Jim O'Donnell: The secret of Jeannie Morris was no grand secret at all
THE ABSOLUTE ESSENCE of Jeannie Morris as a journalist was markedly ingenious:
Charm and disarm.
Whether it was Mike Ditka or Michael Jordan or one of the state of Illinois post-race "specimen catchers" on the backstretch at the old Sportsman's Park, that was her first parry in cultivating news and feature subjects.
Few, if any, on the Chicago sportscape ever did it better. That's a huge reason so many sincere tributes have been flowing her way since she passed at age 85 on Monday.
"She was the love of my life, the light of my life," Johnny Morris said Wednesday.
"Even after we divorced, we still worked together so easily. And she was far and away the more important partner in our professional association.
"She was the epitome of integrity and ability and creativity. She elevated the people she covered, the people she worked with and most importantly, she certainly elevated me."
Even this past spring - close to three decades after she left Chicago TV - her influence was center stage on one of the most important American sports media works of the year.
That was the ESPN / Jordan series "The Last Dance."
Critical accelerants to the tales of Jordan's years of ascent with the Bulls were extended clips culled from two features that Jeannie - along with cameraman Chuck Davidson and producer Bobby Vasilopoulos - crafted for WBBM-Channel 2 involving His Royal Airness.
The first came in 1987 when the trio traveled to North Carolina for video with Michael's parents - James and Deloris - and Dean Smith.
One year later, they were OKed by Doug Collins, trainer Mark Pfeil and all to embed themselves with the Bulls on a three-game Western swing through Seattle, Los Angeles and Portland.
"Michael had complete trust in her," Davidson recalled. "And Doug just about melted around her.
"He seemed to understand that he was talking to a unique reporter who was asking very direct questions to present personalities and answers in the most empathetic light possible."
In terms of NFL reporting, the holy trinity of women who jimmied the press box doors will remain: Perian Conerly, the wife of NY Giants QB Charlie Conerly; Joan Ryan, the wife of championship Cleveland quarterback Frank Ryan; and, "Mrs. Johnny Morris," as her byline first appeared in the Chicago American.
"From the time I first saw her walking across campus at UC-Santa Barbara and I thought, 'I've got to figure a way to meet this cutie,' until the final days, she radiated such confidence," Johnny Morris said.
"For me, it was contagious. And I'm not sure there was ever anyone like her before her and I'm not sure there'll ever be anyone like her again."
STREET-BEATIN':
With all of the increasing complexities surrounding Halas Hall, one of more minor concern has to be whether Mitch Trubisky will go elsewhere and wind up as "the Lou Brock of the new-mill Bears." (Betting "no" - more like Marlon Byrd.) ...
Yet another rough residual of the White Sox landing on ESPN AM-1000 is that the move effectively ends any chance of Jay Mariotti working at the station. A major charge to Craig Karmazin and Mike Thomas in the new year is to lure impacting talent to try and lift the signal out of its horse latitudes ...
The re-signing of Giannis Antetokounmpo by the Bucks to a five-year, supermax $228M contract is very bad news for the Bulls. Milwaukee now becomes a free-agent magnet while Arturas Karnisovas and Co. have to figure a credible way around the extensive dead imaging created by Jerry Reinsdorf and Jerry Krause ...
The departure of Jim Phillips as athletic director at Northwestern to become commissioner of the ACC is certain to ratchet up speculation about the future of Chris Collins. He's a quality basketball coach who stayed at Duke too long and is finding out the hard realities of trying to lift the NU men's program ...
Golden nugget overlooked this weekend will be Air Force (minus - 2 ½) at Army (CBSSN, Saturday, 2 p.m.). Falcons QB Haaziq Daniels is a key; undersized RB Kadin Remsberg is a throwback ...
If Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, will he finally stow the overflowing Molly Hatchet locks? ...
And as if the NFL needed any more illusory aspects, ViacomCBS has announced that its Wild Card game on January 10 will marry the gridiron and Nickelodeon's SpongeBob via NFL App in a "special slime-filled telecast tailored for family fun." Maybe the Cleveland Browns can fish another nonsensical safety out of Lake Yuckymuck to alter the betting outcome.
• Jim O'Donnell's Sports & Media column appears Thursday and Sunday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com.