Before Niko was born in 2016, I was a huge NBA basketball and San Antonio Spurs fan. Football and baseball, were not on my horizon. I could watch those two sports, but I wasn’t enamored like basketball. If anything, I liked basketball first and high school football second.
Why high school football? Well, from 1997 through 2016, I was a high school football statistician for the Texas Sports Radio Network (TSRN) and Thursday Night Lights (TNL). Those gigs led me to work for ESPN radio for an Alamo Bowl football game and one year for UTSA football for the Spanish radio crew.
TSRN broadcasted high school football, baseball, and basketball games on the radio, the internet, and the mobile app. TNL broadcasted high school football games on television and the play-by-play and color commentators were from the local Fox and NBC television station.
In 2011, I started writing about the games I worked and shared stats, photos, and my overall thoughts. In 2013 and 2014, I shared renovation photos of a historic football stadium, Alamo Stadium, that was built by the Works Progress Administration in the 1940’s. These photos got more popularity than my writing as I was interviewed on television about it and the photos themselves were featured in books and during promos for TNL games that featured the teams that played at that stadium. I also did the same for another high school football stadium that got a new press box, but that didn’t get the attention like Alamo Stadium. I also took photos of a new basketball gymnasium that was being built next to another high school football stadium.
In March of 2015, my wife asked me if I liked being a statistician or a writer better. Without any hesitation from me, I replied I liked writing better.
So, I retired from TSRN as a statistician and become a sportswriter and photographer on Friday’s and Saturday’s starting with the 2015 high school football season.
I didn’t want to give up my Thursday stat job with TNL in 2015 since the pay was triple from what I was making with TSRN. Before the 2016 high school football season began with Thursday Night Lights, I officially retired as a statistician and continued along my path as a sportswriter and photographer.
For most of the games I covered as a writer, I preferred the field to the press box. The bigger the school or the game, the more people were on the field. I liked the smaller ones much better. It was a totally different experience for me to be amongst the players and coaches and be able to see and hear the crowd and bands. I guess, you can say that I liked the noise and the energy. I had a backpack with supplies for my camera, a monopod, water, and snacks. I rarely had my laptop with me.
During the 2015 high school football season, I had articles published on www.sasports.com, www.texashsfootball.com, www.texasredzonerport.com, and my website, www.thestatmanspeaks.com and I got paid a little bit for them. I had official looking media credentials and enjoyed flashing them.
For the 2016 and 2017 high school football seasons, I published articles on my website, www.thestatmanspeaks.com, and got paid from St. Anthony Catholic High School as I covered their football team in 2016.
The last game I covered as a writer was a playoff game between the Cuero Gobblers and the Navarro Panthers on December 1, 2017. Strange how things work as my first game as a statistician was for the Cuero basketball team, and my last game as a sportswriter and photographer was for the Cuero football team.
Who inspired me to become a sports fan?
It was definitely my grandfather (my mom’s father, Charlie). Not, my mom and dad. I don’t remember ever doing anything sports related with my parents. My parents both had full-time jobs, and my older brother by 4 years had no interest in sports. I know I played soccer for the JCC in San Antonio as a young teen, and had a few trophies, but it never stuck to me as something to pursue.
My dad did put up a basketball hoop in the driveway above the garage and did have to jerry-rig it a little bit with some wood and he made sure it was 10 feet high. I had lots of solo shooting from every angle, and yeah, I would have to have them move cars, so I had room. I would also throw the ball on the roof and when it came down, it was catch-and-shoot for me. I actually had a pretty decent outside shot, but over time and as I got older, my shooting skills have disappeared! When my parents weren’t able to move cars, I worked around them and occasionally hitting them or bouncing the ball off them! Sorry for the basketball dents!
I also, at one point, had a metal over the door basketball hoop in my bedroom, and I had a lot of fun bouncing a ball off the wall and dunking it. It was really sturdy.
Whether I was inside our outside, I always imagined I was on the San Antonio Spurs with the clock winding down and if a shot goes in, we win! Let me say, we always won, even if took several attempts! It was David Robinson, Terry Cummings, Willie Anderson, Sean Elliot, and Mark Lieberman. The best starting five ever!
