In September of 1999, I joined the team at the Dispatch, tasked to provide coverage on the Blue Jackets and the NHL. The decision to move to Columbus was influenced by various factors. I was excited about getting back to professional sports journalism and particularly intrigued by the prospect of reporting on an expansion team—a rare and engaging novelty. I also perceived the burgeoning momentum of the city of Columbus and knew instinctively that it was on an upward trajectory. Another deciding factor was our eldest child’s school progression; they were in the second grade and it seemed a reasonable time to relocate. Hence, we departed from our home base without second-guessing and eventually established our family in this city.
Just like countless others in Columbus—a city whose metropolitan population has soared to approximately two million since 1980—we were newcomers hailing from regions whose sports leagues were made up of more than just ‘student-athletes.’ Certain of us find ourselves purchasing groceries from deserted supermarkets during frantic football Saturdays. This city is our home now, and we embrace its unique blend of sports cultures.
Among the multitudes in Columbus, there is a large subset of individuals whose passions resonate deeply with me. My role as a journalist requires me to tune into numerous perspectives, but it is these voices that echo most loudly. These individuals may not primarily align with the grand state university, but they contribute significantly to the city’s vibrant sporting culture, often saying, ‘When the Buckeyes win, it’s a boon for the local economy.’
As part of my assignment, I served as a beat writer for the Blue Jackets from their conception till 2004. My tenure culminated in a strange and challenging year—when the entire NHL season was canceled due to an owners’ lockout. In the aftermath, I shifted my focus to broader topics, while my remarkable colleague, Aaron Portzline—who is nothing short of a community gem—took over the beat. Consequently, I was afforded the honor of writing a general sports column—a position which has been held by skillful virtuosos such as Dick Fenlon, Bob Hunter, Todd Jones, and Rob Oller.
The genesis of my career can be traced back to the Hartford Courant, America’s oldest continuously published newspaper. In 1982, through a coincidence, I landed my first job there. Mark Chudy, a friend with whom I played baseball, worked as a bank teller and occasionally interacted with one of the Courant’s high school sports editors, Bo Kolinsky. The connection led to my name being recommended, and within a week, I held a position at the Courant, working on the high school desk during nights.
This began my tenure where I recorded scores, answered phone calls, and wrote summaries. Back in the day, this job was enough to fund my college fees, provided you were living at home. It took me five years to complete my bachelor’s degree, but by then, I was fully ingrained in the Courant system.
During my time at the Courant, I had opportunities to report on a diverse range of sports, from local park cricket matches to charity games played by Whalers alumni at small rinks, to the Yankees at the Stadium. My first significant assignment was UConn football, followed by covering the Boston Celtics and the NBA, and finally the Hartford Whalers and the NHL. It also introduced me to the harsh realities of franchise relocations, which left a lasting impression on me.
When the Whale relocated to Raleigh in 1997, I was assigned to cover UConn basketball. It was a significant role; the Huskies put an astounding record of 66-6 under my watch, even winning their first national title. However, I didn’t warm to the heavy influence that college coaches had over the game and yearned for the professional sports beat once again. I missed interacting with personalities like Larry Bird, whose simple rationale for enduring long bus rides for matches at the Hartford Civic Center—’Good lights, good rims’—stuck with me.
With my wife’s consent and encouragement, we packed our bags and arrived in Columbus about 25 years ago. I have found this city to be remarkable and vibrant, and its sports scene intriguing, both in the past and the present, and with promising potential for the future.
To this day, I anticipate with intense excitement the moment the Blue Jackets will steer us on an exhilarating journey into summer. If fate chooses that I don’t witness it, then my deepest wish is for each one of you to live that astonishing moment.