It’s been said that you can’t tell the story of Alabama without talking sports.
To that end, 1819 News is proud to announce that long-time Alabama sportswriter Steve Irvine will become Sports Editor of 1819 News, beginning July 1.
"It's impossible to measure how excited I am to join 1819 News,’’ Irvine said. “I was in the sixth grade when I decided that I wanted to cover sports for a living. Fortunately, I was able to make that dream come true for a long time. I thought it was over when I walked out of Legion Field on a warm September night. It's such a comforting feeling returning to something I love to do."
A native of Huntsville, Irvine somehow migrated to Southern California where he spent 16 years as a sportswriter at the Long Beach Press Telegram (and says he never learned to surf). He came home to Alabama in 2001 when he was hired by the Birmingham News to cover the University of Alabama athletics department. But he may be best known for his time as the beat writer covering UAB sports from 2005-2012.
“I have known Steve since 2001, first as a friendly competitor when I was at the Birmingham Post-Herald and he was at The News,’’ said Ray Melick, Editor-in-Chief of 1819 News. “Then we worked together at The News, and my appreciation for him only grew as I watched him cover not just UAB athletics, but also a variety of sporting events that came his way.
“He is a journalist who seeks out the great stories, whether they are features that inspire us or investigative stories that hold athletic departments accountable. I am confident he will provide a broad range of sports stories as we move 1819 News into a new era of coverage of all things Alabama.”
Since leaving The Birmingham News, Irvine has been the color analyst for UAB football. He has also written for a number of publications, including UABSports.com, SportsXchange, the Associated Press, Athlon and Lindy’s Sports Journals.
"Sports is such a big part of our life in Alabama,” Irvine said. “We will strive to inform and entertain our readers with in-depth coverage of all levels of sports throughout the state."
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