Read how new PNJ sports reporter Ben Grieco is ready to spread his wings in Pensacola

So this is what summer feels like in the beginning of June.

My name is Ben Grieco, and I’m the new sports reporter at the Pensacola News Journal. I’m eager to get engrained in the community, getting to know different coaches and athletes in the area.

If you can’t tell from my generally pale skin, I’m not originally from Pensacola. I grew up in a small town called Weedsport in upstate New York — about 30 minutes west of Syracuse. I then moved to Oswego to go to college at SUNY Oswego, where I was part of the student-run newspaper, The Oswegonian, eventually becoming editor-in-chief my senior year during the height of COVID-19.

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After graduating from SUNY Oswego, I worked for the local daily newspaper, The Palladium-Times, and became the newspaper’s sports editor, covering a few area high schools plus continuing my coverage of SUNY Oswego sports — primarily hockey (which I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to find a ton of down here).

While at The Pall-Times, I also was news editor for a brief time before I went back to sports, because I’d much rather be at a field/court/diamond compared to a city council meeting any night.

Outside of work, I’m a huge hockey fanatic, both at the college and professional levels. I’m a Tampa Bay Lightning fan, thanks to the Bolts being affiliated with the Syracuse Crunch. And I’m not apologizing for my incessant rants about Oswego State hockey — I mean, I covered the Lakers for six years, and I have too much useless knowledge to just stop talking about them.

If you ask my math teacher in high school, I’m not one for algebra (for the record, I failed the state exam twice my junior year) but I’ve always been one to tell a person’s story. At the end of the day, I don’t care about the number on an athlete’s back. Tell me who you are, and maybe why you wear that number on your back. There’s so much more than what happens on the 45-yard line.

After I stopped playing sports in high school, I needed to stay in the sports world somehow. That’s where combining my love for writing and reporting, along with sports, comes in. I love to meet new people because every person has a story, and it’s an honor to be the one to possibly tell it.

That’s what leads me to Pensacola — and it looks like I’ll be able to avoid the snow for a little bit! After growing up in the relatively same area of New York for 24 years, it was time to spread my wings a little bit and see another part of the country with new people (no, I don’t know anyone here…yet) and new stories to tell. I’m excited to be part of an area that has such incredible athletics (as fellow sports reporter Patrick Bernadeau said, “There’s something in the water here,” and I can’t wait to see what it is!).

For now, I need some restaurant recommendations and other local fun things to do!

You can follow me on Twitter (@BenGriecoSports), Instagram (@BenGriecoSports3) and my work email is BGrieco@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: New PNJ sports reporter Ben Grieco trades New York snow for Pensacola sun