style | Red Dirt Chronicles

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. Continue reading Time For A New Chapter →

by Rob Loeber

If you watch Heritage Hall senior Barry Sanders run the football, you can easily picture him wearing a light blue jersey and a silver helmet just like his father did throughout the nineties with the Detroit Lions. The younger Sanders is an electrifying talent and even though he may not be Hall of Fame material just yet, he is ready to take the next step in his football career. Sanders is one of the top recruits in the country and would be welcome at any of the premier division one college programs. I recently sat down with Sanders and asked him about carrying the weight of lofty expectations, how he’ll make his college choice, and what’s going through his mind as he tears through an opposing defense. The following is an excerpt from that interview.

Loeber: Barry you’ve been given this amazing talent, but with that talent means expectations are also extremely high. Can having the name Barry Sanders be a blessing and a burden at the same time?

Sanders: I’ve thought about it, and I think it’s more of a blessing than anything. It’s a lot of opportunity that comes with it and I’ve just been trying to capitalize on it and do the best I can with it.

sanders sr — Barry Sanders Sr. won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma State and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2004. (courtesy profootballhof.com)

Loeber: Do you remember the first time you saw your dad run the football?

Sanders: I do remember going to a couple games. I remember the first few times and I remember watching some of his highlights and realizing how great he was. I’m still amazed at what he was able to do.

Loeber: Football or not, what’s the best piece of advice that he’s given you?

Sanders: Probably just to be the best man you can be. We’ve talked about a lot of things off the field, but that’s probably one of the biggest things you know, take care of what you have to take care of and be responsible.

Loeber: Does it ever feel like the expectations placed on you are too high?

Sanders: If you ask me, no. My mom and my grandpa might have something different to say but I would say no because I don’t look at it as expectations. Like I said, it’s opportunity. It’s opportunity hopefully to be one of the greats you know, that’s all you can ask for.

Loeber: Do you ever wish for a day or a week of anonymity, or do you kind of embrace the fact that you are the face of this (Heritage Hall) program? Continue reading The Next Barry Sanders Is…Barry Sanders →

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