and made us all proud to know him. He'll forever be
one of Boston's MVPs. While we will miss him, his legacy will always live
on."
Harry Sinden, Bruins president:
"I am going to miss Will McDonough very much as a good friend and a good
man, both professionally and personally. He was a loyal friend and a
trusted friend, a friend I enjoyed talking to about many subjects and not
just sports. I'm going to miss his sense of humor, because I never talked
with him without either getting him to laugh or him getting me to laugh.
I will remember him with admiration for his integrity, his hard work,
his knowledge and his professionalism. He was very candid in his writing. I
can't ever say in all of these years that if I didn't like something he
wrote that it was because it wasn't fair. He treated the Bruins, the Garden
and now the FleetCenter, with a great deal of respect. He certainly
addressed the issues, but I can't recall an instance where I felt he was
out of line in his reporting.
My relationship with Will started when I first came to Boston in 1966.
He was a young reporter at the Globe and was assigned to the Bruins.
Although Will lived and grew up here, at that time we were both in the same
boat. We were feeling our way around town -- I was new to the city and he
was feeling his way around the professional sports scene. I had a number of
talks with him at that time and we hit it off and became very good friends.
Will was a very good high school athlete in three sports, but hockey was
a sport he didn't play as a youngster so he didn't have the knowledge of
this game perhaps like he did with other sports. But he would call me and
ask me about the whys -- why do players do this and why do they do that, why
does your team do something this way while that team does it that way. He
was very inquisitive to find out so he would have the knowledge of the
game. We went from him calling and asking me, `What's wrong with your
team?' to him calling and telling me `This is what's wrong with your team.'
And he was often right.
I think it is that knowledge that made him the reporter that he was with
the credibility that he had. He had a credibility with players and
management people because he was very knowledgeable about the games
themselves. Will was not a guy who predicated his judgement of a team or
game on who won or who lost. He knew more about it than that. He really had
a feeling about what players go through and what coaches and managers go
through.
He was able to call the people who had the information directly and one
of the reasons he was able to do that where other people can't, is that he
knew what he was talking about when it came to playing the game. He was
able to talk to the giants in their sports -- people such as Red Auerbach,
Al Davis, Bill Parcells and the like -- because he could talk their
language very, very well. He could talk to them as if he was one of them
and he had that kind of credibility that they could not only take his
questions on the subject, but ask him questions on the same subject.
He had a genuine knowledge of how to play these games and an ability to
talk to players, coaches and managers -- if not exactly on the same level as
them, then pretty close to it -- about their games. It wasn't always the
story of who won or who lost, it was very much about how the team played or
what its strengths and weaknesses were. He had that credibility and because
he had it and because it was genuine, he was able to make contacts all over
the country and he became a giant.
I will miss Will greatly. I don't think we ever had a conversation that
didn't include a lot of laughing and a lot of funny stories about something
that happened in sports. I will always remember Will in that light because
as knowledgeable as he was and as good as he was at what he did, he really
enjoyed to laugh."
Art Modell, owner of the Baltimore Ravens:
"I can't say enough about Will the man and Will the sportswriter. Both
get high marks in my book. As a sportswriter, he was knowledgeable and had
a passion for the game. He covered the beat as well as anybody in the
country. He was quite a guy and quite a man. People in Boston will miss
him, and people in the National Football League will miss him.
"We would have dinner every year at the league meetings. We were always
by the pool together. We had a wonderful relationship, and I wasn't the
only one who had a wonderful relationship with Will. He was a credit to his
paper and to the City of Boston.
"He was as informed as anybody. He took positions, he was strong, he
would fight wrong doing, and support good doing. He was part of the old
breed as I am, as [Giants owner] Wellington Mara is. Will McDonough was a
throwback to yesteryear.
"He had the respect of everybody he came in touch with, because they
knew an honest man when they saw one. He oozed honesty in his writing and
in his deeds. He never violated my confidence. You go off the record with
Will McDonough, you can go to the bank with it. He was trustworthy, a good
writer, and relentless in his pursuit of his story. And he was a very good
people person."
Ralph Wilson, owner of the Buffalo Bills:
"I was crushed to learn of the passing of my good friend Will
McDonough. We've been close friends for over 40 years, going back to the
start of the American Football League. We talked frequently on the
telephone and vacationed many times together. I also had tremendous respect
for his work. Professional football has lost a dear friend and so have I.
My heart goes out to his wife, Denise, and his family."