When I worked for Chase Bank many many many years later, one of my co-workers from a different department but at one point, she sat in front of me, was one of Willie’s ex-wives! I didn’t know it until one day when she was talking about her daughters and there dad who attended Georgia and I put it all together. We would chat about life and her family, but I never asked directly about him. I think once, I said, you probably have some good stories for a book!
My grandfather subscribed to Sports Illustrated and a few other sporting magazines and would give them to me. I doubt he read them! I don’t remember reading them from cover to cover, but I gained a lot of knowledge about baseball and basketball. On my own accord, I became an avid reader of the Official NBA Guide from The Sporting News; it was full of stats and stats and more stats! Name a record, and it was in there.
I never played sports in school, although I was the student manager of the Clark High School Varsity basketball team throughout my 4 years (my role was filming all the games) and I operated the scoreboard and kept track of the stats at the Freshman and JV games when needed.
I spent a lot of nights in my younger days watching sports with my grandfather. I never heard anything bad from my grandfather about any player, except Charles Barkley. He thought he was a dirty player.
I collected baseball and basketball cards in my younger years, and have gotten rid of most of them, only keeping the ones that I think are valuable. I think I had a Michael Jordan rookie card and traded it to classmate, for what I don’t remember. Hey, I didn’t know it would become one of the best valued cards! Oh well. Every few years, I think of reaching out to Hunter and asking him.
I read an awesome booked called Loose Balls, about the history of the American Basketball Association. The Spurs were one of four ABA teams to merge into the NBA and I really enjoyed reading how it came to be as well as lots of fun tidbits about former players and coaches. Did you know that Dr. J and George “Ice Man” Gervin played together at one point? The book I read before the ABA book was the autobiography of Dr. J. A book I have yet to read but is staring at me from the bookcase is the history of the Kentucky Colonels, another ABA team.
I even subscribed to the NBA League Pass a few times so I could watch more basketball games than just the Spurs. Yes, the Spurs were my favorite, but I loved watching other teams and games, especially if it was a close game coming down to the final basket. I used to say a lot to anybody who would listen that when the Spurs and Dallas Mavericks (the Dirk years) played a game, just skip the first 43 minutes and give them 5 minutes to play and the score tied; may the best team win.
I saw Spurs games in Hemisphere Arena, The Alamodome, and the Frost Bank Center. I remember watching them lose lots of games in the 90’s and I never imagined that they would be NBA Champions (5 times)! I had a poster of one of those teams from the early 90’s and the team is standing around Shamu from Sea World of Texas.
I loved it when somebody in my immediate family would bring me autographs of players. I have quite a collection. My oldest Spurs autograph is from June 20, 1991 and it’s Avery Johnson. How do I know certain that date? Well, his autograph is on a ticket stub from a San Antonio Missions (they were a AA minor league baseball team affiliated with the LA Dodgers) game. I think that particular game was a game in which professional LA Dodger baseball player, Orel Hershiser, pitched in one of his rehab starts after an injury. That could be why Avery was at the game! I have another Avery autograph from 1999 and it’s a picture of him hitting the game winning shot in Game 5 of the 1999 NBA Finals; I got it from one of my managers when I worked for the Spurs and he told me not to tell anybody!
Another Spurs autograph that I have is Sam Mack. I was with my family celebrating my birthday at a Chinse restaurant and I recognized him immediately. I was to shy to ask him for his autograph, but my dad wasn’t and even told him it was my birthday. Well, not only did he give me his autograph, but he also gave me his home phone number and told us to reach out to him as he was going to try to get us tickets to the next Spurs home game. He was only able to get us 1 ticket and was I not feeling well for that game, but well enough to drive to a park and ride and catch a bus to the arena. I sat behind the basket with the wife’s and girlfriends of the team as well as the person who sang the National Anthem. What an awesome gesture on his part and I think it was my 16th birthday (1993) and quite possibly the last game in Hemisphere Arena. I wish I had that ticket stub!
In addition to Sam Mack and Avery Johnson, I also have these former Spurs coaches and players: Will Perdue, Larry Brown, Terry Cummings, Paul Pressey, Howard Eisley, Alvin Robertson, Chuck Person, Terry Porter, Vinny Del Negro, David Robinson, George Gervin, Sean Elliott, Vernon Maxwell, Willie Anderson, The Coyote!, and Tim Duncan. Non Spurs autographs are: Gerald Wilkins and Kevin McHale. I actually got the Tim Duncan one from a Spurs season ticket holder; it’s a picture of him coming off the airplane when he arrived in San Antonio being interviewed by one of the local sports broadcasters.
