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The
memory of Chris Raines will not soon be forgotten in northwest Ohio,
where he helped produce and direct countless games and sports
programming for WTLW TV-44 in Lima.
July 29, 2009
For the Love of the Game
Perhaps you didn’t
know Chris Raines, but high school sports in northwest Ohio won’t be
the same without him
The following piece
was written by OHSAA assistant commissioner Jerry Snodgrass when
hearing of the death of Chris Raines, an Elida High School graduate
and sports producer/director at WTLW TV-44 in Lima.
Known for its
outstanding high school sports coverage in northwest Ohio, WTLW gave
Chris the opportunity to have a career in producing and directing
sports television. In return, Chris gave back so much more.
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Betting is an ugly
word in our line of work. However, I would be willing to bet
you didn’t know Chris Raines. But I bet he knew you.
Chris Raines was a
shy, relatively un-athletic, student at Elida High School. Chris
never threw a winning touchdown pass with time running out. Chris
never hit the shot at the buzzer to send his team to the state
tournament or for that matter, to a regular season win. Chris never
made the diving catch to save a win on the diamond. But Chris loved
sports. He loved working with people in sports.
Somehow, his love
of sports took him to WTLW-TV in Lima at 16 years old. A station
known as well for its Christian programming as it is for its
highlighting small town athletes in Northwest Ohio. You probably
didn’t know Chris…but there is a better bet that Chris knew you;
though the eyepiece of a camera lens or through the screen on a
replay monitor. Chris saw every high school athlete you could see in
several counties in NW Ohio. Yet few knew Chris.
Directing,
producing, running replay; whatever it took. Chris loved it. After
Chris graduated from high school, he stayed with WTLW. He loved
television ‘work.’ He loved working with high school sports.
Chris died the
other night; ran off the road, hit a tree and was killed. Barely a
mark on the tree where Chris slammed into it. 23 years old. So
little remnant of Chris’ last day on earth.
I administrate high
school athletics in Ohio. I am willing to bet I will not get a call
next week asking me for permission to wear a commemorative black
patch on a team’s jersey with Chris Raines’ number on it. And see,
that is where the irony is in all of this. Chris won’t be remembered
as a number. Chris was a person. The same kind of person that
lives in Edgerton. Pymatuning Valley, Steubenville or in Meigs
County. A person that wasn’t known for his jersey number…or his
winning heroics in a football or basketball game. Chris was just a
kid like so many in our schools. A person that didn’t even WEAR a
jersey number. A person like so many others in our schools that
benefit from high school sports. Not a number; a person.
Yet Chris stood for
everything good about high school athletics. In a sports crazed
world dominated by the next steroid scandal, Chris never took a
steroid. High school athletics were good for Chris Raines. And Chris
gave more to high school sports than can ever be remembered by a
black patch with a number.
I bet you didn’t
know Chris. I am not sure I knew Chris as well as I wished I would
have. Man, I loved Chris, but I regret I never told him that. I
would walk into the production truck at WTLW on a game night and
there was Chris with his trademark grin on his face…always happy to
see you. Chris loved high school sports.
I bet you didn’t
know Chris. But I hope you do now. Along with the hundreds of others
just like him in our schools everywhere. I am going to miss Chris
and I am willing to bet hundreds of others across the small towns of
NW Ohio will too.
Jerry Snodgrass
Assistant
Commissioner
Ohio High School Athletic Association
### ohsaa.org ###
Contact:
tstried@ohsaa.org |