Bud Adams Jr., owner of the Tennessee Titans:
"I'm extremely sorry to hear of his passing. My most vivid memories of
him was as the Patriots' first beat reporter when the AFL began. He was an
outstanding and knowledgeable sports reporter who was an asset to the AFL
in its infancy and then later to the NFL."
Jeff Lurie, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles:
"When I lived in Boston I couldn't wait to read the Globe on Sunday to
see what Will had in the paper. It became a ritual for me. We got to know
each other quite well, and I know he took great pride in a Boston guy doing
well with an NFL team in Philadelphia. Will and I spoke quite often about
league matters and every year he'd call and we'd go over the draft and who
was going to take which player. I enjoyed our conversations. I think I
learned more than he did from them. I'll miss those talks. I think the last
time I spoke to him, he called around the time Donovan McNabb got hurt to
ask whether we were pursuing another quarterback or whether we were
sticking to A.J. Feeley. I told him we were sticking to A.J. Will was an
engaging guy who was so respected around the league. When Will called, you
picked up the phone. I think it's a huge loss for the NFL and for Boston.
And really for all of us who were touched by him."
Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders:
"It's been a tough two weeks. Last Friday, we lost Sid Gillman, now
Will. He was a giant in his profession. We kind of grew up together. But
time never really stops for the great ones. You give them a cloak of
immortality and remember everything about their greatness. I'll miss him
terribly. He was a great friend."
Larry Lucchino, president of the Red Sox:
"While John [Henry], Tom [Werner], and I have been in Boston a
relatively short period of time, we quickly became acquainted with Will
personally, and we, of course, had known of him by reputation. There are
many reasons why Will was once nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Will was a
respected journalist whose hard-nosed approach, unique style, work ethic,
passion, contacts throughout the sports world, and reputation for telling
it like it is, combined to make him a larger than life sports figure in
this town. Recently, Will and I publicly clashed. We certainly did not
agree on a range of Red Sox issues, but that is immaterial at this time.
Our respect for Will personally and professionally remained substantial.
Will's enduring contribution to the sports world in Boston will not be
forgotten and he will be missed."
Bill Belichick, Patriots head coach:
"This is a terrible shock. Just three days ago, Will and I talked
about the playoffs and he was his typical self -- excited about the upcoming
games, going through the matchups and, as usual, working angles that nobody
else had thought of. That was Will -- passionate about the game, extremely
knowledgeable about the game but always looking for something new to add to
his wealth of information and deliver it to the public -- a true icon.
"I have many remembrances of Will, including playing golf on Nantucket,
but my most vivid memory dates back to 1995, when Will broke the news of
the Browns moving to Baltimore. That was one of the biggest stories in NFL
history, and Will was writing about it months before anyone had a clue.
"I have known Will and his family for many years, working with [his
sons] Terry while in Cleveland and Sean here in New England. My most
heartfelt sympathies are with them, Denise and the entire McDonough
family."
Ted Johnson, Patriots linebacker:
"Basically, it was a privilege to know Will and I always enjoyed
talking with Will just because he was always a very engaging person, very
knowledgeable of the game, always gave you good insight and wisdom to a
different side of the game that maybe you never thought of before. And for
that, I always appreciated him.
"Most of my contact (with Will) came at charity events. He always
brought a smile to my face. He was just one of those guys I think that,
probably at times, threw objectivity out the door because he just felt for
the sports teams in this area. He liked to get to know players below the
surface and that's what I've always respected about Will. He was always
very genuine and that always came through in his reporting I felt."
Gino Cappelletti, former Patriots wide receiver and kicker:
"He was
really one of a kind, whatever he did and however he did it, it belonged to
only him. He was the kind of guy that always left you hungry. If he was
talking to you, you wanted to hear more from him in conversation. If it was
his columns, you were almost disappointed when you got to the end of the
column because you wanted more. He was so knowledgeable and had a great
feel of Boston sports and everything that goes with it. He was a tough guy,
he was a very tough guy mentally and physically. He backed down from
nothing and he was a guy to admire. Whether he was a columnist or a
reporter, he was as good they come in that field. He was so good at it
because of his investigation of things and his knowledge and all the
contacts he had. People he had known and he had met all responded to him.
He wore his heart on his sleeve, no question about it. What you saw is what
you got.
"In the early '60s when Will was just assigned to the Patriots as one
of the beat guys for the Boston Globe he used to come over to East Boston
and then after practice we would all go over to Sablone's and eat and we'd
bring him along. We'd take care of him, feed him and pick up his lunch. We
brought him along because he had a certain thing about him that we all
kind of responded to and we liked him a lot right from the get go."
