The Michigan Daily - SportsMond y - January 11, 1999
I 1lB
The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - January 11, 1999 lOB
MARK
SNYDER
Liea er the loss ofa genuiefnind? Hard
and sappointing, but oh, so memorable...
'll never forget the head-bob. Back and forth, forth and
back his head would weave, ever emphasizing his point,
never leaving you still.
Brian Fishman spent more energy trying to hand you a
piece of paper than you would spend reading the enormous
media guide he produced every winter.
But that's what makes Brian unique.
I'm sure everyone has stories about Brian, and I'm no
exception. There are nights we spent drinking, days we spent
arguing and time in between we spent chatting. In my 21
years, his is, without a doubt, the most vibrant personality I
have ever encountered.
And this morning, and yesterday morning and every morn-
ing since he passed away on Thursday, I have awoken to a
less complete world, one missing a friend.
Because an enormous majority of you never met Brian,
these words mean little to your daily routine.
But that's the very reason I'm writing, so you'll all have a
better idea what you missed.
The relationship between a sportswriter and a sports infor-
mation director is intended to be professional. An SID should
act as a press agent for the team and a liaison between the
players/coaches and the media. Often these relationships
become strained as the SID has to control access to the team
while the reporter wants complete authority to roam free
within the inner sanctum of the athletic world.
With Brian - nobody actually called him Brian, to every-
one he was simply 'Fish'- the possibility of a normal inter-
action did not exist. He was just way too intense.
But the more I got to know him and expect the next sen-
tence or thought that was coming, the more I appreciated the
change from the norm. He genuinely wanted to help and I
was more than willing to listen.
His three years in the Michigan Athletic Department were
unparalleled. Ask Red Berenson, Michigan's hockey coach,
or Bruce Madej, Fish's former boss at Michigan, and both
will tell you no one worked harder. Fish worked when there
was no work to be done, though most of it went unnoticed.
Though Berenson built two championship teams on the
ice, Fish brought them to life as he aided the college hockey
explosion of the past 3-4 years. Rarely could a Michigan face
- be it Brendan Morrison, Marty Turco or Krikor Arman -
be missed when a college hockey interview or highlight was
shown. He helped turn a moderately exciting program into a
well-recognized unit. I admired the effort, I loved the work
ethic and I empathized with his drive to succeed. And now I
know what I'll miss.
Writers and SIDs are not supposed to be friends. They're
not supposed to deal with each other on any level outside of
the professional realm. But Fish didn't care. He remembered
what he loved about his life and that was his collegiate expe-
rience at Wisconsin. So he wanted to make sure all of our
college experiences - those of me and my fellow hockey
beat writers at the Daily - were full of memorable moments0
(or unmemorable depending on the situation.)
Occasionally, those times came with him and his enthusi-
asm - a man seven years older than us, trying to act our age
instead of his own. That's why I find it so hard to believe that
Fish's energy won't be calling me this week pitching a story
or striking up a conversation to see how my various travails
have been - or at least to see a beer count.
When I think of Fish, I'll remember Milwaukee's Barkan
Bash when he came storming into the Hyatt Regency 333
restaurant demanding a drink-off with me - his version of a
gentleman's duel. Of course, at the time he was draped in fre
t-shirts, carrying free mugs and sporting a free hat, all rem-
nants of his previous stops that evening. Combined with his
ever-present suit, the moment was perfectly Fishman.
Or I'll recall the time when, after the 1996-97 season was
complete, my beat partners and I surprised him with a thank-
you gift for a year of aid.
He navigated five rookies around the greatest college hock-
ey team of all time and helped us produce a year of excel-
lence. Upon receiving the gift, his eyes bulged from his head.
Though shrouded by a bag, when our 24-pack of Molson Ice
peeked through the top, his face lit up (at least more than it
already was.) Because we were in his office, he quickly cov-
ered the package, peeked to see if his boss was around and
then declared it "the perfect gift."
Or I'll think about the day last summer when I stopped in
to see him and he tried to talk me out of sports journalism.
He knew my career path was already chosen, but he couldn't
hold back. He pointed out all the negatives, why he turned
away from the profession and why I wouldn't enjoy it. One of
his co-workers - a man who also knew me - told him to
stop badgering me, that it was my life. But I appreciated
Fish's honesty. I always knew he'd be straight with me,
regardless of the situation - a rare trait today.
That's how I'll always think of Brian Fishman. He enjoyed
life and moved with an enormous zest for all he did, along
with an honesty that radiated with every head-bob.
People come in and out of your life regularly and some
have a greater impact than others. On behalf of the lucky 13
Michigan Daily beat writers he assisted in his three-year
Michigan tenure, I can only offer unspeakable appreciation.
To a man - and one woman - we won't forget our season
of good fortune because of how he helped us, aided us and
guided us into what were unchartered waters.
Though we're currently spread across the country, we'll get*
together one day and raise a glass - or a 24-pack - to Brian
and remember his intensity, his passion and his kindness,
Then we'll toast. This one's for you, Fish.
- Mark Snyder can be reached via
e-mail at msnyder@umich.edu.
AP PHC
Tim Couch is headed to the NFL, where he Is expected to be taken by the expansion Cleveland franchise. Other underclass-
men, such as Ohio State's Andy Katzenmoyer and David Boston, have also declared.
College juniors
to Katzenmoye
- from Couch
- seek NFL
NEW YORK (AP) - Tim Couch
of Kentucky, Chris Claiborne of
USC and Kris Farris of UCLA were
among at least 23 players who have
decided to pass up their remaining
college eligibility and take a shot at
new challenge," Claiborne said. "I
did everything I could for this uni-
versity. I'm ready to step up to a new
level."
Two players from Ohio State, wide
receiver David Boston and line-
Collins' departure was a surprise
- even to his coach.
"Let him leave," Louisville coach
John L. Smith said after hearing of
Collins' intent. "Where does he think
he's going to go?"