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“I think his writing is superb,” said Sullivan, a former University of St. Francis basketball coach. “He could write for any paper in the country. ... I think Dick is simply that good. (Above, Joliet Herald News sports reporter, Dick Goss interviews Lockport pitcher Rich Jesse Saturday at Ed Flink Field in Lockport). (Adam Jomant)
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Second, all through the years, Dick (Goss) has not embarrassed people. He never embarrasses coaches, he never embarrasses players. ... Third, I wish I had his energy. I mean, his work ethic is just incredible.” (Photo provided)
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Sunday marks Goss’ 35th anniversary as sports editor for The Herald-News. Goss, who described the time as fun as well as “a lot of work,” said, “Sometimes it doesn’t feel like 35 years.” “It’s been nothing but a pleasure to work with Dick Goss,” said Joe Hosey, managing editor of The Herald-News. “Not only does he know all there is to know about sports in Joliet and beyond, he’s one of the kindest men I’ve ever met.” (Above, Joliet Herald News sports reporter, Dick Goss interviews Lockport Head Coach Andy Satunas Saturday at Ed Flink Field in Lockport). (Adam Jomant)
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This year, the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association included Goss in its Class of 2018 Hall of Fame. And on June 9, the Illinois High School Association will honor Goss with its IHSA Distinguished Media Service Award during the 2018 IHSA baseball state finals at Joliet Route 66 Stadium. All of this makes it hard to believe Goss, who turns 68 on April 6, once worked in accounting. (Above, Joliet Herald News sports reporter, Dick Goss interviews Lockports MVP Colkin Woulfe, Saturday at Ed Flink Field in Lockport). (Adam Jomant)
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“I had a lot of people at the time tell me how good I was at numbers,” Goss said of his high school days. “[University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign] was supposed to be good for accounting.” The learning years It’s not that Goss didn’t enjoy the sports side of journalism. At the former Joliet Catholic High School (now Joliet Catholic Academy), Goss wrote for the school newspaper, mostly about sports, he said. (Above, Joliet Herald News sports reporter, Dick Goss shakes hands with Lockport's MVP of the game, Collin Woulfe Saturday, March 31, 2018 , at Ed Flink Field in Lockport,Ill). (Adam Jomant)
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Fifteen months before Goss graduated, sports editorBob Drazkowski hired Goss to help with coverage, mostly taking down updated sports scores when local coaches called at night, Goss said. Working with Goss was Dave Parker, now of Plainfield, who later would work with him at The Herald-News and stand up in his wedding. “It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot,” Goss said. After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1972 with a degree in accounting, Goss did internal accounting work at Franklin Life Insurance Co. But he also missed covering local sports. (Joliet Herald News sports reporter, Dick Goss shares a laugh with Lockport's CJ Weins Saturday, March 31, 2018 , at Ed Flink Field in Lockport,Ill). (Adam Jomant)
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So the following year, Goss wrote a letter to Larry Harnly at the Springfield State Journal-Register and asked if he needed some part-time help. Harnly was the sports editor at the time. “I had done this kind of work and I wouldn’t mind doing it again,” Goss said he told the Register. “And he said to me, ‘Come on in on game night and take calls from coaches.’ That was on football nights mostly, but basketball nights, too; things like that. As time went on, I got a little more work at the Journal-Register.” During this time, Goss still worked at Franklin Life. But in 1978, the Journal-Register had an opening for a full-time sports reporter. The work hours were 5 p.m to 1 a.m. The offer was tempting. At age 28 and single, Goss had no reason to refuse, he said. Nevertheless, he hesitated. (Above, Randy Whalen (left) former Herald-News freelancer is pictured at the Romeoville sectional basketball tournament with Goss, who continues to write after the lights go out). (Photo provided)
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“I had gotten a degree in accounting, and I had gotten a job in accounting,” Goss said. “Had I wasted my college years?” Goss said Harnly told him no education was ever wasted. Thus reassured, Goss accepted the job and started Nov. 1, 1978. The next March, he met his future wife, Jeannine, while attending the wedding of a friend. Back to Joliet – and The Herald-News Goss and Jeannine were married Sept. 26, 1980. Their daughter, Sarah, was born April 27, 1982, and their son Matthew, was born Aug. 15, 1986. Eight months after Sarah was born, Goss was offered the position of sports editor for The Herald-News. (Photo provided)
