Sports editor, Rome, GA.

This is another big loss for our state. Jim is a great guy and ran a good section. Good luck, Jim.

 

This area really does have some nice golf courses, if you're into that sort of thing.

The paper (as a whole, not sports), though, is crap.

I picked it up after playing 18 on the way through the town and was shocked. I just always assumed that it would be a decent sized rag. Not the case.

With all the commerce that town has (not to mention the small towns around it) the paper in no way reflected it. In their defense, they throw a lot of attention to the online stuff, but let's be honest ... this is still deep south, rural education demographics. I would say probably 40 percent of your hardcore followers are still on dial up, if they've even got internet at all. (I'm from the same kind of town, so I'm not bashing.)

I respect them for trying, they're just misplacing their efforts.

If anything, they should go heavy on internet Braves' single-A for all the Bravo junkies in other parts of the state and region, and keep preps to a print-first endeavor.

I do not envy the person that will be forced to juggle both. You do however have a lot of college kids in the town to use as stringers. In that past, that's what they've done with Berry and Shorter kids.

 

Sorry to hear Jim is leaving the SE spot. He always helped us out in sharing stories and photos.
As far as Rome, it's a nice city, but don't get it twisted. It's not close or easy to get to Atlanta from there. It's a nice place to raise a family, but if you like to go out and have a good time Rome is not the best place. The night life is pretty dull.
They have pretty good HS sports teams. I think Rome HS is probably the best all around. Of course having a minor league team in the town is a plus. They used to have indoor football, but I believe that faded away.

 

Without Jim, who is going to be the biggest cheater at the GSWA golf outing now?

 

Regarding the drive to Atlanta, it really depends on your definition of "close" and "easy." If you are heading south toward I-75, it's a 30-minute drive to Cartersville via four-lane to hit the interstate, then 40 miles to downtown. I've made the drive many times and never found it to be particularly hard. On a good day, it shouldn't take you much more than an hour and 15 minutes. If traffic is bad, you'd better pack a lunch

Indoor football has indeed faded. The team was decently successful, but it never really found its niche.