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Longtime Lions Beat Reporter Found Dead

DETROIT (WWJ) - Known for his straight-forward, pull-no-punches style in covering the Detroit Lions as both a writer and a broadcaster Tom "Killer" Kowalski was the longtime voice for long-suffering football fans across the Metro Detroit area.

Kowalski, 51, died Monday, found unresponsive by his fiance at around 10 a.m. in his Oakland County home. He was pronounced dead a short time later at DMC Huron Valley Hospital.

Known as "Killer Kowalski" for his no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners writing style, Kowalski began reporting on the Lions for the Oakland Press and was most recently with Booth Newspapers and MLive.com.

He was also a regular on WJBK Fox 2 in Detroit.

WWJ spoke with Fox 2 Sports Director and Lions play-by-play voice Dan Miller, who has been a friend of Kowalski's for 14 years.

"I will miss him dearly. Every moment we were together we had fun," Miller said. "whether we were busting each other's chops or doing serious work, whenever I was with him we had a great time, and that was just the kind of guy he was."

Fellow sports writer and afternoon radio host, 97.1 The Ticket's Terry Foster said it's a sad day.

"We're anticipating a very good season for the Lions and I know Tom was excited about covering them, especially this year," said Foster. "I think he believed they were going to do something great and he wanted to be a part of that."

Kowalski's cause of death has not been released.

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