"Flat Randy" Tribute to Randy Starkman at Olympics

[overedge]

This is a really nice story.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/eh-...162727825.html

[lurvylurker]

What a nice way to remember him!

[AragornElessar]

Oh have I missed that man's knowledge and articles during these two weeks.

What a wonderful tribute both this *and* naming the Cdn Press Room in his honour. I hope CTV gives us a heads up when the Tribute airs, because I know I'll need Kleenex.

Thanks for posting that and I hope both Clara Hughes and Adan vanK (no way am I screwing up the spelling of his name.) got pictures w/Flat Randy after their wonderful tributes they shared w/all of us.

[kwanfan1818]

What a great tribute to Starkman.

(RDS guy is cute, too. Lovely eyes.)

[Garden Kitty]

How sweet, thanks for posting the link.

[Lara]

I had CTV on my computer tonight and tried keeping tabs on it, but never saw the promised tribute. Hope I didn't miss it? Maybe it'll air tomorrow?

[victorskid]

Somewhere around 3 p.m. in their Sunday review show leading up to the closing ceremonies. They showed "flat Randy", Randy's spot (reserved for him by the journalists), comments from Simon Whitfield, Andy VanK & Mark Odershaw, and lots of comments from Brian Williams including mention of Randy's family.

[algonquin]

Brian Williams said that all the reporters miss Randy.

[Sylvia]

Thanks to everyone who shared information about "Flat Randy" here! (see my sig. line) I'm hoping I might be able to watch the CTV segment via their website or maybe someone will upload it to youtube at some point?

[Anemone]

Thanks to everyone who shared information about "Flat Randy" here! (see my sig. line) I'm hoping I might be able to watch the CTV segment via their website or maybe someone will upload it to youtube at some point?

Sylvia, CTV has it up on their website already. http://www.ctvolympics.ca/videos/wat...-starkman.html

[Sylvia]

Thanks, Anemone, but it looks like CTV's Olympic videos are geoblocked for me here in the States.

[Bournekraatzfan]

lovely. thx for posting, overedge.

[algonquin]

Another tribute:

http://olympic.ca/news/committee/cel...alist-starkman

[AragornElessar]

I hope you get to see it somehow Sylvia. Good thing I was where the Kleenex box was when it aired.

Loved what Simon said about Randy and his crash. How he just *knew* Randy was up there throwing his notebook to the floor and yelling "Whitfield!!" in disgust.

He just cared so much about the Athletes and so many became friends. The only one I was missing hearing in the Tribute was Clara Hughes, but I think she'd left already by the time they started putting the piece together.

It really was so well done and the respect and love all felt towards him was just so very obvious.

Oh and Sylvia? When my Brother in Law eventually lays into me on "what a disappoinment these Games were for Canada", and this is a sure thing the next time I see him too , may I use that quote as part of my reply to him? I've already warned Mom I'm not putting up w/that crap this time. He once snapped at me when I was at their place and one of our Downhillers won his first World Cup race, "I don't know why you care so much?" I snapped back w/"And why do you only care once every four years?"

I am so sick and tired of people only supporting our Athletes once every four years and then pitching fits when we don't win oodles and oodles of Medals at the Olympics. God forbid the two are linked crosses their minds though.

Randy got that and his passing last Spring left a void in our Sports reporting World in Canada I don't think will ever be filled.

[Sylvia]

I hope you get to see it somehow Sylvia.

Thanks, I sure would like to! Anyone in Canada reading this willing to upload that CTV segment somewhere where I can view it? (Go ahead and use my sig. line quote, AE.)

From Starkman's daughter, Ella: http://www.thestar.com/sports/london...-olympic-house

As someone with a profound dislike for sports, I went in not knowing what to expect. But as I sat there surrounded by so many athletes who share such a strong love and admiration for my father, I was overcome with emotion.

For my entire life, I sat and listened to my father drone on and on about the Olympics. But today I realized the full extent of how much he contributed and how much it meant to him. Even though he never threw a hammer or won a race, my Dad was a champion of a different kind.

Another article: Canadian Olympians honour memory of sportswriter Randy Starkman: 'A life lost too early'

“Randy was there when we were nothing and followed us until we became something. He was not about the big things. He was about the small things,” said four-time Olympic rowing medallist Marnie McBean, as she unsuccessfully fought back tears. McBean came to know Starkman in the early 1990s, through his work around the Olympics in Barcelona and Atlanta.

“Whenever I got out of my boat I expected to see Randy on the dock,” said sprint kayaker Adam van Koeverden, a four-time Olympic medallist who won silver in London earlier this week.
...
Starkman was special to so many Canadian Olympians in part because he was usually the only journalist following their careers outside the Olympic circus. But he meant much more than that to most of them because he was intensely interested in who they were, where they came from and what they thought about life. To borrow a sports cliché, he always had their corner.