Thank you readers for your support

By Al Graning | The Natchez Democrat

Published Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Readers should know by now that I care very little about professional football, basketball or even baseball.

My main interest now is, and always has been, sports at the high school and college levels. I played and officiated at those levels, and that is where my interests have remained.

Early in my officiating and writing careers, I became knowledgeable about the differences in high school and college football rules, and any time I wanted to know something about NFL rules I had to ask a friend or look it up somewhere. The same for basketball or baseball rules.

As the college football season vanishes after the bowl games, it becomes more and more difficult to write this weekly column. For that reason I have asked The Democrat to allow me to cut back to monthly “It’s Official” columns.

My first column appeared in The Democrat right after Sept. 11, 2001, and has appeared weekly since then. I am not, nor have I ever been, a professional or trained journalist.

I have been blessed with a wife who, as an honors English graduate of Millsaps, has kept me in line with my grammar and punctuation. For that, my readers and I must be grateful.

The Natchez Democrat has been more than kind to me during the life of “It’s Official.” Though several sports editors and sports writers have come and gone, Kevin Cooper and Julie Cooper have been steadfast in their support. I am aware that their primary interest must be Natchez names and teams, and I have found that the longer I am away from Natchez the less I know about Natchez players and teams.

I have been pleased and honored to have known and been associated with many of Natchez and the Miss-Lou’s more well known athletes. I was closely associated with Tony Byrne for many years, as an alderman when he was mayor, and later as a business associate. I will always consider Tony a close friend.

Former Ole Miss All American Allen Brown has been a good friend, along with Mississippi State and Chicago Bears great Joe Fortunato.

I was honored many times to play golf with the late Cliff Weeks, who many consider to be the best golfer to come out of Natchez. I don’t want to drop too many names for fear of missing some who would deserve inclusion.

As a little background, in 2001, I had decided to no longer act as an observer of officials for the Southeastern Conference. My daughter-in-law at the time, Stacy Graning, was editor of The Democrat.

We discussed having me cover some college football games for the paper, but that did not pan out. Instead, at her suggestion, I started writing this column. Originally, the thought was to talk about football rules and their interpretations.

Though football (and some other) rules have remained the main focus of my writing, the column has morphed into a general sports discussion. I never knew enough people to write the type of column written by the late Glenvall Estes, so I have had to focus on rules and games.

Anyway, the result has been a very pleasant 7 1/2 years of “It’s Official.”

Thanks, readers, for your comments and support, And, thanks, Democrat, for your ink and paper.

And, that’s official.

Al Graning’s column will now appear on the third Tuesday of each month. Contact him at alanward39157@aol.com.