Art Daley dies

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Art Daley, who covered Green Bay Packers from Lambeau to Lombardi, dies at 94

By Jeff Ash[email protected] • February 20, 2011


Art Daley, who covered the Green Bay Packers for the Green Bay Press-Gazette from the Curly Lambeau era to the Vince Lombardi era, died Saturday. He was 94.




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Daley started covering the Packers when he joined the Press-Gazette in 1941, helping sports editor Ray Pagel with statistics.

But before he started work on the Packers beat in 1942, the 26-year-old Daley was summoned to the office of Andrew B. Turnbull, the newspaper’s business manager – and an influential member of the Packers’ board of directors – for some guidance.

“Mr. Turnbull told me, he said, ‘Just remember. Don’t say anything real bad about our team because if we lose ‘em, we’ll never get ‘em back.’” Daley recalled in a 2009 interview for “Titletown’s Team,” a history of the Packers published by the Press-Gazette.

Daley went into Army in 1943, serving with the 42nd Infantry Division during World War II. He returned to the Press-Gazette as sports editor in 1946 and covered the Packers for the next 21 seasons.

"This was really more than a job," Daley said in January 1968, as he left the Packers beat and the sports editor's job. "I took it ... maybe ... too much to heart. But in a town like this, I think you have to be that way."

In his first 13 years on the beat, Daley saw some of the worst teams in Packers history. Even so, he kept up the optimism instilled in him by Turnbull years earlier.

"I know that I got a reputation for crying in those bad years we had," Daley said. "I can laugh now, but I used to hear that the paper boys used to tell their customers on Monday, 'Here's Art Daley's tears.'"

Then Lombardi arrived in 1959.

"He changed my life," Daley said. "After all those non-winning seasons, I finally had something to look forward to."

In 1960, with Lombardi's blessings – he thought it would help sell tickets – Daley co-founded the Green Bay Packers Yearbook with Press-Gazette promotions manager Jack Yuenger.

After Lambeau died in June 1965, Lombardi was furious when Daley put a Press-Gazette photo of Lombardi shaking hands with Lambeau on the yearbook’s cover.

In 2007, more than 40 years later, Daley vividly remembered the phone call that followed: "'What do you mean putting me on the cover with him?' After he said, 'That was the worst yearbook you ever put out,' the phone clicked."

Lombardi, who loathed Lambeau, didn’t speak to Daley for weeks.

Daley bought out Yuenger in 1978 and sold the yearbook to John Wemple of Allouez in 1984. Wemple later sold the yearbook to the Packers.

Daley was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1993.

He also was the last active charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee. He was appointed as Green Bay's representative to the group in 1963 and cast his last votes in 1998.

Born in St. Paul, Minn., Daley grew up in Fond du Lac, where he worked for the Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter during and after high school. After a year on the Fond du Lac newspaper's advertising staff, he became a writer in 1936.

Daley retired from the Press-Gazette in 1979, after 11 years as wire editor.

Even long after retiring, Daley sat in the press box at Packers home games. He was a columnist for Packer Report magazine from 1978 until his death.

Services are pending.




(His articles in the Packer Report were great.)
 

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