It was March 16, 2000, and we were in Nashville, Tenn., for the NCAA Tournament.
The week before the University of Arkansas, coached by Nolan Richardson, had stormed through the SEC Tournament in Atlanta, beating Georgia, Kentucky, LSU and then Auburn to earn the automatic bid to March Madness.
Going into the SEC Tournament, the Razorbacks were 15-14. Later it was learned that Richardson was going to be terminated, but the Hogs made the NCAA Tournament and Richardson wouldn't be terminated until two years later after making a comment about they could have his job.
Arkansas was a No. 11 seed and would face Miami, the No. 6 seed, the next night.
Bob Holt, Scott Cain and yours truly met in the Renaissance Hotel lounge that also serves as a bridge between the hotel and the parking deck.
Holt and I were early, and when Cain -- who is now a successful financial adviser -- joined us he asked: "Is that Edwin Pope sitting by himself?"
If anyone didn't know Pope, who died in 2017 at the age of 88, he was Mr. Miami of the journalism world.
It was Pope who recommended that Miami Dolphins owner Joe B. Robbie hire Don Shula.
Pope also was one of only four to cover the first 47 Super Bowls.
As sports editor/columnist for the Miami Herald, he was well known from coast to coast for covering every sporting event in the world.
It was Pope who wrote on the last day of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics that he opened the shutters on his window, which had been closed to keep the glaring sun out of the un-air-conditioned apartment, only to discover a view of the Mediterranean Sea.
Pope was born to write.
At 11, he started covering sports for his hometown newspaper, the Athens Banner-Herald, and by 15 he was the sports editor.
He attended the University of Georgia and after graduating went to work for both papers in Atlanta.
At 28, after being told he could not expense a $1.75 manual pencil sharpener, he went to work for the Miami Herald.
Blackie Sherrod introduced me to him at a Kentucky Derby press party, and a couple of years later we sat next to each other on a bus ride to the Super Bowl.
He was genuine, sincere, extremely talented and never talked about himself.
He always spoke and called my name when our paths crossed, which had been a couple of years before that evening in Nashville.
It was obvious Holt and Cain were in a bit of awe, rightfully so, and wanted to meet him.
I walked over, and to my surprise he greeted me by name. I asked him if he would meet two of my colleagues, and he said he would be honored.
We had already decided we were going to have pizza delivered to the media hospitality room, and Cain invited Pope to join us.
He asked were we sure. That he had traveled with several colleagues and none had invited him to dinner.
We had the entire hospitality room to ourselves when we arrived, and Pope regaled us with stories of athletes and games he had covered.
He had a true fondness for Larry Csonka, the former Dolphins fullback, and Dan Marino, the Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback.
Yet, the list of people he admired was much longer than that of those he didn't care for. He never said he didn't like someone; he just didn't care for them.
When the pizza came, Pope reached into his pocket, pulled out a $5 bill and said, "That should take care of my share, but I need that receipt on the box."
He was told to keep his money. It was our treat and well worth it.
It was a short, but memorable trip to Nashville as the Razorbacks lost to Miami 75-71.
Sports on 04/15/2020