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With a laugh, Goss recalled the office technology of those early days. “We had these humongous computers, only six of them for the whole newsroom,” Goss said. “People on the copy desk, reporters, photographers – everyone had to do their work on these. As soon as one opened, you jumped on it, did what you had to do, and then got out of there so someone else could have the computer.” Creating the layout for each day’s publication also was very different. “We were drawing it on paper and then bringing it to the composing room. The printers, we called them ‘composing rooms,’ ” Goss said. “They’d put it through a machine, cut it out and tape it down on the big page. ... We spent a lot of time with them, putting our pages together and trying to follow our pencil layouts on everything.” At one point, Goss served as both sports editor and copy editor, although that role only lasted six months. “I’d do most of my sports work on the weekends, and Sunday night through Thursday night I’d be on the copy desk,” Goss said. “We’d start at 10 at night and work until 7 or so in the morning.” (Above, Goss poses with former major league baseball player and Joliet native Bill Gullickson). (Photo provided)
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Gary Seymour of Chicago and Minooka, a semi-retired sports writer who worked for Goss for 14 years, said he was impressed with Goss as a boss and a person, calling him “a straight-shooter.” “For having a small staff, he did a great job of sports coverage,” Seymour said. Sports coverage Goss-style Coverage in those early days included attending Chicago games: Bears, Cubs and White Sox. Goss and his team also covered every boys football and basketball game in the Herald-News coverage area, he said, and some girls sports, which still in their infancy. “You can see the pride in the way he writes about sports and the way he carries himself,” said Mark Smith, baseball coach at Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox. “He’s always excited to be at the game. Whether the weather is good or the weather is bad, he’s out there with a smile, and it’s great to see that. It’s always a pleasure to talk sports with Dick, even if it’s just water cooler talk. He’s just a good man.” Joe Gura, boys basketball coach at Joliet Catholic Academy, praised Goss’ positive and enthusiastic coverage, whether Gura’s team did well in a given season or not. “He’s one of the best human beings I’ve ever met,” Gura said. Parker agreed. During the years he worked for Goss, Parker went into rehabilitation twice and kept his job because of Goss, whom he continually called “a gentleman.” “He reached out his hand as a great boss and a great friend,” Parker said. “I will never forget it.” Today, such widespread coverage is impossible: there’s less staff and a greater variety of local sports teams. “Things like water polo didn’t exist back in those days,” Goss said. Curt Herron, Herald-News sports reporter since 2014, has known Goss for 30 years. Herron praised Goss’ lack of bias – in coverage and in his treatment of people – as well as his skills. “He’s great at covering breaking news,” Herron said, “but he’s also a great storyteller.” Goss recently took first place in sports feature writing in the Illinois Associated Press Managing Editors’ annual contest for a story about University of St. Francis linebacker Kyle Kurdziolek. Dave Laketa of Crest Hill, director of athletics at USF, said Goss’ quality of coverage never wavers – even with tight deadlines and staff cuts (which Goss often personally made up by working more hours, he said). He marveled at how Goss handles complaints. “He’d only say, ‘We’ll try to do better,’ ” Laketa said. Dave Stephens, principal at Plainfield Central High School and former basketball coach for the school, has known Goss for 31 years. “Despite changes throughout the years, Dick’s coverage has been a mainstay,” he said. (Above, Goss poses with Pat Sullivan) (Photo provided)
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Bill Scheibe, Suburban sports editor at Chicago Tribune Media Group, worked for Goss at The Herald-News from 1995 to 2010, full time for nine of those years. Scheibe recalled Goss’ encouragement “when we were in our late 20s and early 30s and gung-ho,” he said. “He’s one of the best – if not the best – person I’ve ever worked for. He’s just solid,” Scheibe said. “He really knows how to do his job, but he’s also a great person. I’m not sure how many people know how much Dick has done for the community.” Goss is past president and current board member of the Old Timers Baseball Association of Will County and on the selection committee for the Joliet Area Sports Hall of Fame. Goss also serves on the committee for Joliet Catholic High School for the Hall of Champions selection committee. He also was on the committee for selecting the 100 greatest athletes in the history of Joliet Township High School District 204 history. (Above, Goss poses with his grandson Alex in Alex's younger years). (Photo provided)
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What hasn’t changed for Goss is engaging with the community to improve coverage. He does admit that, as far as social media goes, he’s still in the “dark ages.” “I’m not a big social media person, but I know we have to be in that realm,” Goss said. “But I’m still not really used to sitting at games and tweeting the score after every quarter.” (Above, Goss discusses high school football with Herald-News former managing editor Jon Styf). (Photo provided)
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Goss isn’t thinking “retirement” yet, but when he does, he plans to spend more time with Jeannine; his parents, Rich Goss, 97, and Anita Goss, 90, of Rockdale; his daughter, Sarah Nolan, her husband, John Nolan, and their children Alex, 15, and Dominic, 10, all of Indiana; and son, Matthew, and his girlfriend, Rachel Desai. When retirement happens, Goss will be impossible to replace. Or as Laketa said, “It will be a sad day when he retires.” (Above, from left: John Nolan, Alex Nolan, Sarah Nolan, Jeannine Goss, Dick Goss, Matthew Goss, Rachel Desai. Front row: Dominic Nolan). (Photo provided)
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