Mike Downey, one of the most highly regarded sports journalists in the country, is returning to Chicago to join the Tribune as a sports columnist, Tribune Editor Ann Marie Lipinski announced Tuesday.
Downey, who most recently wrote for the Los Angeles Times, will share the “In the Wake of the News” column with Rick Morrissey. Downey’s first Tribune column will appear Sunday, Jan. 19.
“I guess I’m the writer to be named later the Tribune gets from the L.A. Times takeover,” Downey said. “Either that or I’m a throw-in in the Eric Karros deal.”
A native of south suburban Steger and a graduate of Bloom High School in Chicago Heights, Downey began writing for Star Publications in the south suburbs when he was 16. He covered sports for the Chicago Daily News until it ceased publication in 1978, whereupon he moved to the Chicago Sun-Times to write entertainment features as well as sports.
He was a sports columnist at the Detroit Free Press from 1981 to 1985, then moved to the Los Angeles Times. While there he wrote a sports column and a Metro column and won dozens of local and national writing awards.
“I didn’t only follow Nellie Fox and Billy Williams and Stan Mikita when I was growing up, I followed Jack Griffin and Jerry Holtzman and Ray Sons and all the other top Chicago sportswriters,” Downey said.
“Some of those guys were in a league of their own too.”
Downey has written for several magazines and has an extensive broadcasting background as well. He has covered sports in 30 countries, including 10 Olympics.
“We are delighted to have Mike returning to Chicago to join the Tribune,” Lipinski said. “He and Rick Morrissey will give Tribune readers the best sports columns in the country.”
Downey is married to Gail Martin, a professional singer and daughter of the late entertainer Dean Martin.