Looking forward to a new role
My duties at the Star-Advertiser are changing, effective very soon. I will still be writing about sports, but it will be as a trends/feature/investigative/analysis reporter and no longer as a regular columnist.
Some of the stories will be long-form or series and some will involve multi-platform presentation and there will be some projects.
It’s still taking shape, but it looks like an exciting opportunity to dig deep into big stories and find some hidden ones and bring them to light.
I’ve done some enterprise reporting in the past. Now it will be my main job.
I never thought there could be a better job in the world for me than that of traditional sports columnist, and I was fortunate to do my dream journalism job in my hometown for nearly a decade.
But especially with the way our industry is changing I think this new opportunity might be even more interesting, relevant and rewarding — for me, and more importantly, for our readers.
I want to thank all who have contributed to my column the past nine-plus years in so many different ways, and I hope you will continue to read what I write.
Although I won’t have a regular column in the paper anymore, I will still have this blog to spout off with opinions and observations when the mood strikes. I’ll still have a presence on Twitter as well.
This new venture is going to take some getting used to for me, but it’s a good thing. As I’ve told some friends and family in the past couple years, I’ve felt that although I love my job maybe the time has come for a new challenge. This looks like a good one.
I’m always open to story ideas. You can leave them here, or email me at dreardon@staradvertiser.com
Dave, can you look into the feasibility of an on-campus football stadium? Is there support from the legislature that supports this idea? From UH administration? And please, no more articles about FCS as an option.
People misunderstood the FCS article. I have a feeling a lot didn’t read it. Because if they read it, they would know I was pointing out the reasons why it is a foolish idea!
Couple weeks before football early signing and you come out with a bogus UH to FCS article? Hope you stay away from all UH sports in the future. That was just irresponsible at best and I hope someone at UH let the Staradvertiser know how they feel. If that was just sensationalizing a heading to get readers and sell papers that makes it even worse.
Thanks Dave, for always asking the tough questions, even during the good times. I remember when you and other journalists forced UH’s hand to reveal the names of donors to JJ’s contract. I know that pissed a few people off (including JJ), but it was that right thing to do.
I hope that you will also be an occasional contributor to our local sports talk radio shows. I love your insight and ability to give straight and honest answers. The hosts of those shows are pretty entertaining, but they’re not “journalists”. Good luck to you.
People, people. Before you chastise the columnist/author, read the published work! Dave clearly said in his column that UH’s dropping to FCS status was a non-starter for several good reasons, including attendance declines even greater than already occurring and the fact that travel subsidies would certainly continue whether at FBS or FCS level.
Jeebus. Knee-jerk responses to headlines are foolish.
Turfwar: You obviously didn’t read it. Or, it’s my bad because I didn’t write to your level of comprehension. That article was about why FCS is NOT an option, and I wrote it because several people asked about it. And sorry to disappoint you, but I will continue to write about UH sports … a lot.
Na Alii Pride: Thanks for your kind words. But getting the names of those donors released was more through the efforts of other than anything I did. But, yes, ruffling feathers comes with the territory (even sometimes when that isn’t even the intent, as in the column that addressed the FCS question).
I’m not sure what your new role is going to be and what content it will have but I’ll miss your articles. Over the past few years (especially during Chow time) I felt that you were on the money with your commentary and I agreed with you the vast majority of the time. I liked the way you told the truth about the issues rather than glossing over them. Good luck and by the way I understood what you were trying to say in the FCS article.
leeish: Thank you. I’ll still be able to write some column-type stuff here in this blog; they just won’t be in the paper.