Second Thoughts

Fallen scribe praised by fellow peers

This undated photo shows reporter John McNamara of the Capital Gazette. McNamara was one of the victims when an active shooter targeted the newsroom, Thursday, June 28, 2018 in Annapolis, Md.  (The Baltimore Sun via AP)
This undated photo shows reporter John McNamara of the Capital Gazette. McNamara was one of the victims when an active shooter targeted the newsroom, Thursday, June 28, 2018 in Annapolis, Md. (The Baltimore Sun via AP)

John McNamara was one of the five people who were shot to death Thursday inside the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Md.

He was 56.

McNamara was a longtime sports reporter at the Capital Gazette, and until his death had covered news as an editor and reporter at the Bowie Blade-News and the Crofton-West County Gazette. He also wrote features and community news.

During his sports reporting tenure, McNamara was the University of Maryland football and men's basketball beat writer. He covered Maryland's 2002 national championship in men's basketball under Gary Williams.

The journalism world reacted to McNamara's death Thursday and Friday.

David Simon, a former Baltimore Sun crime reporter and creator/executive producer of HBO's The Wire. "A second friend murdered in the Annapolis Capital newsroom. John McNamara was a careful, committed and lifelong journalist who first honed his craft as a sports reporter on the University of Maryland Diamondback, where I had the pleasure of working with him."

The Athletic's Marc Carig: "John McNamara is one of the kindest people I've met in this biz. We've been friends since I was a young journalist covering Terps basketball. I had no idea what I was doing. He showed me the ropes. Please keep John and the other #CapitalGazette victims in your thoughts tonight."

Washington Post sports columnist Barry Svrluga: "John McNamara, who was killed today [Thursday] in the Annapolis shooting, was one of the first five people I met in DC sports media. Relentlessly kind from Day One. Incredibly understated. So humble. Loved his job. This is heartbreaking."

San Francisco Chronicle sports reporter Connor Letourneau, who graduated from Maryland: "This is devastating. John McNamara is the definition of a classy vet who took me under his wing in my @DBKSports [The Diamondback, Maryland's independent student newspaper] days."

Former Capital Gazette sports editor Gerry Jackson, who hired McNamara: "At a small paper like that, you have to be versatile. He could write. He could edit. He could design pages. He was just a jack of all trades and a fantastic person."

The four others who died in the Capital Gazette newsroom shooting were editorial page editor Gerald Fischman, assistant editor and columnist Rob Hiaasen, special publications editor Wendi Winters and sales assistant Rebecca Smith.

McNamara is survived by his wife Andrea. The couple did not have children.

He said it

Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times believes that the Los Angeles Dodgers will have to be patient as their ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who has been on the disabled list twice this season with a left biceps injury and a lower back strain.

Kershaw pitched five innings in Thursday's 11-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

"The Chicago Cubs won, but so did Clayton Kershaw. The Cubs pounded and popped, but only after Kershaw overpowered and perplexed," Plaschke wrote.

"The final score was 11-5, but the most important statistic belonged to a Dodgers ace pitching for only the third time in two months.

"Five innings, one run, six strikeouts, no walks, and one prediction.

"This Kershaw will work. This Kershaw, stretched out another inning or so, will be just fine.

"If the injury-plagued 30-year-old can't be Cy Young again, this will be enough. If his body won't allow him to consistently be the best pitcher on the planet anymore, this will do."

photo

MLBPV AP

Kershaw (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

SPORTS QUIZ

What year did Maryland join the Big Ten?

ANSWER

  1. Maryland had competed in the ACC from 1953-2014.

Sports on 06/30/2018

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