Jack Murphy (sportswriter)
| Jack Murphy | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 5, 1923 Denver, Colorado |
| Died | September 24, 1980 (aged 57) Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Sportswriter |
| Nationality | American |
| Relatives | Bob Murphy (brother) |
Jack Murphy (February 5, 1923 – September 24, 1980) was a sports editor and columnist for the San Diego Union newspaper from 1951–1980. Jack Murphy Stadium was named in his honor. He was affectionately referred to by fans simply as "The Murph" and "El Murph" by Spanish speakers.
Murphy was born on February 5, 1923 in Denver, Colorado. He was the older brother of New York Mets broadcaster Bob Murphy.
Murphy moved from Fort Worth, Texas in 1951 to become a sportswriter for the San Diego Union newspaper.
On December 21, 1960, Murphy wrote a column for the San Diego Union proposing the Los Angeles Chargers American Football League team become a San Diego franchise. Over the next year, through his Union articles, he would become a key figure in persuading San Diegans to relocate the Chargers. He also helped secure the Padres baseball team as a National League expansion team in 1969.
After the Chargers began to outgrow Balboa Stadium, Murphy assisted in lobbying for a new San Diego stadium in his sports articles for the San Diego Union. A 50,000-seat stadium was proposed to and approved by San Diego voters in 1965.
The eventual 54,000-seat San Diego Stadium was renamed San Diego–Jack Murphy Stadium after Murphy died in 1980. It was also known by its shortened name "The Murph". The stadium was renamed Qualcomm Stadium in 1997 and Qualcomm will retain naming rights until 2017. In order to continue to honor Murphy, the city named the stadium site Jack Murphy Field.
Murphy owned a black Labrador Retriever named Abe that he would write about in his articles. A statue of Murphy with Abe is located in front of Qualcomm Stadium.
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