Mike Koolbeck, a superb sports journalist, was the unsung hero of the Metro Sports Report from the very beginning of our venture. He might humbly disagree, but it's the absolute truth.

Mike was the guy who put the jigsaw together on a daily basis, pushing all the right buttons, popping stories and pictures into place until they fit together just right.

While the rest of us went out and covered games, Mike stayed home with his laptop and toiled into the early hours of the morning to give our readers what they wanted. He occasionally covered some football and baseball games, but his main job was to serve as our primary website administrator.

It sounds like a geeky job, but not in Mike's hands. He made our website sing with his devotion, integrity and skill. Everyone needs a good editor, and he was ours.

If he said the kid's name was spelled Joens, not Jones, you knew he was right. If he said we needed one more source on a sensitive story, you followed his advice. If you had a question about a baseball rule - Was it obstruction or interference? - he was the guy who knew the answer from his days as an umpire.

Mike and I founded the Metro Sports Report in 2010. We had a lot of help, but our names were on the document as co-owners, making us the people responsible for success or failure. A few skeptics didn't give us much of a chance, but here we are in Year 4 with more than 3.2 million page views and growing daily.

Mike poured himself into the MSR, perhaps too much at times as he battled health issues along the way. He told me in late December that he needed to step away from the daily grind, but he kindly and generously agreed to remain on the job until mid-March to help us get through a busy winter.

His last official day with the Metro Sports Report was Friday, although we'll continue to rely on his ability and expertise in the days to come. A superb sportswriter, he'll probably cover some games for us in the future.

He might even pinch-hit from time to time on the night desk. And although he won't be the co-owner of the company anymore, he'll retain a financial stake in the operation and will remain a key advisor.

Rest assured, the Metro Sports Report will remain in good hands. Rae Riebe and Mike Condon, former night editors at The Gazette, have replaced Mike Koolbeck on our desk and will do a superb job. Rae has worked for us for several years, subbing for Koolbeck on occasion, and Mike Condon has been one of our top writers, a versatile sports journalist who now will serve as one of our night editors as well.

Koolbeck's final day on the job was Friday. He'll be sorely missed as a daily partner and confidant, but we'll continue to move forward with capable, steady hands on the buttons. Rae and Mike Condon have been running the operation for several days now and we have not missed a beat. Mike Koolbeck trained them and will be available to answer their questions. We'll be fine and the Metro Sports Report will continue to serve our loyal readers in the future.

Many thanks to Mike Koolbeck for his dedication to the cause. We would not have made it this far without him.