Column as I see ’em: Writer’s dream come true
BRADENTON, Fla. — Shortly after arriving at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in August 2016, I remember our sports editor at the time, Michael Sanserino, asking about my long-term career goals.
Easy: becoming a columnist inside of 10 years. It’s been that pie- in- the- sky dream since breaking into this crazy business with a small community newspaper in Northern Virginia in 2007 — the autonomy to bounce across all beats and creatively pursue different stories.
Well, I made it. In a shade under a decade, too, as David Spade might say.
The start of this baseball season — April 1, to be exact — will bring change for me professionally, something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time and also a responsibility I do not take lightly given the incredible succession of columnists at the PG.
I grew up reading Bob Smizik, Ron Cook and Gene Collier, their views on sports and the stories and opinions they shared framing my belief on how this job should be done. It’s been nothing short of a thrill getting to know all three, and it still doesn’t feel real that I’m taking over for Ron, who retired the week of the most recent Super Bowl.
Aside from my own situation — which I’ll explain — I couldn’t be happier to have Noah Hiles and Andrew Destin taking over the Pirates beat, a place I’ve adored since asking to move there in May 2019 ... when many of you probably thought I had lost my marbles. Joke’s on you, by the way. Not sure I ever had ’em.
Noah and Andrew are tremendous young journalists who deserve this opportunity. I have no doubt they’ll thrive. Their talent, aggressiveness and fun personalities will resonate with Pirates fans for seasons to come.
Meanwhile, I’m eager to expand my role and work across all sports in a role I hope will be defined by deep reporting, strong writing and relationship-building, the hallmarks of what I believe I’ve shown covering the Penguins and Pirates.
I know this job won’t be easy. It’s tough to follow a legend, and that’s exactly what Ron was, to me and so many others. The dumbest move I could make would be to go all Izzy Mandelbaum and act like I’m better or smarter than Ron — I’m not.
But thanks to how I was raised and what I experienced at Brentwood High School and Westminster College, I do know how to work. It’s the one thing I’ll take credit for in this business.
The best approach here will be finding the best version of myself. I hope to deliver informed, strong opinions the way any columnist would. But I also enter this change hopefully knowing what I don’t know, as well.
Small tip for young journalists: Admitting ignorance can sometimes work to your advantage.
I can’t wait to dig into Steelers draft stuff and the rest of their offseason after a wild March. Pitt hoops is in a much better place, the football team will be eying a bounce-back, and perhaps the Penguins will surprise us all.
The Pirates beat will forever be near and dear to my heart. It’s where I’ve undoubtedly felt the most at home and where I feel like I’ve done my best work. I also think we could be in store for something special this summer at PNC Park.
In 17 years of doing this, I’ve certainly learned a few things about good writing and storytelling, key parts of the job for any columnist or beat writer. It’s tremendously important to be there, which is why you’ll see me at a bunch of practices and games, home and road, digging into stuff and hopefully not irritating our beat writers.
This baseball season, as they all do, begets thoughts of rebirth and hope, intrigue and optimism. But for the first time in my career, those thoughts and feelings will extend beyond just one team that I’m responsible for covering.
I can’t wait to get started and also have you along for the ride.
It’s tough to follow a legend, and that’s exactly what Ron [Cook] was, to me and so many others.”
Jason Mackey