Man, looking at that list above, that would be one heck of a great team with Larry Brown at the helm! I think my starting five would be: David Robinson, Tim Duncan, George Gervin, Terry Porter, and Chuck Person! The sixth man would be Sean Elliott!
For one summer, I worked for the San Antonio Missions baseball team; they were a AA minor league baseball team and the manager at that time was Rick Burleson. I collected baseball and basketball cards and still have a few remaining in my collection. I had a very small stack of baseball cards from 1982 and one of those players just happened to be Rick Burleson. So, I asked one of the home clubhouse guys (the name, I can’t remember) if Rick would sign it for me. Well, not only did he sign it, but he also signed a current card of him as manager of the club! Pretty cool!
I never in a million years expected to ever be working for the San Antonio Spurs, but that did happen in 1999.
If you’re familiar with the San Antonio Spurs or the St. Mary’s Rattlers Basketball team in San Antonio, I am going to drop a lot of names that you may have heard of. If not, use Google to research further. From 1991 to 1995, I was the manager of the varsity basketball team for my high school. Occasionally at the varsity basketball games, you may see Bob Hill, a former Head Coach of the Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, the current Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs, or Buddy Meyer Sr, a former Head Coach of the St. Mary’s Rattlers. Hill’s and Meyer’s sons played for us and Popovich’s daughter was on the women’s varsity basketball team and they would often play before us. I will say that none of these kids got any special treatment. Not on our team was George Gervin’s son.
How did I get the job with the San Antonio Spurs? And, what did I do?
In 1999, I was working part-time for a small locally owned computer company. We had just moved to a larger building. We were hiring more staff, and I was in charge of the Returns Merchandise Authorizations (RMA) department (basically, any bad computer component went through me). I also, at times, would help build and fix computers if we were backed up. It was a good job for me at that point in my life. I was still a year out from graduating college.
I didn’t really know what I wanted to do as a career and had no career aspirations. After I graduated high school, I was thinking about getting an undergraduate degree in Sports Management, but that never panned out. Was it because it was probably an out-of-state school or just not being prepared, probably both! I had applied for another job with the Spurs shortly after I started college at UTSA in 1995, and I didn’t get it because I was still thinking out about the possibility of transferring to a college for sports management and maybe I told the HR lady that.
I don’t remember where I saw the Spurs Rewards Internship job posted (maybe a place called Work in Sports or Jobs in Sports), but it seemed like something interesting and fun, and it was a shot in the door of working for a professional franchise. So, I applied for the internship (which I think was about $500 monthly), and eventually, I got it and it started in October of 1999. Yeah, I missed the 1999 Championship season, but I did get some free Championship memorabilia.
I worked with the Spurs Rewards fan appreciation program under the Fan Relations department. Basically, if you come to games and swipe a card, you can get free things. The kiosks were able to ask specific questions and that helped our Marketing department. One of the first prizes for enrolling and swiping a card at that first game, was a free Sprite!
One member I enrolled was Tim Duncan’s wife at that time, Amy. Normally, we don’t do that, but since Tim was the franchise, she was curious about the program and wanted to know more. So, I said sure thing!
I made sure our kiosks were stocked with coupon paper, our headquarters had enough supplies for redemption, I checked in volunteers who would man several tables throughout the Alamodome and even outside (we had two gazebos) to enroll new members, and I operated a laptop for those who forgot there card or just needed general maintenance performed (like, a card not working).
I didn’t use a dolly for the deliveries, instead, I used a small electric drivable pallet jack. It drove very easily, once I figured it out. The only downside was I had to use the freight elevators which were located near the loading dock, so it was a far drive (but, quick with my wheels)! A lot of the maintenance crew had bicycles, and I did see an air hose hanging from the ceiling in the loading dock. I heard a rumor that once when Michael Jordan was playing for the Bulls, he brought a bicycle to the Dome. The loading dock was also where the Spurs players parked their cars. Plenty of room for the team, visiting team buses, and media trucks.
