“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg
It was March 19, 2024, moments after Ishpeming ladies basketball conquered St. Ignace to punch its ticket to the ultimate 4 at Breslin Center.
Hematites coach Ryan Reichel comes all the way down to the ground to talk with us media people. He comes as much as us and says “do you know who has the coolest nickname in the U.P.? The Big Dog” and factors at me.
I used to be flattered, however solely briefly. One person in our little group muttered six phrases that low-key rattled me.
“Anyone can be ‘The Big Dog.’”
No. No they can’t.
Some of you’re most likely curious as to why I added “The Big Dog” to my byline, however I’ve been pretty mum on the topic. Until now.
This all begins in June 2020 once I made the choice to not commit suicide.
For those that have adopted my profession from the soar at Central Michigan University, you most likely find out about my mega mental breakdown in Oct. 2019. My grandpa was combating for his life with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
But solely a choose few find out about what occurred in June 2020.
My confidence as a author was, to place it in a family-friendly tone, non existent. The sports activities world was shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It sucked. Then ideas of suicide started to creep in. On the morning on June 23, 2020, I took an excellent, exhausting take a look at myself within the mirror.
There wasn’t an oz of affection towards the person I noticed within the mirror. Then I started visualizing what my funeral would appear to be.
I noticed my brother bawling his eyes out. I noticed my Mom asking what she might have completed in a different way. I pictured my older cousins telling their children that they’d by no means see me once more.
And there was a big a part of me that was prepared to just accept that.
But then one other thought started to creep in. I believed concerning the people who wouldn’t present as much as this hypothetical funeral. The individuals who I thought-about mates who might care much less about me or put me all the way down to fulfill their very own insecurities and jealousies.
At that second, one thing in my mind snapped. I regarded on the person within the mirror as soon as once more.
This time his eyes weren’t brown. His eyes have been full of fireplace.
I made a promise to myself on June 23, 2020: I didn’t care what it was going to take, I didn’t care the place I’d should go, I used to be going to make the individuals who liked me proud and the pretend mates choke on their jealousy.
Less than 4 years later I’m now a multi-time award-winning sports activities author and photographer. I grew to become editor of a print publication lower than two years after I graduated from CMU.
But the highway right here has been something however straightforward.
After I made the promise to myself I spent the subsequent 18 months ending faculty and getting again concerned in CMU’s student-produced newspaper, Central Michigan Life.
By April 2021 I used to be promoted to sports activities editor. But by September 2021 I used to be hanging on for expensive life after the deaths of my mates Dony Sowles and Zack Boyertwo individuals I used to be working towards making proud.
By December 2021 I used to be attempting to find my first job out of school. I used to be betrayed by somebody who I liked like a brother 5 days earlier than Christmas. I spent the subsequent two months scrambling for a supply of earnings and preserve meals in my mouth.
Fortunately, the Manistee News Advocate gave me a shot. In 15 months my confidence was restored. Then I noticed a job posting for sports activities editor at The Daily Press.
I accepted the job on May 12, 2023. I submitted my six-weeks discover to the News Advocate three days later. It ought to have been a day full of joyful reminiscences.
But it’s not. Less than 10 minutes after I submitted a column asserting my departure to Escanaba my grandma, my emotional rock, suffered an enormous stroke. She hung for expensive life in a single day. I drove home as quick as I legally might, but I was 35 minutes away when she took her final breath.
To today I’ve but to forgive myself for not being in conjunction with my largest journalistic cheerleader.
So, on July 7, 2023, I moved to Escanaba. I knew nothing concerning the city. I had contact data for 0 coaches and athletic administrators. I used to be persevering with the grieving technique of my grandma.
Then the identical day as Escanaba soccer hosted Cadillac, my grandpa suffered a stroke. I discovered a strategy to energy by way of, however man was I struggling.
I felt like each step ahead was three backward. I used to be severely considering chucking up the sponge.
Then one September night time within the workplace I had a deep dialog with myself. I believed exhausting about that promise I made myself on June 23, 2020. I mirrored on all of the unhealthy I laid out earlier than you.
But then I thought of all the nice.
I believed concerning the photographs I captured throughout CMU’s 42-30 win over Western Michigan University at Waldo Stadium, 25 minutes from my childhood home. I believed concerning the time I tripped throughout three states to cowl CMU’s 2021 Sun Bowl win over Washington State.
I thought of all the nice I did in Manistee. I imply, riding shotgun in a drag race and placing spotlights on Special Olympic athletes and high school referees have been unbelievable.
Then I believed concerning the buddy who betrayed me. And I remembered one thing particularly he did. There was a particular nickname he sometimes referred to as me.
“The Big Dog.”
So I made the choice so as to add it to my byline, and instantly the hearth inside returned as I buried the towel deep into the bottom.
And it’s due to that one promise I made on June 23, 2020 that I get to be a storyteller. It’s due to that one promise I made on June 23, 2020 that I earned the precise to be labeled as a multi-time award-winning sports activities author and photographer.
So, in any case of this rationalization I’m going to lift this query once more: can anybody be “The Big Dog?”
Honestly, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you simply, the viewers, now know why I’m who I’m.
You now know why I’m the dude that dares to drive 1000’s of miles to be in highschool gyms. You now know that my enthusiasm and fervour for this job comes from climbing out of all-time low.
But the most important purpose I laid all of this out is as a result of I do know for a proven fact that I’m not the one one who’s ever fallen on exhausting instances.
I realized one necessary lesson from former Bear Lake ladies basketball coach Hannah Harrington: somebody’s story of wrestle could be another person’s survival information.
I hope that my vulnerability can someday information somebody out of all-time low.
That’s what “The Big Dog” is all about. It’s not one thing to return throughout as cute or cartoonish.
It’s a reminder that I’ve gone from all-time low to lastly loving myself and my profession. And it’s not completely for me.
“The Big Dog” is a logo and reminder for everybody that adversity is nothing greater than a nine-letter phrase.
“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg is a multi-time award-winning sports activities author and photographer who serves as sports activities editor for The Daily Press. He could be reached at [email protected] or at 906-786-2021 (Ext. 143).
