The best thing in sports is the buzzer-beater. As the final horn sounds with the ball suspended in air, the fate of the game on the line, all eyes are on the shot, hundreds hold their breath. A game, a season or even a lifetime’s worth of work all come down to one last attempt.
Will the shot go in, forever etching this moment in the history books? Or will the moment be too big, as the shooter falls a few points short?
In life, I leave far too much until that final buzzer, from essays and articles to studying for finals. I try my best to plan ahead, but sometimes the shot clock sneaks up on you, and that last-second heave comes up clutch.
Now, with the days dwindling until graduation, the entirety of four years’ worth of work is on the line. Nearing straight zeroes on the clock, I have no choice except attempting one last buzzer-beater — this final article.
It’s a chance to say thank you for a last-second realization of a childhood dream and to prove why you always take that shot.
Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to work in sports — cheesy but true. You can find yearbooks where I put “professional soccer player” as my future career. Although by simply looking at the picture of the unathletic, asthmatic fourth grader, anyone could see the dream was far-fetched.
However, I had other goals in the field — much more attainable goals that were rooted in genuine passion. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a diehard Pittsburgh sports fan, memorizing the name, position and number of hundreds of players. When by myself, I watched on mute and practiced announcing the games, inventing embarrassing catchphrases as early as 11 years old.
Throughout middle and high school, I always wanted to join the sports media clubs. For many of my favorite projects, I wrote mock articles on the Steelers or told stories of legends like Roberto Clemente.
Even so, I never took that next step. I always had an excuse. Deep down, I knew the real reason — anxiety. I feared putting myself out there. I feared rejection. I feared failure.
Regardless, I had an itch that remained unscratched. Don’t get me wrong — I love and am excited about a career in occupational therapy. But deep down, I knew I’d love sports journalism equally. I knew I’d excel at it. And I knew I’d forever regret never trying it.
Still, I piled up excuses during my freshman and sophomore years. I lacked the time. It wasn’t my major. It wasn’t my career path. It wasn’t my place.
Despite what I told myself, I knew I had to try. During the spring semester of my sophomore year, after five-plus years of procrastinating, I took the shot. I applied to write for The Pitt News. After literally making myself sick from worrying, needing to reschedule the interview with the sports desk editor, Richie, I officially joined the sports desk.
I never had the beat for the football or basketball programs I obsessed over. Yet I didn’t care — I found my place, shining a light on deserving student athletes.
For my first feature, Che Nwabuko, he mistakenly called me two days early. After getting over the surprise, I made an important realization — he was just as excited as I was.
And since I’ve sensed the same joy in the voices of many interviewees, contagious with passion. A passion that I needed to convey.
Although I’m yet to play professionally, the beat I ended up taking was men’s soccer. Covering the elite program was so much fun, and sharing the team’s journeys was even better. If you can make the walk up to Ambrose Urbanic Field next season, do it.
At the end of my sophomore year, I covered Pitt baseball at PNC Park. I remember exploring the pressbox, finding free food and taking a long look at the forever iconic Pittsburgh skyline. In that moment, I felt like I had made it. And I was right. As the buzzer rang throughout, I drilled my final shot.
Shoutout to all my editors, Richie, Brian, Jermaine, Aidan and Matt, for leading electric desks and working with my “buzzer-beater” articles — often submitted well past the deadline. All that counts is when the shot is released, not when it goes in.
Matt and Aidan specifically are definitive franchise cornerstones. Both have the veteran presence, clutch gene and Pittsburgh grit that made the sports desk a championship-caliber desk this past season.
And with that, the buzzer sounds.
H2P.
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