I’m sitting here in a South Boston coffee shop on a gorgeous summer morning feeling equal parts thrilled, reflective and relieved.
Thrilled with a new opportunity for journalistic sports storytelling on Maine-related subjects with my own personal flair.
Reflective upon my media experience in Maine.
Relieved that it continues without interruption.
My name is Greg Levinsky, and I’m here to announce the launch of my regular sports column with the Bangor Daily News.
It’s been about half a decade, but this is actually my return to the BDN, if you will. My connection with this outlet started when I was a student at Boston University, collaborating with then-BDN sports editor Pete Warner to publish a handful of my class projects in print and online as some of my first professional clips.
I’m excited to take on this regular sports column as a more seasoned writer, reporter and professional. In the half-decade since my first BDN byline, I’ve worked as a sports correspondent for The Boston Globe, spent summers covering professional sports with the Detroit Free Press and college baseball on Cape Cod, and worked as a full-time reporter in Maine.
My new sports column with the BDN will follow the spirit and style of my “Game On” column at the Portland Phoenix that I so immensely enjoyed writing for nearly two years before the Phoenix published its final issue. Thanks to Marian McCue at the Phoenix and now BDN editor Lindsay Putnam for dedicating the space for me to continue pursuing my passion.
In my introductory column with the Phoenix, I wrote about my journalistic journey and transition to a journalism adjacent full-time role, and how much I valued the freedom to pursue the Maine sports stories I found important. That sentiment remains with me today, and writing this column is even more important to me now. I relish this space, and the many exciting projects I’ve worked on in the Maine sports media scene with Maine Public, WHOU, Big Time Hoops Maine and more.
On a personal note, I moved back to Boston from Portland this past spring for my day job, but I value keeping a strong connection with the Maine sports community. This is the best way for me to do that, enough to keep my storytelling connection to my home state going without compromising the ample career advancement opportunities here in Boston.
This column’s main goal is to assist people with sharing their stories, primarily focused on the Portland area to complement the BDN’s northern and eastern Maine sports coverage. And I firmly believe everyone has a story worth sharing. This is a platform for myself, sure, but more importantly for others. Their stories inspire, teach and connect. Look for the stories of people like Marlaco Bethune, the Portland High School wrestler who is a trailblazer in the deaf community, the South Portland High School boys soccer teams’ unification through language of their sport, or an enlightening, exclusive interview with the biggest Red Sox prospect to play with the Portland Sea Dogs in a decade.
I’ll sprinkle in some commentary and analysis, too, but the main driver of this column is sharing the stories no one else does. Please feel free to reach out at any time with comments, questions or ideas at [email protected] or connect with me on social media. I’m the only Greg Levinsky on most platforms, so I’m not hard to find.
