By
Posted February 1, 2010

As some of you may already know, the world of Thumb area sports suffered a huge loss with the passing of Huron County Press's Chris Ogryski this past Thursday.

I know that I am still fairly fresh to the Thumb sports media scene. But still, in my brief time here with the Advertiser, Chris has been a huge help as well as a huge influence in my work.

It was easy to see Chris's passion for sports. And not just sports in general.... Thumb sports in particular.

Chris, 34, loved the kids, the coaches, the schools and the overall feeling of being in a gym or on a football field on any given Friday night. He loved it all.

And in my time with Chris, his attitude was contageous.

Chris, along with his best friend and sports writer for the Huron Daily Tribune - Paul Adams, and I have taken in many memorable moments in Thumb sports together.

Last year's softball state finals, USA's boys basketball regional performance last season and the Thumb area All-Star Football game just scrape the surface of the awesome times we shared.

And, to be welcomed in as a member of the Thumb Sportswriters Association was also something special.

Yes, I owe a lot of my success to former the Sports Editor of the Advertiser, Jon Sicotte. But after Jon left the Thumb, Chris and Paul were right there to take me in and guide me along the way. I could not have appreciated it more.

Chris's creativeness and passion for the Thumb area was always easy to see in his stories and in his design. He too would often go the extra mile to join thumbtailger.com's Eddy Fury or Rick Glaza on the airwaves of 102.1, displaying his love for Thumb area sports through a different outlet - the radio.

And as is often the case with passionate sportswriters, sure, we had our friendly debates. But whether it was Top Ten Polls, All-Thumb voting or just shooting the breeze, it was always in good fun and sometimes I think Chris enjoyed that more than anything.

As I have said before, I only knew Chris for a few years. But when I received the news of his death, it felt like a giant punch in the chest. It was truly a sad day in my world of sports.

Just when it seemed like sports coverage was hitting its peak in the Thumb, we lose one of our most talented brothers. And for me, still being a student in the game of sports writing, it was quite the blow to see one of my mentors pass.

With the many tributes, stories and comments being made about the amazing life that Chris lived, I just felt that I needed to say my piece. Though I may not have a stack of memories that Chris and I shared, I will still miss him. His willingness to help, his kindness and his passion for sports were second to none. Pouring his heart and soul into everything he did was always the Ogryski way.

My hope is that I can continue to learn from Chris and that his hard work will always be remembered through Thumb sports media everywhere and more importantly, the Thumb Sportswriters Association.

With this, my thoughts and prayers go out to the Ogryski family, Chris's wife Jill and his two daughters Kylie and Hope. Also, to Chris's best friend, Paul Adams, the godfather of Chris's two daughters.

Rest in peace, Chris. You will be missed.