Blanchette captured Missildine

John Blanchette’s take on Harry Missildine really took me back to my young sportswriting days at WSU’s Daily Evergreen and at the Moscow Daily Idahonian.

I was lucky enough to work with the classic WSU sports information director, Dick Fry, and coaches Jim Sweeney, Marv Harshman, Jud Heathcote, Bobo Brayton, etc. It was truly sports nirvana for a young green reporter covering Idaho, WSU, Moscow High and Pullman High sports, not only getting to know the coaches and teams well but also other sports reporters.

Harry Missildine was one of the tops in my book. He pretty much reigned in whatever press box he occupied. “Don’t sit there … that’s Harry’s chair!” was a standard pressbox mantra, and Harry’s endless wit and banter always kept us in good humor. Those were the pre-fax, pre-computer days of typewriter stories and newsroom call-ins. Harry was superb in quickly and accurately calling in his game or column stories, then would be off to likely enjoy a postgame Scotch and cigar and to pass on more wit and humor to those around him.

He was indeed a classic!

Jeff Clausen

Spokane