Bob Kravitz: Smiling and Thankful
(WISH) — Bob Kravitz is smiling.
If his unexpected career change is weighing heavily on his heart or mind, he’s not showing it.
On this day, he’s surrounded by dozens of people; friends, former colleagues, and more than a few people he has unflinchingly skewered or celebrated in his sports columns.
They’re all helping him.
For many years, no matter where he has worked or who he is covering, Kravitz has given his name, time, and attention to ALS: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The disease took his mom’s life and made him a permanent member of the army of people determined to find a cause and a cure.
This week, the effort led to Highland Country Club, where his annual golf outing raised roughly $80,000 – under blue skies and unexpectedly low humidity.
The dollars help the Indiana Chapter of the ALS Association in its goal of making ALS a ‘livable disease’ by 2030. ALS is a brutal and, so far, incurable disease that robs people of the ability to walk, talk, eat, and eventually breathe.
“I’m truly thankful and humbled by the way everybody came together for such an important cause,” Kravitz said after the totals were in. “Many thanks to all the organizers, volunteers, and golfers who participated and made this such a special day.”
To watch Kravitz work his way around the course and banquet hall, shaking hands and swapping grins, one would hardly know that he’s scrambling to re-invent himself professionally. Again.
Several times in recent years, rapid changes in the media world have forced Kravitz to scramble – taking his writing from conventional newspapers and broadcasting to online outlets instead. The most recent turn: an unexpected end to his run at The Athletic.
Kravitz is now of an age when retirement starts to call, but he appears far from ready to put down his pen.
He’s now his own editor and publisher, making his thoughts available to subscribers through “Musings of an Old Sportswriter.”If one worries that Kravitz has mellowed, his column about his new career move answers that fear forcefully; He swings hard and pulls no punches.
But that’s not the Bob Kravitz of this day.
Fueled by another successful fundraiser in honor of his mom, this version is a bit sunburned, occasionally misty-eyed, and most notably… smiling.
