Well, I guess I’ll kick this off by introducing myself before we get rolling. My name is Jon Holtz, and I am the assistant sports information director here at SRU. One of the tasks I took on once I settled in here almost two years ago was creating a social media presence for SRU on the web. This blogging initiative is the final piece to that puzzle, which also includes official Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages for Rock Athletics.
Some background, and links to each site and how to follow us on each of those sites, can be found
HERE.
I bring up the social media networks because my story for today’s blog comes from a fan that reached out to me through our Facebook page.
- The Rock’s Newest Fan -
A couple weeks after launching our Facebook page, a man named Anthony Short posted a story on the page briefly detailing his new fanhood in The Rock after deciding to abandon his previous favorite college sports team, Ole Miss.
I reached out to Anthony, who gave me some more background and told me his story, which I am happy to share with you all now.
Anthony is 44 years old and lives in Crosby, Miss. with his wife of 17 years, Diane, and his stepson, Jesse. He attended the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Radiologic Technology and graduated in 1987. He then attended the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute for radiation therapy, graduating in 1988. He has been employed as a radiation therapist for the past 22 years.
Short was a lifelong Ole Miss fan, until recently, when the school decided to drop its mascot. That decision, along with a few others made by school officials, prompted him to jump ship and find a new team.
“I’m a firm believer in tradition,” said Short. “Ole miss has thrown out many of its traditions and basically been left with no identity, so I felt it was a time for a fresh start.”
Short first heard of SRU while he was a teenager, and as many folks around the country often do, he was intrigued by the name.
“I often found myself checking the outcome of Slippery Rock football games, but over time that all faded,” said Short. “When I decided to search for a new team, Slippery Rock was the first school that popped into my head. I checked out the Web site and liked what I saw. I was surprised to see such a large enrollment and number of sports.
“It didn’t take long to realize it was a place that I would like to be a part of.”
Short clicked his way over to the bookstore Web site to purchase some Rock gear. He plans to follow The Rock throughout this season and is hoping to make the trip up from Mississippi for the football home opener next year.
“Slippery Rock is a long way from Miss., so visits will be rare, but my support will always be there.”
• I want to thank Anthony for responding to me and for telling his story. I put a couple White Out shirts in the mail to Anthony this week and I look forward to meeting him in the future.
• Do you have a story like Anthony’s that you want to share with us? Click on the submission button to the right to tell us your story!
Hopefully some of the coaches will start putting together their first blog entries soon and we will be launching more blog pages to give you some behind the scenes looks into the world of Rock Athletics.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading.
Go Rock!
Jon Holtz
Assistant SID
