Passing the baton
This will be one of the more difficult blog posts to write because I have nothing but great things to say about my three-plus seasons on the 76ers beat.
Passing the baton
This will be one of the more difficult blog posts to write because I have nothing but great things to say about my three-plus seasons on the 76ers beat.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, will be my last day at the Inquirer and my last day covering the Sixers. As of tomorrow, this blog -- Deep Sixer -- will belong to John Mitchell, who will be taking over the beat for the Inquirer. John will also take over the Twitter handle of @DeepSixer3. Because I'm leaving for a new job at ESPN (one not involving much NBA coverage), I'll be keeping my Twitter account, but changing the username. (That's still undecided, but if you follow me now, you'll follow me when I change the username!)
I just wanted to thank everyone for all of their correspondence -- both complimentary, constructive, and critical -- throughout the last three years. Although there were many difficult times, there were just as many great moments.
My first blog post, I believe, included a rather elementary mistake (I see that now) regarding the Sixers' roster going into the 2008-09 season. I took some heat for the error, but those same readers were willing to stick with the coverage as the Sixers started training camp at Penn State.
I think what I learned throughout the last three years is that Philly is looking for only one thing: passion and effort. I made a lot of mistakes, some more noticeable than others, but I can say that nearly all Sixers' fans were willing to forgive those errors if it came accompanied with additional effort: a long blog post after a crucial win or loss -- one at least attempting to explain some of the things that had happened on the court that night.
Thanks to all the e-mailers and posters who took the time to add to the discussion, especially here on Deep Sixer. I was grateful the dialogue rarely devolved; it was always my goal to talk basketball and X's and O's.
So, again, thanks to everyone for following the coverage. I don't want to write too long because, well, this part has absolutely nothing to do with basketball. And that was never what this blog was about.
Thank you for a wonderful three years,
--Kate
Each week, Kate will check in from the road and answer fan questions about the Sixers. Click here to ask Kate a question or e-mail her at kfagan@phillynews.com.
Kate, I loved your coverage. I thought you were very fair, objective and most of all passionate. You'll be missed! Yehuda
Kate. It's NOT too late. :)
KATE DON'T GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Phila Phans
who are you? albanykey
damn. you were one of my favorite writers. good luck, you'll be missed. esesjay
Kate,
Thank you for all of your coverage of the Sixers. You will be missed. Best wishes on you new endeavor. WstCoast6er
Kate, your passion for basketball and the Sixers was obvious to even the less passionate like myself. I read your blog because of how you wrote as much as what you wrote. Good luck and thank you. CFPhilsPhan
Congratulations on your new post; I'll miss your columns. Best of luck. paolibulldog
You know your hoops. HSOJ
Kate,
Your blog posts during the Eddie Jordan era were classic. Good luck! ArtieLange
Kate, you are one of the finer sports reporters in Philly. I am a casual Sixers fan (really, is it possible to be anything more than that at this point) and you helped me stay informed about a team that doesn't do much on its own to keep its fans engaged. Great work, you will be missed. kgall
Best of luck; you're going to do great!!! It's ESPN's gain! JBinPA
best of luck - you've been a great asset to the blog DaveMac
Great work, Kate. You're going to be a star in this biz. Phillip?
Best of luck Kate, you'll be missed. evolutionary
Wow...you'll be missed! Thanks for the great work. jimmy76er
You will definitely be missed, Kate. Think you really mastered the way a journalist could kind of ride-the-wave-of-enthusiasm people have for the team they love. I remember e-mailing you a few years ago to see what you thought about the Sixers' pursuing Raymond Felton (we didn't have Jrue at the time and needed a PG), and I got a reply e-mail 20 minutes later that started out "Just got off of the phone with Eddie Jordan about Felton..." That was incredible. It's those types of efforts that connect with your audience in a special way. Don't ever lose that, Kate, it really stands out. Great luck to you. AnEaglesSixersFlyersPhilliesPSUBig5FanGrowsInBrooklyn
the best ones always move on...congrats peteike- Best of luck Kate. You are/were the best beat writer for the Sixers by far. God speed
Good luck and great job here Kate. The only thing I won't miss is you trying to trade Igoudala for a sack of basketballs. brannigan73
Kate, you were great at what you did @Inquirer. Philly's loss, ESPN's gain. Good luck. BigPapiChulo
Kate
I have been compulsive reader of sports pages and particularly philly sports pages for 5 decades. usually the writing is reporting what I saw or knew or it provides gossip.
