Merlyn "Bud" Lea (December 6, 1928 – January 20, 2021) was an American sportswriter who was noted for covering Wisconsin sports.

Lea's association with the Sentinel lasted over 55 years and included roles as a beat reporter of the Green Bay Packers, the newspaper's sports editor and a columnist.

As a child, he attended Green Bay Packers games with his father at City Stadium.

[3] Near the end of his time at university, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis; doctors recommended against becoming a newspaper journalist because of the stress of having to meet daily deadlines.

[3] In addition to the Packers, Lea also covered other local sports, including the Milwaukee Braves (who would later move to Atlanta, Georgia, retaining their name).

[4] During his time covering the Packers, Lea witnessed some of the most and least successful periods of the team's history.

[2] Lea was well-respected by his colleagues and Packers executives, including Lombardi, Bob Harlan, Cliff Christl and Mark Murphy.

[1] In 2020, the Packers Hall of Fame created the annual Bud Lea Media Award.