In December of 1999, I stepped into the old offices of the Clayton News-Daily on Church Street in Jonesboro for a job interview with then-managing editor Mitch Sneed.
A sports writer job came open, and while I didn’t have much experience in sports at that point, I decided to apply. I had been with Neighbor Newspapers for a little over four years and was looking to get my foot in the door with a daily paper.
When I sat down with Mitch that day in a meeting room, it was like I had known Mitch my entire life. Mitch was so friendly, affable and down-to-earth. Have you ever been on a job interview where the manager was arrogant and condescending? Well, Mitch wasn’t like that at all.
I thought the interview went well, and on Christmas Day, Mitch gave me a call. What a Christmas gift! I got the job and would start after the New Year.
After Mitch took a chance on me, it began a journey of more than five years at the Clayton News-Daily and Henry Daily Herald covering sports. Our bread and butter was local high school sports, but I also had the opportunity to cover NASCAR, Indy Racing League, LPGA, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Braves, college sports, Clayton State, local racing and other sports.
There was more than one occasion I thought to myself — “I get paid to do this?” Not bad for a kid who grew up way back in the mountains of southern West Virginia.
But beyond the actual sports, as I look back, I had the privilege to work with some really good people then (not just in the newsroom but other departments as well) — Mitch Sneed, Doug Gorman, Bud Ellis, Jeff Armstrong, Ed Brock, Heather Middleton, Don Floyd, Tim Daly, Kay Pedrotti, Bill Yoder, Daniel Lentz, Gary Toohey, and Donna Goodson to name a few.
Throughout the years, Mitch was a mentor and friend even up to shortly before he was killed in a car accident several years ago in Alabama….
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