R.I.P. Mike Whitmarsh
Philadelphia Inquirer Sports Columnist Bob Ford writes about the Eagles, the Phillies, the Sixers and the Flyers.
R.I.P. Mike Whitmarsh
Bob Ford, Inquirer Sports Columnist
Mike Whitmarsh was funny and self-deprecating and among the most talented and most appealing athletes I've covered in the last 30 years.
He was ridiculously gifted, a great-looking guy who had women draped all over him, a multi-sport athlete who had the world at his feet.
I got to know him during the U.S. trials that preceded the first beach volleyball competition in the Olympics. The trials were in Baltimore's Inner Harbor in 1996, leading up to the Atlanta Olympics where Whitmarsh and teammate Mike Dodd would win the silver medal.
In beach volleyball, the athletes are from California except where noted, as they like to say. Whitmarsh and Dodd were the classics. Both had been basketball players at San Diego State (Dodd's shooting guard was Tony Gwynn), and Whitmarsh had been drafted by the Trail Blazers (they kept Jerome Kersey instead) and he played three years in Germany. He came back, got a tryout with the Timberwolves and swapped collisions with the big boys before becoming Minnesota's last cut. He treasured a picture of himself defending Magic Johnson in the paint during that exhibition season.
Whitmarsh, all 6-foot-7 of him, drifted quite naturally into beach volleyball and he was a star for more than a decade. He slammed over the top while Dodd dug the ball out of the sand and the two of them were a spectacular team for quite a while.
I can't say I really knew Whitmarsh, but I can say that I envied him. He appeared to have it all, and that's a good reminder right now that we never really know.
Whitmarsh, at 46, committed suicide this week, inhaling carbon monoxide in the garage of a friend. He left behind a wife and two daughters.
It would be too easy to say that Whitmarsh, who retired five years ago from the professional volleyball tour, couldn't adjust to the second act of his life. Maybe it is far more complicated than that. Maybe not.
But Mike Whitmarsh, one of the greatest U.S. athletes of the last 20 years -- even if you never heard of him -- is dead by his own hands. That makes no sense.
Figuring that someone up there at the podium, someone who looks like they have it all, and is definitely happier in his or her life... that makes no sense, either.
Because you can't know. The most talented and most appealing among us can end up in a garage with an exhaust pipe. Explain that. I can't.
We need to know more about this tragedy. Please follow up when more info is available. I've always thought of how difficult it is for any world class athlete or many lesser ones, as well as older 'rockers' or actors/actresses. All of their prominence comes so early in normal life and is overpowering, then it ends at a pretty young age (money and prominence?). Wonder what it's like when the phone stops ringing and people stop caring. Pretty overwhelming.— stoneman- Thank you for the great article about Mike Whitmarsh. I grew up with him, played Pee-Wee Basketball with him at Helix High's Gym (where Bill Walton, Reggie Bush, Karl Dorrell went to school) and played against him in High School when he went to Monte Vista and I went to Grossmont. 2 things...first, Dodd played at SDSU with TOny Gwynn, but Dodd was the shooting guard and Tony was the point guard. Secondly, Whitmarsh went to USD, not SDSU. Whitmarsh was born one day before me, and I used to guard him, from ages 10 to 18. He was so funny. He would say "I'm going to slam on you Frost" and I would just laugh and say, "Whit, only with a tennis ball and with a running start!" When we were seniors, we both were 6' about 160 lbs. Imagine my wonderment when I saw him on TV on the beach and he was 6'7"!! Anyways, I just wanted to comment on your great story. He was a great guy, very humble, outrageously great athlete, and truly a tragic end. I am glad that I knew him.— Frost
- I never had a chance to meet Mike personally but had the opportunity to watch him play on the AVP over the years. He was a gifted athlete and a pleasure to watch on the court, he will truly be missed.— VolleyChick
- Frost, sorry about the SDSU and USD mix-up. My bad. I was writing from memory, which is always a dangerous thing at my age. Thanks for the wonderful post.— Bob Ford
- Thank you for the great piece on Mike Whitmarsh. Such a loss for the volleyball community and, indeed, everyone. I'm grateful that you, Mr. Ford, took the time to memorialize Mike Whitmarsh. He deserves it. Thanks.— Si
- Great tribute to Mike Whitmarsh. Who will ever forget the 1-2 finish at the inaugural Beach Volleyball event at the Atlanta Games. For more insider details about Mike as well as the current AVP tour and players, check out the new book, "Order On The Court" at www.orderonthecourt.com— BVBFan
- if you go to his wifes website she is a fitness instructor you can see her getting cozy with another instructor. check out her photo gallery you will put 2 and 2 together.— ghost666
- bob...i just learned about mike...i brought mike to germany and was his coach for the three years he was there...he was part of the family for those years...he was as easy going as any athlete i have ever beenh around and it is hard to believe that things could have changed that much for him to allegedly take his own life...WOW...i would like all young people out there to please try and remember that nothing will ever be as good or bad as it seems and there are positive solutions to all problems no matter how bad they seem at the time— rickshore
- Dear rickshore (3/07/2009) Mike Jansen from Germany is trying to get money to Mike Whitmarsh's family for the time he worked in Germany. This is a difficult time but need to return his money. Please contact me for details ck8904@comcast.net THANK YOU!— Carol M. Kimball
- He killed himself after losing his kids in his divorce. This happens more than you know. Some kill others in anger and grief he killed himself. I think his kids will figure it out when they get older and hate their mother.— MrUSA
- like "Mr USA" posted, i think that was some important info you left out of your column bob? tried to wonder why he did it? by questioning it might be that he was having a hard time adjusting to his second part of life? and never once mentioned that it could have been maybe the fact he was loosing his wife and kids?? (that sounds alot more likely) of course no one knows? but would think that would be alot more of a reason then the one you listed? as "MrUSA" said, happens alot! and its sad, nothing is worth taking your life over, but its definately something you should have mentioned in your article? if you even knew??— saybow69
- bob ford does a good job with the article he does say maybe it is far more complicated than we might know without blaming the wife for his suicide.im just disappointed that this story was given very little attention by the media in general.— ghost666
