RIP John Crumpacker, one of the most unforgettable characters in a business full of them. https://t.co/tvQNHtKn30

— Ken Goe (@KenGoe) April 14, 2023

This makes me feel old. IIRC Crumpacker and John Rochmis covered the Roth/Muncie Bears for the Daily Cal. Was it those two who wrote of Joe Roth's death in the Daily Cal??

That was a really nice tribute by Faraudo. Crumpacker was a really good beat writer. Probably Cal's best in the 20+ years I've been following. I remember being blown away when he began writing for Cal again in the mid 2000s. I didn't know his history at first and I was very impressed with his writing. He put thought and personality into it. It did not take me long to find out he had been around.

Here's an example of a great story on what would be an otherwise mundane summer practice recap.

https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Nurturing-Cal-s-biggest-Bear-2316056.php

Always liked him. Sad to hear.

upsetof86 said:

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Always liked him. Sad to hear.

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Very sad.
He covered Track & Field too.
We chatted a few times about the Meets he attended. As a diehard track and field fan, Im gonna miss him!

NVBear78 said:

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This makes me feel old. IIRC Crumpacker and John Rochmis covered the Roth/Muncie Bears for the Daily Cal. Was it those two who wrote of Joe Roth's death in the Daily Cal??

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As you know, I'm your vintage ('76), so same reflections as you. Such a great name for a writer, or anyone for that matter. You never forgot it.

Your comment had me search for his Joe Roth story. All I could find is one on the 30th anniversary of Joe's passing. So well written.


Remembering Joe Roth / Cancer took dynamic QB 30 years ago


https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Remembering-Joe-Roth-Cancer-took-dynamic-QB-30-2647737.php

bearister said:

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NVBear78 said:

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This makes me feel old. IIRC Crumpacker and John Rochmis covered the Roth/Muncie Bears for the Daily Cal. Was it those two who wrote of Joe Roth's death in the Daily Cal??

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As you know, I'm your vintage ('76), so same reflections as you. Such a great name for a writer, or anyone for that matter. You never forgot it.

Your comment had me search for his Joe Roth story. All I could find is one on the 30th anniversary of Joe's passing. So well written.


Remembering Joe Roth / Cancer took dynamic QB 30 years ago


https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Remembering-Joe-Roth-Cancer-took-dynamic-QB-30-2647737.php

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Bearister, thanks for sharing this 30 year anniversary story, still gives me chills.

Sounds like you have the same memory I do of a jointly written story about Joe Roth by Crumpacker and Rochmis in the Daily Cal after he passed.

And I always lamented not going to the funeral for Joe Roth. At that age I didn't think it appropriate for me to attend Joe's funeral since I had not known him personally. Didn't realize at the time that he was a public figure and could be honored by all. The closest I got to him was bumping into him at Moffit Library one day during that final 1976 season, I was in awe and did not say a word........

Bearister, thank you so much for sharing that Roth article.

I've been away from the Bay Area a long time. But I always would try to buy the out of town paper to read certain people, and Crumpacker was one of them. Just a gifted writer, who you could see from his writing, loved his craft, and loved his subjects.

And that article about Roth....... it made me say of prayer of thanks for the gift of life.

Question for the board: Is Crumpacker the greatest packer to be associated with Cal?

My future brother in law, then my fraternity brother, introduced me to Joe after Sunday Mass at Newman Hall, Spring Quarter, 1976. I shook his hand and had 2 minutes of small talk. The guy was BMOC and yet he was shy and humble. I got the "superior human being" vibe off him in that short meeting.

I remember seeing his picture on the news one night on the TV behind the bar at Brennan's in February, 1977. I knew what that had to mean and I felt real sad at that moment.

okaydo said:

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Question for the board: Is Crumpacker the greatest packer to be associated with Cal?

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It appears he was the most well liked one, anyway.

bearister said:

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okaydo said:

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Question for the board: Is Crumpacker the greatest packer to be associated with Cal?

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It appears he was the most well liked one, anyway.

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Yup.

Im toasting JC in my Mancave tonight during the Warriors game.
May he Rest in Peace.

NVBear78 said:

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bearister said:

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NVBear78 said:

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This makes me feel old. IIRC Crumpacker and John Rochmis covered the Roth/Muncie Bears for the Daily Cal. Was it those two who wrote of Joe Roth's death in the Daily Cal??

---

As you know, I'm your vintage ('76), so same reflections as you. Such a great name for a writer, or anyone for that matter. You never forgot it.

Your comment had me search for his Joe Roth story. All I could find is one on the 30th anniversary of Joe's passing. So well written.


Remembering Joe Roth / Cancer took dynamic QB 30 years ago


https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Remembering-Joe-Roth-Cancer-took-dynamic-QB-30-2647737.php

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Bearister, thanks for sharing this 30 year anniversary story, still gives me chills.

Sounds like you have the same memory I do of a jointly written story about Joe Roth by Crumpacker and Rochmis in the Daily Cal after he passed.

And I always lamented not going to the funeral for Joe Roth. At that age I didn't think it appropriate for me to attend Joe's funeral since I had not known him personally. Didn't realize at the time that he was a public figure and could be honored by all. The closest I got to him was bumping into him at Moffit Library one day during that final 1976 season, I was in awe and did not say a word........

