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Pacific SportsBlogOkinawa-based sports reporter Dave Ornauer on military-related sports in the Far East. |
Happy Holidays to SportsBlog Nation!
Posted December 26th, 2007 by Dave OrnauerTo all in SportsBlog Nation, a very Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, a belated Happy Hanukkah and a Happy soon-to-be New Year!
Straight from ORNY's heart, a personal note of thanks to all who have helped get SportsBlog off the ground and made it the "No-Hate Zone" which it was intended to be.
Especially in forums such as these, people are very emotional and candid in their views -- and very protective and proud and true to their school, from Misawa to Mangilao.
People speak eloquently and state their cases and views very well, many of them viewpoints that I hadn't even considered ... and others that lead to story ideas.
Occasionally, some views will clash sharply with others. I only ask, once more, that we keep things on topic and avoid bleeding over into personalities.
That said, let's keep the dialogue going as we enter 2008. And may 2008 be filled to the brim with on-court/on-field adventures as memorable as the year in which the sun is setting now.
Once more, a merry and a happy to all. :)
Mr. Ornauer- Thank you
I must say it is wonderful to see so much progress in the overall HS sports coverage in the Pacific. I have followed Pacific sports online for the past few years and each year the coverage grows and gets more in depth.
As one of the lucky few to graduate high school in Japan and play a Div I college sport on scholarship, I know how tough it is to get noticed by colleges… or rather force them to notice you. In the late 80’s, it was virtually impossible.
I hope that the ability to find current information about all of the schools in the Pacific through technology has translated into more visibility for the quality student-athletes overseas that deserve college scholarship opportunities.
The abundance of information, stories, scores, rankings, etc… is really great to see. Yesterday, I even saw clips of my Zama Trojans playing a recent game on You Tube. (Looks like we took two from Edgren)
Thanks in no small part to your tireless dedication to HS Sports in the Pacific over many years, I can sit in my home in CT and see Zama ranked #5 in the recent Boys B-Ball poll, read about the athlete of the week, follow the various seasons, and yes, remember how wonderful it was to be there. The closest we got to finding out who was truly the best team in football when I was there was you telling us who you thought was the best or those occasional “Kanto Plain All-Stars against the world” all star games.
On a personal level, I want to thank you for remembering me over the years. The article last year where you mentioned me in the same paragraph with Shaq was a huge hit with the guys that work for me (they Googled my name looking for my college info and found the article). Great, I get mentioned in an article years after playing at Zama and they are only concerned with how many words away from Shaq I was.
In all seriousness, I want to send you my warmest regards and let you know that your work has meant so much to so many young people over the years. Continue the growth and exposure of Pacific HS sports. There are some hidden gems there. All it takes is a chance.
ZAMADAWG
Zamadawg
Zamadawg, great to hear from you. Terrific memories, this brings back. It's been too long since we've talked. Hope the years have continued to be good to you. :)
Thanks again
Yes, much props to Orny for giving the kids some recognition! It's great to see the Far East High School scene covered as it is today! I can keep up with My Zama Trojans as they stomp through Far East this year and bring a championsip to Zama! Thank you Mr. Ornauer.
Re: Thanks again
Wow! First, Zamadawg brings back a slice of the 80s; now, J.KoyamaZama makes Ornauer reminisce about the 90s. Two of the best ever to don the Trojans basketball uniform. It's becoming a family reunion!