YOUR WORK IS EXTRAORDINARY. I LEARNED MUCH FROM YOUR COLUMNS ABOUT BASKETBALL AND I SAW THE GAME DIFFERENTLY
(this explains my first comment because you are head and shoulders and qualitatively above the many others)
I do not know what is in your future but you have a special talent: telling me what I did not know and helping me appreciate what I see
KEEP IT UP BECAUSE YOUR SKILL IS VERY SPECIAL ronsimon
Kate...Been with you since day one. I hope that your move to ESPN is a step up for you. I doubt that Deep Sixer can be any good without you. Good luck Hon. rbecker1963
Ms. Fagan,
I am a die-hard Sixers fan, and your articles were the ones I looked most forward to during my morning dump. Looking forward to seeing how ESPN uses you... Sports Nation... possibly a third anchor? asianbutta
I looked forward to every blog post. Great job and good luck. Thanks. phils_tnj1
Get ready to do nothing but biased sports coverage over at ESPN. Penfold18
Hi Kate Our loss is ESPN'S gain. You have a great future in sports journalism. You always tell it like it is! Best Wishes! Dooz13
Kate thank you for your effort which was always evident. You were thorough, professional and objective, as well as entertaining in your reporting on a team which was often none of these.
Best of luck! frd
Thank you for the hard work and dedication. We will miss your intelligent insight and well crafted prose. Good Luck. Knock 'em dead. johnny eagle
SIGH ...
You will be missed Kate, as you can tell from these posts.
I join the other posters in wishing you all the best.
FFF~ FishFryFrank- You did a good job.
HappyBob "speaker of the truth on the board of footie-ball non-sense" has spoken! HappyBob - thanks kate MPatt24
Who is she? albanykey
My best to you and thanks for the great coverage. There are not many writers here that I look forward to seeing what they have to say. You will be missed here but at the same time I can't wait to see you take the next step in your career. BTW, SI is making a big mistake if they don't make you part of their BB team! jszulewski
Wow: who will JonKap blast now? Said this when I first heard the news several days ago: not surprised that all the best journalists are fleeing print media to Cable or Internet sites, unfortunately leaving us with the dregs, although perhaps John Mitchell will carry on the high standard you set (sadly, his piece today read like a Sixers press release). Truly loved your work and wish you the best. chuckw- Kate, you helped make following the Sixers enjoyable. Wish you'd stay, other veteran writers would go. But ESPN's gain. Hope it's a great step up. Metzies
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All best at ESPN they are getting a fine reporter you will be greatly missed by your co-workers and everyone who has every read your work. THANK YOU for keeping me and all the reader informed about the SIXERS! GOOD LUCK! srcdaddy1216- Wow. Can't believe you're leaving :'(. You were my inspiration to start writing about sports & it's because of you that I hope to become a sports journalist after I finish college. I remember coming across one of your blogs about Eddie Jordan/the rebuilding Sixers in early 2010, and we both shared the same exact opinion on both subjects, and that's when I knew you would eventually become my favorite sports writer. You never tried to be someone else, you always had everyone's attention with your amazingly written articles, and you are the REASON why I have this website bookmarked on my computer. I'll be sure to check out everything you do with ESPN & I'll continue to obtain inspiration from your work. Much love to you & I wish you the best of luck in your new career with ESPN! Also want to tell you that I'm happy to see you "movin' on up" in your journalism career! I'll be sure t follow you on twitter (My twitter is @SemajRiddick) & hopefully I can someday become a sports journalist just like you. Thanks for everything & keep on movin' up, Kate! :)
Kate, thank you for shooting us straight. Even in your last post you were honest about your mistakes. Everyone makes them but you always did your best to tell it as you saw it and not shoot off the company line. It's a shame that you're not going to be reporting about hoops because you've proven you know what you're talking about. Just bring that same honesty to whatever they have you reporting on. Good luck! 76ers in 2076
OMG !!! can't believe your dumping us! The season didn't even start.........they won't "love you back" like we do here in Philly...best of luck hope you get quality air time pwhitty
i learned a lot about how the game of basketball is played by reading you kate.. good luck in your new job zwarte piet
You'll be missed. Good luck at your new gig. kazoob
Kate,
Good for you, and very much our loss. Your coverage was terrific. I'm confident whatever you do with ESPN will be equally adept. novafan
WE WILL MISS YOU KATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SecondToNone
Enjoyable, insightful, and most of all, you have made a very dark period of Sixers basketball somewhat humorous at times. Thanks for your contirbutions, and best of luck with ESPN.
