As the winter sports season begins I am hopeful the players on the area teams I will be covering have the hunger to compete but keep a big picture perspective in mind as they play.

The last few weeks on the national sports scene have brought about in me a Christmas Scrooge attitude. What with college football coaches chasing big paydays and college football players looking for greener pastures, I wonder does anybody care about the gift inside or are they just chasing after wrapping paper and bows?

When I see the coaching carousel start to turn, as it does in late November every year, I can’t help but wonder what happened to that feeling of optimism held in August by the coaches, players and fans of those same teams now searching for something new. If that feeling of wanting what the other folks have gets much stronger, the participants will be changing teams from week to week instead of at season’s end.

A team or coach is not even allowed to have an off night. I got a text from a friend recently about my college alma mater being down 20 points at halftime of a basketball game to a weaker opponent. While he ended the text with a joke about firing the coach, I know there are other alumni around the country who were thinking the same thing, only they probably weren’t joking.

I worry there is very little brand loyalty anywhere today. I spent over 30 years at my last job where I became such a fixture that to this day people who see me at events I cover ask “Will this be in the paper tomorrow?” 

One underlying cause to my doubt in humanity’s regard to loyalty could be that it was just a year ago this month that I was thrown into a transfer portal of my own. I wasn’t looking for new places to work or compete because I was bored. Or chasing a big paycheck. Or upset I wasn’t getting enough playing time. My situation was a simple choice: here is what your future will be with your current employer or get out there and use this opportunity to try something new.

While I saw the writing on the wall about the future of newspapers, I had no idea where I would play next. There was no offer from an SEC school nor were numerous institutions around the country lining up wanting to add me to their roster. There weren’t even any nibbles about my name or likeness.

While I have found a landing spot with SD Sportscene it is still, after all, only a part-time venture at this point. Time will tell what the future will bring. In the meantime I appreciate the people who read my ramblings and view my photographs. I know Dave and I both appreciate the subscribers and advertisers who support the site and we look forward to a busy and satisfying winter sports season.