Tom Kowalski Wins Pro Football Writers Award (My Tribute To Killer)

Submitted by MGoCooper on
http://mobile.mlive.com/advannarbor/pm_105108/contentdetail.htm?content… Although I wish very much that he'd have received this award while alive, the Pro Football Writers have finally honored Tom Kowalski. Having a military background, I'd grown accustomed to death, and the sudden loss of life, but this stuck with me. After the army, while at Michigan, I e-mailed Killer for advice on how to be successful in sports journalism. I was trying to decide between a future in writing or in accounting. Being the practical kid I was raised to be, I went with accounting. But before I made that decision, Tom and I exchanged many e-mails about writing and life in general. Years later, at a benefit for charity, I finally got to meet Tom. I was sure he wouldn't remember me, but when I told him who I was, he spent 30 minutes talking about how my life had gone since then. It was almost like reacquainting with a long lost friend, because that's the kind of guy he was. We spoke by e-mail a few more times after that, one exchange that happened 4 months before he passed. The last thing he told me was to "don't sweat the small stuff". I had a particularly hard week this week, and I re read those e-mails, and Killer was proved right. I didn't post any of this after he died, because I just am not that sappy or into public displays of emotion. But I realized the other day that people really needed to know what a decent human being he was. And if Killer could take time out of his busily schedule to help put a lost kid on the right road, then remembering him is the least I could do. Killer was the same way about letting pepple see his emotions, but he was a good man. At the end of the day, isn't that all any of us can hope to say about ourselves? RIP Killer, I miss you my friend. Maybe we'll get to finally have that burger and beer, if heaven has any places of any Merritt. Farewell.

Bryan

June 24th, 2012 at 6:09 PM ^

The guy running a Ponzi scheme that finally gets caught. He's been at it for so long and is tired by the lies and all the covering up. I bet whoever this is feels quite relieved. Or he's legit crazy and is pissed at his other half for blowing his cover.

robbyt003

June 24th, 2012 at 6:42 PM ^

I'm glad this has finally come to end and I don't have to listen to everyone sticking up for him whenever his "inside sources" are wrong.  

readyourguard

June 24th, 2012 at 6:56 PM ^

I don't typically look at each poster's name to see who is saying what, but I know RDT developed a quick cult-like following in a short period of time



Him outing himself doesn't stir any particular emotions one way or the other, but it's provided some entertainment on a slow Sunday night.



RIP Killer Kowalski.....and RDT/WiaB

mgobleu

June 24th, 2012 at 7:16 PM ^

This morning I checked the board and sighed; the offseason is soooooo boring. At least last year we had the Pryor/tressel show to watch, but this year, the best we've got is a bunch of playoff prognostication for 2 years from now. Blech.

But then, this happened. Ahem, someone pass the popcorn please...

TwistedBlues

June 24th, 2012 at 7:46 PM ^

Not sure what's going on, but reminds me of the Sarah Phillips fiasco. Hoke Magicians interviews him/herself and ends up being the same person. Gets out of the game and ends up getting a job with another M website. I think RDT is this Sarah Hughes character.

Mr. Rager

June 24th, 2012 at 8:04 PM ^

Well, no wonder RDT's predictions were always god fucking awful. 

Guy who did that should be looked at by a psychiatrist.

- What Herm Will Say

Phil Brickma

June 24th, 2012 at 10:53 PM ^

I worked with Killer for about a year before he passed. He was a quality guy and one hell of a beat writer. No one knew more about the Lions than he did and no one did a better job interacting with readers and keeping them updated than Tom.

MLive misses him dearly.