Rusty Rae returns as McMinnville N-R sports editor (posted 7/22/2016)

The heart of competition: 

Home! I have returned to sports in the Yamhill Valley

By Rusty Rae of the McMinnville, Ore., News-Register 

July 22, 2016

Although Thomas Wolfe elegantly wrote, “You can’t go home again,” I have returned. Home to McMinnville and home to the sports editor’s desk at the News-Register.

Like many before me, I left McMinnville and the Yamhill Valley some 40 years ago seeking fame and fortune, only to realize that this community of rolling green hills punctuated by oak trees, filbert trees, and now those wonderful varieties of grapes, is far more precious than anything I could earn or win.

The journey has not been without its rewards. I have had the opportunity to observe many different cultures and a variety of sporting venues. From MLB play-off games to NFL football; close encounters with the late great Wayne Woodrow Hayes and a first person view of Evel Knievel at his Kings Island jump near Cincinnati; The Indy 500, the Daytona 200 motorcycle race, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

These experiences have seasoned me and I hope provided me some insight into the sporting psyche.

In all my travels, McMinnville, the Yamhill Valley (and my alma mater, Linfield) have always been close to my heart. 

From afar I learned the comings and goings of Yamhill Valley sports: the ups and downs of the Grizzlies and the passing of Dayton’s Dewey Sullivan among many, gleaning bits and pieces from friends and cohorts in the area.

I carried the Linfield banner in my heart around the world, listening to Linfield football games online in places like Madrid; Georgetown, Guyana; and Tianjin, China. I watched the first Seahawk Super Bowl from Brussels (starting about two am).

To be clear, I am a complete sports geek. I have a passion for sports and I love to tell the story behind the story.

A wee bit before Mr. Wolfe, Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus wrote, “It is impossible to step into the same river twice.” When you step into a river the second time, it is not the same river. The water is different, the current is different, and the earth below the river is different because a river is always in flux. And, of course, you are changed as well.

So I return to the Sports Editor desk knowing the community has changed and looking forward to the challenge of assimilating the myriad of changes, but ultimately focused on bringing you the story of competition in the Yamhill Valley.

Today, very often, many know the score of a contest before the paper is printed. We at the News-Register believe nothing sells more poorly than old news. So, it is my hope that we will be able to use all the modern tools of the digital age at our disposal to bring you accurate information about who won as early as possible. Check our Twitter Feed, our Facebook Page and the News-Register website for early coverage.

While the major sports will certainly be a focus of our coverage, I also want to bring you the stories of all who compete in our community. There are other endeavors deserving attention, from those who race any flavor of motorized vehicle to those who cast a fly or paddle a kayak – you get the drift.

It is my hope to bring you the story behind the score. The story of the extra effort that made a difference — what I consider the heart of competition.

Perfection is reserved for the Divine; however, as Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi is quoted as saying, “If we shoot for perfection, we may attain excellence.” That is my goal for the sports pages of the News-Register.

Quoting Mr. Wolfe again, “Some things will never change. Some things will always be the same. Lean down your ear upon the earth and listen.”

I believe the whack of a baseball (or softball), the swish of a basket, and the smack of a crisp tackle remain constant over time. As is the proverbial thrill of victory and the agony of defeat — all pieces of the fabric of community sports. I will endeavor to “lean down my ear” to bring the story of the heart of competition in the Yamhill Valley.

It is going to be a great ride. I hope you will join me.