My worthless ADVICE - you know basketball as well as anyone who has covered the Sixers in this town in my lifetime (I'm old as shi#) - don't deviate too far from your area of expertise and spread yourself too thin. If you stick with basketball, and/or have an opportnuity to jump back into it once your foot is in the door, you'll be a star. CosmoK
Kate - thanks very much for all the great coverage and insight, and very best of luck with ESPN. I hope they know what a rising star they're getting! You'll be missed in Philly I am sure but we look forward to following you in your new post! kizack
Not a Sixer fan right now, but read your blogs. Insightful & informative; really broke it down for us. Good luck in big time. franka
kate- best of luck- you're a star and even greater things are coming your way-- I am optimistic about the 6ers but now looking forward to it less with your departure buff1
Kate - you and Sheil were, by far, the best writers on Philly.com. you will be missed greatly! goodluck with all your future endeavors, and please remember that not all Philly fans are jerks, we just appreciate great passion and effort! Fire Andy Reid
Kate - Thanks for all the great articles that you have written over the years. You raised my hoops IQ lots with your detailed coloumns and honesty. Your blog always has lots of great reader discussions that you always encouraged and are a must read for me. You are correct about us Philadelphians craving Passion, you have it and we see it in your approach and writing style. I enjoyed your video blogs from the road, always answering the hot question of that day and letting us know what was happening behind the sences. If your not making some mistakes, you are not trying hard enough, you were quick to admit yours and correct the few that you made. It is tough to make a living in the dying newspaper buisness. I wish you much luck and continued success, Don't ever change your style. Philly's loss is ESPN's gain. This can be a tough town for athletes and sports writers alike but you won us over, hopefully you will luck back fondly on your time here. Thanks again, I already miss you! NWBeachBum
Why would you go to work for, and with, such a bunch of womanizing fools? twpman- Kate,
Best of luck at ESPN. We all knew you would be on to bigger and better things, but you'll be missed. You were one of the lone bright spots for die-hard Sixers fans. scmona
Best of luck on ESPN I hope that you write a column on their web site. You deserve nothing but the best. ED4050
Kate,
Basketball/The Sixers are my least favorite of the 4 local sports teams, but I read & thoroughly enjoyed your writing(something definetly lacking from both papers). Even got me to watch a few games, good luck on the DeathStar. Clarkeisgod
WTF! No! I guess you deserve better than Philly.com . . . and having to report from Portland on the day after Xmas would've been too much. Thanks for ushering the loyal Sixer fan base through some dark moments. I still feel like you laid out the case with such clarity very early on for Eddie Jordan's removal. Good luck at ESPN. You'll be very much missed! Leegles
A job well done. Best of luck in the future! ShaneOO
last person to actually pay any attention to Sixers warbiscuit
Best of luck Kate - loved your stuff - you will do well at ESPN. NCTony
would prefer Kate as g.m of Sixers --as well as Murphy as g.m. of Phils and Sheil as g.m of Eagles - most of the other journalists though are as clueless as the teams they write about warbiscuit
Seeing the 'Farewell Kate Fagan' reminded me of when you hear the dreaded "We have to talk" from your current & soon to be ex-girlfriend. You want to say "Let's not" but you know what's coming anyhow. You are going to be missed, especially your blunt honest candor about the Sixers as well as yourself. Whenever you hear people complaining about Philly fans, remind them that the only thing we want is "passion and effort", which you always brought. When we do find a player who plays with passion & effort plus learns from their mistakes, they have a special place in our hearts forever.
