So long to the Silvertips beat, but not goodbye

This is not goodbye.

It may seem like it. For those who haven’t heard yet, my time as the Herald’s Everett Silvertips beat reporter has come to an end. After 12 years of chronicling the Tips’ every move I’m stepping aside to become our Seattle professional sports reporter/columnist.

But that doesn’t mean I’m leaving the Tips behind.

It’s hard for me to believe my identity became that of a hockey reporter. When I arrived at the Herald in 2003 I didn’t bring any kind of hockey background to the job. Sure, I knew the basics — I would have passed the standard initiation test of being able to identify icing. But as to the nuances of the game? Not a chance. Indeed, when I was hired I’d been to exactly one hockey game my entire life. If I went back and read my stories from Everett’s inaugural season I’m sure I’d suffer through many a cringe-worthy moment.

Now I depart the position comfortable with throwing out terms such as “five-hole” and “saucer pass,” fully capable of conversing at least semi-intelligently about concepts like “Corsi events” and “zone entries.”

It was mere circumstance that put me in position to become the only full-time beat reporter the Tips have had to date. When Everett was preparing for its inaugural season in 2003, it was unknown whether the Herald’s sports department would be green-lighted to hire a new staff member for the purpose of covering the team. The decision to bring on an extra body wasn’t made until the last minute, so the paper needed someone who could start right away. I was working just up the road at the Skagit Valley Herald in Mount Vernon, and I had worked previously for sports editor Kevin Brown. The combination of my proximity and my prior relationship with Brown was what got me my interview. It sure as heck wasn’t my previous hockey experience.

The position was pitched to me as a hybrid job. I would cover the Silvertips in the winter, the Northwest League’s Everett AquaSox in the summer, and help out on preps. As a former baseball player I fully expected the AquaSox to be the part of the job I enjoyed most.

But it wasn’t long before the Silvertips became the overwhelming focus of my job.

Anyone who was around during that inaugural 2003-04 season couldn’t help but get swept away by the tidal wave, as the expansion Tips defied all expectations by winning both the U.S. Division and Western Conference championships. Being able to write about that team’s exploits was a privilege, and it’s still the most magical experience I’ve ever had as a sportswriter. From that moment I was hooked, and covering the team has been a joy.

Frankly, I don’t think I could get the Tips out of my system if I tried. There have been too many nights where I’ve drifted off to sleep while pondering Everett’s potential roster two seasons down the line. The team is ingrained in my being.

So it’s with an element of sadness that I step away. Sure, I’m super excited about my new role in the department, and I’m fully looking forward to the new challenges. But the Silvertips beat was my baby. It was mine from the beginning, I’d like to think I became something of an authority on the team, and I hope I helped cultivate the beat into something that’s appreciated by the readers. Giving all that up didn’t come without a sense of loss.

But just because I’ve changed positions doesn’t mean my time covering the Silvertips is done. One thing I always lamented was the lack of a Tips editorial presence in the paper. In my capacity as the beat reporter my job was to try and stick to the facts the best I could and set my personal biases aside. However, I always thought the occasional opinion piece would be valuable in adding depth to our Silvertips coverage. In the early years our sports columnists came out once in a while, but not often, and it’s been years since the last time a Herald columnist sat on press row at Xfinity Arena.

That’s going to change. When offered the Seattle position, one of the things Brown suggested was that he’d like to have a greater editorial presence within Snohomish County, and specifically with the Tips. Needless to say I jumped at that opportunity, as it’s something I believe I’m amply qualified to provide, and it’s something I want to do. I’m thrilled I’ll continue to be involved in covering the team, even if it’s in a much more limited capacity. So the Tips won’t be getting rid of me that easy.

I’m handing the beat over to Jesse Geleynse, who incidentally happens to be someone who was a high school athlete in Mount Vernon when I was working for the Skagit Valley Herald. I’m certain he will do an excellent job as my successor.

In the meantime, this isn’t farewell. Instead, let me just say: “Until the next time, and I’ll see you at Xfinity.”