Andre Tippett, former Patriots linebacker:
"It wasn't until after I retired that I realized how powerful and
influential he was, sort of like the Godfather of the newspapers. Will was
always well informed, he had a lot of friends around the league and he was
very close to a lot of coaches. Will knew about the business. He was in it
for a long time and his son, Sean, kind of followed in his footsteps, doing
television and different things like that. His other son, Terry, has been a
scout for the Ravens. I sort of know the whole family. I've actually had
the good fortune of sitting and watching a couple of football games with
him over the years and it was astounding the knowledge of the game he had.
He really knew the game of football. I am sure he was very knowledgeable on
other sports, but watching him watch a game of football and analyzing was
intriguing and it was fun. I've been in both places with Will, the football
arena and also the fun part of what we do in this business, the celebrity
side of it. I played in couple of golf matches with him.
We actually won a couple of tournaments a couple of years ago. I would see
Will every time at a lot of the local celebrity events and he was always
very pleasant to me. He's a guy who will surely be missed. He was a guy
that if you ask him his opinion, he will tell you the truth. He never
pulled punches. The many times I've asked him questions or read his
articles in the Globe, he always told the truth. You may not like what you
hear, but he was always enjoyable to listen to. My heartfelt regrets go out
to his family."
Pete Brock, former Patriots center:
"Where do you start with memories of Will . . . my earliest and first
impressions of him were his fairness and the way he treated me
individually. Now, there were obviously things that he would write, but
there was always an integrity and honesty about it. It was almost like, if
Will wrote it, it must be true. I know that there were a lot of players
that felt the same about him. The other thing that impressed me was I never
saw Will write a note. He would sit and talk with you and a lot of
reporters would come up with a tape recorder and notepad and would write
everything down or have it on a recorder. Will never did that and the next
day when you picked up the paper he'd have lines of quotes and I can tell
you individually, he never misquoted me. I loved hearing Will McDonough's
stories. He could say things off the cuff that he would remember very
vividly on things that happened 20 years ago."
Steve Grogan, former Patriots quarterback:
"I would describe Will as a guy where sometimes you wouldn't like what
he wrote about you or said about you, but you always read and listened to
what he had to say because he was so knowledgeable. As a player, I wasn't
very close with him as most players aren't with writers, but after I left
the game, I got to know him better and we had developed a pretty good
relationship."
Bill Parcells, Dallas Cowboys head coach:
"For the past 23 years, Will was one of my closest friends. He is
someone that I have tremendous personal feelings and respect for. What
started as a business relationship with us soon turned into a close
personal friendship that grew stronger as the years passed. Will loved all
sports and sports people. He loved his family. He was a real pro, a
confidant, and a man you enjoyed being around.If Will McDonough was your
friend, you had a real friend."
UMass President William M. Bulger:
"Like so many people in Boston and beyond, I will miss Will McDonough.
Will provided me with the friendship of a lifetime, for which I am so very
grateful. Will McDonough's friends were never lonely -- he was there during
the bright moments and always on hand during times of adversity. To be
Will's friend was to possess a great gift. He was a superb sportswriter, a
wonderful family man and a great friend. He will be sorely missed."
Jack Connors, chairman and chief executive of Hill Holliday, one of New
England's largest advertising agencies:
"Will was a proud man and justifiably so. He loved being Will
McDonough. He built his own brand. His range was beyond anything I had ever
seen. He just had so many connections in so many places around the country.
He was a hunter, in the best sense, he sought the truth and most often than
not, he found it. He was a World class practitioner of his art.
Joe O'Donnell, chairman and CEO of the Boston Concessions Group:
"The characteristic about Willie I admire the most, over his tenure as
a sport writer, then as sport celebrity, first regionally and then
nationally, is he's a guy who could walk with kings and he never forgot
where he came from. I think of guy who walks into the NFL meetings and the
commissioner greets him personally, and Willie's worried about the doorman
getting the right tip. He never missed the common touch, and that's a very
rare thing for someone who grew up in the neighborhood, as we say.
"When people talk about Willie, they talk about loyalty, toughness,
integrity. One of things you wouldn't say was sensitive, but behind the
curtains he was a pushover. He did so much work for kids and charity."
Tom Coughlin, ex-Jacksonville and BC coach:
"I remember when I first got to know Will. I was coaching with the
Giants and he was close to Bill (Parcells). Bill told me one day, `You can
trust him.' When I got to Boston I developed a relationship with him and he
became a trusted friend. I remember when we lost the AFC Championship game
in 1996 to the Patriots, Will had the loser's locker room and he was
getting ready to go on the air with me. We had five seconds to go and he
was coaching me what to say and how to handle the disappointment because he
wanted me to come off well. He was a great friend and he was 150 percent
Irish."
