RIP Tom "Killer" Kowalski

I've decided to dedicate a post to Tom Kowalski.  I'm not too good with words, but I wanted to post something besides the links to express our appreciation for a great guy.   I'm still in shock that he passed away today.  He was the best beat writer for the Lions.  He was a part of the MLive forumite family and he'll forever be in our hearts.  RIP Tom Kowalski.  You'll never be forgotten and you were definitely loved by everyone.

Here's some articles about Tom.

Tom's last pieces:

Tom's last article:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/08/quarterback_matthew_stafford_h.html

Tom's last podcast (at about 16:26):  http://www.wklt.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=5445596

Tom's last MLive video:  http://videos.mlive.com/mlive/2011/08/zac_robinson_pushing_drew_stan_2.html

Tom News:

Tom Kowalski, longtime Detroit Lions reporter, dies:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/08/tom_kowalski_detroit_lions_die.html

Veteran beat writer Tom Kowalski had underlying heart disease, autopsy shows:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/08/veteran_lions_beat_writer_tom.html

Lions will honor Tom "Killer" Kowalski:  http://www.detroitlions.com/news/article-1/Lions-will-honor-Tom-Killer-Kowalski/8f81014f-7b0b-4108-b699-c1a987ed106d

Lions to honor Tom:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/09/detroit_lions_to_honor_tom_kow.html

Lions honor Tom with donations, media lounge naming:  http://www.freep.com/article/20110902/SPORTS01/110902051/Lions-honor-Tom-Kowalski-donations-media-lounge-naming

Lions to honor Tom in 3 ways:  http://oplions.blogspot.com/2011/09/lions-to-honor-tom-kowalski-in-three.html

Classy memorial from Lions, Roger Goodell:  http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/30583/classy-memorial-from-lions-roger-goodell

Tom Tributes:

Colleagues take to Twitter to say goodbye to Detroit Lions beat writer Tom Kowalski:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/08/colleagues_take_to_twitter_to.html

Tom Kowalski tribute - He was gruff and hard-charging:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/08/tom_kowalski_he_was_gruff_and.html

Detroit Lions beat writer Tom Kowalski clicked with readers and fan:  http://www.mlive.com/sports/saginaw/index.ssf/2011/08/detroit_lions_beat_writer_tom.html

Tom Kowalski, a great teammate in the sport of journalism, will greatly be missed:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/08/tom_kowalski_a_great_teammate.html

MLive's Lions beat writer Tom Kowalski leaves imprint of great reporter, better friend:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/08/mlives_lions_beat_writer_tom_k.html 

Zaroo's Tom Kowalski tribute - Thanks, baby, you were the best:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/08/thanks_baby_you_were_the_best.html

Emkow's Tom Kowalski tribute - Tom was a key reason why the Lions were the most popular team in Detroit:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/08/tom_kowalski_impossible_to_rep.html

Rob Otto on Tom Kowalski:  http://blog.mlive.com/ottoman-empire/2011/08/petition_to_have_lions_honor_tom_kowalski_with_uniform_patch.html

Tom Kowalski's closest colleagues share their stories and say farewell:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/08/tom_kowalskis_colleagues_say_g.html

Full audio interviews from Tom Kowalski tribute on WDFN:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/08/tom_kowalski_tributes_on_wdfn.html

17 emotional tributes to Tom Kowalski that made us choke up as well as chuckle:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/09/17_emotional_fan_tributes_to_t.html

Lions, Bills pay tribute to Tom:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/09/detroit_lions_buffalo_pay_trib.html

Lewand, Lions comment on sudden death of beat writer Tom Kowalski:  http://blogs.detroitlions.com/2011/08/29/lewand-lions-comment-on-sudden-death-of-beat-writer-tom-kowalski/

Schwartz lets the first question go unasked in honor of Tom Kowalski:  http://www.detroitlions.com/news/article-1/Schwartz-lets-the-first-question-go-unasked-in-honor-of-Tom-Kowalski/0d4edc4c-19e1-49e7-ac40-478528bd6177

A collection of tweets for Tom Kowalski:  http://www.detroitlions.com/news/twitter-storify.html

Readers, listeners respected Tom Kowalski's opinions:  http://www.detnews.com/article/20110829/OPINION03/108290397/1126/sports0101/Readers--listeners-respected-Tom-Kowalski%E2%80%99s-opinions

Here's the thing - Tom Kowalski was right all along and I'm really going to miss that:  http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/johnniyoblog/index.php?blogid=108

So long Killer, we will miss you:  http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/bigtenblog/index.php?blogid=2946

Tom Kowalski will be missed at baseball games, too:  http://www.detnews.com/article/20110829/OPINION03/108290400/Tom-Kowalski-will-be-missed-at-baseball-games--too

