J. EDMUND BARNES

Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Josephus Edmund Barnes, and I am the new sports writer for L’Observateur. As the new guy, I’m a little at a loss, learning names, figuring out everything that’s required of me, getting familiar with the geography. I have come to realize two things, though. Number one, this is a big job. The River Parishes does not just have a lot of sports to cover, there are a lot of quality teams. Number two, boy have I got some big shoes to fill. Michael Kiral was an extraordinary reporter and writer, and it’s going to be tough to live up to the standard that he set. I’m going to call my column Ringside’ because most of my athletic experience has been in the martial arts. While at the University of Mississippi, I competed in collegiate Taekwondo. Before graduating I had traveled all over the country fighting for the Rebels, and in 1998 I took home the Mississippi State Championship. The most profitable and enjoyable time I spent during college was ringside, except for the occasional writing workshop with Barry Hannah or Larry Brown. This column will be my soapbox, and with the world of sports being what it is, I doubt that I’ll ever be short of material. Please feel free to comment, criticize, suggest, and even rant along with me. I welcome any and all responses about anything having to do with sports, and indeed, any help ya’ll want to give me concerning stories or breaking information would be appreciated. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you ringside. J. EDMUND BARNES can be contacted at L’Observateur (P.O. Box 1010, Laplace, La, 70069, 652-9545) or by email at josephusbarnes@hotmail.com.