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Last Updated: Oct 16th, 2008 - 13:33:17 |
The fat lady has sung; the buzzer has sounded; zeros remain on the clock and the fans are pointing toward the exits, screaming "nah-nah-nah-nah, hey-hey, goodbye."
This is my exit cue as I hand over the sports editor position to Zac Taylor, who is more than qualified to take the reins and succeed me. He is the consummate team player, a class act and has a feel for the game. He will come off the bench and take the starting role while I will play sixth man by writing stories here and there.
I've had more than my fair share of time as the top slugger for The Metropolitan sports section and to say the least, I gave it all I got, put in 110 percent, scratched for every inch, hustled on every story and poured my blood and sweat into every layout.
My tale was a Cinderella story that saw a young baby-faced rookie come out of nowhere to rise through the ranks of the sports section. With practice, good coaching and a heart the size of The Green Monster, I turned a corner to become a wiley veteran that turned this franchise into a dynasty. You couldn't have written a better script, and I took it one day at a time.
I have to thank my teammates because there is no "I" in team, and it was far from an individual effort. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything without their hard work, their effort and their support. We looked to each so that when one section editor couldn't come through, the others stepped it up a notch to make sure the finished product was one we all could be proud of.
I also don't want to forget about the upper management who gave me my chance to do the job I love. They took a young raw kid under their wing and molded me into the seasoned veteran I am today. I hope one day to sit in one of their seats so that I can develop a young rookie and help them fulfill their dreams as a journalist.
As sports editor, I quarterbacked the section as I saw fit, which included providing more in-depth coverage of Metro sports, tackling the professional world of sports and including in the lineup the many club sports on campus that just wanted a shot to make a name for themselves.
I didn't always hit a home run or found the back of the net in my time on the field at The Metropolitan. I was cross-checked by writer's block and bad writing, beaned with fastballs by unreliable writers and daunting production nights, and blocked in the paint by monotonous quotes and unavailable coaches.
But I always stuck it out until the final seconds, always playing until the final bell. I got up when I was knocked down and kept going until my body couldn't take it anymore. My love for sports and the newspaper never allowed me to give up, even when I was behind the eight ball or if my back was against the wall. I learned to make adjustments and rely on my strong supporting cast to put out a competitive section every week.
But now it is time to move on. It is just the nature of the business, and I am looking forward to my future endeavors. When it stops being fun, it's time to quit because the old writing arm ain't what it used to be. This has been a great sports town, and it's time to work on the golf game.
If I were to give any advice to anyone about anything, this is what I would say: It's not the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog; always play to win and never play to not lose; winning isn't everything, it's the only thing; half this game is 90 percent mental; and don't give up, don't ever give up.
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