ESPN's John Saunders -- Passes Away at 61

[TheTwinAndreBen]

Found this on heavy.com, no idea how reputable that site is, but it links to other places reporting this explanation

"After the announcement of his death, Dan Le Batard said on ESPN radio that Saunders had suffered from “equilibrium issues” for quite some time.

Saunders missed a weekend of college football coverage in September 2011 after he was injured in a fall, ESPN said in a press release issued at the time.

“This weekend, John will be absent from ESPN’s coverage as he recovers from injuries suffered from an accidental fall last Saturday. A full recovery is expected,” ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said in the release."

Sounds possible that he may have fallen again. Who knows.

http://www.espnfrontrow.com/2011/09/john-saunders-recovering/

http://heavy.com/sports/2016/08/john-saunders-cause-of-death-how-did-the-sports-journalist-die/

Article also discusses the depression.

 

[wfumike02]

I hate that I had the same thought, but I did. "Died unexpectedly" is technically true (at least from the POV of the audience), even if that's what happened.

That, and with a history as a hockey player you have to wonder if it's head injury related. He's been described as a star at the junior level but I don't think he ever played professionally.

 

[deacs1995]

the poor guy didnt look normal on tv for some time now.

 

[qcdeac]

That, and with a history as a hockey player you have to wonder if it's head injury related. He's been described as a star at the junior level but I don't think he ever played professionally.

I think he may have been a star at the junior level like Joseph Amonett was a star in high school. He only played 1 game at Western Michigan.

 

[TheReff]

Shocking.

He was a pleasure to watch: personable, professional, knowledgeable, humble. One of the very best!

+1.....he was excellent and a real credit to the industry. I put him, Stuart Scott, Mike Tirico, Dick Enberg, Verne Lunquist, Bob Costas & Al Michaels in a top echelon of broadcasters. I know I have missed a few, but these are a few I really think were at the top of their field.

 

[stevewhite14]

If depression was the issue, I hope all will give him the journalistic respect he gave others.

 

[ReturnofMf]

I'll miss your excellent work. Thanks for making me think and be a little happier. Prayers to you and your family, and it seems appropriate to the many, many people who worked with you whose respect and love you take home.

RIP.

 

[SmooveDeac]

Ugh, this is awful. Always enjoyed his work. RIP.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[liveanddiedeac]

The thing that has been universal from the people he's worked with have said, is just how humble and nice he was. One guy on Mike and Mike this morning said, "Let's be honest, a lot of people in our industry have egos as big as the athletes we cover (Chris Berman, etc.), but John was so humble and helpful to everyone."

 

[qcdeac]

One of my FB friends posted about getting to know Saunders during his volunteer years at the Jimmy V golf event. Said Saunders treated him and other volunteers the same way he did the celebrities and probably interacted with them more than he did the celebs. Said he was just a great guy.

#anecdotes