A voice from the past: A Q&A with former Cheboygan Tribune sports editor Marc Vieau
Q: When was it you found an interest in sports writing and why did you do it?
Vieau: I found an interest in writing in general probably around junior high growing up in Saginaw and then it took off in high school. Not really sure why. I’m not athletic in any way, shape or form and didn’t play sports in school but I’ve always loved sports. Maybe this is my way to be a part of it.
Q: You've been out of Cheboygan for a while. When did you start working at the Daily Tribune and when did you finish?
Vieau: I was in Cheboygan from May 1998 after graduating from Michigan State University until March 2000 when I went to the Cadillac News, where I still am 20 years later.
Q: Was this the first sports writing job you had out of college?
Vieau: Yes, it was. I met the editor of the Tribune at a journalism conference at MSU and they were looking for a sports editor. It’s funny, because my father’s side of the family is from the Cheboygan area. I spent summers at my grandparents’ cabin in Topinabee up the hill from Mullet Lake across from the township park. The main part of that cabin was built in the 1800s (great-grandmother was born in it) and that area has a lot of family history.
Q: When I took over at the Daily Tribune in 2010, it was pretty overwhelming, especially going there just a few months after graduating from Grand Valley State University. Was it overwhelming for you or did you enjoy it right off the bat?
Vieau: Oh my, yes! I had a lot of layout and sports experience from high school, Delta College and the State News at MSU but now I was on my own for the first time. I think I started on Memorial Day 1998 so it was the very end of the spring sports season and it had been five years since I was involved in high school sports coverage. That fall was eye-opening and it took me some time to get my feet under me.
Q: Early on, what was the one thing that stood out to you about the Cheboygan sports community?
Vieau: I think it was how much people enjoyed going to high school sports events and that’s really typical of small communities. The Cadillac area is no different. People want to get to know you a little bit because you’re writing about their kids and grandkids. That connection means a lot and it’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed involved in local sports for so long.
Q: Was there a coach or AD or athlete who was a big help to you early on in your career?
Vieau: I think Randy Bricker, the baseball coach at Pellston, was actually the first coach I met while working at the Tribune. There’s a number of coaches and athletic directors I got to know and develop friendships with. That’s not something we’re really supposed to do as journalists but I think small-town papers are a little bit different. Those people are your lifeblood. Jack Coon was probably the coach I got to know the most but when you’re the sports editor in Cheboygan, it’s probably a good idea to work well with the football coach.
Q: You've had the chance to cover some great teams, including the 1999 Cheboygan boys basketball team. What was it like to cover coach Barry Salter, star forward Brian Kujawa and the rest of that squad?
Vieau: That was my first chance to kind of “be part of” something like that and I can honestly say it was awesome. I’ve covered state championship individuals and teams here, as well, but that will always be “my first.” That was a great group of kids and coaches who meant a lot to a community without much of a basketball tradition.
Q: What's the best memory you had from that postseason?
Vieau: Ask anybody who remembers that team and they will inevitably talk about the blond hair. Brian Kujawa and Billy Johnson were already blondes and gradually, they got the rest of the players to do it. I believe they did it to Coach Salter on the bus ride back to Cheboygan after winning the regional title. Stupid me, knowing the regional would be tough against Gladwin and a very big Manistee (I think) team to win the regional, told them I would go blond if they won the regional. I’ve got really dark brown, looks black, hair. Ugh. As you know, they eventually lost to River Rouge in the state finals. So, in the time between the regionals and the semifinals at MSU, I spent three hours in a salon in Cheboygan getting my hair dyed blond. I certainly wasn’t going to let high school kids do it! If you look in the Tribune archives about that team, we did a special section of stories and photos after it was all over. I believe I wrote a column about the experience and the headline said, “Cheboygan basketball: Sponsored by Ms. Clairol.” I actually kept the blond through that summer and then it went back to normal in the fall. It was probably one of the weirdest things I’ve done but it was a good laugh. By the way, I think I’ve destroyed all pictures relating to that!
