I must begin by apologizing for my lack of a presence on The [Five] over the past several months. I have been fortunate enough to begin my broadcasting career as a sports anchor and reporter covering Big Ten sports and I have spent the majority of my time focusing on my on-air career.
It was not my intention to fall off of the map after being such a strong presence for this website and for that I am genuinely sorry.
I truly value the year and a half that I have spent working for this website. Producing both high volume and high quality work has been a great challenge and has allowed me to grow tremendously as a sports reporter. In a day in which several of the major media outlets are far too focused on opinionated commentaries and analysis, I find The [Five] truly refreshing in its goal to provide sports news first and foremost, before breaking it down.
In a few moments of downtime the other night I had the opportunity to look back on some of the work that has been produced for The [Five] over the past 18 months. Needless to say I was surprised by just how thorough and comprehensive the content was. Whether it be the College Football and Baseball rankings of Casey Grogan, the Popularity Contests by Jake “Jurassic” Paque, or the enlightening commentaries from Matthew Harris, Jon Wiener, Robert Lowery, Jon Doss, Ian Harmand, Thom Cich, and Charles Gorra, The [Five] has put a unique stamp on online sports coverage.
I also must sincerely thank Nick Lilja for giving me the opportunity to write for this website. Nick often jokes that “hiring” me to write for The [Five] is one of the best decision he has ever made. All I can say in response is having the opportunity to write for this website, to expand as a reporter and communicator, to make mistakes and learn from them, and to take chances in an attempt to grow, is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
To the current group of writers for The [Five]: I commend you on your hard work and look forward to your progression. Matt Johnston’s work over the past several months has been a joy to watch. To all of the new writers I challenge you to think outside of the box and take chances in your writing.
Lastly and most importantly, I must thank each and every one of you. This website is not possible without your support. Nick has a true vision for what he wants The [Five] to become and in our 2,000-plus stories I hope that we have made you take a step back and think about why a certain transaction is important or what type of impact a business decision in collective bargaining can have on everyday life.
At this point in my career I can not promise that I will have as much of a presence on The [Five] as I’ve had in the past. I can promise you that I will have some type of presence.
I believe in good work and I believe in Nick’s vision. I look forward to future of The [Five] and I’m truly excited about what’s to come.
Mike we would like to thank YOU for being such an awesome reporter! I much prefer to get my news here than ESPN or anywhere else. This was the only FREE website that gave me the NEWS in the most straight-forward manner and honestly you were usually first to get it out anyway, Mike. So thanks Mike for your hard work, glad you landed on your feet somewhere! Post some of your work here (if it’s legal) because I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I’d love to see it!
-Steve The Beav
No worries man. Good luck!
I stand by my claim: Hiring you = best decision ever. Ever. Thank you for the kind words and I, too, would enjoy to see some of your work on here. And yes, it is legal.