Athens Review Sports Editor at wok, 1992. him a weekly column that would be the first of hundreds published through the years.
“ As a matter of fact, in November this past year, I celebrated my 50 year anniversary of that very first column,” Rogers said.
Rogers’ first professional newspaper job was at the Malakoff News, then owned by the Athens Review. He began as a reporter, then in 1984, was appointed Athens Review Sports Editor. That meant not only covering sports but wearing whatever hat the paper needed at the moment.
“ When you work at a community newspaper, you’ ve got to learn to do a little bit of it all,” Rogers said.“ I was taking obits one day and selling ads the next. I was doing all that in addition to sports, which is what I was brought there for.”
In the 80s, The Review, Malakoff News and Cedar Creek Pilot were sister papers, winning major awards and providing a vital service to Henderson County.
“ They were the lifeline of the community,” Rogers said.
Much of Rogers’ philosophy of covering sports was influenced by longtime Athens Review Sports Editor Bill Speak, who also served for a time as editor.
“ I started off as a stringer in 1977,” Rogers said.“ I could come in on a Saturday morning
“ I learned to make the small things interesting.”
Benny Rogers
Benny ready to coveer the game in 1984
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when Bill was very busy and ask him questions about the business and stories and he’ d take the time to answer them. I tried to do that as I brought correspondents along during my tenure at the Review.“
He later modeled the popular“ Rogers Report” after the veterans’“ Speaking of Sports” columns.
“ I learned to make the small things interesting,” Rogers said.
He also learned that by the time a game story appeared in the paper, just about everyone in a small town knew who’ d won and some of the details of the game. Rogers said he’ d focus on something they might not know.
“ Give them a statistical gem, like if a kid scores a touchdown, how many does that give him, or tell them how the coach felt about something.
Rogers said looking back on decades on the job, one of the best things about covering sports is not just the games, but the personalities involved.
“ At one time in Henderson County the coaches were: Gene Bethea of Eustace, a legend; Tom Talley of Brownsboro, another legend; Glenn West, who went on to great success, was getting started at Kemp; and big John Wills at Malakoff was another. What a colorful character he was.”
Rogers also mentioned Mike Schuelke, who turned in several winning seasons at Athens and 6-Man football master Kevin Ray, who took Trinidad to their 1998 state title.