First Joe Frazier, now Kate Fagan. :-(
Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/Passing-the-baton.html#ixzz1gRuYYMlE
Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else
squmata1
Kate, I'll miss your posts. I wish the 6ers would fire Rod Thorn and hire you. Vituperator
Best of Luck going forward Kate. The Inquirer just lost a very good beat writer. Hope to see you soon on ESPN! Happy Holidays!! younged
Kate- outstanding job on the 6er beat. Good luck at ESPN. They will be lucky to have you. flashgordon
Best of luck. Always enjoyed your work! CaptainCrunch
Best of luck Kate! I always enjoyed you articles on the Sixers because you always had the facts straight. Philadelphia lost is Espn gain!!! bill poore
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You really gave excellent, in-depth coverage and analysis of the Sixers, day in and day out during each season. I really appreciated your work. You will be missed. Good luck in your new venture. Chainsaw- Everybody's high on consolation
Everybody's trying to tell me what's right for me
My daddy tried to bore me with a sermon
but it's plain to see that they can't comfort me
Sorry Charlie for the imposition
I think I've got it, got the strength to carry on
I need a drink and a quick decision
Now it's up to me, ooh what will be
Chorus:
She's Gone Oh I, Oh I'd
better learn how to face it
She's Gone Oh I, Oh I'd
pay the devil to replace her
She's Gone - what went wrong
Up in the morning look in the mirror
I'm worn as her tooth brush hanging in the stand
my face ain't looking any younger
now I can see love's taken her toll on me
She's Gone
Think I'll spend eternity in the city
let the carbon and monoxide choke my thoughts away
and pretty bodies help dissolve the memories
but they can never be what she was to me
She's Gone zwarte piet
As a lifelong Sixers fan (I'm 55), I would have never imagined that the first article I would always look for on my team was written by a woman from out of town. Great job, best of luck, you will certainly be missed. dave13
I have to say this news is extremely disheartening. Kate was not only the best Sixers beat writer, she was the best sports reporter in Philly. One of the very, very few that covered her team with real substance, something that is severly lacking in today's sports reporting world. And she knew what the hell she was talking about too, something I'm sorry to say not all reporters can boast. For once, and unfortunately for only a short while, sports coverage was about the nuances of the game and WHY the team performed in a certain way, and not about rumors and banal player quotes. When Kate wrote, I understood why the Sixers played a certain way, what to expect from the players, what their strengths and shortcomings were, and what the coaches were thinking when they ran (or didn't run) certain plays. She will be sorely missed. Bill Lame Beer
it was easy to tell from the beginning with your rare combo of good looks, legitimate writing skill, and very good understanding of the game that you would get picked up by espn or something similar. glad it came together for you! have fun! murdock101
it was easy to tell from the beginning with your rare combo of good looks, legitimate writing skill, and very good understanding of the game that you would get picked up by espn or something similar. glad it came together for you! have fun! murdock101
You're very good at your job here Kate, sorry to see you go. Elbarad
Great work Kate...and best of luck in your future endeavors. You will be missed. Romus
Kate, I've never commented on your coverage but I ALWAYS read your arcticles and blogs. I thought your work was some of the Inquirer/Daily News best. I'm going to miss your insight. I wish you all of the best. irish72- You did a great job. Best wishes to you in all your endeavors. JohnFC
Good luck to you. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your insights on the Sixers. Your writing will be missed. spider9
This is terrible news. Tell me there is a silver lining and that you are going to be one of those hot sideline reporters. ESPN does not need you. We do. Oh well, best of luck. You will be missed. markfordham
Good luck in the next step in your career. I have enjoyed reading your pieces and expert analysis about the Sixers. Your work on the Sixers was the best I have seen to date. Manok
You were one of the best writers on Philly.com. You were also the only reason I followed a boring and mediocre team for 3 years. I actually learned more about the game through some of your articles. The NBA stinks because of the restrictions on player movement. It now has one less reason for me to follow it now. Good Luck! You will be missed! flydutchmotel
Good luck!
