Humbled and honoured
This Friday, I will be inducted as a Niagara Boxing Legend along with Val Ryan, Shawn Conlon, John Conlon and Greg Black.
I am humbled and honoured to be the first media member chosen for this recognition but I can relate to a few quotes from two of the other honourees.
“It is not that I am not honoured and I am flattered but I don’t think I belong in there,” Greg Black said.
Me too.
“I hate to be in the spotlight like this, but it is very nice of Joe (Corrigan),” Val Ryan said.
Ditto for me.
It is tough to accept an honour for just doing your job but I figure if I take it and move on, Joe and Bruce Greenlaw will stop bugging me to be a combatant in the Murphy’s Gloves.
All kidding aside, I would like to thank the St. Catharines Boxing Club for recognizing me in this way and I offer my congratulations to the other most-worthy inductees. Last year, I turned down a similar honour in another sport by saying that I was still very much active as a writer and it was too soon. But the truth of the matter is that I am clearly on the downside of a sports reporting career that has spanned nearly three decades. I need only look at the collection of pill bottles on my dresser or the amount of grey and white hair sprinkled liberally in my ever-receding hairline to know that the end is much nearer than the beginning.
I often tell my daughters that the luckiest people on earth are the ones who have jobs that they love doing. Through all the corporate downsizing and the great fear of the unknown when Bill Potrecz and I started BP Sports Niagara more than five years ago, there has not been a day go by when I did not feel blessed to be able to do what I do for a living.
Being a reporter is anything but a nine to five job. I remember being invited to a career fair at Denis Morris and the school had created poster boards about all the various occupations that were on hand for the fair. I was anything but surprised to find out that the only occupation with worse hours that a journalist was a priest. Given that both career choices are vocations, the similar hours only made sense.
I have written thousands of stories, taken thousands of pictures and interviewed a multitude of athletes and coaches and I can honestly say that the boxing community has a spot near and dear to my heart. In the last 25-plus years, I have had the pleasure getting to know the best coaches, fighters and officials across Niagara. What an amazing, selfless, dedicated and talented group!
When I left the job as sports editor at the Niagara Falls Review to become a sports reporter at The Standard, one of the first people who welcomed me to the city was Joe. He called me up, told me he had heard nice things about me from the boxing clubs in Niagara Falls and said that he was looking forward to working with me in the days and years ahead.
More than a quarter of a century later, Joe and I are still ‘working together.’ Some sports communities I have dealt with have been demanding with their requests for editorial coverage but not the St. Catharines Boxing Club.
Here’s how every single phone call starts between myself and Joe.
“Hello Bernie, I know you are busy but if it is possible could you please come down to write a story? Whatever you can do for us would be great.”
On the rare occasion when I was too busy to come right away, he understood and welcomed me profusely when I did show up.
Twice in the past year, I have been told by people at the club that they see me as a member and I feel the same way.
As I leave the club after doing an interview, Joe usually says to me ‘Who loves you more than the St. Catharines Boxing Club?’
The feeling is mutual.
