Losing a legend: Furman Bisher
Furman Bisher (AJC file)
It’s the end of a era in sports journalism with the loss of Furman Bisher.
I grew up reading his column in the afternoon Journal, which I delivered in Athens, and always watched the Sunday football season TV show he hosted with other Atlanta sportswriters. The man who hired me straight out of college, Jim Minter, was one of the regulars on that show.
Years later, after starting out on the morning Constitution (as did Furman), I switched over to the afternoon cycle and spent quite a few years on the Journal, which was Furman’s newspaper home for so many decades. I once mentioned him to a friend in New Jersey, and my friend knew Bisher from his work in the Sporting News.
I didn’t work with Furman directly but always got a kick out of seeing him in the newsroom, usually grousing about something. One time he got on the elevator with me and was fussing and fuming about something. Then he looked up at me and winked. Like he was saying, “I have to keep up my image.”
My favorite Bisher memory, though, is when I spent a fun evening sitting next to him a few years ago at the AJC’s 25 Year Club banquet along with a few other old Journal staffers. Lots of amusing stories and although he was the evening’s featured speaker, he showed a refreshing irreverence.
I know some UGA fans thought he was overly fond of the school on North Avenue, but I never let that get in the way of my enjoyment of Bisher at his best … telling the tale behind the sporting event.
And even in retirement, he was still a holiday staple. Thanksgiving mornings won’t be the same without his “thankful” columns … which always managed to choke me up just a little.
Selah, Furman.
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70 comments Add your comment
Dawg48
March 19th, 2012
1:30 pm
To the Bisher fans.
Here is a link to the interview were Bisher interviewed Shoeless Joe Jackson.
http://www.blackbetsy.com/theTruth.html
Frank Lane
March 19th, 2012
1:59 pm
Absolutely my favorite sports writer of all times, but I did not know Ring Lardner.
Pope UGA XXIII
March 19th, 2012
2:18 pm
To utilize the format of a famous Thanksgiving column,
I’m thankful for:
— a writer who could bring back great memories of the Crackers
— who was able to illustrate UGA/Tech hatred so easily
— correctly calling Duke students, the “little darlings”
— hosted a great “Football Review” TV show on Sunday
— along with Jesse Outlar mentored Lewis Grizzard
— provided 50 + years of great sports journalism
Furman, please stop by Sprayberry’s, pick up a BBQ plate for
Lewis Grizzard and few cigars for Larry Munson. Larry will be
beck from bass fishing around 6 PM. You used to stop by our
tailgate @ Sanford Stadium in the 70’s, so if I make it in, hope I
will be able to subscribe to the sports page you will be editor of.
Thanks for the memories – R I P
Spanky
March 19th, 2012
2:45 pm
RIP, Mr Bisher…truly one of the greatest ever! Years and years ago, he wrote a column about how the rivalry tween Tech and Auburn became known as the pajama rivaly….LOL, someone please ask me why!!
TBone
March 19th, 2012
3:19 pm
My wife and I bumped into Mr. Bisher leaving the Masters crossing the the ninth fairway late one Saturday afternoon twelve or so years ago and chatted with him as he scribbled some notes in a pocket notebook. Both our fathers were avid readers and Masters fans. It was strange seeing a celebrated media member all alone in the middle of a sea of humanity as the sun set. Get some rest now Furman.
Farewell to Furman
March 19th, 2012
5:32 pm
Furman Bisher is one of the great sports journalists of all time. With Jesse Outlar, the AJC had one of the finest sports departments in the US.
He will be missed.
UGAgrad'71
March 19th, 2012
5:57 pm
In this day of rapid fire one-liners on the TV and cable shows his talent and style will be greatly missed.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
March 19th, 2012
7:44 pm
nice story about Mr. Bisher.
http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/031912aab.html
Manila dog
March 19th, 2012
8:09 pm
I too started my working career carrying the Atlanta Journal in Athens in 1963-1964. I don’t remember when I started reading Mr. Bisher’s columns but I know I read them as often as I could from at least 1967 onward. We will miss his humor, insight, and, as far as I know his integrity. I think you can say “he finished the race well” which all of should want for our epitaph. God bless his family and may they rejoice in the good memories of a life well spent.
Mobile Dawg
March 19th, 2012
8:32 pm
I’m starting to feel old all of a sudden. So many good memories as have already been shared, I just feel blessed to have been able to experience a lot of them….Reminds me so much of my Grandparents who were season ticket holders at GT for half a century.
Dr. Morpheus
March 19th, 2012
8:53 pm
I loved Harry Mehre’s sportswriting but going all the way from that era to this one, Furman Bisher was hands down, no doubt about it, the very best.
