Total Pro Sports
Bill Plaschke didn’t sugarcoat it. “I’ve got Parkinson’s, and it hurts to even say it,” the longtime Los Angeles Times sports columnist and ESPN personality wrote in a personal column on Sunday. With those words, the 66-year-old opened up publicly for the first time about a diagnosis he’s lived with privately for four years.
Plaschke, known for his sharp takes on ESPN’s Around the Horn and years of L.A. sports coverage, revealed he has quietly battled a struggle that began with weakness in his right arm. “That weakness has disappeared,” he wrote, “but it’s a constant struggle to keep everything else from slowly going to hell.” His candid essay offered a raw look into the toll Parkinson’s Disease has taken on his day-to-day life, from fatigue that mimics a post-marathon haze to the constant discomfort he manages with large volumes of medication.
As his story made the rounds on Sunday morning, the sports world responded quickly, and warmly. Messages of support came pouring in from readers, fans, and fellow writers, many of whom have followed Plaschke’s work for years.
LA Times columnist and former Around the Horn panelist Bill Plaschke reveals he has been battling Parkinson’s disease for the last four years.
(via @latimes) pic.twitter.com/CBvKqMxawo
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 8, 2025
“Plaschke is a hell of a writer. Wishing him well, and he’s got nothing to be embarrassed about,” one reader posted shortly after the article dropped.
Plaschke is a hell of a writer. Wishing him well, and he's go nothing to be embarrassed about
— Tony Mejia (@MejiaDinero) June 8, 2025
Another added, “Rooting for America’s best sports columnist who’s an even better guy. Now he’s also an inspiration.”
Rooting for America’s best sports columnist who’s an even better guy.
Now he’s also an inspiration … https://t.co/f8b5UD9ZZL— David Haugh (@DavidHaugh) June 8, 2025
Others praised his courage and honesty, with one fan writing, “Somebody is always going through something… Thank you for sharing, Bill. Keep goin’. Good read on a Good Sunday morning.”
Somebody is always going through something..
Thank you for sharing, Bill. Keep goin.
Good read on a Good Sunday morning. https://t.co/5Q1gHbcWbr
— Sportsbook Consigliere (@SportsbkConsig) June 8, 2025
Another simply said, “Good luck Bill, never stop moving.”
Good Luck Bill, never stop moving!
— TheMikeDrop (@notacrankychef) June 8, 2025
Bill Plaschke made it clear he’s far from done. “I move well, my balance is fine,” he wrote, noting that while he may not show the more visible signs of Parkinson’s, the fight is real, and relentless. “The amount of medication required to keep me active is so immense, my pills come in gallon jugs and I spend entire Dodger games trying to discreetly swallow them in the press box.”
Sunday’s response proves that readers support more than just his writing; they stand firmly behind the...
