FAYETTEVILLE -- They didn't play the games, but Fred Vorsanger and Charles Bickford were uniquely a part of them.
Bickford photographed them.
And Vorsanger, well, Fred seemed to play a part in about everything good going on in Fayetteville. Whether at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville city government, the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce or countless charities, Fred lent a hand.
We lost them both this past week, Vorsanger at 88 and Bickford at 78.
For the Springdale News and The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas that the Springdale News later became, "Bick" never failed capturing the definitive plays and emotions of any Razorbacks or high school game he photographed. And he never saw a sunrise he couldn't exquisitely glow on a printed page.
Before the Razorbacks tipped off their basketball victory over Missouri on Saturday at Walton Arena, Vorsanger was honored with a moment of silence.
No setting was more appropriate. Among the many hats that Fred figuratively wore outnumbering what a haberdasher could stock, a hard hat literally was one.
He wore it supervising the construction of Walton Arena which he managed from 1993 through 2009 at the request of since-retired Athletic Director Frank Broyles. Vorsanger managed Walton Arena after retiring as the UA's vice president of financial affairs and also the executive director of the University of Arkansas Foundation.
Fred worked in various bureaucracies, but unlike the bureaucratic stereotype, he somehow got things done rather than get hamstrung in red tape.
"Super Fred," the late sportswriter Orville Henry referred to him in his columns.
Superman himself couldn't have visited with more folks in a day than Fred did not just at the UA but on every board and charity imaginable and also as Fayetteville's mayor and as an alderman before and after he was mayor. Fred knew about everyone and about everyone knew Fred because he visited with anyone.
Regardless of his many offices, Fred's door was always open and every visitor assured a visit.
Retiring from city government and retiring from managing Walton Arena still couldn't retire Fred. From 2009 until his health declined, Fred for $1 a year worked for the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce.
No power point or portfolio ever did the chamber more good than Fred at a coffee shop or on the Fayetteville Square.
The home team never had a better visitor.
Fortunately it's not passing from this Earth, but just passing from Arkansas that goodbyes were said last week to Robb Smith.
After three years coordinating the defense for Coach Bret Bielema's Razorbacks, Smith moves on to coordinate the Minnesota Golden Gophers' defense.
For whatever reasons, the last two football seasons Arkansas' defense didn't measure to Smith's superb first year when the 2014 Razorbacks posted unprecedented consecutive SEC shutouts over Top 20 LSU and Ole Miss teams.
The subsequent defenses didn't measure up but Smith the man did. He remained ever courteous through good times and hard times admirably passing a character test that many a coach has flunked from both directions.
Sports on 01/16/2017