Saying Goodbye to Another Jets Writer, Ike Kuhns
Posted by on May 9, 2012 – 10:46 amUpdated, 4:50 p.m. ET
Another Jets beatwriter has passed on. Ike Kuhns, 76, who covered the Jets during their glory days in the late Sixties, as well as the Cosmos at the height of their popularity and a stadiumful of other sports, all for The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., died April 26 after a short illness.
Frank Ramos, the Jets’ long-time public relations director, recalled that Ike was an easy person to like and a hard-working professional on the beat.
“He could pick things up easily when pinch-hitting for someone else after years of not covering the Jets,” Ramos recalled. “Also, he was one of the few people to pick the Jets to win the Super Bowl. I don’t think we’ll see the likes of Ike again.”
Kevin Manahan, in his recent tribute to Kuhns on the Ledger Website, wrote:
On the day of Super Bowl III, The Star-Ledger published Kuhns’ forecast for the game. While the Colts were seen as unbeatable, he mocked the 18-point spread and predicted a Jets upset.
I remembered Ike as Frank did, “pinch-hitting” on the Jets in the Nineties when I first started covering the team, filling in for Don Williams (who died last September) or Dave Hutchinson. I can tell you one of the worst feelings as a beatwriter is getting a day “off” but having to spend it getting your backup up to speed on the team, what story should be written that day, advising the desk on the errors that needed to be fixed after the story was filed.
The Ledger never had that problem on the Jets because Kuhns was ready to roll on any number of sports. He was less a pinch-hitter than a valuable utility man, and the newspaper’s readers were the beneficiaries, whatever the sporting event, up until his retirement in 2001.
The Star-Ledger reported that Kuhns will be remembered at a memorial service on Saturday, May 12, at 1 p.m. at the First Reformed Church in Lincoln Park, N.J.
Tags: Dave Hutchinson, Don Williams, Frank Ramos, Ike Kuhns, Super Bowl III
Posted in Randy Lange | 23 Comments »
By walt on May 9, 2012 | Reply
I just heard some potential good news clinkscales supposedly is accepting a position with the raiders.Just think of it no more ducasse billal powells or any other so called gems to be stuck with.Let us not forget that linebacker from ohio state the jets drafted in the first round.I hope the jets can get someone who knows what he is doing to run the scouting.I know it is probably wishful thinking but maybe we could get the guy that runs the scouting for new england for the position.
By scjoe on May 9, 2012 | Reply
I remember Ike Kuhns. RIP
By scjoe on May 9, 2012 | Reply
Cimini had a great quote in his column. “Here’s the coach of the New York Jets, in rookie minicamp, discussing the attributes his No. 1 draft pick showed in college”
“I liked his strength setting the edge, his ability to rush the passer with not only the number of sacks, but the amount of times he was able to affect the quarterback. Things like that kept popping off the screen.”
Rex on Coples? NO! Eric Mangini 4 years ago on Vernon Gholston. Deja Vu all over again?
By carl on May 9, 2012 | Reply
God bless!
By First Reformed Church on May 9, 2012 | Reply
The Memorial Service for Ike Kuhns will be held Saturday May 12th at 1 o’clock pm.
By Randy Lange on May 9, 2012 | Reply
Thank you for the update. I have corrected the time of the memorial service in the blog.
By Jet Fan Since '64 Tom on May 9, 2012 | Reply
Too bad about Ike, him and Jerry Isenberg are the only two NY-area sportswriters of consequence that I can remember picking the Jets to beat the Colts in SB3. Wonder if he ever imagined that over 40 yrs later we’d be talking about “ground and pound,” fielding one of the worst passing games in the NFL, and still looking for a second SB trophy…
By Karan on May 10, 2012 | Reply
Goodbye clinkscales! You won’t really be missed
By Karan on May 10, 2012 | Reply
When are the Jets going to upgrade this offensive line? Mike T and Rex are really stubborn if they think the current depth on the O-line is going to get it done. Thats the mentality they had las season and look at what happened. Please do something about it. Vernon Carey is still out there.
