John Martin
Local NetworksBy Andrew Bucholtz on

Sunday saw Emmy-winning cameraman John Martin pass away at 51, almost two years exactly after he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  Martin had spent 19 years with NESN and had covered plenty of huge moments for Boston teams, and his friends and colleagues (as well as many prominent Boston sports figures) came up with a neat way to both recognize and support him earlier this year, stopping by his patio of “Café Martin” for regular visits and creating and selling merchandise with that name to help his family deal with medical costs.

Martin’s wife Adrienne announced his passing Monday morning, thanking the community for all their support:

https://www.facebook.com/adrienneembrymartin/posts/10157824288912802

Tributes to Martin poured in afterwards, including from the Patriots, Red Sox, and Bruins:

Many colleagues and other media figures also paid tribute to Martin:

Martin made a huge impact on many during his work for NESN, and he continued to make his mark on the world even after his ALS diagnosis. Bryan Brennan, another NESN cameraman who worked with Martin for a long while, told Chad Finn of The Boston Globe in May that Martin would regularly text him encouragement:

“He never lost the love of the job, or the love of the people he worked with. When you’re on the road, you’re gone for a long time and people don’t really talk to you. You’re not as friendly with the players as people think. You’re very much lonely.

“John never forgot that and always reached out. He was the one guy who on some part of the trip would check in and ask, ‘How’s everything going? Your scenics [i.e. scenes] the other day were outstanding.’

“Or he’d text me during a game to say, ‘Man, great replay you got there, perfect angle.’ And I’d think, ‘Holy cow, he’s at home watching.’ But really he’s just making sure I was doing OK on the road.”

“Yes, [Café Martin is] to raise a few bucks. But mostly it’s to say, ‘You’re here with me. We’re thinking of you.’ ”

Our thoughts are with Martin’s friends and family. There’s a GoFundMe to help his family that those interested can check out.

[The Boston Globe]; photo from Adrienne Martin on Facebook]

About Andrew Bucholtz

Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.

View all posts by Andrew Bucholtz