The days of Randy Mac and Mr. Parker were special at the TRN
In this opinion, the best TRN sportswriter few ever knew was Randy MacPherson. This includes guys I hired, fired and worked with from 1963 to ’79. I’m prejudiced but with cause.
Randy was my mentor and there were days I admired him and days I couldn’t stand him. You see, Randy Mac could not only write, he was a gifted editor, and back in the day gifted editors didn’t mince words.
It was a time before political correctness changed us to touchy-feely sorts with an emphasis on composed, almost apologetic critique. Frankness ruled and praise was meted in dribbles and drabs.
Randy’s newspaper career spanned many decades between sports, city, and managing editor (ME) here and later in Ohio. As he neared retirement I heard he only mildly veered from his patented candor.
When I became a self-proclaimed rising TRN hotshot, Randy kept me grounded. We worked the same early morning shift and there were times when it was just the two of us in the newsroom.
In ’64 management granted me a column and I sat for hours pouring over my first precious piece of wisdom. As I typed, the words seemed golden. They just poured through the fingertips and onto copy paper.
I couldn’t wait for Randy to read and rave over the final product. When he came in at the usual 4:30 a.m., I sauntered over to his desk and handed him the column. His edit marks and suggestions were often blunt, but made sense.
I sat nearby and watched him read the piece. He started to raise a pencil, but put it down. He kept reading. Finally he looked me in the eye. He held the copy in one hand and began to crumple it.
He extended the wadded ball toward me and said, “This is terrible. You can do better. Come here!”
He told me the idea was OK but the construction was poor. He pointed out areas that needed to be moved, rewritten, expanded or deleted. The lead paragraph and ending were weak. Work on it. He taught me how to strengthen and expand my vision.
Our ME, Al Parker, was a successful editor in his own way. He covered the WF Spudders to the Dixie Series title in the 1920s and a few of us still have his book on that history journey.
Mr. Parker (I don’t even think his wife called him Al) was more reserved than Randy. When he spoke, the writer had to lean close to hear and consequently smell Mr. Parker’s foul cigars that he consumed to the nub.
Through Randy and Mr. Parker, the choice was to grow or find another career. Thanks to my mentors and the good Lord I chose to grow.
Ted Spud Buss is a former sports and business editor at the TRN.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: The days of Randy Mac and Mr. Parker were special at the TRN Ted Buss
