It was a shock to hear on Sunday that longtime ESPN NFL insider Chris Mortensen had passed at the age of 72. Mortensen was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2016, but he continued to break stories, often appearing together with Adam Schefter on Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown. Last year, Mortensen cut back on his appearances. However, he still was reaching out to friends and colleagues including NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah the day before he died.
Tributes came from all over the sports world to Mortensen, but especially from those who had worked with him at ESPN. Mortensen had long been a valued resource at ESPN and the tributes to him on social media from his colleagues, both current and past ESPNers, show his influence at the network.
SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt came out with this heartfelt comment:
Every single tribute to Mort is the same. The sincerity, decency, kindness, professionalism and humanity of the man is referenced by every team, player and colleague.
Believe them all.
Chris Mortensen was a wonderful soul.
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) March 3, 2024
Van Pelt with the “Believe them all” about the tributes speaks volumes.
Former SportsCenter anchor Kenny Mayne also had his thoughts on Mortensen:
The blessing for Mort having been here with us is that the list is long of people who felt they had a unique relationship with him. That’s because his kindness was unending, exemplified best through his sincere interest in knowing what was going on in our lives.
— Kenny Mayne (@Kenny_Mayne) March 3, 2024
Mayne’s description of Mort, saying that “his kindness was unending, exemplified best through his sincere interest in knowing what was going on in our lives…” gives you an idea that there was more to the reporter you saw on NFL Countdown and ESPN’s countless other NFL programs.
Andrea Kremer, whose work spans NFL Films, NBC’s Sunday Night Football, HBO’s Real Sports as well as ESPN, had this to say on Mortensen’s passing:
Just saw the news about Mort and an incredible, profound sadness overcame me. He was a decades long friend and someone for whom I had total admiration as a professional and love and respect as a wonderful person. My deepest condolences to Micki and Alex and so many he impacted. pic.twitter.com/2J4C2itG5N
— Andrea Kremer (@Andrea_Kremer) March 3, 2024
Kremer mentioned that Mortensen “was a decades-long friend and someone for whom I had total admiration as a professional and love and respect as a wonderful person.”
Hannah Storm’s ESPN tenure had her interacting with Mortensen on numerous occasions on SportsCenter and other shows. She also was sad to hear about Mortensen’s death:
So very sad to hear this. Mort was always exceedingly kind and positive – and brave throughout his fight. He was the definition of class, professionalism, and friendship. Rest in Peace, Mort. https://t.co/WMZgQOZlsx
— Hannah Storm (@HannahStormESPN) March 4, 2024
ESPN NFL reporter Ed Werder noted how Mortensen guided him during his career.
You could not have been a better friend, role model, or mentor. I love and miss you already, @mortreport. My sympathies to his wife Micki and son Alex. pic.twitter.com/U6ssOuAnAG
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) March 3, 2024
“You could not have been a better friend, role model, or mentor. I love and miss you already…” You can feel how much Mortensen meant to Werder.
NHL host and SportsCenter anchor Steve Levy added his thoughts:
The Mort tributes are all nearly identical. That’s how you know they’re true. He led the league in being a great human, every season.
This is so upsetting on every level. #Mort
— Steve Levy (@espnSteveLevy) March 3, 2024
David Aldridge of The Athletic, who previously covered the NBA for ESPN and TNT, said Mortensen was kind to provide advice on how to provide blanket coverage for one league.
Chris Mortenson had no reason to know, or care, about me while I was at ESPN. But as I pestered him, more than once, about how he covered an entire league as amazingly well as he did, he was never anything but generous and kind with his time and advice. Blessings to his family.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) March 3, 2024
The statement “Chris Mortenson had no reason to know, or care, about me while I was at ESPN. But as I pestered him, more than once, about how he covered an entire league as amazingly well as he did, he was never anything but generous and kind with his time and advice,” shows how much reporters cherished the words they received from Mortensen.
Former Monday Night Countdown host Suzy Kolber had not posted on X since she was laid off from ESPN last June, but she came back on Sunday to talk about Mortensen.
RIP my dear dear friend. Longtime tv partner and confidant. One of the very few people on earth I could trust with anything. All my love to Micki and Alex 💔 pic.twitter.com/OzccB5rgHX
— Suzy Kolber (@SuzyKolber) March 3, 2024
Kolber noted, “RIP my dear dear friend. Longtime TV partner and confidant. One of the very few people on earth I could trust with anything.”
Keith Olbermann shared one anecdote about Mortensen:
It is not perhaps in the spirit of mourning but I think Mort would appreciate my mentioning it. He was the best non-professional pool player I ever saw
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) March 3, 2024
And Adam Schefter posted a video that included NFL Countdown colleges Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, Kolber, and Schefter himself from the moment when Mortensen received the Dick McCann Award to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016:
The video tribute done for Mort when he won the Dick McCann Award to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/Sg1HbjvwpI
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2024
James Andrew Miller, the co-author of Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN, talked with Mortensen for the book. He told Awful Announcing, “Chris was a pioneer — helping usher both ESPN and the NFL into the modern era. And somehow, he did it without jealousy of others, and with tons of support for colleagues and friends. The sports world was a much better place with him in it.”
And this tweet sums up the passing of Mortensen and others:
It’s hard to fathom how many of the old ESPN guard I used to lay on the couch and watch hours of Sportscenter reruns of is no longer with us: Chris Mortensen, Stuart Scott, John Saunders, Pedro Gomez, John Clayton, Dick Schaap. RIP to them all
— Ryan (@tvisgreat) March 3, 2024
It truly is the end of an era with the passing of Chris Mortensen.
