Men of honor
Event recognizes contributions of sports journalists
Commentary by Felicia
D. McDaniel, Globe Sports Editor
Last week,
two Bay Area gems were recognized at the San Francisco
Hilton for their contribution to the world of sports
media.
The Bay Area Black Journalists Association (BABJA) honored former
KGO-TV director and sports anchor Martin Wyatt and longtime Oakland Tribune columnist
Monte Poole at the fourth annual Young Journalists Scholarship event.
According
to BABJA, the number of people of color in print and electronic media is dropping,
and one of the many goals of the group is to provide an outlet for those who
wish to serve as a member of the media.
In addition to the recognition of Wyatt
and Poole, young journalists were also acknowledged for their efforts in the
field. Those in attendance were graced with the presence of slain journalist
Chauncey Bailey’s sister, who presented the first inaugural scholarship
in his memory.
Following the emotional presentation, the honorees were roasted
by friends and colleagues with a video montage. Wyatt and Poole have made memorable
marks in print and electronic media and done extensive work to be a positive
influence in their community. These two poised men are well deserving of BABJA’s
honors.
Martin Wyatt, retired sports director, KGO-TV
Although there has been
a decline in black faces on television as anchors, one thing that has been constant
since the late 1980s on Channel 7 is Martin Wyatt.
The first time I heard Wyatt
speak, he had me on the edge on of my seat as he painted the perfect picture
of his memorable experience with Muhammad Ali as a young African American sports
journalist.
Always approachable, Wyatt has a presence that commands the attention
of the room when he walks in. When he talks, people listen and this is what they
did for 20 years as Wyatt served as the sports director and weekday sports anchor
for KGO-TV/ABC-7 until his retirement this past summer.
Wyatt doesn’t sugarcoat
the truth and is vocal about his plight as an African American breaking into
the field of journalism. Born in Memphis, Wyatt grew up in Vallejo and played
briefly for the Canadian Football League after college.
When he started in the
field of journalism in 1972, Muhammad Ali noticed him in a sea of white faces
when he attended the Rumble in the Jumble in Zaire between Ali and Joe Frazer. “Who
do you think you are, the black Howard Cosell?” he asked. He motioned for
the crowd to move aside and allow the young Wyatt to come to the front of the
crowd. Later, Ali gave him a oneon- one interview.
Wyatt speaks often about his
path in becoming one of the first black faces to grace the tube in the field
of sports in the Bay Area and gives thanks to the athletes who saw a young black
man trying to make it. In return, he does the same and offers up his phone number,
just as Willie Mays once did for him.
Each time we speak, he offers advice with
love and encouragement and will always take the time to tell me that he enjoyed
something I wrote. To think that he actually reads my columns blows me away,
and if I never get a compliment from another person, knowing that I got one from
him will be enough for me.
The advice he gives to those wanting a career in the
media: “Stay rooted in your community; if your story is credible your newsroom
will listen to you.”
Monte Poole, sports columnist, Oakland Tribune
Monte
is the big brother who seems to never have a bad day. His presence is big, his
laugh is infectious, and he strolls into the locker room like he owns it.
It’s
hard to believe that the Oakland Tribune has managed to keep him for 25 years,
and he’s never flirted with another publication since the day he began
in 1982 as a reporter on prep sports. Fellow columnist Dave Newhouse deemed him “part
poet, part linebacker” last week.
As young people and aspiring journalists,
opening up the sports section and seeing another black face besides that of Brenda
Payton in the main section was something special, and Poole gave us hope and
a voice. For once, we were seeing a black man in the newspaper that didn’t
entail something negative.
“I grew up reading Monte Poole,” said
Contra Costa County Times sportswriter Marcus Thompson II. “I always wanted
to know what he had to say. I wanted my opinion to matter as much as his. As
a young, African American who loved to write and kept a nose in the sports section,
Monte’s presence was really inviting. He definitely made me aware that
it was something I could do and showed that I can be myself while doing it.”
A
product of Castlemont High School and Merritt College, Poole says he is uncomfortable
with accolades and was surprised with the recognition from BABJA. When Bob Butler,
BABJA president and KCBS reporter, called him 10 months ago, Poole said, “I
had to pull away from the phone because I didn’t think he had the right
person.”
“Our business isn’t always about helping a youngster
out, but Monte Poole was someone that looked out for me since I was a writer
for the student paper at Cal,” said Sacramento Bee Oakland Raiders beat
writer Jason Jones. “To this day, Monte provides an example of how to carry
myself with class and dignity.”
Writing for the masses is never an easy
task, and Monte makes his writing read the way he talks — with ease, graced
with a bit of humor. However, not everyone agrees with what he writes, as I witnessed
a day before his tribute when a player became vocal about something he’d
written.
Although the confrontation caught many off guard, it didn’t seem
to move Monte, who remained his usual laid-back self and shrugged off the whole
thing. What I saw that day was valuable, and it reminded me to be fearless and
true to myself, a motto he lives by in addition to something that longtime sportswriter
Ron “Bergie” Bergman offered him: “Don’t take it personal.
Everyone is not going to like what you do or say.”
A huge thanks to Jason
Jenkins of the San Francisco 49ers for inviting me
to attend this luncheon.
