Bob Hammel, legendary IU sports journalist, passes away at 88

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Legendary Bloomington journalist Bob Hammel died Saturday at the age of 88.

The IU Athletics X page mourned the loss Sunday.

Hammel told the stories of not only IU sports, but nationally and world-wide. A writer who penned stories on sporting events from the 1972 Munich Olympics to the perfect season of Hoosier basketball in 1976 to the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

Hammel was a former sports editor of the Bloomington Herald-Times and wrote Bob Knight’s memoir, Knight: My Story. Hammel helmed the Herald-Times sports department for 30 years, from 1966-1996.

A veteran journalist with a career spanning 50 years, including 30 years as sports editor and 40 years as a columnist at the Bloomington Herald-Times, Hammel covered over 1,000 Indiana University (IU) football and basketball games.

Throughout his illustrious career, the journalist covered 3 NCAA basketball championships and the school’s first 8 bowl games. He represented the nation’s smallest regularly credentialed newspaper in covering 5 Olympic Games and 23 NCAA Basketball Final Fours.

Hammel also covered IU athletes in Olympic basketball, track and swimming trials, and NCAA track, swimming, and soccer championship events. His coverage extended to 29 Indiana high school basketball championship games. He is the only person to have been President of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the Football Writers Association, and the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

Hammel’s contributions to sports journalism have been recognized with several prestigious awards. He is cited in the International Basketball Hall of Fame as a recipient of the Curt Gowdy Media Award, the College Football Hall of Fame with the Football Writers’ Bert McGrane Award, and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame as a Silver Medal recipient.

Hammel was named Indiana Sportswriter of the Year 17 times and has been inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame, the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame, and the Indiana Sportswriters and Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

In addition to his journalism career, he authored or co-authored 11 books, including ‘Glory of Old IU,’ a 100-year history of Indiana University Athletics, published in 1999. His most recent book is ‘The Bill Cook Story,’ released in September 2008.

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