During my time covering the Cowboys daily for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram I got to know Chris Mortensen. A genuine good guy and, obviously, a great, dogged reporter.
Sad to hear over the weekend that “Mort” is battling throat cancer and taking an indefinite leave of absence from the ESPN gig he’s held since 1991.
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo echoed the sentiments from most around the league, telling Sports Illustrated’s Peter King that, “He’s the best in the business. He’s reached out to me during the good times and bad. He’s as genuine a person as I know in the business. We are praying for him.”
Cardinals’ star Larry Fitzgerald even praised Mort on the field after his team’s overtime playoff win over the Packers Saturday night.
A lot of players despise – and/or don’t trust – the media. The bouquets of respect tossed at Mort are the epitome of respect.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
