An Idea For A Career . . .

I really wanted to be a sports writer.  How neat it would be to get paid to watch games.

Encouraged by high school teacher and journalism coach Rachel Haynie, I decided to put in an application at The Columbia Record newspaper.  This part of the process did not excite me at all, but I saw it as a necessary evil.  The security guard motioned me in and toward the receptionist at the State-Record building across from the fairgrounds.

The receptionist said I should go to the Personnel Department – elevator to the second floor and take a right.  Instead, I took a left off the elevator after seeing “Sports Department” on a sign.  This was 1966 when I did not have a lot of courage in such situations.  But, I really wanted to be a sports writer.

The gruff guy behind the sports desk didn’t want to be bothered.  Jim Hunter’s reputation as sports editor was almost frightening.  He kinda growled at me, “What you need?”  Then, “Personnel is down the hall.”

The Personnel Department wasn’t any cheerier.  No greeting.  No smiles.  “Fill out this application, put it in the top tray, we’ll contact you.”  Which I did.  The top tray, however, must have had a hundred applications stacked up.  At least mine would be on top.  “Put it on the bottom,” the clerk said.  “The bottom.”  No smile.  No thank you.

I knew I was getting nowhere fast.  But, I really wanted to be a sports writer.

I would settle for being at the bottom of the totem pole on any sports staff.  Happy to take the crummy assignments; did not have to cover the mighty Eau Claire Shamrocks or Lower Richland Diamond Hornets and certainly not the Gamecocks or Clemson.  Give me the assignments nobody wanted, but give me an assignment.

I had noticed in the sports department a sheet tacked to the bulletin board.  It was staff assignments for high school football games for Thursday and Friday nights as well as for Saturday’s college games.  The Personnel Department experience was frustrating, but I decided not to give up.  I had an idea . . .

I went to Memorial Stadium that Thursday evening, sat in the stands and watched the Dreher-Camden football game. Notepad and pen in hand, I took notes just like a legitimate sports writer.  After the game, I told the security guard at the field gate that I was a sports writer and needed to talk to Earl Rankin, the Dreher coach. I waved my notepad at the guard, who, thankfully, fell for my bluff and waved me onto the field.  Coach Rankin saw my notepad, stopped at midfield and answered a couple of my questions.  I was an imposter.

All of that was the easy part.  I drove all the way back to my home in Eau Claire, penciled out a short story on the game, typed it with a carbon paper copy, and then drove back to the State-Record building.  It was after midnight.  Then the really risky part.  I sorta lied (there’s no such thing) to the security guard at the entrance to the building.  Walked right past him, waving the story and mumbling “gotta make deadline.”  I fumbled for an ID badge that I did not have, and the guard said, “just don’t worry about it.”  Whew!

Of course, I knew the way to the deserted sports department.  Clicked on a light, plopped the typed story on Jim Hunter’s desk with a note:  “Use this if you’d like; no charge.”  I thanked the security guard on my way out of the building.  Little did he know . . .

The next afternoon, Friday’s Columbia Record sports section included a small story, boxed on the front sports page, about the Dreher-Camden football game at Memorial Stadium.  I did not get paid for my first published story, but I did get an unexpected bonus – my first byline.

The next week, the assignment sheet tacked to the bulletin board included a rookie part-time staffer who was assigned two high school games.  Soon it was two high school games and two college games every week.  I couldn’t get enough of it.

I was a sports writer.