Last week's column

A reprint of my Nov. 6 column in the Woodford Sun. I'd be interested in any comments on the subject of sports reporting objectivity.

Looking back, I think I started to lose it during the senior day festivities.

It really started slipping away during the overtime district championship win over Anderson County.

It evaporated completely during the gritty 1-0 regional championship victory over Henry Clay.

What is it? – My objective reporter attitude toward the Woodford County Lady Jacket soccer team.

“My name is Mike and I am a Jacket fan.”

And I have the haircut to prove it.

Somewhere along the line, I went from a reporter covering a high school soccer team to a fan with a Mohawk.

Yes, the girls talked me into keeping a Mohawk that was supposed to be part of a Halloween costume. I don’t even remember whose idea it was originally. I was just chatting with some of the players during the Whitley County football game, and the next thing I knew, my head had suddenly become a symbol of support. I even tried to wiggle out of it by appealing to the horror my wife would experience when I told her the Mohawk was staying for a week. But everybody who’s watched these girls on the field knows the level of persistence that they posses. They wrote my wife a note, and here I am sitting at my desk looking like middle-aged dude in the midst of a mid-life crisis.

In all seriousness, I really have struggled with where I need to draw the line as a reporter. For two years I sat through class after class having the concept of objectivity and neutrality pounded into my brain. (Yes, they really do still teach that in journalism school, despite what you see in the mainstream media.)

I’ve clearly crossed that line.

But as I’ve thought about it, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is a bigger principle at play here. It’s about community. It’s about unity. It’s about standing up and supporting a group of young women who are striving toward greatness.

That’s one of the wonderful things about sports. They have the power to bring people with diverse backgrounds together. Fans of different races, political views, socio-economic status and religious traditions can all come together under one banner.

Here in Woodford County, that banner bears a Yellow Jacket logo and I am proud to stand with this community in support of its teams.

Don’t get me wrong, I will still cover Woodford sports with an objective eye, and when the time comes to level criticism, I will not hesitate. That’s my job and I take pride in what I do. But I have come to the conclusion that as the sports editor of a small-town weekly that only covers one high school, it’s okay to cheer a little.

Besides, how can anyone that’s human not pull for these girls? Their heart and courage amazes me. Their grit and determination inspire me. Their good nature and fun loving spirit make me laugh.

It’s enough to make a guy wear a Mohawk.

Quick Shots

Every team has a clunker. Even the best teams have that one game where nothing goes right. The Yellow Jacket football team had theirs on Halloween night against Whitley County. By this point, I expected the defense to struggle a bit. They are vulnerable against the run and that’s no secret. But the offensive meltdown was surprising. It was like a snowball rolling down hill. You could see it in their body language. They were beat long before the final horn blew.

The good news is that this was an anomaly. The Woodford offense you saw the other night was clearly some mutated, Halloween horror show that does not represent the Jacket true game. I think part of it had to do with senior night emotions. It clearly affected Steven Duckworth. And beyond that, I think it was just that game – The one that is best forgotten. Burn the film. Bury the memories and press on. The season is far from over.

The University of Kentucky Wildcat football team showed a lot of character bouncing back to win at Mississippi State. After the thrashing at the hands of the Gators, I wasn’t sure how the Cats would react. It would have been easy to fold up the tent and look to next year. But UK battled through and salvaged its season with a win. Georgia will be tough to beat, but Vandy and Tennessee are winnable games. If they can pull off those wins, the Cats will end up with a more than respectable 8-4 record during what is arguably a rebuilding year.

Quote of the Week

“In the grand scheme of things, it’s just a high school football game.”
-Yellow Jacket coach Chris Tracy after the debacle against Whitley County

Puck to the Head

This week’s puck flies at the head of the referee in the Woodford County - Boyle County girls’ soccer game. It’s one thing to make bad calls, but this ref clearly wanted to be the center of attention. I’ve seen officials like him in every sport. For whatever reason, they want to be noticed and they think they need to insert themselves into the game. Whenever questioned, they react with self-righteous indignation, as if their view of things is unassailable. This ref fell clearly into that category. He made horrible calls, acted like a jerk when questioned by players or coaches and completely lost control of the game in the second half.