George Puscas (sports writer)

George Puscas (April 8, 1927 – April 25, 2008) was an American sports writer for the Detroit Free Press. He joined the Free Press as a copyboy in September 1941 at age 14, was a full-time sports writer until 1992, and continued to be associated with the paper as a columnist until 2006.

For the Romanian footballer, see George Pușcaș.
George Puscas
BornApril 8, 1927
Detroit, Michigan
DiedApril 25, 2008 (age 81)
Pontiac, Michigan
NationalityAmerican
OccupationSportswriter/columnist
EmployerDetroit Free Press (1941–2000)
Spouse(s)Delphine Constance (Banka) Puscas

Puscas was born in Detroit in 1927. His father Nicholas (Nicolae) Puscas was a grocer on Detroit's east side.[1] After working at the Free Press as a teenager, Puscas joined the military during World War II.

Puscas had his first byline with the Free Press in October 1946.[2] In his first few years with the paper, he was a student at Wayne University,[3] and he covered the Wayne Tartars, University of Detroit, Lawrence Institute of Technology, and Detroit high school athletic events.[4][5][6]

When the Fort Wayne Pistons moved to Detroit in 1957, Puscas was assigned to the team's beat.[7][8][9] Puscas also began handling the Detroit Lions beat for the Free Press in 1957.[10][11]

Puscas' "Love Letters", a weekly column in which Puscas responded with humor to letters from readers, began running in the Free Press in June 1959 and continued for nearly 50 years.[12][13] In his obituary of Puscas, Matt Fiorito wrote that reader letters "were answered cryptically, acerbically, sarcastically and wittily by Puscas, and readers loved it."[13]

Puscas was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.[14] In his last column, on May 9, 2006, Puscas wrote: "So this is it. That's all there is. Nothing left. Nothing left to do, nothing left to say. All done. Sixty-five years' worth. Imagine that."[13] In his later years, Puscas lived in Beverly Hills, Michigan. He died in 2008 of congestive heart failure at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac; he was 81 years old when he died.[13]

Selected stories by George Puscas

References
  1. "Nickolas Puscas Rites Thursday". Detroit Free Press. April 20, 1955. p. 27.
  2. George Puscas (October 5, 1946). "Wayne Battles Again for Slice of Grid Cake". Detroit Free Press. p. 13.
  3. "Miss Banka to Be Married on Aug. 19". Detroit Free Press. April 23, 1950. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. George Puscas (October 15, 1946). "Alden Thompson Has Big Plans for Tartars: Big Things Are in Store for Wayne". Detroit Free Press. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. George Puscas (October 30, 1946). "DIT Goes Against LIT in 'Alphabet Bowl': City's Technical Colleges Finally Get Together for Annual Clash". Detroit Free Press. p. 16.
  6. George Puscas (November 2, 1946). "Tartars See Old Threat: Weather Man Spells Grid Troubles Again". Detroit Free Press. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. George Puscas (February 18, 1957). "Will Fans Go See Pistons?". Detroit Free Press. p. 34.
  8. George Puscas (October 16, 1957). "Pistons Lose as Rally Fails". Detroit Free Press. p. 23.
  9. George Puscas (October 24, 1957). "Celts Gum Up Piston Debut, 105-94". Detroit Free Press. p. 37.
  10. George Puscas (November 4, 1957). "Cheers to Tears". Detroit Free Press. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. George Puscas (December 30, 1957). "Lions 'Old Pros' in 'Finest Hour'". Detroit Free Press. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. George Puscas (June 19, 1959). "Love Letters: Kuenn an All Star? We'll Take Colavito". Detroit Free Press. p. 48.
  13. Matt Fiorito (April 27, 2008). "A sports fan's friend: Free Press' George Puscas dies at 81". Detroit Free Press.
  14. "Abbott one of 10 to enter Michigan Hall". Lansing State Journal. March 31, 2004. p. 4C – via Newspapers.com.
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