Stories behind my favorite stories of 2019

The clicks of boots off the hallways inside the United Center. That’s what I’ll remember most. 

There were three interview rooms at the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago last March. We had a general idea where Tim Miles would be, but not an exact one. So we ran -- a few of us reporters, notebooks bursting out of pockets, voice recorders rattling against car keys -- in a circle around the United Center hallways until we saw something familiar. A player, an assistant coach, Miles himself, maybe. 

When 2019 ends, and I think back on the last year of reporting, that’s what I’ll remember most. The clicks echoing off the halls as we ran toward the unfamiliar. We were pretty sure Miles was about to get fired, but we didn’t know for sure. And if he was, we weren’t sure when and where and how and who Nebraska would hire and when and what that meant. We had ideas and tips. Nothing was solid. 

What ended up happening, the firing of Miles and hiring of Fred Hoiberg, changed my whole year. It took me to Ames, Iowa, and the Final Four for the first time. Had me watching Iowa State film in the summer, meeting brand new players and coaches and, yet again, covering a rebuilding program.  

The year 2019 was a rough one for Nebraska fans. But there were brief moments of joy, both for basketball and football. Covering misery is never fun. But there’s so much more to sports than the x’s and o’s and the fights we have with friends and family over playcalling and culture.

As we wrap up the year, I wanted to share a few stories that will stick with me after the clock hit midnight in two weeks, with a bit of background on each. Below that are five of my favorite reads of the year, too.

Story One: Nebraska basketball never trails in Big ten road victory over No. 25 Indiana

The 10 hour drive was killer. I listed to “We Shall Know Our Velocity,” a book that disappointed, had to stop at three times for gas and ended up in Bloomington at 9 p.m., too late for most restaurants around. Best of all, I’d forgotten my laptop charger, a charger that I’d never seen a duplicate of in my life and had no clue how to replace. The next morning, after a Best Buy trip and $40, I was juiced back up, then found the best breakfast joint in town right on the edge of campus. The place was all wood, eggs bright yellow, coffee hot and bitter. Perfection. I got to Assembly Hall early -- far earlier than appropriate -- to see the cathedral. That alone made the drive worth it. As did the game, after Nebraska dominated the Hoosiers on the road. I was able to capture a brief moment of positivity in a season that was about to go off the rails. The 10 hour drive back wasn’t so bad after that. 

Story Two:  Husker fans dream of just one NCAA tournament win. Fred Hoiberg thinks of Final Four ‘all the time’ 

In the span of three days in Minneapolis, I got lucky enough (truly luck, it was not skill, it was a ball rickashaying off the backboard 90 feet into the other hoop type of luck) to talk with Dwyane Wade, Tom Izzo as he prepared for the Final Four and new head coach Fred Hoiberg. Wade happened to be playing in Minneapolis one night, and I secured a credential and asked the future Hall-of-Famer one question. Maybe the proudest moment of the year was saying a coherent question to Mr. Wade that day. Izzo I stole for 90 seconds after a practice, based off pure chance. Hoiberg and I then watched the end of the Auburn-Virginia game, which this story was written off of. Total luck that the game ended up being a classic, total luck Hoiberg would be there to see his son play for Michigan State. I’ll never forget how small the court looked at US Bank Stadium, and how big the moment felt for everyone packed into the student section in front of press row. And how much Hoiberg yearned to be on the floor, and not next to me eating a soft pretzel.

Story Three: Fred Hoiberg became ‘The Mayor’ of Ames, but he’s always been a Nebraskan, down to his deepest roots 

The journalism Gods dealt me a good hand on this one, too. I wanted to write a story about Hoiberg’s roots, and it turns out, some of the most important people in his life gather at the same coffee shop every day in Ames to talk shop. I put a voice recorder in the middle, and let them tell stories. Could’ve stayed for hours. It was my second day in town reporting. After spending a day with Hoiberg’s parents, visiting a local restaurant/museum and this 90 minute session with $2 coffee, I called an editor. Generally, you want to knock on one more door, make one more call, before writing. I told him I was headed home early. I couldn’t wait.  

Story Four: For Nebraska’s Lamar Jackson to fulfill the image he had for himself, he first had to fall to earth

Lamar Jackson was a story waiting to be written. All he wanted was someone to sit down and listen. So the day after Nebraska’s first football game, I drove to his apartment. We sat on the balcony and he poured out his soul. Jackson is as fast of a talker as you’ll ever, ever meet, and the 12,000 word transcript of the interview proves that. Not everyone can do what Jackson did, not in 2019. To take criticism for three years, to be cast aside by fans and coaches, to be embarrassed on national TV, then to pick yourself back up and become an NFL Draft pick? And to do that while dealing with being an unexpected father? Jackson won fans over with his play. He won me over on that balcony. 

Story Five: Mike Williams’ miraculous life story -- and a 50-yard smile -- provide inspiration to Huskers 

Never cried while writing. Been close during a few interviews. This was one. Mike Williams will be forgotten soon. He didn’t do much at Nebraska. But as reporters, we have to look beyond that. It is so easy to say someone is a bust or someone isn’t worth anything because they aren’t good at what you want them to be good at. But what a dehumanizing and cynical way to look at the world. We don’t use empathy enough in reporting, or as sports fans. The original idea for this story was about Mike’s arrival and it was supposed to run the second week of his junior season. But it was delayed time and time again as Nebraska fell into a 0-6 hole, and while the paper wanted me to wait until he scored a touchdown. That never came. Finally, it was greenlit for senior day. It was somewhat lost in the shuffle of Iowa-Nebraska and Nebraska’s 5-7 season. When the 2020 season begins, Williams won’t be talked about much around Nebraska. But I hope his story isn’t forgotten.  

Thanks, as always, for reading anything I’ve written. It’s the privilege of my life.

My favorite reads of the 2019: 

New York Times: Lovers in Auschwitz, Reunited 72 years later. He had one question 

Grab the tissues. And read this now, before it becomes a movie. Because it should be a movie.

New Yorker Magazine: What if your abusive husband is a cop?

Reads like a movie, too. Haunting.

GQ Magazine: Chaos at the Top of the World

This will make your hands a bit sweaty, so beware of that.

The Star-Ledger: He told a kid to slide. Then he got sued.

If you’re a parent involved in your child’s sports teams, a must read. A fan of good journalism, a must read.

Detroit Free Press: Michigan State star Cassius Winston’s grief is so heavy, not even basketball can ease it:

This story is packed with empathy, and is the right way to approach athletes as people.

NBA.com: Looking for closure

A story so good it makes me want to quit.

thecut.com: The Wild Ride at Babe.Net

There’s a lot going on here. But if you’re into irony, drama and the mess of the world, this is for you.

Thanks as always for reading. Hope you’re enjoying this newsletter.

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