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Hey, Tom McEwen! Get well - and soon

Staff file photo

Tom McEwen never stopped working after he retired from Tribune duty in 2001.

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By MARTIN FENNELLY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 20, 2009

Updated: 10/20/2009 06:22 am

TAMPA - Sunday, on my way to another Bucs loss, I stopped by Memorial Hospital, Room 214, to see the man who has seen it all - written about it, too.

The one and only Tom McEwen had no plans to watch the Bucs play the Panthers.

"I'm already in pain," he said with a smile.

Classic McEwen.

There will never be another one like Tom. For 50 years, he has chronicled sports in our area, mostly for The Tampa Tribune, be it "The Morning After," columns or "Breakfast Bonus" columns or "Hey, Tom!" mailbag, decades of nonstop work that was required reading for anyone who wanted to know what was going on or, more to the point, what Tom thought about it.

Tom lovers are thinking about him these days.

He just lost a dear friend: His left leg.

For 86 years, they went everywhere together. They traveled the world. They lugged typewriters, then computers into press boxes. They went into Tampa back rooms where deals get done, where Tom helped them get done. They met everyone who was ever famous in all these games. They stood together for countless hours, Tom telling stories that made people smile.

Tom has battled his health. The other day, it seemed touch and go, circulation problems in his leg, then the surgery. But Tom is a lot tougher than touch and go.

We're thinking about him for all sorts of reasons. One small one is that the Bucs are 0-6 and it reminds us of the old days and how Tom handled all the Bucs losing.

We're thinking about Tom because he was never mean-spirited in his columns. He poked fun, but not holes. We're heading into a vicious cycle for the Bucs, nasty stuff, and we'd be wise to remember what Tom always told any aspiring writer: "Never write in anger."

Tom never stopped working after he retired from Tribune duty in 2001. Right until this hospital visit, he was writing on his Web site, heytommcewen.com, or his "Breakfast Bonus" blog for TBO.com.

The last time the Bucs started this badly was 1996, Tony Dungy's first season in Tampa. I went and looked at what Tom wrote when the Bucs turned 0-5 with a 27-0 loss to the Lions. It's classic McEwen.

"First of all, punter Tommy Barnhardt had a wonderful game, and naturally a busy one ... Second, on the good side, the mighty Bucs are off next Sunday. That means we do not have to report their every move, which should please all involved."

And the kicker to the column:

"Dilfer said he'd report for work today, then 'play golf Tuesday,' then get back to football work Wednesday. Dilfer is an excellent golfer, perhaps a pro prospect. The PGA qualifying school opens in late October. Costs $3,000 to enter."

Beautiful.

Tom is down a leg, but not down. Only all this could inspire him to tell a story about legendary Jesuit High School coach Paul Straub, who lost both legs at Guadalcanal during World War II (Tom served, too).

Tom lay in his hospital bed, talking about how Paul Straub would pull a joke on young athletes who didn't know about his wooden legs. He'd ask if they were tough. The kids would say yes, they were.

"He'd throw a dart into his pant leg, ask them if they were that tough," Tom said. "Kids nearly fainted."

Tom McEwen, storyteller, is laughing again. His wife, the eternally young Linda, is at his side, as always. I asked Tom when he'd be back at work.

"When people out there will have me."

Hey, Tom!

Get well soon.

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