Anderson: Covering sports creates memorable moments

PHOTO COURTESY OF CRAIG ANDERSON

Upon graduation from the University of Kansas and shortly into my first job, the high school athletes weren’t much younger than me. Then, I gradually became 'Mr. Anderson' to them.”

Craig Anderson is a Daily State News staff writer who joined the then-Delaware State News in 2011. He previously reported for The University Daily Kansan, The Topeka Capital-Journal, The Daily Times, The Capital and The Middletown Transcript.

Much time has passed, and there’s been some truly unforgettable moments for me while covering sports in Kansas (Topeka and Lawrence), Maryland (Salisbury and Annapolis) and Delaware (Middletown and Dover).

For instance:

• The University Daily Kansan student newspaper ran a photo (I didn’t take it!) of a running back throwing the ball during football practice. Turns out, the Jayhawks weren’t thrilled with us publishing a picture of a trick play shortly before the Oklahoma game.
• Sitting in the stands for a high school all-star basketball game at the University of Maryland, I spotted a young prospect walking up the stairs about 20 rows down. He got closer and closer, until he was sitting maybe a couple seats in front of me. For the rest of the game, fans kept turning around to glance at LeBron James, as I sat in the background experiencing what it’s like to be the center of everyone’s attention.
• On a team bus in Honolulu to cover Navy in the Aloha Bowl, someone told me to look to the right. I did and learned that the dock and waterway used in the “Gilligan’s Island” intro looks exactly the same as it does on TV.
• I arrived at Stephen Decatur High School in Berlin, Maryland, just moments before kickoff and hurried to the press box. Then, I looked down on the parking lot to see my car’s lights were still on — but still covered the longest first half of my career before practically sprinting out of the stadium to turn them off.
• While I didn’t speak with Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. and late Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight directly for stories, their spokespeople at least emailed me their quotes. However, country music legend Tanya Tucker did agree to chat and was in no hurry to get off the phone.
• I once interviewed former Baltimore Colts legend Johnny Unitas during a business opening, and the quarterback was totally down to Earth. Same for ex-Oklahoma and NBA star Wayman Tisdale and his beaming smile.
• Walking down an empty hallway during a charity basketball game in Annapolis, a guy in gym shorts and sneakers turned the corner briskly and asked where the bathroom was. Maryland’s then-governor sped away, and two serious-looking security detail members rushed past a few moments later, chasing down the big guy.
• One stressful Friday night, I looked up from my desk (not at the Daily State News!) just in time to see a colleague punch a co-worker, who countered by putting him in a headlock. We quickly separated them, then returned to answering phones and gathering high school football scores.
• Upon graduation from the University of Kansas and shortly into my first job, the high school athletes weren’t much younger than me. Then, I gradually became “Mr. Anderson” to them. Now, when we occasionally meet, they’re business owners, parents, coaches, library directors, teachers and other good stuff.
• The luckiest photo I ever took was of a Middletown High soccer player doing a flip throw-in. The kid held the ball on the ground, while flipping completely upside down, with his legs flailing straight up in the air for balance. That description doesn’t do it justice, and I really wish I could find that picture.
• Speaking of luck: I lost my keys after a Smyrna High football game and spent 20 minutes or more walking the darkened grounds among dozens of fans before finding them.
• How’s this for a day? At a football practice for players who were maybe 7 or 8 years old, the kids were positively giddy to pose for a newspaper photo, while exclaiming, “We’re going to be famous!” Later that day, I visited a former high school football star who reminisced about enjoying his playing days. He said he hadn’t been to a game at the nearby stadium in years, however, and that he’d essentially put that all behind him.
• Once, while in Annapolis, I got lambasted by a St. Mary’s High parent, who alleged that I favored rival Severn School in a basketball story. A Severn parent called shortly afterward to complain that the piece was slanted to St. Mary’s. How cool is that?
• This one isn’t about sports, but it’s too good to omit: I photographed some high school kids playing in their garage band at an event in Middletown. As I was leaving, one of them flagged me down and asked that no photos run. According to him, he wasn’t supposed to leave home because his parents were out of town, and he didn’t want to get in trouble if they saw him in the newspaper. I honestly can’t remember if any photos did publish.

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