13-1 SEC East Champions 2012
March 19th, 2012
10:27 pm
I thought this blog was about Tim Tebow and how, uneven play at Quarterback and John Elway wanting to not continue to change Denver’s Offense to suit a guy who at best is an unorthodox drop back passer, following his 10-45 loss to end the season against a less than spectacular New England team.
I said March 7 in here that he would land at Denver.
I mean if Mark Richt is so great because he is a Christian, and Tim Tebow too despite the fact that Tim Tebow is nowhere to be found on a list of the greatest college football quarterbacks of all-time, for the same very reason, why is Tim Tebow having to find another position or another team to stay in the NFL ? JAX ? Really ? They want the fans to show up and watch his quarterback play, uneven as it is ? I doubt that. Denver has a great defense and if a QB like Tim Tebow in that easy Division and easy conference can make it to the play-offs with an uneven play quarterback, just think what Peyton Manning thinks his chances would be with Denver ?
They interviewed a Denver Bronco linebacker today who said it seemed to begin with that he was behind Tim Tebow, and quickly the guy brought him to reality, what if your Offense could hand your Defense 21 points to work with ?
Ding Ding Ding…
Bobby Raven
March 20th, 2012
4:18 am
He was just such a good writer. Ring Lardner would have loved him.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
March 20th, 2012
9:41 am
The guy stood with many at the AJC to attempt to support Dodd and Tech with the war against Paul Bryant and they lost their azz both on and off the field. Just another lib hack and nothing more.
Dirty Dawg
March 20th, 2012
10:06 am
…and for the record, and from no fan of Tech’s, Darwin Holt was a thug and everybody knew it – including Bear Bryant. Will never forget the series of pics in tha AJC that next morning – with all the dotted-lines that the paper used to do – that showed Holt running half-way around Grant Field to slug Chick Granning…a forearm to the chin, after the play was over, that almost killed him. Alabama and Bear Bryant deserved every condemnation in the world for that. Even if it did mean that Bisher had to use Tallapoosa as his dateline for anything he ever wrote again about Alabama – said it was the closest he could get to Alabama without getting arrested.
GR
March 20th, 2012
11:08 am
BILL,
I wrote in Mr. Bisher’s guest book that his best articles were the “I’m Thankful” articles each Thanksgiving.
He was the best.
Joe Biddle
March 20th, 2012
6:32 pm
It was the saddest of days when I learned of Furman’s passing. I worked as a sports columnist at the Nashville Banner and later the Tennessean and was deeply honored to share many a press box through the years. One of the great thrills was being assigned to a portion of the Churchill Downs press box that was reserved for the likes of Furman, Edwin Pope, Jim Murray, Blackie Sherrod, Dan Jenkins, Dan Foster and earlier in his career, my mentor, Fred Russell, who was to Nashville what Furman was to Atlanta. Mr. Russell worked at the Banner 69 years until it folded and came to the office five days a week, writing one column a week that needed no editing. It, too, was done on a manual typewriter. The stories those guys could tell were priceless, as they worked in the golden era of the profession, often traveling on trains with players and teams they wrote about.
Oh, how Furman loved walking the hallowed grounds of Augusta every spring. It gave him energy and helped keep him young. He could out-walk writers half his age.
I was sitting behind him during a Monday after the Super Bowl press conference in a huge hotel ballroom when a still photographer left his assigned place and parked his tripod directly in the row in front of Furman, blocking his view. The went back and forth and Furman kicked the tripod, which led to the guy delivering a fist to Furman’s face. Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs squinted through the lights, trying to see what the commotion was all about. Are you all right Furman, Gibbs asked. Furman groused and grumbled something about it would take more than that to hurt him. He was one tough hombre and I offer my condolences to the family. Augusta National will not be the same this year, and for years to come. He had no peers when it came to entertaining, informing or making sure you knew where he stood.
RIP, my friend. My, how you have earned it.
Transplant
March 20th, 2012
6:58 pm
My first exposure to Mr. Bisher’s writing was in the mid-60s, when I moved to Atlanta to go to graduate school. I was hooked immediately—so much so that late last night I found myself reading and re-reading a selection of some of his best columns in the AJC. I treasure most the two I Beat Bisher t-shirts that lie unworn in one of my closets. After receiving them, I regarded wearing one an act amounting to blasphemy. Condolences to his family and friends. We have lost a treasure.
HOUDAWG
March 20th, 2012
8:24 pm
Another legend passes …… rest in peace Furman Bisher. All Dawg & Jacket fans can unite is this feeling of loss. I vividly remember those Sunday morning papers when they used the arrowed-captions depicting a huge play ! Remember those ? Godspeed to Mr. Bisher ……
13-1 SEC East Champions 2012
March 21st, 2012
1:21 am
Aaron Murray,
Thanks a lot.
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