Rosenberg - Tom Kowalski was exactly what a sporters writer should be:  http://www.freep.com/article/20110829/COL22/110829062/Michael-Rosenberg-Tom-Kowalski-exactly-what-sports-writer-should-be

Lions beat writer Tom Kowalski dies at age 51:  http://www.freep.com/article/20110829/SPORTS01/110829039/Lions-beat-writer-Tom-Kowalski-dies-age-51

Lions, media shaken by Tom Kowalski's death:  http://www.freep.com/article/20110830/SPORTS01/108300416/Lions-media-shaken-by-Tom-Kowalski-s-death

Lions take a moment to remember Tom:   http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/08/30/sports/doc4e5bbe3f3a9b4582177748.txt

Caputo on Tom Kowalski:  http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2011/08/29/sports/doc4e5bdb969de25068831313.txt

Caputo - A suggestion for the Detroit Lions about naming the press box at Ford Field:  http://patcaputo.blogspot.com/2011/09/suggestion-for-lions-about-naming-press.html

My Friend Tom:  http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/sports/My-Friend-Tom

O'Hara - Kowalski will be dearly missed:  http://www.foxsportsdetroit.com/08/29/11/OHara-Kowalski-will-be-dearly-missed/landing_lions.html?blockID=555666&feedID=3862

Fox 2 Detroit on Kowalski:  http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/sports/longtime-detroit-lions-beat-writer-tom-%27killer%27-kowalski-dies-20110829-dk

WXYZ 7 on Kowalski:  http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/sports/longtime-detroit-lions-beat-reporter-tom-kowalski-dies-

WDFN - Remembering Tom Kowalski:  http://www.wdfn.com/pages/remembering-tom-killer-kowalski.html

Click on Detroit's Kowalski article:  http://www.clickondetroit.com/lions/29015278/detail.html

Schwartz's gesture at press conference shows the effect Kowalski had on Lions:  http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Schwartz-8217-s-gesture-at-press-conference-sho?urn=nfl-wp6114

ESPN's Seifert on Kowalski:  http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/30374/rip-tom-killer-kowalski

Seifert's chat (there's stuff on Killer in there):  http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/39996/nfl-blogger-kevin-seifert

Peter King - Remembering a Lions beat writer who left us too early:  http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/peter_king/08/30/mailbag/index.html?sct=nfl_t2_a3

Don Banks winners and losers of week 3 (He mentions Tom K):  http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/don_banks/08/30/winners.losers/index.html?sct=nfl_wr_a1

Longtime Lions beat writer Tom Kowalski passes away:  http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/29/longtime-lions-beat-writer-tom-kowalski-passes-away/

Lions honor Tom Kowalski:  http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/30/lions-honor-tom-kowalski/ 

Michael Grey's tribute to Tom (there's not a link to the actual article but the title is Tom Kowalski and the date and time is Aug. 30 2011 at 9:11 AM):  http://am590espnradio.com/common/more.php?m=49&r=5

Mike Mady - Tom, you will be missed:  http://det.scout.com/2/1100377.html

Lions remember longtime reporter Tom Kowalski:  http://det.scout.com/2/1100370.html

Ty Schalter - Rest in peace, Tom:  http://det.scout.com/2/1100410.html

CBS's Clark-Judge on Tom:  http://clarkjudge.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6384866/31609810

Lions beat writer Kowalski passes away:  http://www.lionsgab.com/2011/08/29/lions-beat-writer-tom-kowalski-passes-away/

SN on Kowalski:  http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2011-08-29/detroit-lions-beat-writer-tom-kowalski-passes-away-at-51

NFP on Kowalski:  http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Longtime-Lions-reporter-Tom-Kowalski-passes.html

AP article on Tom:  http://washingtonexaminer.com/sports/nfl/2011/08/longtime-detroit-lions-writer-kowalski-dies-51

Veteran reporter Kowalski dies:  http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20110829/FREE/110829909#

Roy Williams on Tom Kowalski (at the bottom of the article in the extra points section):  http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-0830-bits-bears-chicago--20110830,0,7722677.story

Tom's Memorial:

Friends, fans and colleagues remember Tom:  http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2011/09/friends_fans_and_colleague_rem.html

Tom Kowalski tribute from the memorial:  http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/tom-%27killer%27-kowalski-tribute%3A-colleagues-tell-stories-and-raise-a-beer-20110902-dk

Tom remembered in special memorial:  http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/detroit-lions-beat-writer-tom-kowalski-remembered-in-special-memorial

Video:

Birkett on PFT Live (He discusses the Lions and also Tom):  http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/44330765#44330765