The Duncan Banner

Sports

February 10, 2013

A farewell but not a goodbye

Greg Crews The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — I never really planned on being a sports writer.

I was an athlete growing up and I went to the University of Kentucky to major in broadcast journalism. Before stepping in front of the camera, though, I was looking to make a few bucks and I took up an offer to write sports for a campus publication.

Now, nine years and four newspapers later, I’m writing perhaps my final newspaper piece.

On Monday, I start my new job for Halliburton.

There is a lot I will miss about being a sports writer. For starters, it always gets a pleasant response when people ask, “What do you do for a living?” It’s usually something like, “That’s cool,” or “I bet that’s fun.” Yes it is, and it’s easy to see why it would be enviable.

One of the less enviable things about being a sports writer, though, is the advancement process. At a lot of companies, you can start at the bottom and work your way up. In the world of sports writing, however, there is seldom much room to move up at a newspaper. So, if you are ambitious, you end up moving a lot. Going from a small newspaper in Kentucky to a larger paper about 100 miles away, to Guymon for an editor position and then to Duncan (just for an example).

Sometimes, though, you find a place that you don’t want to leave so quickly, as my family and I have here in Duncan.

Even though I have received my fair share of critical emails and calls since starting at The Duncan Banner in December of 2011, I genuinely felt accepted by the readers who let me be a small part of their day-to-day lives. You have made my wife, my children a me feel welcome.

For those keeping track, I have written somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 stories since I have been here (and north of 4,000 in my post-college career). Every one I tried to make accurate, unique and memorable. Obviously, they didn’t all live up to that goal, but I hope that some of my words were as memorable to you as the subjects of those stories were to me.

I have always tried to keep from having a rooting interest, but at times it was difficult with some of the great, charismatic and inspirational teams and athletes I have been lucky enough to spend some time with.

To everyone who I have written about or interviewed: Thank you for letting me tell your wonderful stories.

To everyone who has ever read one of my stories, columns or features: Thank you for giving me a purpose (and a paycheck).

This isn’t the first time I have written this column. The farewell column. But as I wrack my brain trying to think of the right thing to say, I have to admit, this is the strangest it has felt. Usually, I’m writing this column as my wife finishes packing boxes back at the house, preparing for our move. This time, though, I’m not going anywhere.

So, instead of saying farewell, I will go with, I’ll see you around.



Greg Crews was the sports editor of The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at gregcrews@gmail.com

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