I am going to take a week away from explaining a sports story and spend this time to tell readers how and why we do what we do.

Let me first be very clear about something, it is not the money. I assure you there are no sports reporters in Southeast Texas rolling around in a Benz with bling around his neck and making it rain at any clubs. We know how to have a good time, but we certainly cannot afford that type of party.

You can, however, catch me at Dylan’s dining on some fried mushrooms here and there. Those things are awesome.

Sports editor I.C. Murrell’s terrific piece in Friday’s edition on the passing of Morley Safer inspired this column. If you did not catch Murrell’s column on the late “60 Minutes” reporter, then go online at panews.com and make sure to read it.

Sports writers first love sports. It sometimes can become an obsession. It is all we think about at some points in the day, every day of the week.

Sports are our books. Most of us don’t have time to read novels because we seem to always be at the office, at a game or at a practice.

I wish I read more. I wish I knew more about the current political scene. I wish I cared to watch great television shows like “Game of Thrones” and “Walking Dead.”

I don’t do any of that. I check Twitter constantly to get scores and notes. I live at the office and at local high schools.

Nederland coach Larry Neumann said it best in a story printed on Saturday: “Not only is it a job you get paid for, but it’s a hobby.”

Oh yeah, and there then are quotes like that. We love hearing coaches and athletes talk.

Have you ever talked to Neumann or West Orange-Stark coach Cornel Thompson? What about former Mustangs coach Dan Hooks? I would assume not many Port Neches-Groves and Nederland fans even want to speak to Hooks for too long. You know it’s the truth.

Sports writers in this area love it. These coaches are guys we get to know on a personal level. We spend a lot of time with coaches and building great working relationships that benefit both sides.

Coaches love to have their programs and athletes getting publicity and sports reporters need stories.

We do our jobs because of those athletes and programs. Southeast Texas is so blessed with great teams and great kids.

This is really it in a nutshell. We love sports and we gladly accept less pay to be around the games we love. We love telling stories.

So see you at the games!

Gabriel Pruett can be reached at 721-2436 or gabe.pruett@panews.com. On Twitter: @PaNewsGabe