I had a walkie-talkie and I would often be running around fixing kiosks and getting more rewards. I would often watch the end of the game from the Spurs tunnel if they were winning and the visitors tunnel if they were losing.
The Internship ended after a year, but because of my outstanding performance, I was called back to assist the program as a part-time employee until it finally ended in May of 2002. It was a seasonal position, so I only worked during the season. One year I designed one of the backgrounds for the kiosks and wrote a wrap-up book for the program that was provided to current and potential sponsors; that was fun as I had to work with other departments to obtain the informations I needed.
In the summer of 2000, I worked for the San Antonio Missions baseball team in a similar role. One of the employees of the company that provided the services to the Spurs and the Missions, was the son of a US Senator, and yes, we had some interactions. Not the dad, but the son! I believe during the time with the baseball team, that company went out of business, so the Spurs and Missions did as much as possible in-house. I don’t know how much longer the program lasted both at the Missions and the Spurs.
I don’t know why I didn’t get hired on as a full-time employee, and I didn’t ask anybody from HR about it. I have no regrets about those three years, and still am friendly with a few colleagues on social media.
Did I meet any of the players or coaching staff?
On my first day as an Intern, I was asked by my boss to help somebody bring something from the office to her car. That something was about 4 feet tall, was in an orange box, and had wheels for easy movement. When we got in the elevator, I asked her what was in that box, and she replied, “The 1999 Spurs Championship Trophy!!!” I was like, really, wow!!! A few months later, at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, the Spurs had a booth where we had the trophy on display and those mini foldable Spurs games calendars. The Spurs and the Rodeo folks were partnering together to gather support for a new arena. I manned the booth a few times, and when we were done for the day, my co-worker was going to leave the trophy in her car while she partied at the nighttime events! I told her nope, let me take it home, and I will bring back to the office the following day. She agreed, and I got a police escort to my car while I wheeled the trophy to my Saturn! This actually happened three times. First time, I took it home and left it in the box. Second, I took it out, and the last time, we had a party at my parent’s house with it. How awesome is that?
I saw Coach Pop in an elevator once, and said hello and good luck the in the game. Being an employee of the Spurs, they didn’t want us fanning out over players and coaches. Like, OMG, Tim Duncan, you are my favorite player, can I have your autograph – NOPE!!!
It wasn’t like we all had offices near each other, and I could talk to Coach Pop at the water fountain. The basketball operations staff quarters were far from us and I was only in there a few times to help the owners secretary with some computer issues and provide her with some Spurs Rewards. Yes, I did see the owners office.
Leaving one night, Antonio Daniels was behind me and next thing I saw was a flash of speed passing me. I don’t remember what car it was, but it was fast!
I saw the local and national tv and radio personalities eating before the game. Along with our Rewards crew, we were the only ones allowed to eat early. Never bothered them, but it was fun to see the famous personalities!
I got to be a seat filler for one of Tim Duncan’s MVP press conference’s. I got tickets to games and my parents were the lucky recipients of those. I got honored at center court a few times for my outstanding customer service; it is really loud on the court. I got to escort a visiting teams player daughter and girlfriend to there seats (it was Shawn Bradley from the Dallas Mavericks). I got to see The Coyote warming up and he only had the bottom half of the costume on (this was before his identity was known).
One thing I heard about, but never participated in was staff pickup games on the court!
I got to attend a Spurs Christmas party with the staff and the players and their families. I was thinking the party was at a different location in downtown and Tony Parker may have thought the same thing because I saw him in my rear-view mirror! I had to pull over and call my parents for directions; this was way before GPS and smart phones. Greeting everybody was the owner, Peter Holt, and he was handing out Best Buy gift cards. When I left that party, Sean Elliott and his wife were getting their fancy SUV from valet parking and the gentleman from the valet service didn’t know how to open the doors, so Sean to the rescue. My little Saturn was so out of place!
Every month, there would a be a luncheon for all the employees and Coach Pop and GM R.C. Buford would talk about the state of the Spurs.
As an employee with a Spurs ID credential, fans expect you to know everything about everything! I had to direct fans to concession stands, restrooms, elevators, and there seat. One fan I met was on the opposite side of the Alamodome looking for his seat. I helped him and explained that for football games, that section is right where you were, but for basketball, the seating configuration changes and that section is moved to under the curtain divider.
