Asst. Sports Copy Editor | Fall 2016; Asst. Sports Editor | Spring 2017

It’s amazing the journey we take in life, because every day has the potential to be the best day ever. Reporting for The Daily Orange provided me some of my best days, beyond the 470-ish bylines. I can look back fondly at my time so far at The D.O. because of the following people.

Mom, Dad: Thanks for bearing with me on the unpaid internships. Mom, for funding that wonderful summer in Pittsburgh and for teaching me to be independent. All you’ve been through — cancer, depression, heartbreak — drives me every day. Dad, thanks for teaching me what it means to work hard for what I want and how to treat others with respect. Above all, thank you both for your unconditional love and support.

Schwed: You welcomed me here with open arms. We did our first read together, on my crappy tennis coverage. Your long feedback emails were some of my deepest learning moments at The D.O., and they helped me gain my footing. Thanks again for hiring me.

Schneidman: Thanks for putting me on the tennis beat, then seeing enough to bump me to softball. Your ability to crank out quality work was always incredible to me, and working with you on men’s soccer solidified that. True to form, one night you filed your sider before I reached my nut graf. See you in the big leagues, son.

Libonati: You responded to an email I sent in December 2015, expressing interest in joining D.O. Sports. Your advice always stuck with me. “Show change through events” was one line I’ll never forget. Thanks for your blunt criticism that made us all better journalists. It’s in your DNA.

Mettus: No need to even fight back — I’ll steal your cushiony chair every single time. Your focus has never wavered, which was always most admirable about you. Let’s blast Modest Mouse again soon.

Jesse: Last year, you sent me an email with feedback on a tennis gamer. My jaw dropped. You’re three years older than me, LA Times-bound, making time for a freshman who didn’t know how to do much of this. Thanks for the Cafe Kubal coffee chats, Gchats and story advice. You represented what a D.O. star is, and you give us all a picture of what high-level success looks like.

Stephen: Julian Whigham said nobody knows Syracuse football better than you, and he’s spot-on. It was an honor learning from your diligence and attention to detail this fall. D.O. Sports culture wouldn’t have been the same without our Pastabilities lunches. You helped welcome me to this, and I’m forever grateful for that. Our next lunch is on me.

Blum: During one of my first Sunday Sports meetings, you complimented me on two tennis midweek ideas I had. Your encouragement gave me the confidence to dive into those stories, and hundreds more in the years to come.

Fortier: Your talent will get you the job you want in this industry. You’re a special writer and have given us work to really sit back on and admire. Your careful edits are tremendously appreciated.

Grossman: The thing about your stories is you make them last. You’re one talented cat, man. I hope some of it rubbed off on me.

Amanda, Brigid: You slay with your videos, but more so with the energy you bring to every room you occupy.

Alexa, Alexa: Keep up the hard work.

Andrew: Ah, tennis staff reports. Keep your rapid rise going, bud.

Mattingly: Watching you operate is seeing first-hand how we are supposed to carry ourselves. Leon Bridges, baby.

Harford: When you arrived, I think half the Sports section had a crush on you. You walked in and dominated with both attention and with your designs, possessing this uplifting personality that makes life more fun to live.

Cereijo: Boy can you take a photograph.

Ogozalek: Keep busting your tail because you have all of the skill.

Jes: You always have a kind word to pass along, and you take darn good photos. Donuts on me before you leave Newhouse.

Lucy: If only we all had the eye and insane work ethic you have.

Billy, Alvarez, McCleary: If only everyone loved something as much as you guys love sports.

Rori: I’ve never heard you say a bad word about anybody, nor have I heard you view the negative of a situation. You’re great.

Andy: Our date in Pittsburgh will come soon. See you on Euclid!

Emma: Design pro, remember me when you have a corner office.

Stacy: When we first met over lunch at Graham Dining Center, your energy was infectious. Keep changing the world like you know how.

Fogel: You’re stylish, handsome and nice to others. What more could one ask?

Haley: You’re one of the smartest people I’ve met, with a whole lot of empathy. Happy to be doing this dual major thing with you.

Schafer: You dove right in at The D.O. with your head down, a trait that will carry you. Lift later?

Bloss: It’s 2 a.m. in a Coppin State parking lot and only our faces are lit up by screens. Gosh, not sure if I’ve laughed any harder in my life than that night. You’re a pleasure to be around, man.

Liberman: Proud to call you a really good friend. Rock on, Matthew.

Satoshi: If there were a logo for the industry of journalism, it’d be you, bent over on a park bench, engrossed in the beauty of a newspaper. Your passion for what we do is exemplary, and I look forward to being dear friends for the rest of our lives. You’re a gentleman, my friend. Keep going. Keep going.

Burke: Nothing screams Michael Burke more than: It’s day three in Philly and you’re already plastered on the front page. You’re a workhorse, which helps me and plenty others. You have so much talent.

Tomer: Never have I been around a person who routinely asks quality questions, one after the other, like yourself. Whether you stick with reporting or not, your curiosity and genuine interest in others will take you any place you can imagine. There’s nothing like eating ice cream with you at Eddie’s Sweet Shop on a 10-degree March afternoon. You are the man.

Jacob: I never leave an interaction with you without feeling high. I’ll never smoke anything in my life, so that’s one heck of a characteristic you have to take along with you in the remarkable life you’re scripting.

Charlie: Oh man. I could go endless ways, so I’m just going to say this: Thank you for being my best friend.

Alexandra: A lifetime could be spent searching through the adjectives to describe you. You have many wonderful qualities, but foremost among them is you’re a sparkle in this world. My whole heart. My rock. Your 100-watt smile, deep dimples and kind words make me melt inside. You have an understanding of what you are and how you can help others. Sometimes, being with you is dreamlike — until you forge our bond and make everything feel so real. Thank you for possessing the most important trait one can have: a big heart. I love you oodles.

Published on December 7, 2017 at 5:16 am

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21