Where does the time go? At 58 now, I know it passes quickly. And, I also know when it’s time to say goodbye.
It seems to me that only about a week ago I wrote my first article for the Commonwealth Journal, but the fact is that it was almost 41 years ago, in the fall of 1982.
At that time I was a freshman journalism student at Somerset Community College, and my adviser – a man I still love today – Don Orwin – saw a child who he said had the passion and the talent to become a sports journalist.
Mr. Orwin was more to me than just a mentor or teacher in my journalism classes. He was a good friend, a father figure and a man I loved and respected. He was a man with whom I had several conversations about life, the problems you face in life and how to overcome them.
Mr. Orwin once told me in class that the Commonwealth Journal had an opening for a part-time stringer – someone to cover the occasional match once in a while – and he encouraged me to apply for the job. He told me that I would be fine there and he assured me that I was capable of being a good sports journalist.
Jim Kirk was the newspaper’s sports editor at that time, and he would become a guy I would grow to have deep respect for.
After meeting Jim Kirk, as well as the newspaper’s owner at the time, Mr. George Joplin, they each took a chance on a young child from a dairy farm in Windsor, Kentucky, and gave me the opportunity to start writing sports for paper. I will never forget these men for that.
Compared to today, in my opinion, my first articles in the Commonwealth Journal weren’t very good by my standards, but heck, I was getting stories published and I saw my name – Doug Eads – in the log for the first time on my by line.
I was only 17 at the time as a freshman at SCC, but I watched games, interviewed athletes and coaches, and wrote about sports. During that time, life was really good, because I was starting to do something that I loved to do, which was covering games and writing about them for the newspaper.
Since then I have been fortunate enough to write and publish over 16,300 articles covering local high school sports in Pulaski County, as well as the occasional game of British football or basketball, or a Bengals game of Cincinnati or the Cincinnati Reds.
It was a great ride with many, many memories I made that will stay with me until the day I die. In 2007, I was the first sportswriter to be inducted into the 12th Region Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and recently I had the honor of being inducted into the 12th Region Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. the 12th region. It’s nice to be appreciated by coaches and school officials, and I’m grateful to everyone who elected me to these two prestigious entities.
However, after saying all this, there comes a time to say goodbye, and my friends, that time has finally come for me.
I enjoyed and had a great career as a sportswriter in Somerset, and made hundreds of friends along the way. Athletes, coaches, school administrators – the list is just too long to name everyone – and I won’t try. However, there are a handful of people I would like to thank for the success I have had throughout my career.
First, I owe everything to my wife Debbie, whom I met on the first day of classes at Somerset Community College in the fall of 1982.
We have been married for almost 37 years and there have been many nights when Dad was out late to cover a game, while she was home alone with our two children – Adam and Abby – tending to scraped knees , runny nose, fever and colds. . On many occasions I wasn’t there to help her, but she never once complained. She just took care of running the house because she knew and understood that I was doing what I loved to do, which was covering local high school sports.
There are other people I must also thank.
First, my good friend Jeff Neal, who has traveled the roads with me for many games over the years. We laughed a lot together and I have memories with him that I will cherish forever. I love Jeff like a brother to this day.
I would also like to thank Steve Cornelius, the editor of the newspaper today. During his time as sports editor of the Commonwealth Journal, we also had our fair share of adventures on the road, along with a ton of laughs and a ton of memories.
Another guy I have to thank is my former colleague, and a guy I still call “my little brother” – Michael Childers. When Michael worked at the newspaper as a sportswriter for a few years, those were some of the happiest times of my life. We’ve always had a great time on the road together covering games and we’ve always made each other laugh. Again, memories of a lifetime.
And, I have to thank my friend and current sports editor at the newspaper, Jacob Pratt. Even though Jacob and I have only known each other for a little over a year, he’s a great guy to work with. I hope some of the words of wisdom I shared with him on how to do the job of a sports journalist in Somerset will help him through his career.
And, I must say thank you, to you – the readers of the Commonwealth Journal. Without you, there would be no newspaper, and I understand that. Literally hundreds of you have cheered me on over the past 41 years and shared with me how much you have enjoyed my writing, and for that I will always be grateful.
It was a really great ride, but as they say, all good things must come to an end. I will still be at the games in the future, but instead of being there to interview a coach or an athlete, or to write a story, I will be there like all of you – I will be there as a fan.
These 41 years have been fun and I have memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
This being the last paragraph I will write for the Commonwealth Journal, I just want to say thank you and goodbye. It was a great 41-year adventure that I enjoyed with all my heart. Thank you all.
