Former Los Angeles Times sports columnist T.J. Simers died at the age of 73, according to Lance Pugmire of boxingscene.com.
Simers had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, according to Awful Announcing.
“Just informed by my longtime @latimes Sports Editor Bill Dwyre that our legendary columnist T.J. Simers has just died,” Pugmire posted on X. “RIP, T.J., thank you for all you did to lift me up and love and prayers to your beautiful family, my dear friend!”
Simers joined the Los Angeles Times in 1990 and became columnist 10 years later, according to the paper, emerging as one of the paper’s prominent voices during his 23 years with the outlet.
He resigned from the paper in 2013 after being demoted and ultimately sued the outlet for age and disability discrimination, per the outlet.
Simers alleged that after suffering a mini-stroke in 2013, and later being diagnosed with complex migraine syndrome, his once-praised work suddenly became scrutinized.
His column — which earned him $234,000 per year — was sliced from three days to two and described as “poorly written or reflected poorly” on the paper, per the report, and he was suspended in June 2013 for what the newspaper deemed an ethics violation. He was later demoted to reporter.
Simers then resigned in September 2013 and worked for the Orange County Register before retiring in 2014, per Awful Announcing.
He initially won a $7.13 million lawsuit, per Awful Announcing, but after the newspaper appealed the ruling he was awarded a $15.5 million win.
A Los Angeles judge overturned that verdict in December 2019, calling it “excessive,” according to the Associated Press, and ordered a new trial.
Simers also made history when he appeared on the first “Around the Horn,” according to ESPN public relations VP Bill Hofheimer.
Critical comments of the show resulted in him being pulled from the rotation of panelists.
Fellow scribes offered kind words on X.
Author and former Sports Illustrated scribe Jeff Pearlman posted: “So T.J. appeared on my podcast last year, and I found myself admiring and hating him simultaneously. A really unique dude with a ton of quirks. RIP.”
Former San Diego Union-Tribune sports editor Jay Posner wrote: “Awful day w/the passing of the legendary T.J. Simers. He wasn’t for everyone, but you had to read what he wrote. More importantly he was devoted to his wife, two daughters, four granddaughters and, of course, the Bagger. And he was a good friend from whom I learned a lot. RIP.”
