Thursday’s issue of the Central Florida Future marked the last time my byline will be in the publication I worked for over the last three years. Here is my emotional farewell column:
I hate goodbyes.
Too many memories, emotions and feelings to sort through, but this farewell is bittersweet.
It’s pretty surreal to know that this is the last time my byline appears in the Future, a publication I have been linked with ever since I joined just more than three years ago.
Man, time has flown.
This won’t be the last time you hear from me, just the last time you see my name in this newspaper. I’m moving forward, focusing on producing content for my website, www.thesportsreportonline.com, moving toward the video and multimedia side and focusing on perfecting my craft on my radio show, The Sports Report.
I see this as a time for me to grow and reach past what’s been my potential for the last three years, but first some thanks need to be handed out.
Thank you to the very first person who allowed me to join the Future: Padrick Brewer.
You’re my colleague, friend and mentor. You’ve taught me more about how to cover UCF sports than anything I’ve ever learned in a classroom. When I think of the Future, I think of you and no, not because you’ve been here since I was a sophomore in high school.
Thank you to the person I shadowed for two years and wanted to always live up to: Brian Murphy. I wanted that top spot on the sports staff but you wouldn’t give it to me. I had to earn it.
I wrote my features like you and I continued to try to one-up you on every story. You made me a better writer.
Thank you to the staff of last semester, most notably my co-partners Will Perry and Danny Aiello and not to mention Jeffrey Riley and Ashley Carnifax.
We did video and went beyond the fine print to bring fans coverage. We won awards, set records, but most of all, we had fun doing it.
I’ll never forget our dedicated coverage of the St. Pete Bowl, which oh, by the way, we won an award for.
Classic.
Thank you to the coaches and athletes that have allowed me to feature their lives and stories. You’ve allowed me to delve into your personal lives so that fans can see what I see as a part of the media. I’ve been able to tell your stories and, quite frankly, feel like I’ve been a part of a lot of them as well.
But, most importantly, thank you, the reader. You’re the reason I spend countless hours covering sporting events.
You’re the reason I’m in the Future offices researching and planning out content to make sure you’re up to date on the teams you want to follow.
I have so many countless memories while having a Future credential around my neck, from being on the sidelines for UCF football games and having the opportunity to cover college football bowl games, including this year’s Capital One and Champs Sports bowls.
I’ve covered games in St. Pete, Miami and even drove up to Greenville, N.C., last season to cover the UCF vs. East Carolina game.
I had one of the best media moments ever witnessing one of my fellow media mates get called out by ESPN reporter Erin Andrews in an elevator after commenting on how inclement the weather was at the Capital One Bowl.
She’s really not as nice as she seems on television.
I’ve interviewed numerous athletes, from Texas quarterback Colt McCoy to Miami quarterback Jacory Harris.
I saw, first hand, Kevin Smith’s record-setting season in 2007.
I got a chance to cover Jermaine Taylor’s stellar senior season. I’ve covered the arrival of coaches like Todd Dagenais and Terry Rooney to the departure of long-time legends like
Jay Bergman and Kirk Speraw.
It’s sad seeing this chapter of my journalism life come to a close. To see the Future no longer in, well, my future.
Thanks, and farewell.
