Support available for Furman Sports Report

Thanks for your support of the Furman Sports Report!

As we near the conclusion of a third football regular season at the Furman Sports Report, I want to thank you all who have enjoyed reading my stories here. It's been a pleasure to be able to continue covering the Paladins.

Of course, I also want to thank Tommy's Country Ham House for their sponsorship since day one. There's no greater supporter of Furman athletics than Tommy Stevenson and I'm honored by his generous sponsorship, which has helped make this website possible.

Tommy's sponsorship helps cover costs of maintaining the site, as well as travel expenses for covering football and basketball road games. During the past two-plus years of the FSR, it's been humbling to hear from readers who've also asked how they could lend financial support.

While the FSR will never be a pay site, every bit of financial support can help. This is especially true with uncertain road trips the football team may be going on soon. As such, I've set up a PayPal donation button for those interested in making a contribution near the top right of our website homepage.

You can also donate by clicking here: PayPal donation. Donations can be made on a one-time or a recurring monthly basis. I'm so appreciative of any contribution the FSR receives.

If you're wondering why the Furman Sports Report exists, here's a little background info on me and how it came to be.

I understood what a special place Furman is early on in life. When I was growing up, my grandfather worked 50 to 60 hours a week at J.P. Stevens Mill. He put in those hours to be off on Saturdays to take me to Sirrine Stadium, Paladin Stadium and Greenville Memorial Auditorium to see the Paladins play.

I began working at The Greenville News out of high school, answering phones to input scores and stats for high school football on Friday nights. It could be a stressful job at times and always went into the wee hours of every Saturday, but I loved every minute of it. After basically begging to stick around and do more following that first football season, I stuck around and a 25-year career there ensued.

During my tenure, I was ultimately able to accomplish the two main things I wanted to do - write about high school sports and Furman sports. It was an honor to follow in the footsteps of Dan Foster, Abe Hardesty, Rudy Jones, Willie T. Smith III and others who masterfully covered the Paladins.

When my career at The News came to an end, I was looking for a way to continue doing what I love to do. I'm very fortunate to currently be part of an excellent team of sportswriters at the Spartanburg Herald, covering high schools as a freelancer, and to have my own site devoted to covering Furman athletics.

With the relationships I've built with the school and my professional writing experience, I believe that the FSR offers the best coverage of the Paladins. Thanks again for your support. Whether it's a financial contribution or simply clicking a link to read one of my stories here, it's all so very appreciated!