David Bloom, R.I.P.

David Bloom, co-anchor of NBC's "Today" show weekend editions, died in Iraq while covering the war, NBC said on Sunday. He was 39.

Bloom's death was not combat-related, NBC said. He died after he suffered a pulmonary embolism.

Comments

[pills]

That's sad. He seemed like a good guy.

[ImNot Impressed]

If it was Ashley Banfield dying in her Kuwait City hotel room as a result of plugging her 120v hairblower into 220v...or Geraldos demise by slipping in his Kuwaiti shower on his rubber duck...would they also be media induced Iraqi War heros ala Kelly and Bloom.... of significantly greater status, of course, than our almost nameless fallen soldiers...

[Steve]

As my girlfriend and I sat and cried over David Bloom, I wondered why we didn't cry over the other soldiers who were killed in battled....it occurred to me that I did, but that is another matter....or why we don't cry over the literally millions of others who die every day in this world. Fact is, I wouldn't have cried over Banfield or Geraldo. They have little redeeming quality to them. Banfield didn't appear to have much talent in when she was in Dallas and never seemed to have much of a human quality to her, and Geraldo is...well...Geraldo. But David Bloom was everyone's little brother. Yeah, his death gets mention because he's a fairly well known journalist, but there's more to it than that. His "humanity", for lack of a better term, showed through wether he was checking out some cooking segment of Weekend Today, or reporting from the middle of a sandstorm. If you watched Soledad O'Brien this morning on Today, it was clear from her reaction that he had qualities beyond his fame.

Here's to you David.

[geophile]

I hear ya Steve. I felt similarly distraught when Stanley Kubrick died. I'd have traded a thousand Spielbergs to get that gem back. It's just the way of the world, I guess.

[Lefty]

He didn't smoke and he STILL died young. I'm so confused.

[Neb Okla]

Pulmonary embolism's frequently start as clots in the legs and are common among bedridden patients (and sometimes airline passengers on long flights). NBC this morning had video of Bloom rubbing his leg. It seems that the combination of risk factors (being cooped up, long hours, desert heat, etc.) may have contributed to his untimely demise.

[government grant]

That's crazy that he died.

[Steve]

"Stimpy, you fool!!!!"

[patti]

I have been watching NBC and the Today Show for years. David Bloom and Soledad were great together! I enjoyed seeing the two on the Today show! David and Soledad both referred to their kids and spouses on a regular basis. When David went to the front lines, I worried about him! I knew he had a wife and 3 daughters! I prayed for him! I cried when I heard he died! I pray for his family! I will miss him and all the wonderful reporting he did! He was a WONDERFUL human being! God Bless his family!

[Anonymous]

is indymedia dancing on his corpse yet?

[Neb Okla]

Watching Bloom's reports from the field were like having a good friend there. I normally don't feel much of an attatchment to reporters, but this guy was different. Moreover, from his reporting, it seemed that he would rather be on such a grand adventure and reporting on it with his trademark sense of wonder than just about anywhere else.

Perhaps one of the most dissapointing aspects is this news is that I was looking forward to seeing more of his work in the years to come. To have "known" him for such a short time (he was THE reason I tuned in NBC's war coverage each night) I'm as much shocked by his loss as I am that I feel as though I have lost a good friend.

I hope his family is aware that so many share in their loss.

[Hank]

Yeah...

and don't forget Ren and Stimpy...