Mercury Sports Editor says goodbye
Mark Janssen Sports Editor
10/29/2006 8:50:34 AM
This is a toughie to write as I've made the decision to relinquish the position of Sports Editor of The Manhattan Mercury after a 25-year (plus a couple months) run.
Simplified, it's just time. No more complex than that.
No one is for sure exactly how it's going to work, but you'll continue seeing the "MJ" name on Kansas State stories with a title that has yet to be determined, but will start on Monday.
So, yes, I'll continue penning tales about the Wildcats, but, with definite mixed emotions, give up the rest of the duties.
My mission statement for the last 25 years has been to "humanize," for the lack of a better word, the sports pages to the point fanatics, to the non-fan, would enjoy the nightly read.
The philosophy has always been that people enjoy reading about people, so the goal has always been to try to bring to life the athletes you cheer on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons. What makes them tick, more off the field/court than on.
Offering thanks at this point would be without end.
But I do want to mention the names of Tim Hostetter, Mark Scott, Steve Rottinghaus, and especially Dennis Toll, who slaved with me for multiple-year stints to help provide local/area readers a daily dose of words about their favorite teams.
Together, we established the Sunday Sports Extra Page, the all-Flint Hills teams for football and basketball, and the daily Flint Hills News, which celebrated the accomplishments of the youth in Manhattan.
I take pride in a couple writers who came through and went on to bigger times in the industry: Eric Turner with the Topeka Capital and Ryan O'Halloran, who is now a beat writer for the Washington Redskins.
Mike Dendurent sits to my back, and via his editing skills, he has made me appear to be a much better man-of-words than I really am ... and I so hope he continues to red-pen my labors even though we won't be sitting back-to-back.
Being technically unsound of mind, my paper life could not have been accomplished without Brian, Brett and Landon. And to Shana, the design of special projects would not have been possible without you.
While I'm looking forward to continuing pounding out Wildcat stories, sincerely missed will be the weekly dialogue with Manhattan High and area coaches, plus the recreational people of sports in the Little Apple community.
High school coverage is the area where I started 35 years ago as an announcer with KMAN-KMKF, and in the last nine weeks that I was re-introduced to as The Mercury sports staff shrunk to a one-man operation.
The ''it's still a game'' non-big time high school atmosphere has been refreshing: the thank yous; the "sure you can talk to whoever you want"; the return of phone calls.
Manhattan High will always hold a dear place in my heart through the memories of 10 years of doing play-by-play, to the appreciation that my two children were trained to a level that gave them the opportunity to earn athletic scholarships.
To coaches of our immediate area — Blue Valley-Randolph, Riley County, Rock Creek and Wamego — I so much admire your dedication and efforts, and appreciate your cooperation through the last couple of decades.
To you as readers, it's been an honor to write for you. Hopefully, each of your interests has been hit from time to time.
But change is good, and the time is right for Mercury sports to have new direction and a new look.
What else am I going to do? Good question. One I've been asking myself.
I don't do painting, lawn work, or any other handyman labors; not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination; and don't do windows.
But, I'm open to any other idea, so give me a call. I'm in the book.
To each of you — readers, coaches and athletes — thank you. It's been my pleasure.
