by Rob Loeber

It’s a strange, painful feeling typing these words, but the time has come for me to step away from the Red Dirt Chronicles.  For the past year, I have had the amazing privilege of writing sports pieces for this site.  Every Friday I had the opportunity to share part of myself with you, our loyal readers.  It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

Being a part of the RDC renewed my love of writing.  It challenged me creatively, and gave me a sense of fulfillment that is so rare to find in any kind of work or pursuit.  Most of all, it gave me a sense of freedom.  There were no boundaries to what I could put on these pages and that is really the best part of this whole project.  I could be serious, funny, sad, sarcastic, satirical, biting, glib, self-deprecating or even controversial.  Writing proved to be such a fantastic outlet for me and what I hope came through in my words is the passion I have for sports.

I have never tried to start any arguments with my writing or the subjects I’ve chosen.  I believe the best sports writing sparks conversation and debate.  Good sports writers should never take themselves or their topics too seriously and I always tried to keep that in mind when I picked up my pen and notepad every week.

I remember when Kelly first approached me about contributing to this site.  There’s no way I could have turned her down.  “You mean I get to write whenever I want about whatever I want in the world of sports?”  Sold.  Kelly, I don’t think I can thank you enough for thinking of me for this position and giving me an opportunity unlike any other I’ve ever had.  I am so proud of the growth and expansion of this site over the past year and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the RDC.  Thank you also Kelly for your support and your constant encouragement of my writing.  Thank you for allowing me to be me and for giving me a new sense of appreciation for the written word.

Thank you to my fellow contributors.  I’ve enjoyed getting to know some of you as people, but I’ve been moved and inspired by your words.  Thank you for all you’ve done for this site.  You are some of the most thoughtful, intelligent folks I’ve ever been associated with.

Lastly, thank you to the loyal readers of the Red Dirt Chronicles.  Whether it was once a day, once a week, or once in a while, thank you for coming back to this site and allowing me to connect with you through my writing.  Thank you for your comments and for sharing your passion for sports with me.

I have an exciting new career opportunity and I need to devote all my time to this new job, but I want you to know I will still be reading the RDC as often as I can, and I may even write a piece from time to time.  I consider myself so very blessed and so incredibly fortunate to have been a part of this site and I wouldn’t trade this last year for anything!

Thank you all and God bless you,

Sincerely,

Rob Loeber

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