I must have been 12 or 13 years old when I told my mother I was too old for Sports Illustrated For Kids and wanted the real thing.
I enjoyed the in-depth team previews, the transcendent features and the pristine photographs of Sports Illustrated. More than anything, though, I loved The Life of Reilly.
Every week, like a kid shunning his veggies in favor of ice cream, I’d skip to the last page to read Rick Reilly’s musing on sports, which were more like his views on life. I’d laugh, I’d get righteously angry, or I’d grow misty-eyed, all in the span of one page worth of words.
And I thought to myself: That’s what I want to do with my life. I want to work for Sports Illustrated some day. I want to be a sports writer.
And so I was. I’ve been a journalist for the past eight years, but, just as I’d close Sports Illustrated after reading Reilly’s final thoughts, it’s time to turn the page.
This will be my last column for the Times-Union, and likely my last as a sports writer. I’m headed back to my hometown of Erie, Pa.
Even though I haven’t been at the Times-Union long, there are things I experienced here I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.
Yet, it goes back further than that. It goes back to when I was 6 years old, going to East High football games with my dad and brother in Erie, Pa.
Basketball games would follow, and I was mesmerized by East’s Matt Jones, a 5-foot-10 guard who could dunk like he was 6-6.
I’m a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia 76ers fan, and I’m also a follower of the Pittsburgh Pirates and University of Pittsburgh football.
And yet, high school sports have always been my favorite. Not only because they’re the purest form of highly-competitive athletics, but also because they’re so inclusive. In many sports, you don’t have to be the biggest, fastest or strongest. If you are coachable and work hard, you can contribute to the team.
So I did, as a reserve for the McDowell High School football team.
I also was the freestyle rap king of McDowell volleyball, but that’s another story.
Playing football taught me lessons about teamwork, respect and work ethic I have carried with me ever since. They served me well as a hungry, obnoxious young intern/stringer at The Erie Times-News, and as a sports writer for Edinboro University’s The Spectator, for which I covered the Fighting Scots’ nationally-renowned wrestling team.
From there, I went to Michigan City after finding it on the Sports Journalists job boards. “Where the heck is Michigan City?” I thought.
I soon learned City, and La Porte and Porter counties in general, were full of welcoming people seemingly determined to make my time there as pleasant as possible.
At City, as well as in Pennsylvania and here in Warsaw, I’ve been privileged to see some amazing feats. In 2015, I watched City girls basketball senior Michal Miller burn up the floor with a 46-point performance that told Gary Westside sophomore Dana Evans, “not yet.” I witnessed Donovan Garletts’ 2013-14 Marquette Catholic basketball team win a state title in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and the Russ Radtke-led 2014 New Prairie Cougars football team take the triple-option offense all the way to Lucas Oil Stadium. And, I had to strain to remain objective as I excitedly saw a tight-knit band of Michigan City gymnastics seniors make it to the regional in 2015, changing my once-ignorant view of the sport in the process.
Back in Pennsylvania, I took pleasure in witnessing Strong Vincent High School win a District 10 title in 2017, the positive resolution to years of violence that had surrounded Erie.
And here in northern Indiana, I delighted in covering Triton football. The Trojans made good on the goals of the late Cameron Scarberry to go 6-3 in the regular season and win a sectional championship in what would have been his senior season.
And yet, the games weren’t even the best part. I was addicted to the rush of feature stories. I loved being able to tell people’s stories in ways they would want to, but might not be able to articulate just so.
That included telling the tale of Michigan City basketball star-turned-convict-turned business major Malachi Mitchell. His candidness made that story my personal favorite, and I was recently thrilled to learn he’s still doing well in life.
It further consisted of the four-part series I wrote on the coaching legacy of Warsaw boys basketball, from the legendary Jim Miller to the guru Al Rhodes to the highly-successful Doug Ogle, and many others who learned from them over the years.
I felt like a true Hoosier while writing those stories. Just call me Shooter McKrell.
Of course, it wasn’t all gravy. The hours of a sports writer are very isolating, and took their toll on a 20-something kid who sometimes just wanted to be with his friends on a Saturday night. That’s part of why I went back home for a stint as a news reporter.
Even there, I found value in my position, writing a trio of stories about opioid addiction and recovery. The people in recovery I met were wonderful, and convinced me to put the bottle down myself. I’m much better for it.
Even when it was hard – and there were many times it was – I took comfort in doing something I enjoyed. No matter what else was happening in my life, I knew I could write a solid gamer.
I hope – I believe – I have been fair and objective, with mistakes few and far between. It’s been an honor to spend my 20s living one of my dreams.
Plus, my writing did make it into Sports Illustrated in the form of a letter to the editor. Hey, it counts, right?
I know that one of my weaknesses has been a lack of critical thinking in columns. Part of it is because I’m a nice guy, and the other part is I haven’t wanted to pick on kids. I probably should have been more analytical, but I at least enjoyed writing humorous columns for your entertainment.
I’m grateful to so many people that listing all of them would fill up multiple columns.
However, I’d like to say thank you to Matt Martin, Jeff Kirik, Tom Reisenweber, Duane Rankin, Adam Parkhouse, Carron Phillips, Steve Gorches, Andy Steinke, Dave Heastings, John Enrietto, Gary Gerard and Dale Hubler for helping make these experiences possible.
I’m not done writing. I still freelance for a Hip Hop site, and have some creative endeavors I will pursue. The day I stop writing is the day I flatline.
But, as far as full-time newspaper reporting is concerned, this is my goodbye. Thank you for all your readership and support. I apologize for any mistakes I made, and take pride in the positive work I’ve done.
There’s one more thing I’d like to tell you guys. I’d like to tell you I love you.
