Even if you are under a self-imposed media blockade, you can’t avoid the various and several necrologies. With a little more than a day left in 2022, every industry is publishing the noteworthy and newsworthy figures that have passed this year.

Wherever your particular interests lay, you’ve probably missed some important figures passing. Newspapers, the internet, television and radio are here to remind us of who died. I prefer the chronological lists as we are all products of recency bias. Usually, for the people I missed out on, the date helps me figure why and where I missed something.

It’s easy to forget exactly when somebody died-especially if they were a celebrity in passing. It’s been a difficult 18 months at school as several people have lost close family members and in most cases, I can’t place the exact dates.

When reading about those in the entertainment industry what troubles me most isn’t that the young names or their movies/t.v shows aren’t familiar, but rather how young most of them are.

The name in the sports-news industry that caught my eye was Fred Hickman. Even after I synched up his death (11/9), I can’t figure out how I missed his passing or at least I think I did.

Fred was an initial host/voice/presences on CNN sports and the YES Network. His presence on CNN with Nick Charles, Dan Patrick, Vince Cellini, and Van Earl Wright ushered in a new breed of sports coverage and commentary. Aside from an almost eternal smile on his face, he was a true professional. He had a great sense of humor, but never needed to take cheap shots.

In a past lifetime when the Bulls were winning their second 3 NBA titles, all of the national media and anyone in the NBA stayed with us during the Finals and Pre-draft camp (At Moody Bible). The Bulls opponent always stayed at a different hotel. For a hoops junkie, my desk was a hub of activity.

Of the many folks that would stop and chat (and ask questions and for assistance), Fred was a most welcome visitor. And not just because he was a sharp dresser, he lit the lobby up. He was among a handful of guys and gals whose presence I looked forward to each of those three years.

If you haven’t seen his work, google him and you’ll see why he was among the best. Most importantly, he was a good guy that treated everyone nicely. Even though he was on the national scene for much of his career, he was never big time. Many of his contemporaries who thought they were big time are long forgotten.

R.I.P Fred!