Jim Bartko wasn’t in his usual seat at the Josephine Theater for Jeff Tedford’s 11 a.m. Monday news conference. By that afternoon I understood why: Bartko was out as Fresno State athletics director.
Bartko was in that seat the last time we saw each other, two days after the Bulldogs pulverized San Diego State and two days before I left on vacation. It was the happiest I’d seen him in a while. I congratulated Bartko and asked if we could meet for lunch (probably at Triangle Drive In, a place I introduced him to) when I returned this week.