Q: You also got to cover a pretty good Inland Lakes softball team that went to the state semifinals that spring. Would you say 1999 was the most exciting sports year you've had?
Vieau: It’s up there. I’ve had some really good years down here, too, with football and basketball teams in Cadillac and McBain, especially. McBain won the Class C boys basketball title in 2002 after being state runner-up in football the year previous. Cadillac and McBain, along with Manton, have been in the basketball Final Four several times, too.
Q: Who was your favorite coach to work with and why?
Vieau: To be honest, I had a number of them and that’s critical to being a sports writer in a small town. You need to develop good working relationships so coaches can trust you. I’m proud of being able to do that. It’s been 20 years since I worked in Cheboygan but I still love seeing some of those people around if I run into them.
Q: What about favorite athlete?
Vieau: Brian Kujawa was up there. I still remember the Cheboygan-Cadillac game in 1999 when Cheboygan was still in the Big North. The game went to OT, each team scored in the 90s and there were three phenomenal players on the court — Kujawa, Johnson and a sophomore from Cadillac named Brian Snider. Snider would go on to be all-state, as well, and played for four years at Western Michigan University. I got to know Brian very well in his junior and senior seasons here. Those Cadillac teams were phenomenal. The 2001 team lost to Flint Northern in the Class A regional finals by 6-8 points. Close game the whole way.
Q: What do you feel was the best story you ever wrote at the Daily Tribune?
Vieau: The ’Ms. Clairol’ column ranks up there because it talked a lot about some of the things I mentioned here — a community falling in love with a team. Other than that one that popped in my head, 20 years is a long time. I’m getting old!
Q: When you decided to step down and move to Cadillac, was that a tough decision? How difficult was it to leave the Cheboygan community?
Vieau: I actually wasn’t looking to leave but the editor of the Cadillac News called and said they needed a sports editor and asked if I’d be interested. It was a very tough decision. I cherished the friendships I had in the Cheboygan area but this is a bigger area with more options between Traverse City and Grand Rapids. I still remember a number of the Cheboygan coaches and personnel had a going away party for me at the old Pappas’ restaurant next to the Tribune.
Q: How long have you been Cadillac's sports editor and how much of a joy has it been working there?
Vieau: So I’ve been here 20 years and it’s been pretty similar to Cheboygan. We cover 13 schools in Wexford, Missaukee and Osceola counties. My love of high school sports has grown a lot over the years and I don’t see myself changing at this point. I’m 45 so a big change might be a lot to ask.
Q: What are the similarities (and even some differences) to working in both Cheboygan and Cadillac?
Vieau: Like I’ve mentioned, the communities are similar even though Cadillac is a bit bigger community and school. Cadillac is at the top end of Class B and flirting again with Class A if its enrollment goes up much more. There are more sports here, too. I’ve learned a lot about high school tennis, skiing, swimming, etc. You haven’t lived until you’ve covered ski regionals on a brisk February day on a ski hill where the wind chill is below zero! People are very involved in sports here and in my surrounding communities, too. They’re all very welcoming, just like they were in the Cheboygan area. I’ve made it sort of my operating plan to be positive when writing about high school and youth sports athletes. We aren’t paying these kids thousands of dollars by scholarship nor are they pro athletes making millions. When they or a coach make a mistake, people at the game saw it so I don’t need to rehash it. One of the best pieces of advice I got early on is we’re writing for scrapbooks. That means a lot and sticks with me. That got kind of long-winded but you probably need to fill space without sports. I feel the pain everyday right now. I love Northern Michigan, its people and its attitude.
Q: What's the one thing you loved the most about Cheboygan?
Vieau: Honestly, I think all of the above that I’ve talked about. It was a great place to get started in my career and while I haven’t moved far, remembering your roots is important. I had a little bit of a connection to the community and that helped but I made it my business to fit in by working hard and getting to know people. That’s still at the heart of small-town newspapers and I love that. Thanks for asking me to do this … it’s brought back a lot of great memories.
