By Mitch Rosen–

(CBS) Today marks the one-year anniversary since our beloved friend and very own Doug Buffone passed away.

I will never forget the day, the hour, minute, when I learned Doug was gone. It was about 12:40 p.m. on April 20, 2015, when Doug’s lovely wife, Dana (who works in sales at The Score), came running by my office yelling, “Mitch, Doug is sick, Doug is sick, he is not moving.” Dana jumped into a cab and rushed home to her home near the UIC campus. I was about 10 minutes behind in driving over.

I had positive thoughts on the way over — “I’m sure he passed out, I’m sure he will be OK, I’m worried about Dana.” As I turned down the block of Doug’s house, I saw two Chicago police cars sitting outside. This is when my heart starting beating harder, and my optimistic thoughts turned into a sinking feeling that something was really wrong.

When I got out of my car the police asked who I was, I explained I was a friend. Before I got to the front door, Dana came out running and yelling, “Mitch, Doug is dead, Doug is dead.” I will never forgot those words, some of the hardest words I ever heard.One of the hardest calls I have ever had to make was calling Doug’s best friend and longtime on-air partner, Ed O’Bradovich, who was in shock and kept yelling expletives into the phone. OB was in disbelief, and I could hear him crying. Hearing a tough, man’s man cry is a horrific feeling.

Doug and I had worked together for 11 years, and Dana had become a close friend. I starting thinking about Doug’s kids, his relatives, his former teammates and of course his fans. Doug Buffone was iconic in Chicago both as a great Chicago Bear and also as someone whom fans trusted and loved on the radio. Doug was the voice of Chicago Bears fans.

The next four days, including the funeral, are a blurry memory now, but more than anything I want to share how much people miss good ole No. 55!

Doug was a great human being who everyone loved when they met him. After playing football for so many years, Doug became the voice of the Chicago Bear fans. He was the co-host of our Bears postgame show on The Score, and it was can’t-miss radio.

Doug spoke the truth and win or lose, he gave his opinions on the team. Fans in Chicago miss Doug every day, The Score misses him, his familymisses him and I miss talking to him. He was the kind of guy who everyone loved, and he loved so many people.

It’s so hard to believe today will be a year that he’s gone. I can’t say it has flown by, because it really hasn’t. It’s been a long, hard year for a lot of people who loved and admired him.

So today around 1 p.m., close your eyes and think of No. 55 and remember how much he meant to you and so many people. Feel free to yell out loud “Damn it OB!” if you’d like.

God bless you Doug. We still miss you every day.

Mitch Rosen is the operations director of 670 The Score and a longtime friend of Doug Buffone.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

That was a good article.

I'm waiting for Bernstein's kid's remembrance.

Didn't Mitch screw over Doug and ob on several occasions?

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Another early POTY right there.

I loved Doug and his work but I think it is a bit melodramatic to call for a memorial at the moment of his death anniversary

Is Mitch one of those guys who calls people he has met a couple of times his "good friend?"

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I think of Doug everyday at 1:00 p.m. and wish he was coming on the air.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Agreed. You don't celebrate the day of the death. Maybe write this column on his birthday, Mitch.

Score people have no social graces. They're all idiots. Even the boss.

Somewhere the Bull & The Bear are doing a radio show right now.

And I'm glad I'm not there to listen to it.

Man, and I thought the Les cleanup story was bad ...

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Sounds like it was a sticky situation.

Mitch probably loves him because he choked out Bernstein.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Nice - S & P playing Big Doug clips at 55 past each hour today.

Dougie still missed big time.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

The Wise Guys!

If Doug had called any of the other Score shows with his typical post-game Bears thoughts he would be ridiculed, asked if his name was Bob, asked if he was from the 815, and ultimately ordered to hang up on himself.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don