Canal Street Chronicles adds Co-Managing Editor

Usually when I type in this whitespace I’m here to write up a piece that breaks down some statistic, addition to the team, or something I find interesting about the New Orleans Saints that I hope others will be interested in too. In an unusual yet heartening turn of events, I’m instead here to write about myself for the first time in about four years.

It was nearly that long ago when I penned my first ever piece which focused on my paralleled life trajectory with the New Orleans Saints franchise. A piece I wish to rewrite some day to make it a bit more polished. But nonetheless, it was a meaningful piece in sharing my journey as a new and fortuitous path opened.

That piece was written for a site that was started by my now lifelong friend Tyler McLatchy via a Saints Subreddit thread. Pretty remarkable the nexus of the unexpected.

Since that site, which later rebranded to “Section 600”, I’ve had the immeasurable pleasure of joining the Locked On Podcast Network as the host of the daily Locked On Saints podcast and went on to meet some truly remarkable people along the way. One of which being Christopher Dunnells.

Chris was kind enough to welcome me on as a contributor here at Canal Street Chronicles a little over a year ago now. Little did we know that I was joining just in time to cover a pandemic and social reckoning in addition to a football season. But through it all, I must have done something right as I will now be taking on the role of Co-Managing Editor.

That means that both Chris and I will now be working together to ensure the success and guide the direction of our beloved CSC. It also means I am fortunate enough to take part in a role held by greats like Chris, John Hendrix, and Dave Cariello. A notion I do not take lightly.

I care greatly about accessibility, representation, opportunity, and community. This is not our site in the sense that Chris and I will simply call the shots to do whatever we want. Rather it is our site in that it belongs to us all and should equally reflect what you want in concert with what we hope to provide.

So, you should more than certainly expect the usual combination of fun and informative content you’ve come to love. But also be prepared for step after step up the ladder as we follow the example of Saints DE Cam Jordan and try to get 1% better every day.

Please always feel free to reach out with your thoughts and feedback regarding how we can continue to improve the site and video content, expand what we have to offer, and reciprocate the support of our incredible readership.

For those wondering about me personally: My stepping into this role will not hinder my work but only strengthen it. I’ll still be writing here of course, producing daily podcasts and YouTube videos with Locked On, and doing everything I can to support the remarkable talent around me. Consider this additional responsibility, not in lieu of anything prior.

I’ll keep my thank you’s SB Nation focused, but I hope the folks beyond I often thank for their influence know that my appreciation for them is continuous and constant.

Firstly, to the Who Dat Nation: Thank you for supporting a kid from New Orleans who just wants to talk about his favorite sport with people that love it just as much he does. I couldn’t, nor would I want to, be here without you.

To the incredible team of writers here at CSC, I am forever grateful for you and the support system we’ve created. I look forward to what we continue to achieve together.

Thank you also to Jeanna Kelley here with SB Nation. Jeanna may not have known it, but at a particularly challenging time she said the exact right things to me unsolicited which are, in large part, why I can now experience this opportunity.

And to Chris. Thank you for the opportunity to share this role and help to further something I love dearly. I look forward to this next chapter and, as you said in your introductory piece as Managing Editor almost two years ago:

Here’s a picture of puppies.

Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Make sure you follow Canal Street Chronicles on Twitter at @SaintsCSC , “Like” us on Facebook at Canal Street Chronicles, and make sure you’re subscribed to our new YouTube channel. As always, you can follow me on Twitter @RossJacksonNOLA and subscribe to my daily Saints podcast, Locked On Saints and checkout the Locked On Saints YouTube channel.