SPORTSWRITERS: PEOPLE WITH GOOD CHARACTER

SPORTSWRITERS: PEOPLE WITH GOOD CHARACTER

Save for a handful I know, sportswriters are people with good character.

They are always mindful to be able to write a piece of sports story that is both creative and entertaining.

During my time as a sportswriter, the first thing I did the next day was to read the writings of fellow sportswriters, especially those I highly regarded, evaluate my own against theirs, and keep my evaluations in mind with the thought of striving further to draw close to theirs. The drive was strong in me to better them and to make it happen I always read sports stories fed to our newsroom by Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France Press.

When I was chosen to be a news deskman-copyeditor the sole consideration was the high regard by editors to sportswriters, not just to me as a sportswriter. The rest was history, good history.

For this feat, I give my most profound gratitude to my mentor, Kumpareng Ed Andaya, who is until now the sports editor of People's Tonight, and to the character I acquired from the fraternity of these good people.

To me, one of the best Filipino sportswriters to grace the Philippine sports-writing architecture, who I happened to be a friend, is the late Clarito Samson.

Claring must be smiling now in heaven for his unparalleled feats in writing, including those pieces he wrote about the fairytale journey of Zamboanga kids in winning the Little League World Series crown right in the backyard of opponents.