In mid-February, I entered the journalism transfer portal.
With 65 fast approaching, I felt like a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan – in fact, I am one – because I may never win a championship.
In the media world, that championship is a Pulitzer Prize – the Super Bowl for journalists.
I felt that I needed a change to reinvigorate my writing … I was quickly becoming the Don Mattingly of sports journalism. Steady stick, slick glove, good teammate, but no titles.
So I tossed my name into the transfer portal. My first choice was the Sisseton Courier in Sisseton, South Dakota, because if I wasn’t going to win a Pulitzer I wanted to be close to my favorite fishing lake in the world – Roy Lake State Park.
For two weeks I checked my email every 90 seconds hoping some sharp-eyed editor would notice my prose and cast me a line – notice how I incorporate fishing into my writing? I’m sure the Pulitzer committee members find that a-lure-ing.
Finally I got a nibble from The Morning Call.
I worked on the news side at The Call from mid-2017 to late-2019 so it would be more of a reunion than a start over.
So after some tough negotiations with my again future bosses – I demanded a corner office with a window, a Keurig, an unlimited supply of Kona K-Cups and a free ice cream cone every Friday for lunch from The Cup in Bethlehem – we came to an agreement.
My demands were met with: No (basically because we don’t have an office anymore), no, definitely no and maybe – keep an eye out for me Cup employees, I might show up one Friday.
So I am now overseeing the sports department here at The Call and feel like I’m playing in my first Little League game – excited but also hoping that the really big kid on the mound doesn’t plunk me with his fastball.
A couple of things you should know about me.
I have two children, who are both smarter (spoken like a true proud father) and more responsible than I am.
My happy place is any time I’m tent camping near water – Outer Banks, South Dakota, Oregon Coast, etc.
I’m part Irish and my mother says I’m just like her brother Blaine, who was full of blarney.
I’ve worked almost every job imaginable in a newsroom, from writing sports to being the executive editor to editing obituaries. I’ve enjoyed this journalism gig immensely and wanted to get back to where it all started – sports.
One of my basic principles in journalism is to surprise the reader. Every day my goal is to publish something that hopefully makes you say: “Wow, I didn’t know that,” or “Holy cow, that’s pretty cool.”
Who knows maybe I’ll even challenge Saquon Barkley to a Punt, Pass and Kick contest. Now that would certainly surprise a lot of people, especially after I throw a dime 40 yards downfield right on the line. It would also deserve a “wow” or at least an ice cream cone.
