RIP Dan Pires 1956-2008

Here is some of the "stuff" we created that found its way to players, coaches, the locker room or to Dan himself.
 
Some more...... (I think I have some more at work. I'll check tomorrow)
 
It has been over 16 hours since my friend Dan passed away.

It has been less than 12 hours since my friend Dan's passing was posted by the local paper.

It has been a little over 6 hours since I learned of the death of my friend, Dan Pires.

I am still in shock and still upset. I have been in a fog all evening long and I really don't know why. I mean, I'm upset that I lost a good friend. I don't have many friends or people who I could call up a just talk to. Dan was one that I could. Is it selfish of me to be upset because I won't be able to talk to him anymore? Maybe, but I will miss him.

Many of you know that Dan wrote for the Standard-Times in New Bedford on the Patriots Beat. What you don't know was that was his part-time job. He had a full time job somewhere else to earn a living. Writing about the Patriots earned his some coin, but it wasn't his living. It was his passion.

Dan wrote about the players and players respected Dan. Dan wasn't out to get the "scoop" or to elevate his status as a reporter trying to get a gig on MSNBC or ESPN. Dan did his job and did it well.

I was told that when Dan started out, he kept the copy editor very busy, but that the substance of his writing showed a passion for the player and game that some "professional" journalists lack. Maybe that is what made him so good and a must read.

Dan was well liked by his colleagues and he had a lot of respect for them, especially Mike Reiss and Shalise Young. Alan Greenberg was very special to Dan and when Alan died, it hit Dan hard. We talked about it and it was the catalyst for Dan to change his lifestyle. It was part of my "cause and effect" to change my lifestyle, too. We did it together and supported one another.

When asked how long I have known Dan, I couldn't answer that question. I tried to think about that all night, but I feel like I have known Dan all my life. You see, Dan was a truly great guy. If you met and talked to him you came away with the feeling that, you too, have known him all your life. He was that type of guy.

Dan earned the respect of players and spoke well of Ben Coates, Rodney Harrison, Lonnie Paxton, Russ Hochstein, Joe Andruzzi, Vince Wilfork and Laurence Maroney. There were others to be sure, but these were known to me. He was fair to them and wrote their stories without looking to "dig up any dirt". This is what made him special and on par, in my opinion, with the other full-time beat writers.

I have a little secret I would like to share with you. Dan was a guy who always saw an opportunity to poke a little fun at the players and coaches, if the opportunity ever presented itself. He would send me a picture here and a picture there and asked me to come up with something that could be left in the locker room. I did it without hesitation. I also came up with some stuff here and there and sent it to him via e-mail. As soon as he saw it, I got the call. "Man! What kinda shot are you on?" "This is going to get killed in the locker room and I can't wait to give it out."

Like a kid waiting for the Christmas present to be opened, I waited for the feedback. Sometimes it took only days, sometimes weeks, but I got it. He would tell me if the picture got a room full of laughs, which was most of the time, or in the case of Corey Dillon and Belichick, not flattering responses. BB responded in an e-mail to Dan, that "Someone had too much time on their hands." I'll post what I can after this.

I will miss his wit.
I will miss his smile.
I will miss his laughter.
I will miss his style.
I will miss the joking.
I will miss the calls.
I will miss calling him hours before the game only to find out he hasn't left yet or he was waiting for Weisberg to get moving.
I will miss those occasional visit at "tent side" before he checks in when he arrived early.
I will miss the "swag" and cheesecake from the press box before games.
I will miss giving him the vodka cherries in return before he heads back to the press box.
I will miss making phone calls during the game to bust his ass.
I will miss the next day call after the game.
I will the calls.
I will miss the talks.
I will miss my friend.
I will miss Dan.


Thank you soo much for sharing that with us. I am so moved and saddened and want to tell you just this. I wish I had had a chance to get to know him even if it was just through this board. You are very lucky he was in your life as everyone who crossed path with him was.

It makes me once again take stock and try again to take every day as a gift cause ya just don't know what tomorrow is bringing.

