- Joined
- Apr 7, 2013
- Messages
- 120,562
[h=1]Jon Machota 55m ago[/h]
I didn’t grow up with dreams of one day writing about the Dallas Cowboys. I wasn’t a great student, and I certainly didn’t think I’d ever be qualified to write professionally. But I’ve always loved sports.
Being raised in Metro Detroit, I was obsessed with the local teams and their star players.
After graduating from high school, I didn’t think working in sports was realistic, though. I wanted a job that would bring something new every day, so I enrolled in the law enforcement program at the local community college. I eventually graduated with an associate degree.
Let’s just say that, by the end of those two years, I realized that wasn’t the profession for me. I was painting houses to pay for college at the time and knew that wasn’t the answer, either. I don’t like heights. Painting windows 30 to 40 feet in the air was terrifying.
I had to find a way to work in sports.
That probably wasn’t going to happen without a bachelor’s degree. Unfortunately, not many of those law enforcement credits transferred. But my career path really started taking shape over the next four years at Wayne State University. While taking journalism classes, I was given an opportunity to do some freelance work with the Detroit Free Press. I was hooked. That’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was going to take every assignment and force myself to become a better writer.
During that time I became friends with a Free Press sports editor who saw my passion and went out of his way to give me any assignments he could find. While that didn’t end up landing me a full-time job with the Free Press, it allowed me to keep getting better.
I was a decent high school basketball player. Not an all-state player or someone Tom Izzo was trying to recruit, but an all-county player. I was 6’0, 150. I planned to play at the local community college for two years, add some weight and then hopefully play two years at a Division II or III school. That never happened. I gave up on the dream before the regular season even started. To this day, giving up on basketball is my biggest regret.
I mention this because that regret has fueled my current career. I was going to give everything I had to improve as a writer and reporter, and I was going to cover pro sports. I didn’t care if it took me 20 years to get there.
So despite nothing full-time coming along in Michigan, I continued to freelance for several different local and out-of-state papers. I got a huge break in October 2010. The previously mentioned Free Press sports editor was now working at The Dallas Morning News. He had freelance opportunities. They weren’t going to pay enough for me to live on my own, but if I could find a roommate, he could find me work.
Within a week, I found someone to live with on Roommates.com, packed my car and made the 18-hour drive to Dallas. I didn’t care that I had never been to Texas or that I didn’t really know anyone there. It was all about the opportunity.
For the next three years I covered high school sports, car racing, rodeos, horse racing, marathons, boxing, golf, college football, college basketball, soccer, pro baseball, pro basketball and the Cowboys.
Nothing was like covering the Cowboys. It was like a drug. I was addicted. I was obsessed with going to Valley Ranch. I loved the constant interest in the team.
I was fine with covering whatever I was assigned, but I wanted to be at Valley Ranch as much as possible.
Now, the Cowboys were a big deal in Detroit in the 1990s. It was common to see kids at school wearing a Cowboys hat, shirt, jersey or jacket. I knew they were considered America’s Team. But getting to see that up close was on another level.
I had dreams of one day covering the Lions or Tigers or Pistons. Those all took a backseat once I started covering the Cowboys. That’s what I was going to do.
And I got my dream job in 2014. The DMN hired me full-time to cover the Cowboys early into that season. I’ll never forget getting that call. I was driving on the Dallas North Tollway, headed to Valley Ranch. That might not have been a big deal to a lot of people, but it was everything to me.
My first road game was in Seattle. Great city. Great stadium. Great atmosphere. Even better game. And I’ve been fortunate to cover so many more since.
The last five years have been unforgettable. I couldn’t have asked for better teammates. I worked with an outstanding group and made some great friends.
But a new opportunity recently presented itself. And it seemed like the perfect time to take on a new challenge.
So that’s why I’m joining The Athletic.
I believe they have a strong grasp on the future of sports journalism. I’ve been impressed by their product, which is filled with in-depth coverage that’s easy to follow from an extremely talented staff, both nationally and locally.
I’m looking forward to bringing readers even more in-depth stories and breaking news while continuing to find new and interesting ways to cover the team. I have experience in the podcast world, and I’m excited to contribute in that regard.
I’m open to any suggestions, questions or criticism, so don’t hesitate to send them my way via email (jmachota@theathletic.com) or social media (Twitter: @jonmachota, Instagram: @jonmachota).
Over the years, my brother and I have gone over countless scenarios:
“What if you got an offer to cover this team?”
“Would you move if there was a job opening here?”
“What about Alabama football? What about Duke basketball? What about the Yankees? What about the Lakers?”
Every hypothetical just reinforced that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. The Cowboys are the only team I want to cover.
