{"id":23451,"date":"2014-03-21T08:43:24","date_gmt":"2014-03-21T12:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yurasko.net\/wfy\/?p=23451"},"modified":"2014-03-21T08:43:24","modified_gmt":"2014-03-21T12:43:24","slug":"r-i-p-dick-heller-long-time-wash-times-sports-columnist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yurasko.net\/wfy\/2014\/03\/r-i-p-dick-heller-long-time-wash-times-sports-columnist\/","title":{"rendered":"R.I.P. Dick Heller, long-time Wash. Times sports columnist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dick Heller, longtime Washington Times sports columnist, dead at 76<\/a><\/p>\n

A Northwest Washington native, Heller began working for newspapers when he was in high school, covering high school sports for The Washington Daily News<\/strong>. He also worked for the Richmond Times-Dispatch<\/em> and The Alexandria Gazette<\/em> before joining The Washington Star<\/em>, where he covered University of Maryland athletics until the newspaper closed in 1981…<\/p>\n

…Following a stint at The Miami Herald<\/em>, Heller joined The Washington Times in 1986, and he became a columnist in the early 1990s. He remained with the newspaper until it folded its sports section in December 2009, then contributed bi-weekly columns for a time after the section returned in March 2011.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Heller covered the Washington Senators in the 1960s and was featured in a documentary or two about the D.C. baseball. My favorite columns of his were about the end of Griffith Stadium<\/a> and his anti-Texas Rangers ones<\/a>, though the alternative turned out to be a bit unpalatable as well.<\/p>\n

I read and linked to many Heller columns over the years, some of which you can find here.<\/a><\/p>\n

WHAT HIS COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Can only repeat what others have shared in remembering Dick Heller. It was a joy and a privilege to work alongside for nearly 17 years.<\/p>\n

— Steve Repsher (@SteveRep44) March 21, 2014<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n