A rare honor for a popular local journalist
He's not Grantland Rice, but he may be better
Today I'm choosing to ignore some of the crazy headlines of the last few days and write about a recent piece of news that has brought me great joy.
It seems a longtime local journalist, well known throughout Davis and the Sacramento area, has been notified that he has been selected for induction into a prestigious statewide Hall of Fame.
No, it's not me. Not by a long shot.
The longtime local journalist in question is Joe Davidson from The Sacramento Bee and he is about to be enshrined in the California High School Football Hall of Fame.
I think that word "enshrined" means he will permanently have a halo surrounding his head when we see him around town, and he will go straight to football heaven when he dies, where every team he roots for wins every game and his reports on each of those games earn him multiple Pulitzer Prizes.
You see, in the world of journalism, where those of us who type for a living are always trying to beat the other guys to a "scoop," we actually all consider each other as colleagues, not competitors.
When something great happens to a colleague we respect, it's almost as if it has happened to us.
Joe doesn't just "cover" the games high school kids play in our area. No, he takes the ball and runs with it. He tells us about the kids and the coaches, the thrills and the heartbreak. He gives us a look at what goes into high school sports, which is so much more than just the final score on a Friday night.
Why did a longtime coach finally decide to hang up his whistle and his clipboard? What happened to that all-everything point guard who seemingly disappeared?
He knows that high school sports are just as important to the kids in Paradise and Sutter and Esparto and Corning as they are in the more visible schools like Folsom and Jesuit and Grant and Davis.
According to the press release from the Hall of Fame, based at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Joe has been selected specifically for the "Impact in Sports Journalism Award," one of four categories the Hall sponsors.
Said the release, "The Impact in Sports Journalism Award is an individual or organizational award given by the California High School Football Hall of Fame that acknowledges those who utilize the reach and positive influence of journalistic influence to promote and enhance the sport of football in the State of California, particularly on the high school level."
Added the Hall, "A 14-time award winner from the California Prep Sportswriters Association, Joe Davidson has been covering high school football and sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1989. His coverage has not just included prep, but college, Sacramento Kings basketball and features as well. Davidson is a member of the California Coaches Association Hall of Fame and was honored with the CIF's Distinguished Service Award in 2021. The prior winner of the Impact in Sports Journalism Award was Eric Sondheimer of The Los Angeles Times."
Translation: Joe is going to be extremely hard to live with the next time I sit next to him in a local press box.
Said Joe about being notified of this honor, "The best part of this media gig is the people you meet, the teams you experience, the deadlines we ace. Or try to. When I graduated from high school in the mountains of Wallowa County (eastern Oregon), where I got my first taste of journalism as a high school student at our beloved weekly Wallowa County Chieftain, I headed to Davis to live with my father, Jack, and stepmother, Frances. This was 40 years ago. Where did the time go?"
Added Joe, "I knew I wanted to be a sports reporter and I seized a chance to do it at The Davis Enterprise, where I met the Wary One before he became a Weary One. Bob Dunning showed me what local journalism was all about and why it was so important. It's been a great gig for me at The Sacramento Bee since 1989, with no end in sight."
Congratulations, my friend. So well deserved.
The Hall of Fame awards ceremony will take place November 30 at the Rose Bowl during a college football game between UCLA and Fresno State.
Joe Davidson will not be there.
No, as usual, dedicated journalist that he is, Joe will be covering the California high school football playoffs. In person.
I'm not the least bit surprised.
Reach me at bobdunning@thewaryone.com
You were obviously a big influence on Joe, so bravo to you too, Bob.
Great tribute by you for a close friend, always enjoy your columns Bob