And I hope to continue doing that at The Athletic for a long, long time.
I didn’t grow up with dreams of one day writing about the Dallas Cowboys. I wasn’t a great student, and I certainly didn’t think I’d ever be qualified to write professionally. But I’ve always loved sports.
Being raised in Metro Detroit, I was obsessed with the local teams and their star players.
After graduating from high school, I didn’t think working in sports was realistic, though. I wanted a job that would bring something new every day, so I enrolled in the law enforcement program at the local community college. I eventually graduated with an associate degree.
Let’s just say that, by the end of those two years, I realized that wasn’t the profession for me. I was painting houses to pay for college at the time and knew that wasn’t the answer, either. I don’t like heights. Painting windows 30 to 40 feet in the air was terrifying.
I had to find a way to work in sports.
That probably wasn’t going to happen without a bachelor’s degree. Unfortunately, not many of those law enforcement credits transferred. But my career path really started taking shape over the next four years at Wayne State University. While taking journalism classes, I was given an opportunity to do some freelance work with the Detroit Free Press. I was hooked. That’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was going to take every assignment and force myself to become a better writer.
During that time I became friends with a Free Press sports editor who saw my passion and went out of his way to give me any assignments he could find. While that didn’t end up landing me a full-time job with the Free Press, it allowed me to keep getting better.
I was a decent high school basketball player. Not an all-state player or someone Tom Izzo was trying to recruit, but an all-county player. I was 6’0, 150. I planned to play at the local community college for two years, add some weight and then hopefully play two years at a Division II or III school. That never happened. I gave up on the dream before the regular season even started. To this day, giving up on basketball is my biggest regret.
I mention this because that regret has fueled my current career. I was going to give everything I had to improve as a writer and reporter, and I was going to cover pro sports. I didn’t care if it took me 20 years to get there.
So despite nothing full-time coming along in Michigan, I continued to freelance for several different local and out-of-state papers. I got a huge break in October 2010. The previously mentioned Free Press sports editor was now working at The Dallas Morning News. He had freelance opportunities. They weren’t going to pay enough for me to live on my own, but if I could find a roommate, he could find me work.
Within a week, I found someone to live with on Roommates.com, packed my car and made the 18-hour drive to Dallas. I didn’t care that I had never been to Texas or that I didn’t really know anyone there. It was all about the opportunity.
For the next three years I covered high school sports, car racing, rodeos, horse racing, marathons, boxing, golf, college football, college basketball, soccer, pro baseball, pro basketball and the Cowboys.
Nothing was like covering the Cowboys. It was like a drug. I was addicted. I was obsessed with going to Valley Ranch. I loved the constant interest in the team.
I was fine with covering whatever I was assigned, but I wanted to be at Valley Ranch as much as possible.
Now, the Cowboys were a big deal in Detroit in the 1990s. It was common to see kids at school wearing a Cowboys hat, shirt, jersey or jacket. I knew they were considered America’s Team. But getting to see that up close was on another level.
I had dreams of one day covering the Lions or Tigers or Pistons. Those all took a backseat once I started covering the Cowboys. That’s what I was going to do.
And I got my dream job in 2014. The DMN hired me full-time to cover the Cowboys early into that season. I’ll never forget getting that call. I was driving on the Dallas North Tollway, headed to Valley Ranch. That might not have been a big deal to a lot of people, but it was everything to me.
My first road game was in Seattle. Great city. Great stadium. Great atmosphere. Even better game. And I’ve been fortunate to cover so many more since.
The last five years have been unforgettable. I couldn’t have asked for better teammates. I worked with an outstanding group and made some great friends.
But a new opportunity recently presented itself. And it seemed like the perfect time to take on a new challenge.
So that’s why I’m joining The Athletic.
I believe they have a strong grasp on the future of sports journalism. I’ve been impressed by their product, which is filled with in-depth coverage that’s easy to follow from an extremely talented staff, both nationally and locally.
I’m looking forward to bringing readers even more in-depth stories and breaking news while continuing to find new and interesting ways to cover the team. I have experience in the podcast world, and I’m excited to contribute in that regard.
I’m open to any suggestions, questions or criticism, so don’t hesitate to send them my way via email (jmachota@theathletic.com) or social media (Twitter: @jonmachota, Instagram: @jonmachota).
Over the years, my brother and I have gone over countless scenarios:
“What if you got an offer to cover this team?”
“Would you move if there was a job opening here?”
“What about Alabama football? What about Duke basketball? What about the Yankees? What about the Lakers?”
Every hypothetical just reinforced that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. The Cowboys are the only team I want to cover.
And I hope to continue doing that at The Athletic for a long, long time.
