Virg Foss anounces retirement

[ethanm]

Herald's Virg Foss, dean of college hockey sportswriters, announces retirement.

His last full-time day will be Oct. 9th. He is talking with the Herald about the possiblity of working on hocky stories part-time.

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/12725835.htm

[PCM]

I hope Virg can find a way to continue to cover Fighting Sioux hockey. The press box wouldn't be the same without him.

Good luck in your retirement, Virg.

[dagies]

I'm looking forward to this Miller guy succeeding him.....

[sagard]

As long as he continues to award the trophy for mid-season excellence, congratulations are in order.

[junior24]

I'm looking forward to this Miller guy succeeding him.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He really is person to look forward to. Mr. Miller is a real class act. He'll have people forgettin about Virg in no time. He is a knowledgeable guy when it comes to sports. The Herald won the lottery with this guy, afterall he was the #2 prosepect nationwide for sports journalism.

[redwing77]

I'm looking forward to this Miller guy succeeding him.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree. He's been at the 'sudo' level for so long that I think it's time that he take it to the next level to see if he can hack it.

[SiouxMeNow]

Thanks Virg for all the great years of coverage too! "Dean" of WCHA Hockey writers hardly does justice...I did find one thing interesting in the herald release...

His decision to retire came just a few days after he learned that his role on the Herald sports department would change this winter season

PCM ALERT!! (i'm trying to flash the bat-signal here but my batteries must be dead) -- what I've heard is "other Herald employees" wanted to get into coverage of the Mens Hockey team:glare: - and they "offered" Virg the Womens Hockey beat... I don't blame him for saying "BYE BYE!!"

Best of luck Virg!!

[PCM]

There's no possibility of me taking over for Virg. The Herald has obviously already made its decision about that.

[Fedorov]

There's no possibility of me taking over for Virg. The Herald has obviously already made its decision about that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Your salary demands were a little high.

[PCM]

Your salary demands were a little high. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tell me why I shouldn't get what Barry Melrose gets.

[Diggler]

You don't have a mullet or gangster suits.

[redwing77]

You don't have a mullet or gangster suits.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He's not Canadian enough either.

[PCM]

You don't have a mullet or gangster suits.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's because I can't afford them. But I did a lot better than Barry at predicting who'd be selected for the 2005 Hobey Baker.

[PCM]

He's not Canadian enough either. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is that what this is aboot, eh?

[Blackheart]

Thanks Virg for all the great years of coverage too!  "Dean" of WCHA Hockey writers hardly does justice...I did find one thing interesting in the herald release...

His decision to retire came just a few days after he learned that his role on the Herald sports department would change this winter season

PCM ALERT!!  (i'm trying to flash the bat-signal here but my batteries must be dead)  -- what I've heard is "other Herald employees" wanted to get into coverage of the Mens Hockey team:glare: - and they "offered" Virg the Womens Hockey beat...   I don't blame him for saying "BYE BYE!!"

Best of luck Virg!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

too much cheering in the press box finally caught up with Virg?

[SiouxMeNow]

[SiouxMeNow]

my point was...if this was going to be Virg's final season...let the guy go out on high note! He's only been doing this for 3 decades+ Shelving him down to Womens Hockey was a major diss...give the guy some respect!

[Greyeagle]

There's no possibility of me taking over for Virg. The Herald has obviously already made its decision about that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Because you're to close to retirement?

Good luck Virg, though it's always sad to see the remaining links to the past saunter off into the sunset.

[mksioux]

Wow. It seems like a slap in the face to demote him after 35 years of covering Sioux hockey, especially when he's one year away from retirment. I wonder what the inside scoop is. Who is the replacement?

[Fedorov]

Wow.  It seems like a slap in the face to demote him after 35 years of covering Sioux hockey, especially when he's one year away from retirment.  I wonder what the inside scoop is.  Who is the replacement?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I bet PCM knows the details. But will he tell?

[Poncho & Lefty]

You know back in 86 I was at my buddy Rudy Gordon's wedding as a groomsman, nice grey tuxedo's with some teal ties, we were smoking ask the ladies haha. But to the main point Virg Foss was a friend of the bride to be's, and we had some small talk at the dance. Our conversation may not have lasted longer than 2 minutes but he poured out passion, and I think he definitely showed that through writing for the Herald all those years. I'll be sad the first time I see a state hockey championship write-up without Virg Foss' name under it. I don't even wanna talk about how I'll handle a Fighting Sioux Recap. Anyways Virg if your out there God's Speed from the Ponch.

[SiouxMeNow]

[Greenbayguy]

There may not have been a writer in this area with more passion and heart. Well done Virg, thanks for the memories.

[puck swami]

I have mixed feelings about Virg....

On one hand, putting 35 years of your heart and soul into college hockey coverage is a gift to the game and worthy of praise. He's seen more hockey games than virtually any journalist covering our game, knows the game thoroughly and he's always been a warm and generous person to go with it. He's a reliable game story writer, too...

But....

Yet there is also a part of me that thinks Sioux fans deserve more than a 'homer' covering their teams. Virg rarely dipped into controversial stories that affected the program over the years, and he cultivated a reputation with many journalists and fans around the WCHA as being beholden to UND rather than to his readership. Newspapers should have objective reporters, not cheerleaders in print.

When I think of Virg, I think of him proudly wearing a Sioux jersey in his book, "Fight on Sioux". Seems to me that's fine if you work for the school, but working professional journalists for newspapers should not be wearing team jerseys of teams they cover in public photos, regardless of what team they cover. I've never seen another newpaper journalist with such a public display of affilation, before or since...If anyone had any doubts about his potential objectivity, they were removed in that photo.

Anyway, I wish him well in retirement.

[DamStrait]

Virg rarely dipped into controversial stories that affected the program over the years...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Which controversies would those be? Not trying to be a smartass or trying to deny that Virg was a homer (unlike those pargons of objectivity Woog & Mazzocco, better known as Male-Member Head and his sidekick Wig Boy), just wondering, since none come to mind.