COLUMN: Thank you, fans
It was just about this time last year when my stomach dropped as I heard the news.
I was selected to be Central Michigan Life’s Sports Editor for the following fall semester. I was instantly ecstatic and petrified. The Mount Rushmore of CMLife Sports Editors before me had left Shaquille O’Neal-sized shoes to fill.
The pressure was on, and like a linebacker about to run out of the tunnel just before the Super Bowl, I knew it was gametime.
Like many sportswriters, I got into this business because I am a fan. I don’t apologize for that. I never will. Sports are something I have told myself will always be there.
I think that’s something all sports fans of America, can relate to.
No matter which girl or boy breaks your heart, family friend passes away or employment opportunity slips from your grasp, there will always be next season.
But much like this job, this column is not about me. Instead, it’s about you, the fans of Central Michigan University sports. It always has been about you and it always will be.
Don’t get me wrong, there were times I let this job get to my head. Hanging around athletes and coaches, getting to eat fancy dinners in big-league press boxes and seeing your name in the paper three times a week can, at times, make it hard to keep your ego in check.
Despite this, I never lost sight of you: The CMLife Sports Desk’s readers. I hope that was always apparent.
We shared some incredible moments together this year, and I was honored to be one of the journalists bringing you the details of the dynamic events shown in the accompanying presentation.
Here are some of the episodes I’ll remember the most:
–I’ll remember the sound of fireworks ripping through the night sky following the CMU football team’s second-half comeback against Chattanooga in the Chippewas’ home opener.
–I’ll remember kneeling next to Keno Davis as he nervously sat and watched a basketball game on a cell phone. The outcome of that game decided the CMU men’s basketball team’s seeding in the MAC Tournament.
–I’ll remember the e-mail I got from Laura Gosse’s parents asking for as many copies as they could get of a feature story we published recapping her record-setting women’s soccer career in Mount Pleasant.
–I’ll remember the look of shame in running back Thomas Rawls’ eyes as he told reporters he had let his hometown, his family and CMU football fans everywhere down after being caught up in criminal activity.
–I’ll remember the sleepless nights we had and frustrating dead ends our desk followed as the CMU football program searched for a new head coach.
But most of all, I’ll remember you; the nameless, faceless CMU sports enthusiasts.
Your collective presence is what made the 18-hour workdays; half-a-day car trips back from road games and constant grind worth it.
I hope you enjoyed reading these stories as much as my team and I enjoyed telling them.
Your response to what has happened this past year has made me proud.
Proud to be a Chippewa.
