Saying Goodbye to a Life in Sports Journalism I made a choice in the late summer of 1977 that subtly changed my life’s trajectory. I announced that my football career was over to my father, who served as executive sports editor at The Gazette, youth coach, and coach of a parochial school. I disliked being hit, and I was even less fond of hitting other people. Let’s just say that a future star was not lost at Cedar Rapids Washington High School. Although he never encouraged me to participate in sports, my father thought children should continue to be active. “What are you going to do?” he asked. He readily agreed when I told him I would run cross country.
However, he looked at me when November came and I also announced that I was quitting basketball. He asked me again what I was going to do. I said, “Get ready for track.” He wasn’t having it that time. “No,” he answered. “I have a job for you, and you’re getting one.” That was the end of it. When I started working part-time in The Gazette’s sports department at the age of 17, I had no idea that I would be entering a career that would last for almost fifty years. I stayed through high school, Northern Iowa for two years, and then the University of Iowa. I didn’t actually go.
That journey ends today. To be honest, I’m experiencing more mixed emotions than I anticipated. The knowledge that I will at last be able to spend uninterrupted time with my wife, Lisa, our adult children, and our six grandchildren makes me happy. However, this isn’t exactly how I envisioned my last chapter, so there’s also a sting. Sometimes that’s what life does. Even though I’m not sure what lies ahead, I’m choosing to embrace it.
Long before COVID completely changed my life, I experienced some of the most significant moments of my later years. Working with high school journalism students for a long time gave me new life. I was reminded of the importance of this work by their enthusiasm, ideas, and drive. It continues to do so. Journalism is vital, particularly local journalism. If you only remember one thing from this farewell, it’s to help your local newsrooms. Communities are kept informed, connected, and understood by places like The Gazette and the innumerable small-town newspapers that are published nationwide. They are important.
To put it plainly, you are extremely fortunate that Jeff Johnson, K.J. Pilcher, and Jeff Linder are carrying on this work. You have a team that genuinely cares about the stories they tell when you include Madison Hricik, our “rookie of the year.” I’ve always claimed that the gifted writers in my immediate vicinity made my job easier. That won’t alter. Pilch, JJ, and Lindy are the most passionate about high school athletics and the youth who participate in them. The Gazette is still the go-to source for high school sports, which would make my dad, who hired me and almost fired me once for not working quickly enough, proud.
Sam Paxton, Ryan Suchomel, and part-timers like Dale Jones, John Kerth, and Ben Lamparek are just a few of the people whose names are rarely mentioned in print. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention them. Each of them has influenced this newsroom in ways that readers might not be aware of. I am appreciative of them all. Of course, I also have to give thanks to my father, who set me on this course. He continues to be my beacon of hope. I was hired full-time by former sports editor Mike Chapman, and I was appointed assistant to his predecessor, Mark Dukes. Zack Kucharski, the current editor, has been a steadfast supporter and has a strong commitment to this newspaper’s mission. I can’t even begin to list the amazing people I’ve worked with; many of them are still friends today.
I’m frequently asked about my favorite sports-related moment. I will never forget Dan Gable’s final NCAA tournament as Iowa’s wrestling coach, which took place inside the UNI-Dome just a short distance from his childhood home. It’s a difficult one. Long into the night, fans waited in line for his autograph. You remember those kinds of moments. From high school athletics to men’s fast-pitch softball to collegiate wrestling, it has been an incredible journey. I cherished almost every second of it. “You can start calling me John now,” as my wife Lisa likes to say.
