In terms of Wizarding here at the News-Sun, as the new resident Wizard, I’m a pup.
As a Springfield native, I’ve read many a Wizard column every Friday morning. I’ve worked with many folks who’ve been the Wizard over the years, and I’m sure there are many more I can’t remember.
I do remember being upset every Friday morning when the Wiz picked against my teams during my high school years (more on that later).
I’m sure there will be plenty of high-schoolers spewing venom at me over not picking their team, but I have to get off on the right foot as Wizard, right?
So how does one go about making predictions? I had to ask some past Wizards for some clarity.
I called former News-Sun sports editor Tim Bucey, the biggest Pittsburgh Pirates fan I know, for a history lesson.
He says the contest started in the early 1970s as part of the morning paper, the Springfield Sun and then-editor Dan Hoyt. When the papers merged in 1983, they of course kept the Wizard column going strong. He’s amazed at how popular the contest is after so many years.
“It has such a following,” Bucey said.
Dayton Daily News staff writer Marc Pendleton, a former Wiz, still makes predictions in the DDN, and says he’s “the worst in the building.” No luck there.
Former Wizard Brian Plasters spent eight years making predictions. As his Jedi Apprentice for all those years, I listened closely. Replacing him as the resident Jedi prognosticator is definitely weird. His best advice: Follow the trends and traditions — which I know plenty about.
My last call went out to Greg Billing, another DDN staffer who spent three years as the Wizard from 1999 to 2001, following the “wildly popular” Matt Thompson.
One glance back at the News-Sun archives from 1999, my senior year at Southeastern, shows the former Wiz going against my Trojans basketball team. Unfortunately, he was right (we lost to Greeneview), but that doesn’t keep me from still being upset about it. I’m sure he had no idea one of the players would eventually become The Wiz.
Thankfully, Billing did pick my Trojans football squad to beat East Clinton in my last home football game.
“See, I knew what I was doing then,” Billing said.
He said it can be intimidating being the Wizard, especially picking against teams you cover. His best advice: Don’t take it too seriously.
“And that goes for you and the people who play,” Billing said.
Don’t worry.
We’ll have lots of fun.
You can follow the Wizard on Twitter at SNS_Wizard and check out our daily Wizard Speaks blogs at SpringfieldNewsSun.com.
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