Mississippi has a long and rich sports history. The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame was created to protect and showcase the history of sports in our state. Michael Rubenstein was one of the driving forces behind the hall. The only executive director the Hall of Fame has ever had, Rubenstein passed away in his home yesterday.

Rubenstein was just 60 years old.

Before the Hall of Fame, Rubenstein spent 16 years as sports editor for WLBT TV in Jackson. Since July 4, 1996, when the hall opened, Rubenstein was with the Sports Hall of Fame--since the beginning.

One of Rubenstein's proudest achievements is that the hall didn't operate on any taxpayer funds. Privately donated funds have been used to build the hall and run day-to-day operations.

Rubenstein was a graduate of Vanderbilt University and a native of Booneville. In 1999, he received a kidney transplant after being on dialysis for nearly two years.

Older Mississippians will remember Rubenstein best from his time on television. Younger members will remember him as the face of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

I was able to meet Rubenstein while working on articles for the Jackson Free Press and BOOM on the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. One thing you could tell speaking to Rubenstein was his passion for the sports history of Mississippi.

Rubenstein could talk for hours on Mississippi sports history and was able to tell the best stories about the artifacts in the hall. His passion, fire and love of the hall will be missed.

My condolences go out to the Rubenstein family. At press time, funeral arrangements were incomplete.