Chris Mortensen, a longtime NFL insider, passed away yesterday morning at the age of 72. Mortensen spent more than three decades working for ESPN.
Accordingly, many in sports radio dedicated time to saluting ‘Mort,’ who was universally liked and well respected within NFL circles. Mortensen was often a guest of local radio stations and national shows and his former colleague Dan Patrick said he believed Mortensen did those interviews because it was “for the betterment of the sport.”
Patrick also said of his former ESPN teammate, “‘Mort’ was one of the most professional people I ever met…He was fun to be around, there was no ego around Chris Mortensen. He loved the sport, he appreciated the sport…Chris Mortensen, good man, good man, great reporter.”
BMitch and Finlay hosts Brian Mitchell and JP Finlay talked about Chris Mortensen’s passing as well. Finlay said, “I wanted to take a minute to salute an incredible career, and by all accounts a great person.”
Then, Finlay read an excerpt from an email sent by Bob Glauber, former president of the Pro Football Writers of America.
“A legendarily great reporter,” Glauber said. “Someone who could be trusted with information that was the bedrock for what felt like a limitless number of sources. A presence in print or on television who was must read and must see.
“But beyond what we saw of Mort in the job he so loved throughout a journalism career that began in 1969 at the South Bay Daily Breeze in his native Torrance, California, evolved into one of the great print journalism runs at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and later The National, and then a trailblazing career at ESPN beginning in 1991, there was a kind and generous soul who had time for everyone.
“One of us. He was always one of us – no matter how big his platform, how big the stories he was breaking, or how bright the spotlight shone on him in covering the country’s most popular sport. Which makes the news of his loss hit that much harder. Mort passed away on Sunday at the age of 72.”
In summary, the hosts said the start of that last paragraph tells you what you needed to know about ‘Mort.’
In Pittsburgh, earlier today, Adam Crowley from 93.7 The Fan said, “Every person that knew him came out and said nice things. It’s a sad loss for the NFL, a guy that loved football…The guy loved the game and not a single person had a bad word to say about him.”
In addition, Steak Shapiro of 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, where Mortensen spent time at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1983 to 1990, said, “He is the O.G. of NFL sports reporting on ESPN…a true gentleman…an absoulte gem.”
