Recalling The Boss's Lighter Side

I mentioned to my missus last night that I spent a big chunk of my morning yesterday writing up George Steinbrenner’s death, and the ensuing coverage. She asked why B&C was so interested in the death of a team owner.

I reminded her that he was part of the YES Network’s founding team, and that Steinbrenner, love him or loathe him, was much more than a team owner.

“It’s a huge story, and it’s not just a sports story,” Bright House Networks news chief Elliott Wiser told me yesterday morning, not long after his Tampa outlet Bay News 9 broke the story of Steinbrenner’s death following a massive heart attack.

Wiser said Steinbrenner was an integral part of the Tampa community. When Bay News 9 announced years ago that it was starting a scholarship in honor of sports reporter Dave Logan after Logan passed away prematurely, Wiser said Steinbrenner was the first to write a check for the fund. [Here’s video of Wiser telling the story.]

“What he did for the community,” says Wiser. “He’s iconic.”