Vince D’Adamo:
What have you enjoyed most about being connected with athletics throughout your
life either as an athlete or journalist?
Dan Hayes: I've always loved sports and even though this is a job that
can be very stressful at times, it rarely feels like work. How can it be work
when part of my job is to go grab a postgame beer to discuss baseball and that
counts as preparation for the next day? I know I'm very fortunate to
work in a field that I love being around. Prior to working in sports
journalism, I had a retail job and worked at a bank. I feel like those
experiences have helped me to not take this job for granted.
D’Adamo: Which
sports did you play competitively in high school?
Hayes: I was a terrible athlete. The furthest I went was trying out for
my frosh basketball team and those dreams of a spot far down on the bench were
wiped out by a severe ankle sprain several days before it was time for final cuts.
My baseball career was done early and was forgettable at best.
D’Adamo: Even with the
changing state of the media industry, what keeps you coming back every year?
Hayes: This one probably goes back to the first answer. But I'll
say this, the changes in the industry have been a driving force for me. While I
won't say I love change, it hasn't been so overwhelming that I refuse to make
an effort. I remember when Twitter burst onto the scene and how I waited a
while to jump on board. But it wasn't long before I realized that it gave me an
equal voice. Even though my paper was 1/4 the size of our biggest competitor, I
could break news and receive credit for it that was difficult before social
media. Five years ago I worked for a newspaper and occasionally blogged. Now, I
blog, do radio and TV hits and use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram to promote my
work. I'm likely to add Periscope to my duties this season on occasion.
D’Adamo: You
have covered a wide range of sports from high school to the NFL, how much have
you enjoyed all for different reasons?
Hayes: Thirteen years ago I was the Bethel High football beat guy
(just missed out on C.J. Anderson). I loved covering that team and the Vallejo
High hoops team in the year after DeMarcus Nelson left. Loved that story and
seeing the team make a strong run in the playoffs. High school sports offers
you a level of access that you rarely find in pro sports.
I also did motor sports and MMA, which was interesting from the
perspective of being a fish out of water. I knew nothing about either before I
took over and really enjoyed learning on the fly.
Baseball is great, but it can be difficult because it's such a long
season. Trying to find new ideas to write about in August for a 99-loss team is
next to impossible. The travel schedule is just as difficult, though it has
become easier now that I'm in the middle of the country as opposed to San
Diego.
D’Adamo: What
is it like covering sports in Chicago?
Hayes: It's pretty amazing. For the most part, people are very passionate
about their sports teams. They tune out if teams stink, but they still seem to
care. That's a nice change from San Diego, where if the team is done, people
tune out early and instead focus on all the other things they could be doing. I
can't blame them, San Diego is an amazing place to live and I'd much rather be
hiking or riding a bike than paying attention to an offense that averaged under
4 runs a game when I was there.
D’Adamo: How much of a shadow
do the 1985 Bears and 1990s Bulls still cast?
Hayes: They
definitely still swing a big stick around here, but not as much with the
Blackhawks having won three recent titles. That '85 Bears team will always be
loved as will Jordan and Pippen and the rest. But you get the sense that people
are tired of talking about the past and want some new memories made.
You could see it with how hungry everyone was during the Cubs playoff
run last year.
D’Adamo: Within your family
who have been the most influential people?
Hayes: Easily my
parents. Both were educators. My dad taught 7th/8th grade English and my mom
was an administrator. And both are huge sports fans. Beyond that, my cousins
were really good baseball players, both playing in college. That combination
definitely influenced where I am now.
D’Adamo: Name a historical
figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet.
What would intrigue you about meeting him or her?
Hayes: I'd love to meet President Obama when he gets out of office. He's
a huge White Sox fan and fancies himself a basketball player. I'd love to talk
to him about his thoughts on the White Sox and just how he has dealt (very
nicely I might add) with all the hatred he has received over the years. Not
only is he our first African American president, he's our first true Commander
in Chief to be in office during the social media age.
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