I love sports… anyone who reads this blog on any kind of regular basis (all four of you) know this. Most of the time, I think to think that the many thousands of hours I have spent watching sports and reading about sports is a pleasant diversion that, while I love it, has done little to really better my brain. There are a few sports writers who raise the level of discourse and therefore elevate sport to the level of sociological discourse.

The best of those writers was Ralph Wiley who died Sunday night of a heart attack. He was 53 years old.

If we are to be judged by our peers, then Ralph Wiley stacks up pretty well. Some of those tributes are really quite touching and wonderful. He clearly was a man who had the respect of his peers, both as a writer and as a person.

As for me, I’m sad that this intelligent, passionate voice has been taken away from the often banal world of sports. I looked forward to reading his work because I knew I’d be challenged to think. We’ve lost a wonderful writer and thinker who knew that sports could mean much more than a final score.

Rest in peace, Ralph Wiley.