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Volume 38 Issue 5
November 7, 2000

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‘My man Schoney,’ you set the standard

By Chris Bowman
Mesa Legend
Submitted November 7, 2000

It hit me like a punch in the face.

Steve Schoenfeld, the Arizona Republic’s lead NFL reporter for the past 12 years until July when he became senior NFL writer for CBS Sportsline.com, was killed on Oct. 24, on Mill Avenue when he was struck by a car.

My man Schoney, who I never got the pleasure of meeting, was a true legend. Not because he was a great writer, but because he was loved by so many, and respected by everyone he came near.

I first became a fan of Schoney when he routinely appeared on local sports talk radio shows. This guy was an absolute character, always talking gossip before anything else. He would stir things up with the host of the show creating great comedy for listeners like me.

Once I was a fan of Schoney’s work on the air, I soon looked for his work in print.

Schoney taught me more than any writer I have read. He had an amazing ability to find the human-interest story.

Most sports writers who are around for as many years as Schoney become very cynical over the corruption in sports. Not Schoney. He loved sports. He loved his job, and it showed.

When the news of Schoney’s death hit, the Arizona sports community was devastated. It seemed everyone who knew Schoney had the same story. When you met him for the first time, he always came up to you and established a friendship.

If you were new to the Valley, he would help you get acquainted with everything. He would routinely call a number of his friends and colleagues early in the morning to give them the latest scoop, without caring if they were still asleep.

“Everyone respected Schoney so much for his fairness,” said Channel 12’s Mark Curtis in an emotional speech at Schoenfeld’s funeral. “He was so competitive, but always fair. He set a great example for all of us.

“Steve had too many stories to write. Too much gossip to spread. Too many restaurants to check-out, and too many nights and mornings to go to bed and wake up with his wife Robin. It’s just not fair.”

 He was nicknamed the “pollinator” because of his ability to get around a room interviewing each and everyone. Every sportswriter who knew Schoney was jealous of his motor which seemed to never stop.

Schoney was not only beloved in the Valley, but around the country as well. On Oct. 29, every press box in the NFL  took a moment of silence to honor him.

I know how I plan on honoring him. I will strive to be more like him.

Chris Bowman is sports editor at the Mesa Legend and a journalism major at MCC.

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