sore richard
thanks for reminding us what real reporting is all about. things change, but you must realize just how much affection the fans here have for you. rzzzzz
Good luck, Kate. Through your writing you have fans everywhere. Think of one here if you pass by Kingston. Eagle_1960
Kate Fagan is her name...a class act DunnyD
Wish you'd stay but if you must leave best of luck! BLUEBELLION
it was only a matter of time till you moved on to bigger and better things I think we all knew that. You've been excellent thank you and good luck. b.allen
if you have a job in this so-called economy" you can move on and get another one but if you don't have a job your a-- is out of luck..the american way. this woman did a good job covering the sixers. only 9
Hey Kate,
Thanks for all of the great stories, your passion for basketball, and your honesty. I'm not surprised that you're moving on, and I commend ESPN for recognizing true talent when they saw it. You will be great in your new role. All best wishes for continued success. guitarman
Many blessings Kate, you will do great. camasbud
Kate,
To say you will be missed is an understatement. Your knowledge of the game and honesty is very hard to find from a beat writer. You weren't afraid to ask the tough questions or to critique what was going on. Most beat writers just tow the company line for fear of losing their access. Even when this team was struggling I looked forward to reading your observation's which were usually spot on. You kept us interested, and I felt as many did that you really were the true voice of the fans. I always felt it was a matter of time till you moved on to the national stage because you were just too good. This is a sad day for true Sixers fans and there will be a huge void left in this space. I wish you all the best and look forward to reading your articles with ESPN. Mattb
Congratulations! You will be missed here. borntosuffer
I'm not even a huge Sixers fan, but I always read your stuff. You might be the most talented free agent to leave the time in years!
Good luck at the Mothership. Help them cover the sporting world; remind them they don't make sports, they cover them. ocboy
Kate, good luck. I am very sorry to see you go. The Sixers can be a hard to team to be a fan of sometimes, but your posts and articles were always top-notch. weir99
I hope you are enormously successful, Kate. You are a heck of a reporter. Lpaul
Thank god no more creepily complimentary posts from Kate's fanclub members/family after every blog post jodya2
Kate, I WISH YOU NOTHING BUT SUCCESS. YOU are a CLASS ACT and WILL BE MISSED! Phil Jasner GONE NOW YOU leaving for ESPN. You guys are going to be HARD acts 2 follow when it comes to 76ers coverage! I will MOST Def follow you on your new Twitter handle. God Bless you Kate Fagan. dudega
Kate, best sports writer in Philly, we'll surely miss you, luck O'the Irish to you Lass, just sayin'... DJ
Oh that stinks... Kate, you're going to be missed Ashburn072
Kate, I will miss your coverage. I enjoyed how you broke down the game and gave us insight from your experience as a college player. You understand the game a lot better than most writers and it shows in your work. Hopefully you will still be willing to give us a little Sixer's insight occasionally from your new gig. BeFrank
I remember when you started, you mentioned something about the Buffaloes, and since then you learned that no one here has a clue about the U of Colorado, and stuck to talking Sixers. Thanks for making an uninteresting team more interesting. Too bad we're losing another good writer in this town. I know you'll do well wherever you go. xing- Wow Kate! Much like Larry Bird, I didn't realize how awesome you were until you're leaving. I really got into your blogs for the past 2 years and they are/were excellent. You provide great insight and coverage of not only the Sixers but the NBA as well. You will be missed kate. Take care and much blessed success in years to come!
