The writers of sport

by Darryl Wilkinson

The 25th anniversary ceremonies at the Gallatin Invitational last Saturday was a nice touch to a special annual event. For the first time in memory folding chairs were brought onto the court ends to accommodate the crowd. It was fun to see so many former hoop standouts lined up on the 3- point arc. If you’re only as old as you feel (…like admitting), I felt old Saturday night, realizing I watched the majority of those honored when they played their high school basketball.

I am luckier than most. Liz and I are in the middle of a 16-year run when at least one of our household clan has been in a Bulldog uniform. That keeps you young, guaranteed. And I can point to other families with even longer runs. As a sportswriter, I date back even further to 1978 — and that’s just starting with GRC games while at the newspaper at Grant City.

Perhaps only sportswriters attend more games than parents. The years stack up; I don’t need a pick-up game to remind me how old I am. Recent events putting sportswriters in the news sharply focuses some thought on mortality.

Last month Kent Heitholt, a 48-year-old sports editor of the Columbia Daily Tribune, died from blows to his head in a criminal assault in the parking lot of his newspaper. He was leaving work when he was assaulted. I never met Mr. Heitholt nor am I familiar with his work, but he touched many by the words he wrote, far beyond the curiosity and concern about the details of his tragic death.

Many are still stunned by the fatalities from an auto accident which occurred here in Daviess County, for the loss of two young students and Chillicothe sportswriter Bob Carter.

Bob Carter was at every state basketball tournament I ever attended. One memory of my first trip from Gallatin to the Show-Me Showdown was Bob sitting like a Henry VIII on press row courtside in the Hearnes Center. Press credentials, ID tags and authorization checks were old hat to Bob, and he chuckled when I got nailed for using a flash camera — right before he helped guide me to the post game interview and statistics rooms.

Bob was always willing to help, and wasn’t afraid to ask for help in developing All-District and All-State honor lists. And whenever I grow critical of that process for some oversight or questionable selection, I am reminded how thankless is the task that Bob Carter performed year after year.

Another sportswriter recently departed is Gib Twyman who wrote for the Kansas City Star for 26 years. By reading his columns I felt as if I personally knew him and by what standards he valued those he wrote about. I was delighted to happen into him in the confines of Arrowhead Stadium before Gallatin’s football Bulldogs played a Class 1A state championship game. And in those brief minutes, his introduction revealed his witness for Christ in a friendly, sincere way. I will remember that much more than knowing about his nomination for a Pulitzer Prize in 1983 for a feature on distance runner Filbert Bayi or for any of his other outstanding works.

Good sportswriters know not everything worth noting about a sporting event happens between the scoreboard buzzers. For example, you might not even remember who the MU Tigers played last Thursday night, that victory now eclipsed by Monday night’s thrilling last-second win over St. Louis U. But did you know Gallatin vocalist Kristen Ellis sang the national anthem in pregame ceremonies? That’s the detail and depth a sportswriter can add in relating what happened for those unable to be there.

There are guys who can remember special plays during specific games played decades ago — remember details like they just happened. For instance, my Dad recalled plays of a basketball game he played on an outdoor court to the amazement of some still sitting at the table after the Thanksgiving feast.

So, perhaps for those who played, sportswriters aren’t necessary. But for everyone else, the sportswriters’ challenge is to broaden the experience to be shared by who were there and those who are not. We are fortunate to have a good sportswriter serving this newspaper in Dennis Cox. I hope you appreciate him and his work as much as we do. Hard writing makes for easy reading, and Dennis has the knack for it. And, if you don’t think you’re taking Dennis for granted, tell me how many years has Cox’s columns boosted the Bulldogs?