By Bonitta Best
Onnidan Online Correspondent
RALEIGH, NC - Former sports information directors (SIDs) such as John Holley, Collie Nicholson and Roosevelt Wilson revolutionized publicity for black college athletics.
Holley, who was the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association's (CIAA) first public relations director, revamped sports information at Albany (Ga.) State College, Morgan State University and Norfolk State with slick, stylized media guides that rivaled those produced by Division I schools. This was during the time of no computers or stat programs.
Nicholson gets as much credit for catapulting the Grambling State University Tigers into the national media spotlight as does Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson.
Wilson developed his reputation promoting the exploits of the Rattlers of Florida A&M.
But despite the accolades and respect those legends received some 15, 20, 30 years ago, SIDs today say that respect for their position hasn't kept pace with an inflation of duties and responsibilities.
The CIAA held its annual three-day SID conference in Raleigh last week following a four-day CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) and BCSIDA (Black College Sports Information Directors Association) workshop in Orlando, Florida. The CoSIDA Workshop gathers SIDs from all colleges and universities together, while the CIAA conference was a more intimate setting. But whether it's national or local, the consensus is the same: the more things change, the more they stay the same.
"My position hasn't changed," said St. Augustine College's Leon Carrington, who has been the Falcons' SID for the past 15 years. "I was a one-man shop when I started and I'm still a one-man shop."
In addition to serving as SID, Carrington is also dean of students and tennis coach at St. Aug.
There aren't many jobs around where one employee is responsible for eight to ten different departments, has no staff - maybe a volunteer or work-study student every now and then, if they're lucky - limited funds and very little equipment.
SIDs are like actors in a movie. Everybody sees the finished product but no one sees the long hours, the hard work and the frustrations that went into the production.
"People don't understand what we do," said Shaw SID Ronnie Holloway. "When you come to a basketball game, you come in and it's already set up. You don't know who did it, you don't know the preparation that went on and you don't care. We wear all kinds of hats to get the job done and then you don't get the respect of a thank you, let alone pay."
Holloway just completed his fourth year in a part-time, unsalaried position following his retirement from the Raleigh Police Department.
Sports is big business and none more so than at HBCUs where traditional football rivalries can draw crowds comparable to other major events in the area. Yet media attention is still a hard fought battle, and it's the SID's job to get the word out.
Then there's the strict enforcement of Title IX, which requires schools to offer sports to achieve gender equity. New programs are being added yearly. Still every Joe Smoe thinks he can do the job.
"Glorified statisticians, that's a line I got from John Holley," said Virginia State SID Greg Goings, now in his 11th year. "That's all people will see you as, he told me. In essence we are, but there's so much more to it. There's more writing now, producing media guides, etc. It's such an endless job."
And male dominated.
Of the 12 CIAA schools, only two have female SIDs - Patricia Harvey at Johnson C. Smith and St. Paul's Keyonna Brock-Robinson.
Brock-Robinson, who also is St. Paul's volleyball coach, was is on maternity leave, and Harvey, who coached the JCSU volleyball team last year, could not be reached for comment.
"It's hard to get black females into sports information," said Fayetteville State SID Marion Crowe, who has worked part-time at his alma mater for the past six years. "I asked a couple of young ladies to work with me but with the income and the stress that they have to go through, they said, 'No, it's not worth it.' Even though they may have liked it. It can be intimidating."
But through it all, the low pay, the long hours, the lack of respect and the stress, SIDs toughen it out day in and day out. And, insanity aside, actually like what they're doing.
"I wanted to have a job that I enjoy, not where the most money was," said Winston-Salem State SID Adrian Ferguson, now completing his first year at WSSU after five years at Livingstone. "This job gives me the best of both worlds - sports and computers. If I enjoy what I do, it will make my life better. That's why I've stuck with it."
"I love sports and I like college athletics," said Elizabeth City State SID Randy Jones. "This is something I've always wanted to do and to me it's unbelievable that you can actually get paid to do this. I have so much fun, and I love the people I work with."
As the new millennium approaches, black college sports continues to grow and develop. The demands and pressures to keep and maintain winning athletic programs aren't going to let up. And the role of an SID will be more important than ever.
"We need to be compensated better than what we are," Goings said. "Most of us work extremely hard. Some of us are doing this on a part-time basis and this is not a part-time job. Others are doing this in a duel capacity and this is not a dual job. This is a full time, seven-day-a-week job."
