Help me help you: A word from the editor
I am out here for you. You don’t know what it’s like to be me out here for you. It is an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege that I will never fully tell you about, OK? So, help me … Help me help you.
— Jerry Maguire, “Jerry Maguire”
I do not like the movie “Jerry Maguire.” In fact, I’d rather sit through another kidney stone extraction (I’ve had the procedure done twice now) than sit through that film ever again. But the scene above in which sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) is pleading with his last remaining client, Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), is about the only redeeming quality of the entire flick.
And, yes, I’m well aware the movie won an Oscar or two (actually three).
But the reason why I’m writing about a film I really didn’t like for the sports pages is simple. Like Jerry Maguire, I’m down on my knees, pleading with you — the readers — to help me out. To help me help you, as it were.
As I’m sure you’re more than well aware, the look of the Daily News changed yesterday. And it remains changed today. But we’ve dedicated ourselves to more than just cosmetic changes to the layout and content in your community newspaper.
We want the content to improve, as well.
You may have noticed we began publishing photos from the occasional sub-varsity event last fall. And we’re going to continue to do that as our schedules allow. But we also want to publish short stories about sub-varsity sports and youth athletics.
Our manpower obviously isn’t sufficient to do that. But, if coaches and league managers wanted to submit articles, scores and stats from their games and leagues, we would be more than happy to publish them: junior varsity, junior high, or youth athletics — it will all be welcomed in our sports department.
Beyond that, I never want a student-athlete to think he or she has been forgotten after high school is over. So, if you know of a former Jasper County student-athlete who has gone on to college or the pros, let us know so we can make the appropriate arrangements to ensure he or she is being followed.
This isn’t limited to Newton student-athletes and alumni. The offer stands for any and all athletes in Jasper County. And it applies to the adults, too.
Winter Iowa Games are coming up in a few weeks in Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, and the Iowa Games will happen this summer in Ames. Nationals for bowlers will be coming up, too. If you’re planning to compete — or know someone who will be — let us know, so we can track down results.
Or, in other words, help us help you to make our sports coverage even better than ever.
If it quacks like a Duck
Daily News sports writer Mike Hockett left us a few weeks ago to take the next step in his sports journalism career. As an editor, I always like it when someone who is or has worked for me does well, even if I had almost nothing to do with the progress — as was the case with Mike.
He will be greatly missed. But, his departure has provided a new opportunity for another young sports journalist to begin cutting his teeth.
The holidays provided a little bit of an obstacle, and a sports injury has now created another, but I can assure you Mike’s replacement will be here soon. His name is Dustin Turner, and he is a native of California and a graduate of the University of Oregon.
He studied both print and broadcast journalism, as well as web-based reporting, while in college. He’s very eager to begin reporting on local sports for the Daily News, and we’re very excited to be bringing him onboard within the next few days.
But there is one thing I’m dying to know: do Ducks (Oregon mascot) get a discount from Nike?
