RIP Tim Russert
Posted by: Mike MachnikWe were quite saddened, as were many around the world, at the news today of the unexpected passing of NBC political analyst Tim Russert at the young age of 58 following a sudden heart attack.
It was just two months ago that Russert closed the April 13 edition of Meet the Press by congratulating Boston College on winning the NCAA hockey championship the night before in Denver.
Russert’s son Luke was a student at BC, graduating this year. From all accounts, Russert mentioning BC hockey on such a national stage was truly reflective of how close he was with his family and sharing in the things that were important to them. As terrible as his passing is, it seems even worse that it happened on Father’s Day Weekend. And sadly, Russert suffering a heart attack was the same way we lost a great friend of college hockey, Jon Barkan, just back in December. Barkan was even younger, just 39.
I enjoyed Meet the Press mainly because of Russert’s presence and the way in which he did his job in as unbiased a fashion as I could imagine. He had a way of asking tough questions without displaying any meanness or prejudice towards one side or the other, and he asked them of everyone.
I had a great deal of respect for him as an analyst and looked forward to the show each week. And if I was changing tv stations and came across him talking about something on one channel, I almost always kept it on because I felt I was likely to learn something I didn’t know before. His tireless efforts at bringing the leaders in American politics to the viewers made us all more informed and helped keep attention on some of the most important issues of the day.
Our world will not be the same without him. We will miss him and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
August 6th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Tim Russert was a great newsman, father, and son. Although not a fan of the Buffalo Billf NFL football team, I loved his unbridled enthusiasm for them, so much so as to ask all Catholics to pray for a Bills victory one time at the end of MEET THE PRESS, and it was extaordinarily fun watching him constantly invoke God first cheering for the St. Alban’s school teams when Luke was there and later watching him evolve into a semi-literate – even if an exteme homer – hockey fan in accompanying Luke his son in cheering for Nathan Gerbe, who I as a BU fan went from booing to giving begredging respect to by the end of the tourney UNBRIDLED ADULATION as he was so impressive and I figured a win for a Hockey East team was better for BU than a midwestern team, and the rest of the 2007-2008 Eagles in their magical run. Whomever NBC chooses to replace Russert in the long haul, Sunday mornings as I have known them for the last fifteen plus years will never be the same for me. No longer will my Sunday morning be a troika of praising or bashing BU for the previous night’s performance, hearing Tim say, ‘If it is Sunday, it is MEET THE PRESS’. followed by rushing out the door so as not to miss the opening prayer at Mass. Tim, big Russ raised you right, and you did the same with Luke. My favorite line of Tim’s was in how he tried to teach Luke modesty and humility while growing up meeting heads of state and having private audiences with the Holy Father: ‘While you are ALWAYS ALWAYS loved, You are NEVER, NEVER entitled.’ No better or more succinct lesson could ever be taught.
Go with God,
Vaya Con Dios,
Scott Martineau
scott.martineau@comcast.net