2008 Woodie Awards
Michael King, Retired Assistant Sports Editor: Men's Soccer, Men's Basketball, Men's Lacrosse
Michael King, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 5/13/08 Section: Sports
It's hard to believe that just one year ago I was in awe of my chance to be an Assistant Sports Editor and cover some important teams. Now I feel the same way about the opportunity I have to lead this newspaper as Editor in Chief.
I'd be lying if I said my experience with this section didn't greatly prepare me for my future challenges. And what a year it was.
I had the chance to cover three teams that had special seasons in their own right. First the men's soccer team decided to go crazy and win games it had no business of winning which culminated in a highly memorable trip to North Carolina. Then the men's basketball team decided it would win every meaningless game after blowing a chance to make the NCAA Tournament - thereby destroying any hope I had of passing my classes in the process (why don't accounting professors understand the importance of covering these games?).
Finally, I had the awkward experience of covering the men's lacrosse team through crime and sports stories. Thanks 'Lax Eight,' I owe you one.
Covering men's basketball was probably one of the best experiences I've had at UMass. It was a grueling and demanding beat, but all of those seemingly unnecessary previews and endless amounts of travel seemed to be worth it.
To Uncle Travis: I'm glad another pair of Collegian writers won't be subjected to waiting 45 minutes every Wednesday for interviews that were supposed to begin at 3:00 p.m. but were delayed since you were watching ESPN in your office. Though I did become pretty good at shifting through the insincere garbage you constantly spewed by the end of the season.
A special thanks goes out to Drew Lavender of Xavier for the most awkward press conference moment of the year. Remember to never ask an undersized point guard about an opponent, apparently. Maybe he would have been more agreeable had he smoked that jay that was probably in his pocket.
So how did the men's soccer team qualify for the College Cup again? Oh that's right, because Sam Koch is an amazing coach. Though I never actually wanted to make the trip to Cary, N.C., I still think we made the right choice to go. It just seemed like we had to support that band of underappreciated misfits that put together an incredible string of outstanding soccer. It would have made the trip a lot more enjoyable had the team knocked off Ohio State.
I'd be lying if I said my experience with this section didn't greatly prepare me for my future challenges. And what a year it was.
I had the chance to cover three teams that had special seasons in their own right. First the men's soccer team decided to go crazy and win games it had no business of winning which culminated in a highly memorable trip to North Carolina. Then the men's basketball team decided it would win every meaningless game after blowing a chance to make the NCAA Tournament - thereby destroying any hope I had of passing my classes in the process (why don't accounting professors understand the importance of covering these games?).
Finally, I had the awkward experience of covering the men's lacrosse team through crime and sports stories. Thanks 'Lax Eight,' I owe you one.
Covering men's basketball was probably one of the best experiences I've had at UMass. It was a grueling and demanding beat, but all of those seemingly unnecessary previews and endless amounts of travel seemed to be worth it.
To Uncle Travis: I'm glad another pair of Collegian writers won't be subjected to waiting 45 minutes every Wednesday for interviews that were supposed to begin at 3:00 p.m. but were delayed since you were watching ESPN in your office. Though I did become pretty good at shifting through the insincere garbage you constantly spewed by the end of the season.
A special thanks goes out to Drew Lavender of Xavier for the most awkward press conference moment of the year. Remember to never ask an undersized point guard about an opponent, apparently. Maybe he would have been more agreeable had he smoked that jay that was probably in his pocket.
So how did the men's soccer team qualify for the College Cup again? Oh that's right, because Sam Koch is an amazing coach. Though I never actually wanted to make the trip to Cary, N.C., I still think we made the right choice to go. It just seemed like we had to support that band of underappreciated misfits that put together an incredible string of outstanding soccer. It would have made the trip a lot more enjoyable had the team knocked off Ohio State.
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