Yes, I did get to see the Spurs locker room once as that was one of the Rewards from a raffle. We had other raffles as well. One was an autographed pair of shoes from each player, and it gave me such great joy to give them to the winners. Steve Kerr, was one of the players on the Spurs, and I gave his autographed showed to a young boy. A few weeks later, he sent a thank you note telling me he was going to be a shooter, just like Steve Kerr (included was also a picture of him wearing them). I still have a Spurs jacket and Spurs laptop bag as they were our Rewards for attending every game!
I got to meet and chat with a lot of fans. A long time Spurs season ticket holder gave me an autographed picture of Tim Duncan when he first arrived in San Antonio! I know that is a fact because I sent a picture of it to the local sportscaster who interviewed him. I think that particular fan may have passed away very recently, and it got a lot of coverage because she was donned in Spurs stuff. There were some fans who would find me first before they got seated. Spurs fans also get all decked out and wear everything Spurs. Whether it be makeup, flags, shirts, buttons, pants, shoes, hats, posters, necklaces, rings, or socks, they know how to show spirit! One fan wanted me to take them to the visiting locker room so they could meet Shaquille O’Neal! That was actually a common request from fans; well not to meet Shaq but to get player autographs!
After one particular game ended, I was leaving and was almost at the door when a drunk female fan stopped me and starting flirting with me. She was very cute so I played along but also noticed her husband or boyfriend standing near us. I just laughed and told him to have a nice evening and get her home safely! Sometimes, I got lost just people watching at the games. Especially the female fans. I mean, they would wear such revealing clothes that it was almost impossible not to notice them. They wanted the attention. One female fan I saw had a tattoo that went from the back of her neck to the tip of her rear.
I have a ticket stub for the last game in Reunion Arena (home of the Dallas Mavericks) in Dallas on May 12, 2001. The organization arranged to have two bus loads of employees so we could watch the Spurs win. The bus I chose was people from my department, some of the Spurs Silver Dancers, and some folks from Human Resources! We were up 3 games to zero over Dallas in the Conference Semifinals. Well, the Spurs lost that game, but it was so much fun to be there! In that game, Dirk Nowitzki from the Mavs broke a tooth and when it happened, he ran so fast to the locker room, that I thought he had to go to the bathroom! We beat them in the next game to clinch that series. Then we were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers, and then the Lakers won the 2001 NBA Finals.
I also have a ticket stub to the last game in the Alamodome from May 12, 2002. We were given a ticket so we could enjoy the last few minutes of the game from a seat. Again, the Spurs were defeated by the Lakers who won the 2002 NBA Finals.
In March of 2002, my parents and I visited New York City. Yes, six months after 9/11, you could still see the smoke from the Twin Towers. When I looked at the NBA schedule for the New York Knicks while we were there, one of the opponents just happened to be the San Antonio Spurs. Even though the game was sold out, I had an in as I was employed with the San Antonio Spurs. Before the trip, I asked the Director of Media Services, Tom James, if any of the players had extra tickets I could buy off them. Unfortunately, they didn’t. So, I then asked the Director of Ticket Operations, Pat Quinn, and she called her counterpart at the Knicks and I ended up getting tickets to the game; yes, I had to pay! But, I was able to experience one of the world’s most famous arenas. We took a subway from Princeton Junction in New Jersey directly to Madison Square Garden; it was my dad, my Uncle Saul, and me! How cool is that?
After one game, somebody called in a bomb threat so we had to evacuate, and watched the excitement from the parking lot. One of our Interns, it was her first day, and we told her to meet us in the office after the game. I had to get a police officer to get her out as she had no clue. Nothing was found, it was just an upset fan as the Spurs at that time were in a losing streak.
Do I miss being involved in sports?
For high school football games, I do miss the atmosphere. But I don’t miss the time. I enjoy being home on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights with my wife and son.
It made me feel really good when a fan would say thanks, smile, or shake my hand. That is what I miss most about my experience with the Spurs.
Truth, ever since my son was born in 2016, I haven’t paid any attention to sports, and I don’t care about it as much I did in the past.
