Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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A TRIBUTE TO LOU SOMOGYI benefit in those days. We both had earned our way to Notre Dame, but we also had an appreciation of how fortunate we were to be there. Both born and raised in the shadow of the Golden Dome, we occasionally shared memories of games we saw as kids. He had an eye and memory for detail, something his readers cer- tainly appreciated over the years. What I also grew to appreciate about Lou was his strong Catholic faith. Lou was a walking ex- ample of humility, compassion and mercy. He treated everyone, whether it was celebrity or fan, with the same respect and gentleness. Most sportswriters don't make a ton of money, but Lou Somogyi operated in the currency of kindness and he died the richest man I know. "Sok Szeretettel" (much love), my friend. — Chuck Freeby, sports director, WHME-T V and radio O ver the past few days, I've read numerous columns, tweets and messages singing the praises of Lou Somogyi — not only for his ency- clopedic and completely unmatched knowledge of Notre Dame football, but also for his kind- heartedness and compassion. As I've read them, I've found myself chuckling a bit inside. Not because the praise isn't warranted — it totally is. But I can't help but laugh as I think: "Man, can you imagine how uncomfortable he'd be listening to all of this?" Lou didn't hate many things, but he loathed being complimented in any way. Any time I at- tempted to give him props for a story or for unearthing some historical nugget that no other human could possibly know off the top of his head, he would almost invariably reply with a groaning "I suck" or "Oh, I'm a piece of [crap]." When it comes to self-deprecation, Lou was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But no matter how hard he wished away the acclaim, he couldn't shake it. Lou is a Notre Dame legend, one of the truly unique and irreplaceable figures that make the place so great. Rockne, Valdiserri, McGraw and the like … to those who really know, Lou Somogyi will always be on that short list. The last time I saw Lou was a little over a year ago, right before the pandemic hit. My son was doing a school history project on Notre Dame Sta- dium, and he needed to interview a source as part of the information-gathering process. We called the same person that any of you would have. I still have that interview on video; it perfectly encapsulated who Lou Somogyi was. An uncom- monly kind and generous person, armed with a knowledge that no other human on ear th possessed. (And as I wrote that last sentence, I could hear him grumbling again.) —Ryan O'Leary, sports editor, The Daily Journal; BGI assistant editor (2005-10) I t was my pleasure to know Lou Somogyi for nearly 40 years. Lou would call my radio show on WGTC to correct me if my information on Notre Dame football was incorrect. It didn't have to be "wrong," but with a full measure of respect he would get me the information I needed. Over the years, Lou and I worked together at Blue & Gold Illustrated and even broadcast a radio show on location. We joined with former Irish coach Bob Chmiel for a LIVELY HOUR of Notre Dame football discussion and then spend more time after the show enjoying a meal and covering more of the history about the Irish. I think all of us in the media truly enjoyed Lou and his ability to quickly provide correct informa- tion to all at a weekly press conference or at a post-game presser. Lou was a gifted man with many priorities including his family, his faith and his Fighting Irish. Lou and I had a unique greeting which Lou said I deserved because I was older. Lou would stand at attention and salute me until I said "As you were." I will miss that, and I will miss him. He was so special and gifted as a professional and as a person. The Lady on the Dome will welcome him home, and he may offer some of his insight about heaven. And, of course, he will be correct. God Bless! — Bob Nagle, veteran broadcaster I t 's hard for anyone who has followed Notre Dame football for the last few decades to imag- ine the scene without Lou Somogyi being there to document it. Mention a game, player, coach or situation — and Lou would give you chapter and verse on everything you needed to know. He often would call me, email or stop by to ask a question or look for details, often for the letters or Q&A section of Blue & Gold Illustrated. I'd do my best to interpret departmental philosophy, sched- uling details or whatever else he was looking for. Yet he was a font of knowledge on his own when it came to Notre Dame sports. I often thought I should have been the one asking HIM questions, as opposed to the other way around. Lou was such a kind soul, so mild-mannered. Not sure I ever heard him raise his voice or get outwardly upset. He always seemed to think he was disturbing us when he needed some help, as if he did not understand we were there to do exactly that — help him. I can only imagine how many media from out- side the Notre Dame coverage area called on him over the years for background. He could put just about anything in perfect perspective. Wow, will he be missed. — John Heisler, UCF senior associate AD for strategic communications; Notre Dame senior as- sociate AD (1978-2018) I t's said that if you do something you love you'll never work a day in your life. I can't imagine there's anyone who embodied that more than Lou Somogyi. It was a blessing to have observed his passion, work ethic and brilliance during my time with Blue & Gold from 2005-10. In my primary role as the web editor, I worked closely with Lou to find a balance between our print and digital properties at a time when the industry, in general, was shifting rather abruptly from print to digital storytelling. During our con- A s I recall it, I was about a year into my time at Blue & Gold when Lou (already an institu- tion unto himself at the magazine) mentioned one day that he was headed out to buy a new, full-sized refrigerator for his home. He was replacing the dorm-sized mini version that had been his only source of keeping food cold to that point. I (being a young and foolish smart aleck) gave him some good-natured ribbing for having made it well into his 40s without owning a fridge that stood taller than his belt buckle. Lou Somogyi was one of a kind. God certainly never wired together a brain better suited for chronicling the history of Notre Dame foot- ball. Lou's encyclopedic memory and his yeo- man's work ethic were legendary among his colleagues and his fans. Most people who knew Lou knew at least two things about him: First, he had an un- rivaled passion for the daily minutiae of his work. And second, he did not have the capacity to be mean or vindictive — somehow spending his whole career avoiding the cynical snark that often settles on folks in his profession. I imagine those two traits were not coincidence. Watching Lou taught me to find happiness in hard work, rather than in its rewards. What truly made Lou unique was the sense of pur- pose that prevented him from ever feeling like he needed more than what he had. It makes me sad that someone with such a rare gift won't have any more time to enjoy it. But I'll remember him staring at me with a bemused expression while I gave him a hard time about his fridge. He just shrugged and said: "I guess it's always been enough for me." — Dan Murphy, ESPN Staff Writer; BGI associate editor (2010-13) 24 JUNE/JULY 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED