From the Editor: A fan, yes, but sports journalism comes first
I've been heavily involved in the production and design of the Daily Herald Sports section for the last five years, so I know well the challenges of balancing sports coverage.
Now, I'm taking those challenges to another level as I prepare to assume the role of the paper's sports editor.
Like a baserunner breaking too soon for second, I seem to have gotten off to a bit of a false start with a few readers. When retired Daily Herald Editor John Lampinen introduced me in a newsletter to subscribers in July, I confessed a lifelong love of baseball, and a fondness for the Chicago Cubs. Some readers read into these statements a foreboding outlook for coverage of other Chicago sports teams, but nothing could be further from the truth.
In my comments, I meant to honor the legacy of my grandfather and father, both of whom instilled in me a passion for all sports. My warmest childhood memories involved them teaching me the subtle nuances of the games they loved.
Yes, I was thrilled when the Cubs won the World Series. But I was just as excited when the Blackhawks completed their dream run of three Stanley Cups in six years and when the White Sox won their own World Series in 2005.
When the Cubs are doing well, of course we give them their due. But the same is true for the White Sox, Blackhawks, Bears and even the Chicago Sky - the last pro team to win a title in Chicago.
It's true for all our area high-school teams and the smaller unsung sports stories that may not always be the splashy news, but are just as important.
In that same vein, when our pro teams aren't doing well, I want our writers and columnists to call attention to it with a critical eye.
While it's true I am a fan, I am a journalist first. I strive for balance in all things as I edit, design and plan the section.
Going forward, I also aim to be an active, engaged listener. If you as a reader feel that we're not covering a sports issue, I want to hear about it. I feel that we do our best journalism when we listen. My goal is to provide a diverse, entertaining, challenging section, but to always keep a keen ear tuned to what's going on locally.
As a woman, I feel as if I have a unique perspective on the game, and you'll see that reflected in our sports pages in the future as well.
As much as I'd like to, I can't promise a Crosstown World Series. But know that if it does happen, the Daily Herald will cover it as fairly and as comprehensively as only we can.