Back in June, we were oh so very close to finding out once and for all what happened to Brooks Melchior, a.k.a. Sports by Brooks.
One of the early independent sports properties to take off online, SbB seemed to be on it’s way to turning Melchior into a star until it suddenly Brooks disappeared and the site shuttered in late 2012. No reason was ever given and the mystery of what happened to Brooks has been one of fascination for online sports fans in the years since.
Jeff Pearlman had found Melchior earlier this year and was in the process of writing a piece that would have answered that burning question. Then, when the timeframe in which the article was supposed to be published came and went, Pearlman dropped a hammer of his own.
I wrote the piece. Then decided it shouldn't run. One shouldn't always find people if they wish not to be found. https://t.co/GaweIFqgQA
— Jeff Pearlman (@jeffpearlman) June 20, 2016
Earlier this week, Pearlman appeared on The Chris Mannix Show to talk about his new book Gunslinger. Towards the end of the interview the topic of Sports by Brooks came up. While he was careful not to go into details, Pearlman seemed to confirm the longstanding belief that mental illness may have played a role in the disappearance.
“Here’s what I can tell you. I wrote the story. I literally have on my computer a 10,000-word Sports by Brooks story that I busted my butt on hardcore. I wrote it for Bleacher Report and one of the editors said ‘I just don’t feel comfortable with this because it feels like a mental health illness.’ I did not find him, as in we did not have a face-to-face encounter. I found out, basically, what has become of him. And I’ll just say that I think my editor is correct in that it was the right thing not to…I’ll just say sometimes people go away for a reason. Not just because they fade out of prominence.”
Pearlman added that he regretted “teasing” people with the potential story. Given what we know now, it sounds like it’s a good thing to keep this mystery a mystery for Brooks’ sake. It’s okay for us not to know the answer this time.
PODCAST: Author @JeffPearlman on #Gunslinger, Aaron Rodgers response and what happened to @SportsByBrooks https://t.co/IN6Rjvgkf2
— Airport Eats (@AirportEating) October 27, 2016
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About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.