By Alex.G on May 10, 2012 | Reply
I watched about 15 you tube highlight video’s of Quinton Coples and this guy does not turn me on , I think he’s avg at best. I HOPE this guy is not the BUST he is being labeled as , but I can’t help to feel the experts know more then I do, and their opinion is not that strong of him. I was not impressed by this guy at all and one video vs Miami they were killing him. he was useless.
By GaryC on May 10, 2012 | Reply
did anyone really notice how rigid a player Gholston was,too much weighlifting and not enough flexibility exercises will do that to you.looking at Coples you can see a better athlete,Gholston could never get off a block,Coples knows how to use his hands,Coples will get more sacks his first quarter he plays than gholston did in two years.
By IRA on May 10, 2012 | Reply
Karan,
Forbes had an article rating teams and how they draft since 05. Well the Packers were #1 and the Jets were #2. So Clinkscales will be surely missed.
By wayne on May 10, 2012 | Reply
Walt, Jets don’t need anyone scouting from the Pats. They’ve been pretty gosh awful. In fact worse than Jets. They’ve had more picks than any other team in the NFL over last 4yrs with very little to show for it…..The man should come from Green Bay or Pittsburgh. In them places, they know what they’re doing…………..Love you FANS. How many guys y’all bury before a real snap…..Then beg and plead and want to know why Jets don’t hurry up and sign them before they go……..SLOW YOUR ROLL.
By wayne on May 10, 2012 | Reply
I mentioned Ganaway’s name on this site more than a month before season ended as a RB Jets should target…….I think he’ll be a valuable pick up. ……I’m sure someone with the initials TS will tell me someone else mentioned it first……………………………….
By wayne on May 10, 2012 | Reply
Was the first to mention Polian as GM of the future for this team………Still holding out hopes……………..Y’all do know there has to be a crash and a burn for there to be even a scintilla of hope of that happening, right?
By Karan on May 10, 2012 | Reply
Oh wow, i had no idea, he was alright but I think we can definetly upgrade.
By Tom Spicer on May 10, 2012 | Reply
Wayne, I love you to
By Jet Fan Since '64 Tom on May 10, 2012 | Reply
Ira, such draft ratings mean zip. You gotta go by the number of truly great players the team has drafted, developed, and sent to the Pro Bowl, playoffs, and of course the Big One. And by that standards, our drafts of the last ten yrs or more are quite pitiful. Once you get past Mangold, Revis, and Harris, there’s nothing much all that extraordinary…nothing much to compare with, as joe says, the kind of players that GB, PIT, BAL, NE, and others seem to put on the field yr after yr. We tend to rack up a lotta guys like Keller, Greene, and Slauson, getting there but not really great, not to mention Brick who had a bust-like season last yr.
By GaryC on May 11, 2012 | Reply
any college scout worth his weight in gold could have found revis,mangold,harris ferguson,they were no brainers,but who else has clinkscale found who is a game changer,offense or defense.
By Jet Fan Since '64 Tom on May 11, 2012 | Reply
Exactly, GaryC, and the answer is NOBODY! Unless the guys from this yr’s draft become game-changers and can be credited to Clink…
By scjoe on May 12, 2012 | Reply
GaryC, Mark Sanchez is a game changer. He “changed” quite a few games last season, including that Denver game and lets not forget the one he threw those 2 INTs to the D lineman, he really changed that one. LOL So, there is another “game changer” the FO found.
By Jet Fan Since '64 Tom on May 13, 2012 | Reply
We didn’t mean THAT kind of game changer, scjoe, though you’re making the same pt that I made often last yr about how many games Sanchez has single-handedly lost, which puts a bit of a damper on his alleged single-handed playoff wins.
By GaryC on May 14, 2012 | Reply
scjoe,very good retort,I thought I had the comedic flair,saying Sanchez was a game changer,Touche.Maybe this year with Hill added to lineup,Sanchez will be a REAL GAME CHANGER.