Blogging The Boys contributor Mark Lane has passed away
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By: RJ Ochoa
Mark Lane was a beloved member of the Dallas Cowboys community and covered them at large. He had an incredible passion, work ethic and sense of humility. May he rest in peace.
Blogging The Boys contributor Mark Lane passed away this weekend.
If you have consumed any kind of Dallas Cowboys content over the last decade then you owe a debt of gratitude to Mark. In that time there has quite frankly been nobody like him.
Over the last decade or so Mark has contributed to many different Cowboys sites and productions, including with his own social media following. He held an amazing memory for information relative to Dallas Cowboys and NFL history and would constantly recall things pertinent to any sort of discussion.
I first met Mark on the internet amid Cowboys Twitter back around 2015. As someone looking to find a place in this world he was one of the first to extend a hand and offer a point of guidance. More impressive than his wealth of knowledge was Mark’s kindness and humility. He always sought to help people and to ensure that they received proper credit for work that they compiled.
The world of Dallas Cowboys content and the world at large is a better place for having had Mark Lane in it. We should all strive to approach life with the same passion and graciousness that he did.
As news of Mark’s passing spread many people who knew him began to share memories or recollections of him.
I met Mark Lane years ago when he attended a league meeting in Arizona. He didn’t know anyone. I introduced him to as many as possible because he was covering the NFL based in Arkansas. Mark was a wonderful guy who worked his ass off even after he had health issues. R.I.P.!
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) February 18, 2024
Condolences to Mark Lane’s family, friends and co-workers. A lot of people in Texas and Arkansas will miss him. He came to the combine last year even though he had to use oxygen because of his breathing issues. Mark was always a super-hard worker who loved covering the NFL.
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) February 18, 2024
Mark Lane drove from Arkansas to Waco to be there when @NFLCharean and I were inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. After congratulating us, he drove back home. We appreciated it so much and will never forget it. Mark was one of a kind.
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) February 18, 2024
.@therealmarklane was one of the kindest, gentlest souls I have known. He was brilliant at statistics. Some people are dealt a bad hand in life and Mark was one of those. He overcame childhood cancer and fought like crazy to stay alive long enough to get a new lung. #RIP Mark. https://t.co/w6juJrgWfT
— Charean Williams (@NFLCharean) February 18, 2024
Mark Lane covered the Texans and the NFL for our Wire network, and we were so lucky to have him. A brilliant, funny, gifted guy who worked so hard despite health issues that would have stopped a lot of people from doing so. It’s just in some people to be that way.
You’ll be…
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) February 18, 2024
I can’t even begin to explain how much @therealmarklane helped me throughout the years. I owe him so much.
Mark was an incredible person and friend. I am going to miss him so much. https://t.co/lXThr1anHs
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) February 18, 2024
My heart hurts this morning. I lost a good friend in this industry way too young.
He was one of the hardest workers ever. Man, he was built different. He never had and off-switch and tried to be better.
He cared about people. I’ll miss that.
RIP @therealmarklane.
Thank you.
— Cole Thompson (@MrColeThompson) February 18, 2024
Devastated over the loss of @therealmarklane. He was one of the hardest working people I’ve ever been around and did a fantastic job on Texans Wire as the site’s editor.
Incredibly witty and funny in our Slack chats. Always eager to learn and get better, but also willing to…
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) February 18, 2024
Such a sad day, hearing about the passing of @therealmarklane. He was an extremely kind and hard-working person. Over the last 10 years, I don’t think anyone transcribed more interviews than Mark.
He loved talking and writing about the Cowboys, especially sharing history about…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) February 18, 2024
Devastated by the passing of @therealmarklane, someone I considered a brother of mine in real life.
You’ll hear a lot about his work ethic — unmatched, evidenced by working last year’s combine with an oxygen tank to the point I often had to force him to sit down and take a…
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) February 18, 2024
Terribly sad news. Mark was a big part of the connective tissue between the beat reporting and blogging communities that combined to anchor much of what we know today as Cowboys Twitter. All of us were better for having known him. He will be missed. https://t.co/P8wGiwAdHv
— Cowboys Stats & Graphics (@CowboysStats) February 18, 2024
Worked closely with Mark Lane during my time covering the @dallascowboys. We called ourselves the School of Fish while working under @fishsports. We bonded over our love for football, as well as the medical issues we both struggled with. Such a professional, kind hearted man. You… https://t.co/tGGj1iYA7g
— Jordan Ross (@TheJordanRoss) February 18, 2024
Mark was an incredible guy, this is terrible news. I met and chatted with him a bunch over the years, and he was always going out of his way to be nice to everyone. Very sad. My thoughts are with his family. https://t.co/F1wSd4svpV
— ₗₐₙᴰₒₙ (@McCoolBCB) February 18, 2024
RIP Mark Lane
Tragic news.
Our guy passed away last night. I was just thinking that I hadn’t interacted with him in a while on Wednesday, now he’s gone.
— KD Drummond (@KDDrummondNFL) February 18, 2024
I am heartbroken at the loss of @therealmarklane. He was someone who I had the privilege of working with at @BloggingTheBoys.
He never missed an opportunity to cheer on those around him and help them be better. Anyone who worked with Mark was automatically better because of it.…
— Jess Nevarez (@JessNevarez_) February 18, 2024
To know what the Cowboys are going to do, you need to remember what they have done. Mark Lane was a library of information when it came to understanding this football team. He will be missed, but never forgotten. pic.twitter.com/ZVk69uQ3Un
— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) February 18, 2024
As you can see Mark was a beloved member of the Dallas Cowboys community. It is difficult to believe that he is now gone.
A note on Mark’s passing from Blogging The Boys Founder Dave Halprin:
Mark Lane was a name I knew long before he ever contributed here at Blogging The Boys. When he decided to join us, I was honored as I considered him one of the most diligent and hard-working people out there covering the Cowboys. No one surpassed his ability to transcribe interviews, press conferences and other live events. Beyond that, Mark was a joy to work with and he was the definition of class. We lost a good one.
Mark contributed to Blogging The Boys in a written capacity several times, but did so thousands more beyond the ones in which his name was listed as a byline. His frequently transcribed press conferences, post-game interviews or radio appearances by people connected to the team helped form many articles. Quotes and tweets put together by him have been included here too many times to count.
In addition to this, Mark also co-hosted a podcast here at Blogging The Boys with Sean Martin. Due to his illness he had not appeared on the show in some time, but he was the host from its inception.
A note from Sean Martin:
I had the pleasure of working with Mark as a cohost on the Hidden Yardage podcast. Over time, it became a space where we got to know each other beyond just the sport of football, but it’s football that gave Mark a platform to impact many lives with his tireless commitment to covering all aspects of the game. His level of preparation was admirable and gave me something to look forward to each week when sitting down to record the show. I will miss his Dayton Triangles references and peaked interest in all things New Jersey including the unfulfilled quest for him to try a pork roll, egg, and cheese sandwich. I’m thankful for the time we did have together.
Mark’s sister Monica has let us know that they plan to set up a scholarship fund in Mark’s name. When information on that is accessible and available we will share it here and throughout the Blogging The Boys universe.
Our deepest condolences to the Lane family. May Mark rest in peace.
Originally posted on Blogging The Boys
