Meet Gentry Estes: 20 questions with The Tennessean’s new sports columnist – The Tennessean

Meet Gentry Estes: 20 questions with The Tennessean’s new sports columnist  The Tennessean

New sports columnist Gentry Estes comes to The Tennessean after more than a dozen years as a beat writer in the SEC. He was previously at the Courier Journal in Louisville, where he learned about horse racing, basketball and bourbon (not necessarily in that order).

Let’s play 20 questions:

1. Where have you lived previously? Any time in Nashville?

I have been to Nashville more times than I can count, but this will be my first time living in the city. Been all around it, though. Here’s the list: Albany (Ga.) Herald (2002-04), Decatur (Ala.) Daily (2004-05), Chattanooga Times Free Press (2005-07), Mobile (Ala.) Press Register and AL.com (2007-10), 247Sports (2010-15) and most recently the Louisville Courier Journal, where I was kind of a do-everything editor and writer the past four years. I covered the Vols in Knoxville for the Times Free Press, the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa for Decatur and for AL.com and helped start 247Sports’ Georgia site.

2. Who were some of your biggest professional influences?

One of the most influential is a former beat writer at The Tennessean. Working alongside Chris Low in Knoxville taught me a great deal. He and Mark Schlabach would top the list of who I’ve tried to emulate most as exceptional reporters and sports journalists. I’ve had some great editors along the way (and won’t start naming them for fear of leaving out someone).

I grew up in Alabama reading columnists like Cecil Hurt, Kevin Scarbinsky, Ray Melick and Paul Finebaum. Along the way, there have been Mark Bradley and Jeff Schultz in Atlanta, Mark Wiedmer in Chattanooga, John Adams in Knoxville, Tim Sullivan in Louisville, Gregg Doyel in Indianapolis and David Climer, Joe Biddle and Joe Rexrode in Nashville. Personally, my single biggest influence was probably my sister, who went into the news business, too, working at the Associated Press and CNN among other places.

3. Who is your favorite author, sports or otherwise

Rick Bragg comes from the same area of northeast Alabama as much of my family, so I’ve always felt a kinship there. Meeting him once and having him already know who I was, that was a neat thrill.

4. Are you a “hot take” specialist?

Ha ha, at times. But really, my goal as The Tennessean’s sports columnist is to be insightful and earn a reputation for fairness, both to my readers and the people I’ll be covering, even if some don’t always like what I have to say. My standard as a journalist always has been to try to tell you something you didn’t already know. So if I can offer a perspective you haven’t previously considered or one that can provide a unique window into our sports scene, that’s what I’d like to do. Usually, doing that requires going deeper than any low-hanging fruit.  

5. What is your favorite sport to write about?

While I’ve primarily covered football and basketball in my career, I’ve also greatly enjoyed opportunities to delve into new sports. My time in Louisville taught me an enormous amount about horse racing, for example. Basically, I’m the sports nerd who loves competition and often will watch something like archery as easily as an NFL game.

6. Do you play any sports?

I was a pretty good tennis player at one point. Now I try to play and it just annoys me because I can’t do the things I used to. Sigh. Such is life. In grade school, I was decent at basketball and baseball. I tried playing quarterback on the football team and was terrible at it. Slow of foot and thoughtful is not an effective combination on the football field.

7. What’s the most exciting sporting event you’ve ever attended?

Professionally, I’d say two Alabama-Georgia football games. The 2012 SEC Championship game and national title game to end the 2017 season each went down to the final play and were thrilling, high-stakes games to watch. Just in general, it was a weightlifting duel for gold in the 1996 Olympics between Turkey’s Naim Suleymanoglu and Greece’s Valerios Leonidis. Seriously, enjoy.

8. What is your favorite event to cover?

Annually, it’s probably the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Nothing beats that opening weekend of March Madness. Under the radar perhaps, but I really enjoyed the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City when I attended. And if I had to pick anywhere to be working at any given moment, I’d say the NCAA tennis championships in Athens, Georgia. That is special (and I wish the NCAA would let Athens host it every year).

9. Who is your favorite sports personality to have been around?

So many. But with the most successful coaches and players, you can see why. While Nick Saban was not always a treat to cover on a daily basis, I’ve not been around a coach more impressive or more driven to succeed. Being around him taught you what a top-notch organization is supposed to look like.

10. Who is the best athlete you’ve ever watched in person?

I’ve covered a lot of college football players, but I’m not sure any of them were better than Todd Gurley. Also high on the list: Cam Newton, Tim Tebow, Julio Jones, A.J. Green and Rolando McClain in his college days. As a kid, I saw the late Derrick Thomas singularly take over games for Alabama. He still is the most dominant defensive player I’ve ever seen in person. And of course, Auburn’s Bo Jackson was the kind of talent that we’ve not seen since, in my opinion.

11. What’s the best stadium atmosphere you’ve experienced?

Neyland Stadium when it’s rocking is still the loudest stadium for me. When Travis Stephens broke a late screen pass against Georgia in 2001, that remains the loudest I’ve ever heard any stadium. Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium and Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge each merit mention. And South Carolina is a very underrated home-field atmosphere to me. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd impact a game more than in that stadium when Steve Spurrier was on the sideline.

12. What’s your best memory, period?

The birth of my daughter and when I married my wife.

13. Who is your hero?

My mom. For so many reasons.

14. Where did your love of sports originate?

My dad was always a big sports fan and was taking me to college football and Atlanta Braves games before my seventh birthday. Think it probably started there. To this day, I love being able to talk sports with him more than anyone.

15. What one food or drink could you not go without?

Coffee. All day. Every day.

16. What’s your most memorable moment as a sports writer?

I was courtside at the Georgia Dome in 2008 when the tornado hit during an SEC Tournament quarterfinal game between Alabama and Mississippi State. I heard the bleachers shake behind me (it sounded like fans collectively stopping their feet faster and faster) and saw the dome’s roof ripple above me. I remember thinking, “Whatever this is, I’d like it to stop.” The whole ordeal lasted only maybe 30 seconds, but it felt like forever. Hope to never experience anything like that again.

17. Where were you during the Music City Miracle?

I was watching it on a small television in the media room at Auburn’s old basketball arena. Remember it like it was yesterday.

18. Do you like country music?

Um … next question.

19. OK, what’s the best live show you’ve ever seen in Nashville?

George Carlin at Ryman Auditorium a few years before he died. That was awesome.

20. If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you want to do?

This. Honestly. I’ve always been able to say that I’m one of those people who is getting to do exactly what he or she always wanted to do. I have the best job in the world.

Published 10:25 AM EDT Sep 6, 2019