Gary Fitzgerald, writer for Redskins.com is moving on

[Burgundy Burner]

For nearly nine years, Gary has been bringing us articles and stories about the Redskins at the team site. He is resigning to take a position elsewhere and will no longer be involved in sports.

I'll miss Gary's articles and wish him the best as he moves and forward in life.

 

[Boone]

Hardest working Redskins content guy ever. He was a good guy, went out of his way to make the newbs feel welcome when we started coverage duties, which I always appreciated. That's a loss for Redskins fans. Any idea where Gary is headed?

Sent from my BlackBerry 9650 using Tapatalk

 

[burgold]

Outsider Sports.

 

[Bulldog]

The one bone I have had to pick is the content accuracy at times on the website articles.

Occasionally, you see the round a player was selected in the past incorrect, or the club he originally was drafted by.

Not a huge deal in the aggregate, but I hope they upgrade the proof-reader for the next writer they hire.
Posted via BGO Mobile Device

 

[Om]

Don't ever change, b'dog.

Thanks for everything, Gary. Few will ever know or appreciate the full extent of the work you did.

Great timing, huh? After 20 years we finally get a QB, and Life spirits you out of the building. Ah well, put your feet up on Sunday afternoons this fall and enjoy the spectacle without deadlines.

Oh, and let us know at some point how hard it is to sorting out the mixed emotions whenever we play the Eagles.

Be well.

 

[TomE]

I presume there was some personal interaction between Gary and some of you guys.

Any cool stories worth sharing?

 

[Miles Monroe]

I presume there was some personal interaction between Gary and some of you guys.

Any cool stories worth sharing?

Only story I can share echos what Boone said. He was one of the very, very few pros that made me feel like I belonged in the press box. He's a genuinely good guy, and spent time chatting with me when others looked out the side of their faces.

He'll be missed....

 

[Boone]

Nothing specific - he always went out of his way to make sure we were okay. You have to understand, having 'fanboys' at Redskins Park - in the traditional media space (which was a glorified vending machine/break room) - it wasn't well-received or very comfortable. So it was nice to have a friendly face.

Best 'coverage' memory ever - we were at Redskins Park late one day after a closed training camp session during Gibbs first season. I think Snyder was trying to do 'service recovery' with the media as the relationships were bad, bad, bad then especially with the Post. The PR director comes in - and it was Murphy and I (before Murphy was even officially helping out ES - he was there on getting some stories for his Army publication) and just a handful of real media guys. He says 'Hey, you guys come on downstairs - we've got dinner for you. They had a whole spread, and next thing I know, Gibbs and Williams come in and we're in a buffet line next to them. It was wild. Say what you will about Gregg Williams, but he came and shot the **** with Gary F., Murf, and I for a good 20 minutes. He told this story about something his teenage son said to him the night before at dinner. 'Hey Dad - how come you're a genius now, but in Buffalo, you were just an asshole?'. Classic.

Anyway, Gary is an 'all business' kind of a guy. But even he cracked a smile at that one.

 

[TomE]

Nice.

Glad to hear that Gary took the time and was secure enough to allow you "chosen few" to join in for a taste.

Hard to imagine how competitive the media biz must be nowadays when anyone with a keyboard and an internet connection can crack into the hallowed turf. Tough business.

 

[Flipper]

Gary Fitzgerald here...Flipper is my "handle" on several other boards, and for consistency's sake I'll keep it Flipper here, too. (It's a nickname that goes back to the late 1980s, but I digress...)

Thanks for the kind words, all. Even you, Bulldog's Twin...Silly, there was no proofreader! I was the writer, proofreader, managing editor, web producer, and more. Given the volume of what was produced daily, you accept that mistakes happen. It's not ideal, but it is what it is.

Great to see you around, Om, Boone, Miles...

And I don't care what the NFL does to Gregg Williams, I'll always like him.

 

[Elephant]

Welcome aboard Gary.

 

[Boone]

The man himself. I've always said you were the hardest working sportswriter around. I don't think anyone understands how Redskins.com was essentially YOU all those years. Amazing. I know you will do well no matter where your road takes you. Dont be a stranger and stop by and say hello once in awhile.

And btw - there's nothing stopping you now from sharing how it felt to be the chief Redskins content guy while inside being a die-hard Eagles fan all those years

 

[Jimbo]

I didn't miss a whole lot of Gary's articles. Definitely great stuff and now I'm even more appreciative of all the work he put into it. Gary, we're REALLY gonna miss you! Best of Luck in the new digs.

 

[Burgundy Burner]

Ah, there he is - the one and only. Great to see you over here. If you're ever in the neighborhood (for an Eagles game?), be sure to stop by.

Loved all the stories over the years and just wanted to show the appreciation with this thread in our little corner of the internet universe.

 

[McD5]

Class act Gary. Hope to see you post here on a more regular basis. And best wishes going forward.

 

[TomE]

Flipper?
Do tell.

 

[Flipper]

Thanks for the welcome, all.

Here's the deal with the Eagles...I grew up an Eagles fan, loved the Dick Vermeil Eagles of the early 1980s, they were my team growing up. Stopped following them in the mid-1990s when I was off doing other things, but picked them up again when Donovan McNabb arrived. I found myself moderating an Eagles message board around that time, too.

I still rooted for the Eagles when I joined the Redskins full-time in 2003, while also rooting for the Redskins. Head to head? Believe it or not, I wanted the Redskins to win because it made work easier the following week!

Through time, I became more connected to the Redskins. Then when the Eagles signed Michael Vick, I just found it hard to even watch the Eagles. I'm not a Vick fan. Not one bit. When I watch the Eagles now, I do it passively. I just can't bring myself to root for Vick.

And yes, even after all the turmoil of McNabb in Washington, I'm still a big Donovan McNabb fan.

 

[Om]

I do have to say this, brother ... moving on when it's one's own choice is always a good thing (know a little bit about that myself). So I'm happy for you in that regard. But geez ... you put in a lot of tough years with the Redskins when the product on the field was not often pretty; now, with RG3 potentially representing the dawn of a new era, life inside the chains might be about to become considerably more electric.

Hope you'll be able to maintain close enough contact with the team to enjoy some of the fruits of your efforts all those years. You earned it.

 

[Flipper]

I'll say this here, and only here: if the Redskins had matched what was offered in my new job, I would have stayed. Sometimes you have to do what's best for your family -- RG3 or not.

 

[Neophyte]

That is motivation I can understand, Flipper. Sometimes it IS about the money.

BTW - we've never met but I'm thrilled to see you posting here. I've been reading your stuff for years and really enjoy it. Hope you will continue to hang out at our cozy little joint.