Joe Browne, NFL official:
"He was the envy of everyone who covered the game because he had
contacts from the owners to the equipment guy. There'd be little argument
with anyone that he was the most influential NFL reporter in the history of
modern football. He and I grew up together in the NFL. He didn't always
write what you'd like to see but he was the first person you read every
day."
Tom Donahoe, Buffalo Bills general manager:
"We used to talk once a week during the season and I always took
advantage of his knowledge as much as he took advantage of us. He was
always in the know. It was a privilege to have had the opportunity to know
him. If you got a call from Will McDonough you answered it and you answered
it quickly. It won't be the same in this league for me without getting his
calls."
Ernie Accorsi, New York Giants general manager:
"Will always did his homework. He was supposed to be retired but he'd
call me every week before he taped his radio show with (Bill) Parcells. He
did his homework. You could tell him anything and he never burned you. He
knew what was off-the-record without you having to even tell him. Whenever
we'd talk, in the end, I'd get more information from him than he'd get from
me. There are certain people you think of as indestructible. Will was one
of them. Everyone in football knew him and everyone in football will miss
him."
Gil Brandt, former Cowboys vice president of player personnel, curent NFL.com analyst:
"I've known Will McDonough for a long, long time. My fondest memory
was at a
league meeting (in Hawaii, I believe) when he was wheeling around his son,
who went on to become an NFL scout... Will was a very obliging person and
he
was so well connected. As an example, I needed some old pictures of Don
Nelson from when he was a player with the Boston Celtics. I called Will at
home two weeks ago and the next day, the photos were on my desk already. If
you wanted Red Sox tickets or Celtics information, he was your guy. He was
very, very knowledgeable about football. He really understood football
above
and beyond, and he was one of the few guys to have been at every Super
Bowl.
He was just a real gentlemen."
John A. Walsh, senior vice president and executive editor of ESPN:
"I was at the NFL Today when Brent Musberger was there and they were thinking of bringing Will in. Even though I didn't know him, I thought it was a good idea because he had the best information. I
I felt like I already knew Will because I had been reading him for 10 years before I met him.
He was the first one to give me inspiration that print journalists could make the transition to electronic media.
"He was a friend and mentor.
What I learned was how important it was to him to help people out. I learned how important his family was to him.
Whenever I saw him, he wanted to be a pal as well as a colleague. He was interested in your welfare and that of your family and friends.
He was rare in that he didn’t want to talk about himself, he wanted to listen to you and hear how you were doing."
Vic Carucci, national editor for NFL.com:
"He was one of my mentors. When I broke in the NFL in the late '70s, he was like a god. He was not only a great reporter, but he was generous and very helpful. He’d seen it all, he’d done it all.
In my opinion, he was the greatest reporter in our business. It’s a very competitive business, but he had more sources and contacts, and not just the coaches and players, but from the owners all the way to the equipment managers. They trusted him, and he got stuff from them that other people wouldn’t get.
"He blazed the trail for print journalists to crossover into television and radio. We have Will to thank for that. He was nominated for an emmy, and he won, so he not only did it, but he did it well.
"One of my fondest memories is of sitting next to him on the media bus on the way to the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich. for Super Bowl XVI. Our bus got caught up in traffic because of then Vice President Bush was being escorted through. Everyone was complaining, but it was one of my first Super Bowls, and I was just hitting Will with a zillion questions and he was answering every one.
Finally, guys started getting off the bus and decided to walk to the game. I looked at Will and said ‘Should we go?’ He said ‘Are you nuts. It’s probably 20 below out there.’
We stayed on the bus and got there right before kickoff. Some of the guys who walked ended up getting frostbite, so we benefited from his experience by staying on the bus.
"When you looked at him at the league meetings, you could just tell by looking at him that he knew something that you didn’t, particularly about football. Whenever you were at the meetings, you had to take five minutes and go over and talk to Willie.
"Will set the standard for the mock draft. He saw the potential for that before everyone else did. Teams were paying attention to him too. All the draftniks that you see today, it’s really evolved because of him.
There’s a lot of history in this business, but only a handful of guys were legends, and that’s what Will was.
"I was absolutely crushed when I heard about it this morning, because I was really looking forward to seeing him at the Super Bowl in San Diego. We always had more time to talk during that week. It just won’t be the same without him."