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Your thoughts on Joe and his death echo mine exactly...and I was in awe of seeing him in the locker room.
Crumpacker headed up a long line of great sports journalists coming from the Daily Cal (not to take away anything away from those who came before him, just my perspective) who would go on to be successful in that space...
Ps: some may find it hard to believe, but one of the best articles ever written about Joe, was about a month after his death, and came from Skip Bayless....

NVBear78 said:

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bearister said:

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NVBear78 said:

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This makes me feel old. IIRC Crumpacker and John Rochmis covered the Roth/Muncie Bears for the Daily Cal. Was it those two who wrote of Joe Roth's death in the Daily Cal??

---

As you know, I'm your vintage ('76), so same reflections as you. Such a great name for a writer, or anyone for that matter. You never forgot it.

Your comment had me search for his Joe Roth story. All I could find is one on the 30th anniversary of Joe's passing. So well written.


Remembering Joe Roth / Cancer took dynamic QB 30 years ago


https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Remembering-Joe-Roth-Cancer-took-dynamic-QB-30-2647737.php

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Bearister, thanks for sharing this 30 year anniversary story, still gives me chills.

Sounds like you have the same memory I do of a jointly written story about Joe Roth by Crumpacker and Rochmis in the Daily Cal after he passed.

And I always lamented not going to the funeral for Joe Roth. At that age I didn't think it appropriate for me to attend Joe's funeral since I had not known him personally. Didn't realize at the time that he was a public figure and could be honored by all. The closest I got to him was bumping into him at Moffit Library one day during that final 1976 season, I was in awe and did not say a word........

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Same vintage here (class of '76). My roommate at Stebbins Hall Co-op was the DC Sports Editor (I think his last name was Fields, can't recall his first name, we didn't have much to do with each other). I also skipped Roth's memorial service and always regretted that. After graduation, I was working in Sunnyvale and the service was mid-week, as I recall, so I didn't make the trip.

One DC sports article I recall was about quizzing a few football players on what they were doing over some long holiday weekend. All responded that they were going to Tahoe or LA, etc. But Roth said he was going to catch up on school work and that really hit home for me - that even though a great athlete, he was one of us.

Regarding Crumpacker, he was part of the legacy of Cal grads who were sportswriters: Ron Fimrite and Bruce Jenkins come to mind. Along those lines, here's one of Jenkins' columns I ran across from 1995, when things were bad under Gilbertson. https://www.sfgate.com/sports/jenkins/article/BRUCE-JENKINS-Cal-Goes-Back-to-Its-Natural-3319379.php

MoragaBear said:

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mbBear said:

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NVBear78 said:

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bearister said:

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NVBear78 said:

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This makes me feel old. IIRC Crumpacker and John Rochmis covered the Roth/Muncie Bears for the Daily Cal. Was it those two who wrote of Joe Roth's death in the Daily Cal??

---

As you know, I'm your vintage ('76), so same reflections as you. Such a great name for a writer, or anyone for that matter. You never forgot it.

Your comment had me search for his Joe Roth story. All I could find is one on the 30th anniversary of Joe's passing. So well written.


Remembering Joe Roth / Cancer took dynamic QB 30 years ago


https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Remembering-Joe-Roth-Cancer-took-dynamic-QB-30-2647737.php

---

Bearister, thanks for sharing this 30 year anniversary story, still gives me chills.

Sounds like you have the same memory I do of a jointly written story about Joe Roth by Crumpacker and Rochmis in the Daily Cal after he passed.

And I always lamented not going to the funeral for Joe Roth. At that age I didn't think it appropriate for me to attend Joe's funeral since I had not known him personally. Didn't realize at the time that he was a public figure and could be honored by all. The closest I got to him was bumping into him at Moffit Library one day during that final 1976 season, I was in awe and did not say a word........

---

Your thoughts on Joe and his death echo mine exactly...and I was in awe of seeing him in the locker room.
Crumpacker headed up a long line of great sports journalists coming from the Daily Cal (not to take away anything away from those who came before him, just my perspective) who would go on to be successful in that space...
Ps: some may find it hard to believe, but one of the best articles ever written about Joe, was about a month after his death, and came from Skip Bayless....

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Bayless was given early access by the family and apparently was one of if not the first to know he passed.

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Did not know that after all these years...he was with the LA Times back in those days...

Here's the article Crumpacker wrote. I have a copy of Daily Cal from October 25, 1979, when they reprinted his article ahead of the 3rd annual Joe Roth Memorial Game. Apologies for the quality...I just photo'd the pages and converted them to jpeg. Stone age skills.

John Payeback said:

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Here's the article Crumpacker wrote. I have a copy of Daily Cal from October 25, 1979, when they reprinted his article ahead of the 3rd annual Joe Roth Memorial Game. Apologies for the quality...I just photo'd the pages and converted them to jpeg. Stone age skills.

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Thank you so much for finding and posting this article. I read it for the first time in my Junior year at Cal just after Joe had passed away. What a beautifully written tribute and amazing to think that the writers were college students like Joe at the time. Amazing perspective for such a young age and writing that stands the test of time and is powerful today as it was when first written....