I am soo sorry for your loss Ras.
 
That was beautiful Ras.. I know you were his good friend. I've been broken up since you called and I feel like someone has punched me in the gut. I still can't believe it... guess it won't sink in until I'm at camp and don't hear his psst... over my shoulder.

He was always so late leaving home for the games.. this is one time he left way too early :-(
 
WHAT!?!

OMG, What a huge loss to the SEMass News Commuinity, Patriots Press, and we here at the Planet.

Godspeed, Danny. I for one always appreciated the insights of a poster on PP who was truly "there".

WE WERE NOT WORTHY!!!!!!!!

Peace be with you.

:grovel:
 
I was not lucky enough to have met Dan in person, but lucky enough to have interacted with him here at the Planet. He was a very good writer for someone that was doing it not as a profession, but rather just a labor of love, and it showed. It seems that I have missed out on a lot not knowing the man behind the words, but my heart is heavy over his passing, and I want to send my condolences to his family, his friends, and to all of those that have been touched by him in his brief but meaningful life.
 
Wow, what a terrible loss. :(

My heart goes out to his friends, family, and all who knew him.

From all the tributes here, it obvious he was an amazing person.

52 is way too young... I hope he rests in peace.
 
Hey, I have an idea... Even if its just until the end of the upcoming football season. What if the Main Forum (Currently named "Three Ring Circus") is renamed in honor of Dan? Something like "The Dan Pires Memorial Forum" or something to that effect? (Someone can come up with something that better fits his personalitym I'm sure)

I think it would be a fitting tribute to one of everyone's favorite posters here. :thumb:
 
Living on the SouthCoast, I was fortunate enough to have met Dan a few times. Not only did I enjoy his insight on the Patriots, to be around someone who just loved life more than anything. Patriot Nation has lost a great man. My condolences go out to his family and friends. Rest peacefully Dan!
 
I am still shocked by Dan's passing. The fact that I just acknowledged his death in my own typing is such a shame. Beautiful posts by you guys who knew him best, especially the insights from the fun times with Ras and the "fun times" with RG. The more I read things like that and all the entries in the guest book at his newspaper makes my heart hurt more and more for those who loved him the most.

I was on his mailing list and besides the Pats news, he would sometimes have messages of love and hope. I always enjoyed these from him because I knew they were from his heart and not for some dumb forwarding chain letter type stuff. He was only my internetz friend and this hurts my heart to know about. I can only imagine the pain and suffering that his wife and children are feeling. That reminds me- I never saw Dan get into the whoretastic stuff that can go on with said internetz. Very stand up guy. This sucks.
 
Sad news indeed. My heart goes out to his family and the people who were fortunate enough to know him. I'll miss his spostings here.
 
Ras and Shalise,

Two beautiful tributes from two of his personal friends. You took a message board handle and a byline and added life to them. My thoughts are with you, his friends and his family.
 
RIP Dan, my thoughts and prayers go out to his Family and friends

He was a valued member here and will be sadly missed:(
 
I wasn't in the loop yesterday and just found out about this Thursday morning.

I never met Dan Pires but considered him a friend and had a world of respect for his work and for his gentle, fun-loving style. The guy was outstanding in many respects and while his readership wasn't as widespread as the Boston guys, the quality of his work spoke for itself. He was quite excellent at what he did.

Some very beautiful, heartfelt tributes here, particularly from Ras.

I'm sitting here at work with tears in my eyes. My brother and he had become friends in recent months and Jerry told me just the other day what a cool guy he was.

I hope and pray Danny is already in a better place and I also pray for strengh and peace for his family, colleagues and loved ones

RIP, Dan.
 
I never met Dan, but have 'spoke' with him on this message board several times. I feel like I lost a friend today. I'm so happy that this board exists so I could say I had the opportunity to meet Dan Pires. I think we all lost a member of the family with his passing.
 
I didnt know much about him but from what Ras told us all I believe the Patriots locker room has lost something as much as this community has.

52 is just too young
 
Back
Top