A Don McCormack column: Former Beacon SE honored

DON McCORMACK
Star Beacon

June 25, 2009 01:04 am

— Paying another visit to the variety store...

Seeing Red
The most famous person to ever sit in this chair will be receiving one of journalism’s most prestigious awards Friday afternoon.
Vince Doria, who began his professional journalism career as sports editor of the Star Beacon in April 1971 after graduating from Ohio State University, has been the 2009 winner of the Red Smith Award for major contributions to sports journalism.
Doria’s selection was announced Wednesday by the Associated Press Sports Editors. The Smith award is named after the legendary New York Times columnist.
“Vince is a legend in this business and deserves all the accolades he receives,” APSE President Lynn Hoppes said in announcing the Red Smith award. “He, along with some of the greats of years gone by revolutionized this business and Vince still is setting the agenda for how we should be practicing journalism.”
Doria spent 16 months as sports editor here in Ashtabula before departing in 1973 for a position with the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In the 1975, he moved on to the Boston Globe, quickly climbing the ladder from assistant sports editor to sports editor of the section generally accepted as the best in the country.
His staff at the Globe included the likes of Peter Gammons and Larry Whiteside, who both eventually would be inducted into the media wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Bob Ryan, Basketball Hall of Fame, Leslie Visser, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Kevin Paul Dupont and Fran Rosa, Hockey Hall of Fame, Bud Collins, Tennis Hall of Fame and Collins, Will McDonough and Leigh Montville, National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame.
Doria made the move from the Globe to be assistant managing editor of The National, a new national sports tabloid. While extremely popular with readers, The National lasted 18 months before folding because of circulation and advertising problems.
He landed on his feet in 1992, joining ESPN, first as editor and then following his trail blazed at the Globe by climbing the ladder to his current post, Senior Vice President and Director of News for all of the World Wide Leader’s platforms in video, audio, print and online content.
“I basically do the same things I did at the Globe,” Doria told Montville for a story about him being named the 2009 Smith winner. “It’s just a lot more people.”
He summed up his current high-profile position.
“Everyone sees PTI, everyone wants to be the next Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon,” he told Montville. “Well, Kornheiser and Wilbon are very good, but they know what they’re talking about. They’ve been around. They’ve done the work. Their opinions are based on something.”
Doria’s staff when he started in Ashtabula in 1971 included writer’s Brian Tucker, now vice president of Crain’s Cleveland Business, Owen Youngman, now a vice president for the Chicago Tribune, and Randy Youngman, now a columnist for the Orange County Register.
Doria, who penned a heartfelt column thanking the people of this area and this newspaper as part of our popular “Star Beacon Old School” series a few years ago, was succeeded as sports editor here by Frank Cermak in 1973.

Board work
The Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Directors recently voted to approve a request by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association to move the first day of official basketball practice for the 2009-10 season for both girls and boys basketball squads up a few days.
The first day of girls practice will now be Friday, Oct. 30, while the boys will tip things off on Friday, Nov. 6.
The board also approved a request to increase the number of junior-high games from 14 to 16, plus a tournament not to exceed four games, but the change won’t take effect until the 2010-11 season.
Four other requests from the coaches association received a thumbs down from the board:
n A request to expand the number of regular-season varsity and JV games permitted during the 2009-10 season to 21 games.
n A request to expand the number of regular-season varsity and JV games permitted beginning with the 2010-11 season to 22 games.
n A request to expand the number of regular-season freshman games beginning with the 2010-11 season to 22 games.
n A request to allow coaches to provide individual instruction during open-gym settings.
In other sports, the board the board voted unanimously to extend the contract with Firestone Stadium in Akron to host the softball finals, making the terms 10 years, which began in 2008.
With the contract revision, the softball finals will remain at Firestone through 2017. The 2,500-seat stadium, which serves as the home of the Akron Racers of the National Pro Fastpitch League, is the gem of a 13-acre complex that has hosted numerous state and national softball tournaments and leagues since it was dedicated in 1925.
“We are very fortunate to have an amazing facility like Firestone Stadium as the home of our softball state tournament,” Dr. Dan Ross, OHSAA Commissioner, said in an OHSAA release. “Tournament manager Dave Suncire and his staff, and the entire city of Akron, do an outstanding job hosting the state tournament and have proven to us that Firestone Stadium is where our softball state champions should be crowned.”
The 2009 state tournament, which represents four divisions and 12 games, drew 10,182 fans through the turnstiles June 4-6. All 12 games were Web cast by OhioHSsports.com and the four championship games were televised by SportsTime Ohio.
“I would personally like to thank the Board of Directors for their consideration, and for the recommendation from Dr. Ross that we host the state softball tournament for 10 years,” Suncire said in the release. “We are honored and proud to host and love having the teams and fans visit our city and play in Firestone Stadium. This is what we do for a living and there is nothing that we would rather do than host this tournament.”
“We always appreciate the validation of our hard work whether it is from people here in Akron, or elsewhere,” Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic said in the release. “This news shows us the folks from the OHSAA and the families and players have really enjoyed playing in Akron and visiting our city.”
For its first 30 years – from 1978 to 2007 – the OHSAA softball state tournament was held at Brookside Park in Ashland.
Conneaut won the state championship there in 2000 under coach Clyde Laughlin and the Edgewood Warriors of coach Shelley Monas dropped a Division II semifinal to eventual state champion Keystone there in 2006.
The board approved a one-year extension for Huntington Park in Columbus to host the state baseball tournament in 2010.
It also tabled a proposal from the wrestling coaches association that the OHSAA add a dual-meet state tournament series.
The 2009 boys and girls golf championships will be held jointly at Northstar Golf Course in Sunbury (1150 Wilson Road) and The Scarlet and Gray courses at The Ohio State University Golf Club. (Previously, Foxfire Golf Club in Lockbourne was used in addition to Ohio State.) In 2009, girls Division I will be held on Gray, girls Division II will be held on Gray, boys Division I will be held on Scarlet, boys Division II will be held at Northstar, and boys Division III will be held on Scarlet. Division II and III finals are scheduled for Oct. 16-17, while Division I finals are scheduled for Oct. 23-24.
The first day of the girls tennis finals (Oct. 23) will be played at the OSU Stickney Tennis Center, but an Ohio State home football game is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, requiring the second day of the girls tennis finals to be moved to another Central Ohio location to be determined.

McCormack is the sports editor of the Star Beacon. Reach him at donmac@suite224.net.

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