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re: Cecil Hurt Passed Away Today
Posted on 11/23/21 at 6:20 pm to SummerOfGeorge
Posted on 11/23/21 at 6:20 pm to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
I'd buy a coffee table book of nothing but Cecil's 500 best tweets since he got on twitter 10 or so years ago.
One of the very few that made wading through all of Twitter's filth worth it.
0
Posted on 11/23/21 at 6:23 pm to SummerOfGeorge
Cecil trending #2 in the United States
Posted on 11/23/21 at 6:25 pm to A-TOWNUAFAN
I used to buy The Tuscaloosa News just to read his articles. Will be sorely missed. R.I.P. Cecil.
Posted on 11/23/21 at 6:33 pm to hwyman108
Cecil Hurt, longtime Tuscaloosa News sports editor and columnist, dies at 62
Tommy Deas, The Tuscaloosa News
Cecil Hurt, longtime sports columnist at The Tuscaloosa News, died Tuesday at UAB Hospital in Birmingham from complications from pneumonia.
Hurt, 62, joined The Tuscaloosa News in 1982 as a sports writer and seven years later became the newspaper’s sports editor and columnist.
"In pro football, teams put a 'franchise' tag on their most valuable players, and at The Tuscaloosa News, Cecil was the franchise,” said Ken Roberts, city editor of The Tuscaloosa News. “Our readers considered his column an essential part of being an Alabama football fan.
"I've attended Alabama football games for more than 30 years and many, many times I've overheard a fan in stands saying, 'I wonder what Cecil Hurt will say about this.' I think that shows the power of his skills as a writer.
"The University of Alabama has that slogan, 'Where Legends Are Made," and whenever I see that I think, 'The only legend I've known personally is Cecil Hurt.’
"We've lost a truly unique voice and we will miss Cecil as a consummate professional and, most importantly, as a person."
A statement was released on behalf of Hurt's family.
"Cecil passed peacefully while surrounded by family and a close friend," it said. "Please keep Cecil's family in your prayers as they cope with his passing.
"His family sincerely appreciates the outpouring of support shown to Cecil throughout this process. They would also like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff at UAB ICU for the exemplary care and compassion they provided to Cecil and his family."
Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.
A 1981 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in English and a minor in psychology, Hurt was born in Tuscaloosa and grew up in Huntsville and graduated from Butler High School. At UA, he worked as a student assistant in the sports information office during the latter years Paul W. “Bear” Bryant’s coaching career. His father played football at Alabama and was a coach and special education teacher in Tuscaloosa and Madison counties.
During his career at The Tuscaloosa News, he covered Alabama football, basketball, baseball and other sports. He was part of The Tuscaloosa News team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 2011 tornado that devastated Tuscaloosa and surrounding areas.
In 2019, he received the Mel Allen Media Award from the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. He was named the National Sports Media Association’s Alabama Sportswriter of the Year in 2016 and ’19. He won more than a dozen top 10 national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors in categories including column writing, breaking news and project reporting, and received numerous state honors from the Alabama Sports Writers Association, Alabama Press Association and Associated Press Managing Editors.
He was also honored several times with national awards for his column writing by the Associated Press Sports Editors, as well as for breaking news reporting and project reporting.
Hurt is survived by his mother Carol Messina of Sugar Hill, Georgia; brother Cary Hurt and his wife Aimee of Huntsville; and sister Caren Hidgon and husband Ray of Cumming, Georgia.
Tommy Deas, The Tuscaloosa News
Cecil Hurt, longtime sports columnist at The Tuscaloosa News, died Tuesday at UAB Hospital in Birmingham from complications from pneumonia.
Hurt, 62, joined The Tuscaloosa News in 1982 as a sports writer and seven years later became the newspaper’s sports editor and columnist.
"In pro football, teams put a 'franchise' tag on their most valuable players, and at The Tuscaloosa News, Cecil was the franchise,” said Ken Roberts, city editor of The Tuscaloosa News. “Our readers considered his column an essential part of being an Alabama football fan.
"I've attended Alabama football games for more than 30 years and many, many times I've overheard a fan in stands saying, 'I wonder what Cecil Hurt will say about this.' I think that shows the power of his skills as a writer.
"The University of Alabama has that slogan, 'Where Legends Are Made," and whenever I see that I think, 'The only legend I've known personally is Cecil Hurt.’
"We've lost a truly unique voice and we will miss Cecil as a consummate professional and, most importantly, as a person."
A statement was released on behalf of Hurt's family.
"Cecil passed peacefully while surrounded by family and a close friend," it said. "Please keep Cecil's family in your prayers as they cope with his passing.
"His family sincerely appreciates the outpouring of support shown to Cecil throughout this process. They would also like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff at UAB ICU for the exemplary care and compassion they provided to Cecil and his family."
Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.
A 1981 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in English and a minor in psychology, Hurt was born in Tuscaloosa and grew up in Huntsville and graduated from Butler High School. At UA, he worked as a student assistant in the sports information office during the latter years Paul W. “Bear” Bryant’s coaching career. His father played football at Alabama and was a coach and special education teacher in Tuscaloosa and Madison counties.
