Down to Business . . .

By Tom Blair

SUDDEN DEATH: Hundreds of friends and fans packed the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park to say their final farewells to Ron Reina, the longtime San Diego sportscaster who died last month—way too soon. Even Dion Rich, the celebrated gate-crasher who over the years slipped past security and into so many Super Bowls, was there. It seemed fitting. And Ron would have supplied the perfect one-liner for that. Man, do I miss him right here.

Even to those closest to Ron—those who knew of his valiant two-year battle with cancer—his death seemed sudden. That’s because Ron was so unfailingly positive about it—so unwilling to let something like lung cancer dim his lust for life. Just a couple of weeks before his death, in the throes of yet another round of chemotherapy, Ron was planning a vacation to Hawaii with his wife, Marilee—a return to the site of their marriage 17 years ago. And he’d booked appearances to help out with a variety of charitable events through the end of 2004. He was the poster boy, as Ron himself might say, for positive thinking.

Those who came to eulogize Ron shared stories about his passion for sports. His selfless contributions of time and talent to hundreds of local charities. And the joy he took in the sometimes-difficult work of just being a friend. Remembering to send birthday cards. Phoning only to say hello. Organizing lunches. And making sure his friends took the time to stay in touch with each other.

I remember Ron as a man whose passions extended beyond sports—to the theater, to politics, to San Diego’s history and its people. Ron devoured the news, and when he shared his insights, he almost always shared the gift of laughter. Ron could make the nonsensical seem sensible. Suggesting fallen televangelist Tammy Faye Baker be given amnesty by Mary Kay Cosmetics. Dubbing former Mayor Susan Golding’s bay-to-bay canal project “Golding’s Locks.” Finding the bright side when Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Berry was busted for doing drugs in a hotel room: “Well, at least he didn’t steal any towels.” Teasing a La Jolla service club audience by insisting even La Jolla has a ghetto: “It’s called the rest of San Diego.”

Last month, as Ron’s family was poring over memorabilia from his long career, a scrap of paper surfaced from his early days as a sportscaster. It was a farewell note to Ron, who was leaving a small media market in central California in 1969 for a TV and radio job in San Diego. The note could be taken more than one way. I’m sure Ron chose the humorous interpretation. It was from the sheriff of San Joaquin County, and it said, simply, “This town is a better place because you passed by.”

San Diego is a better place because Ron didn’t pass by. A much better place.

DOTTED WHOLE NOTES: On the highly competitive singles scene, you do what it takes. At the bar at La Jolla’s Nine-Ten restaurant, the bartender overheard a regular bragging about his successful new pick-up line. When the offer of a drink failed to get the hoped-for response from a young blonde, our hero tried another tack. He told her he knew where she could get a hard-to-find flu shot. He got a date . . . It may be no coincidence that the Nine-Ten bar is now offering its own “flu shots”—Citron vodka, Triple Sec, sugar and freshsqueezed lemon juice. Seven bucks . . . San Diegans still don’t know how to deal with weather. After our most-recent rare rainstorm, one breathless local TV newscaster said residents of Coronado were complaining of storm-caused “debris.” Oh, the humanity! .. . Surrender Dorothy, a new TV movie starring Diane Keaton, is being shot in San Diego by Stu Segall Productions.

OUTSIDE IN: With San Diego’s pension-fund scandal and litigious mayoral race headlining the national news, it helps to get some kinder, gentler media coverage. Now comes GQ magazine with a feature story on “The Greatest and Cheesiest Sports Uniforms of All Time.” In at No. 3 on the list of the 20 greatest: the Chargers’ retro-uniforms. “Generally,” says GQ, “men should never wear pastels, but we’ll make an exception for San Diego’s sorely missed powder blue jerseys. Is there any doubt the Chargers would win three more games a year if they brought back this design?” Well, yes, as a matter of fact.

In the four years since the Chargers started wearing the retrojerseys once a season, they’ve won with them only once—this year .. . And national kudos this fall for our legendary Golden Door health spa. The new Zagat survey rates it the No. 1 destination spa in the United States. In Spa Finder’s annual “Readers’ Choice” awards, it rates as best small spa in the country. At $6,500 a week, you get what you pay for.

THE BOTTOM LINE: District attorney’s office investigator John Zimmerman arrested a man who’d violated probation on a stalking conviction. No doubt he had his man. The suspect was carrying a backpack, and inside was a T-shirt inscribed “I AM NOT A STALKER. YOUR HOUSE JUST HAPPENS TO BE EVERY PLACE I GO.” The shirt is being held as evidence.

Listen for Tom Blair’s Friday reports on KOGO News Radio (600 AM) at 7:25 a.m. You can also hear his radio column at sandiegomag.com. Items for the magazine or radio may be e-mailed to tblair@sandiegomag.com.

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