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Really enjoyed your insight into the X's and O's of the game. You provided what no other reporter in the city did. You will be missed Kate. blah
Always liked your coverage, you knew the game and had great insights. Thanks for doing such a good job, we will miss you. jimmymack
HEY KATE, THE INQUIRER'S LOSS IS NOW THE LEADER IN SPORTS TELEVISION'S GAIN.I HOPE IT WORKS OUT WELL FOR U,YOU REALLY HAVE THAT PASSION FOR BASKETBALL,AND COVERING THE 6ERS,U NOW HAVE THAT TOUGH SKIN TO DEAL WITH THIS. I ENJOYED READING YOUR COLUMNS,EVEN THOUGH,I LIVE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA,I'M STILL LOYAL TO MY HOMETOWN,AND THE TEAMS.SO GOOD LUCK,AND HOPEFULLY,U'LL DROP A LINE OR SO...WE WILL MISS YOUR INSIGHTS ....GOOD LUCK KATE !! t_darb_56
We predicted this would happen. Great job, great honesty and up front journalism on our favorite basketball team. Wish you success and hope you don't stop being a Sixers fan. Come to a game here and there and offer a guest blog :-) enkiel
ESPN pays more than newspapers so they hire away everyone they can. Drew777
Always enjoyed the coverage, you'll be missed here. Hope to see your byline on the worldwide leader soon stikolaboloni- Kate, best of luck to you. The best compliment I can pay is to say I'm flat out irritated that you're leaving the Sixers beat. I hope you don't stop writing about basketball, you have a gift. Best of luck to you. Grrrrr! xfactor
Good luck Kate, will miss your coverage on sixers. I will continue to follow you on twitter. Allnetg- You'll be missed Kate. You were always my fave writer. I always enjoyed reading your post. I sometimes skipped my lunch just to go to the computer lab during school to see if you posted anything. If you didn'y I always went straight home at the end of the day and find a post left by you. You're the best. I wish you nothing but the best of luck.
First Hip Hop...now, Kate Fagan. Good luck Kate! road515
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good luck Fagan. combocancer1975
Dammit, should've known you were too talented to stay local.
Thanks for all the great articles and insight, Kate. It was great reading even through some of the dark times for the Sixers. phillyPete1- Philly.com seems to be the way to get to Espn. Must be alot to talk about here Zeru
- An actual Philly native from Wes Phil. Its a upgrade already. Now we can talk real sports instead of these sports article basics or people without any insight. Or writers/righters that just recite. Can't wait for John to get on the beat. Good stuff!!!! Zeru
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There are jobs at ESPN that don't involve much NBA? Pelti
Kate--I loved your coverage, and was always looking forward to your commentary and your discussion of the team. You were always a much needed presence on the Philly sports scene, somebody who is clearly passionate about the 76ers, who appreciates the grittiness of the team, and who is a true fan of the sport. You will be dearly missed! Congratulations on your new job, and best of luck at ESPN--I look forward to following your coverage there. 76win
Excellent work, everybody could see you were headed to the big time. I'll enjoy following your career. jskrad
Honest reporting just took a hit. Won't be replaced. I'm sure. LaCroix,Nolet,Gendron
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Best of luck in the future, Miss Fagan. You know hoops as well as I have seen written and your style actually made the reader feel like he/she was in the locker room with inside info. Guessing you will be reporting on college hoops. Thanks for your work....been a pleasure. Bobby V
Especially enjoyed your insights daily & Sunday mornings frostman
Kate, good luck but I know you won't need it. I recognized your gift when I first read you 3 years ago. I wrote in the comments you'd be moving on and now you are. sjphilsphan
Good luck Kate. We will miss You. I feel like we have watched you grow up as a journalists and now you are leaving the nest. the76ers- no!!!!!! dpcoz
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Kate, I was wondering why I didn't see your name this morning blogging on the game recap. A huge loss for Philly. . . . tarik255
Kate, we are so upset you are leaving. You were the only reporter who spoke the truth about horrible decisions (Eddie Jordan, Willie Green playing more than 1 second, etc.). Good luck you will be missed! TradeIggyNow
Darn, I was looking forward to your take on the coming year as it unfolded - you really understand the game the way it is meant to be played! Good luck on your new job! jim from WC
Best of luck, you will be missed. steven q urkel



Keith Pompey has been an Inquirer reporter since September 2004. He takes over the Sixers beat after covering the Temple men’s basketball team for the past three years and Temple football the past two seasons. Pompey also previously covered the Penn and Drexel men’s basketball team and Villanova football team after initially focusing on high school sports.
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.