During his career at The Tuscaloosa News, he covered Alabama football, basketball, baseball and other sports. He was part of The Tuscaloosa News team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 2011 tornado that devastated Tuscaloosa and surrounding areas.
In 2019, he received the Mel Allen Media Award from the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. He was named the National Sports Media Association’s Alabama Sportswriter of the Year in 2016 and ’19. He won more than a dozen top 10 national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors in categories including column writing, breaking news and project reporting, and received numerous state honors from the Alabama Sports Writers Association, Alabama Press Association and Associated Press Managing Editors.
He was also honored several times with national awards for his column writing by the Associated Press Sports Editors, as well as for breaking news reporting and project reporting.
Hurt is survived by his mother Carol Messina of Sugar Hill, Georgia; brother Cary Hurt and his wife Aimee of Huntsville; and sister Caren Hidgon and husband Ray of Cumming, Georgia.
Posted on 11/23/21 at 6:37 pm to A-TOWNUAFAN
Best Bama beat writer ever. Loved reading his articles; his word was the gospel when it came to Bama sports. He’s one of the few writers I know of that Saban truly admired. Glad he was around to see the 2020 football team’s historic run to the championship and the b-ball’s team run thru the SEC to the sweet 16. RIP, Cecil, you done good…
Posted on 11/23/21 at 6:54 pm to OldPete
quote:
Alabama Men’s Basketball@AlabamaMBB·44m
#RIPCecil
Posted on 11/23/21 at 6:55 pm to Alabama_Fan
quote:
Alabama Athletics@UA_Athletics
For more than 40 years, Cecil Hurt was there to tell our stories with wit, style and grace. A legendary figure, gone too soon.
Posted on 11/23/21 at 6:57 pm to Alabama_Fan
quote:
Greg Byrne@Greg_Byrne·1h
Posted on 11/23/21 at 6:59 pm to Alabama_Fan
quote:
Greg Sankey@GregSankey·1h
I am saddened to learn of Cecil Hurt’s passing. Cecil was a leading voice in telling the story of the @SEC for four decades. The relationships he built, his credibility with readers, his clarity in communication and unrivaled wit made him a pillar of his profession. RIP Cecil.
Posted on 11/23/21 at 7:01 pm to Alabama_Fan
quote:
Alabama Football@AlabamaFTBL·1h
An Alabama Institution
Rest In Peace
Posted on 11/23/21 at 7:02 pm to Alabama_Fan
quote:
Alabama Pro Updates@BamaProUpdates·1h
God bless you, Cecil. Will miss your writing, your wit, your vast institutional knowledge, and mostly your unwavering kindness. Prayers to your family, close friends, and to the rest who felt like family. This one hurts.
Posted on 11/23/21 at 7:06 pm to A-TOWNUAFAN
His last tweet, dated November 7:
"Survive to play the next day, if you can."
"Survive to play the next day, if you can."
Posted on 11/23/21 at 7:11 pm to East Coast Band
You get the feeling between that tweet, and his article about Fluff, he knew his time was coming to an end.
I respect the hell out of that guy, and how he handled things.
I respect the hell out of that guy, and how he handled things.
Posted on 11/23/21 at 7:23 pm to A-TOWNUAFAN
My condolences to Hurt's family.
He will be sorely missed by us all.
He will be sorely missed by us all.
Posted on 11/23/21 at 7:23 pm to Teague
Yeah I think he had a terminal illness and knew that he only had a little time left. He looked really bad for months. RIP Cecil you were a truly great human being and a great writer.
This post was edited on 11/23/21 at 7:24 pm
Posted on 11/23/21 at 7:24 pm to The Spleen
quote:Yeah I remember that, brought tears to my eyes reading it the first time and did many times after. You’re referring to John Servati, a swimmer at Alabama and also a good friend of mine.
Yep. If you recall that student that died trying to save someone drowning maybe 7 or 8 years ago, Cecil wrote a gut wrenching column in tribute to him. I think he was on the swim or track team?
I’m going to miss Cecil’s writing that could leave you laughing for days with quick wit or move you to tears like his piece on John did. Be at rest with our Savior Cecil.
This post was edited on 11/23/21 at 7:31 pm
Posted on 11/23/21 at 7:25 pm to Teague
Cecil was class in a profession that has become a look at me job. He could have left Bama long ago for a national job and more money. We had the best guy in the business for decades. Every Bama fan looked forward to reading his article on Sunday mornings.
Posted on 11/23/21 at 7:27 pm to A-TOWNUAFAN
Just read about this, it’s another gut punch. Rest In Peace Cecil, you will be missed.
Posted on 11/23/21 at 8:54 pm to hnds2th
Finebaum has an emotional interview with Aaron Suttles shortly after news of Cecil’s death broke
16 min Vimeo video
16 min Vimeo video
Posted on 11/23/21 at 8:57 pm to A-TOWNUAFAN
This is really sad. Cecil is irreplaceable. I had hoped those reports of him doing better were true, but unfortunately all too often people improve slightly right before the end.
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