I was suspicious of something from the bittersweet comments coming from some front office members over the weekend, so I was my usual annoying self and pestered a bit. I knew about this before he announced it today, but I am no less sad about it.
After 15 years, Mike Folsom, the Sr. Director of Promotional Development for the Crunch, is leaving the organization.
You know, it’s kind of funny, but the first few years with this blog had this wonderful veil–or so I thought–of anonymity. The first time Jim Sarosy addressed me by name, I pretty much had to pick my chin up off my lap. I’m pretty sure I know who blew the whistle on me, as Jim and I hadn’t met before that night when he so casually called me by name, but it was kind of cool. I still was delusional enough, however, to think that the fan me and the foulmouthed, sort of obnoxious, Crunch loving blogger me were still quite separate and secret around the War Memorial.
Yeah, and then Mike Folsom came along and blew that all to hell.
I was at a summer BBQ for season ticket holders that happened not long after I decided to take a hiatus from this place. I was sitting there with my friend Chuk, eating a hot dog that Howard Dolgon himself cooked, minding my own business, when Folsom came along, banged his hand on the table, and announced that he was disappointed I was calling it quits.
I again found that I had to pick my chin up.What the hell?! Here I thought I was this nobody who could spew anything I wanted. No, instead I found out right then that pretty much everyone knew me and associated my early fumbling attempts at blogging and crude and crass humor–lets face it, I could never live up to MJ’s standards–with my face.
Awesome.
However, from that moment, Mike and I have enjoyed a prickly but fun camaraderie. Like I said to him the other night, I was never fully sure if he really even liked me or not, though he assures me that he has nothing but fondness for me. Knowing that now will make me miss him all the more.
I truly wish Mike well with everything and anything that comes next in his life, and I very much hope he continues to stay in touch and hang out at the Ol’ War Memorial. He will be missed.
