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In today’s edition of the Selma Times-Journal, you will find our Gridiron 2024 magazine.

Normally, this magazine would come out earlier than this, but due to the illness and death of James Jones, the magazine’s production was delayed. However, we were finally able to get this done and in your hands today.

One thing I know that James really enjoyed was covering sports. He was a sports writer by trade, as he was a long-time member of the sports writing associations in Mississippi and Alabama. This was important because he would go to the meetings and fight for local student-athletes to make all-state teams or at least get them on the honorable mention.

He loved covering high school football and basketball especially. Those were two sports he really enjoyed taking on for himself. He was doing that at the time of his illness this August when he had written all of the profiles. That was unfortunately as far as he was able to get. 

I think it is awesome that this will be the last work we will publish of James. 

Now since he moved to Selma, James really enjoyed covering the news side as well. He especially loved covering politics locally. In many ways, local politics have a lot in common with sports. Many times, there are winners and losers. 

In politics, you can control the tempo of a game, like you can in football and basketball. They speed things up and slow things down to get an advantage. There was always some strategy being played out. Sometimes, they used a blitz package to put pressure on to get something passed. Other times, the dropped back and played zone letting the game come to them. Many times, politicians can throw Hail Marys. They can even get sacked when they don’t get their way.

Sports was always James’ first love. Sure, he understood what made a good player. He knew what college teams look for in prospects. 

The thing that James really enjoyed the most was getting to know the players, parents and coaches of this area. I can’t tell you how many folks told me about stories of how James would come up and talk to them. He would get close to the athletes and especially their parents. 

He might even send a text trying to stir the pot. James loved to see a little drama, but I think it was all in good fun.

James, I hope you like this last section here. We will miss you.

 

Brent Maze is the publisher of The Selma Times-Journal. He can be reached at brent.maze@selmatimesjournal.com.