Kermit Rowe
SPORTS COLUMN
Springfield News-Sun

Kermit Rowe made a splash in his first year as Springfield News-Sun sports editor, winning the Best of Cox award for Community sports column.

He's grateful to the newspaper group for his prize money — and for the time to write columns.

"At my previous paper, If I wrote a column it would be on my own time," Rowe said. "Here they told me they wanted me to do a column, so I have a shift each week in which I just work on the desk and write the column."

In "What are they teaching our kids," he deplored celebratory displays by athletes that are "a detriment to the game," Rowe said.

"At first athletes said, 'it doesn't matter because it won't hurt anybody.' But it will. It will end up with people pushing it to the limits, and that's going to hurt some feelings."

Rowe sent parents a strong warning in his column about the death of a high school football player in Bedford, Ohio.

"Just meeting the guidelines of the state may not be enough," Rowe said. "States require physical exams, but ours doesn't even establish the guidelines for the exams. When you legislate, there will be those who will be looking at doing the minimum, and those who are looking at minimalizing the costs of complying with the law."

He joined the News-Sun as sports editor after 11 years in the same position at the Lorain, Ohio, Morning Journal. He is a 1983 graduate of Bowling Green State University with a degree in journalism.