COMMENTARY: It's Tuscarawas County but appreciative of Dover
By Keno Sultan
Stark County Prep Press writer
www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com
DOVER--18 1/2 years ago as I was walking down the sideline of the Massillon Washington basketball floor getting ready to cover the Tigers contest against Dover, I heard a voice calling me. You have to turn back the clock to December 5, 2006 for this one.
Kind of surprised I turned around to see who it was. At first, I thought it was another lady who strangely knew who I was.
Turns out the lady, who graduated from Mount Union two years before me identified me and my college classmate, Stacy Gordon, who like me graduated from Mount in 2006 and from Dover in 2002.
It was one thing for Courtney Rees and Gordon to know who I was. That same night as I was walking down and chatting with Massillon fans at halftime, a lady had called me from the seats. I thought to myself, it's another Massillon mom and a smile came across my face as I approached her for a long hug. Turns out this lady wasn't a Massillon lady but I would eventually see what made her the face of Dover Avenue Elementary School.
Leave it to Renee Sattler, Courtney's mother to get in on the parade too. And how did they know who I was? Leave it to Sattler to point me out to someone sitting by her that I recall despite our paths not crossing to that point: "That's Keno in that New York Yankees three-piece suit, I know that's him!" She identified me and my suit quicker than the unfailing speed of the Roadrunner escaping the ne'er-do-well Coyote, not to mention Rees and Gordon memorized the suit too considering it was my first time wearing it! That's almost the epitome of Yankees announcer Michael Kay and his famous "track, wall, see ya" phrase when they hit a home run but the three women knew that suit easily, that's makes it Kay's "there it goooooooooooooooes, see ya" when it's a no doubt home run, which this moment was.
About almost an hour later after the Tigers victory over the Tornadoes, I went to seek out then longtime Dover basketball boss Bob VonKaenel and as I approached him outside, I was met with this: "Hi Keno, I know who you are."
At this point, I was thinking how did Mrs. Sattler and coach VonKaenel know who I was the first time they saw me. I was just seven months removed from graduating from Mount Union and two of them had not seen me let alone knew who I was. I guess when you wear a suit that embodies a baseball franchise that has won a staggering 27 World Series championships, not to mention 21 American League East Division titles and a whopping 41 American League crowns as well, people will not so much put a name to the face but to the suit as well.
I have always worn suits from the first day I got involved into the sports journalism realm. Many have praised me for it. But there are others who have criticized me for that and I'm OK with that too. But let me say this much: although it is Tuscarawas County, I am very appreciative of the city of Dover.
There is a lot to be appreciative for in this wonderful city and the residents who reside from the area. I always had praise for Massillon and how their residents and fans treated me with respect that led to my positivity for that city spanning now 20 years. Dover is also on my list as well.
Last year was my first time going into Crater Stadium and immediately I was overcome with awe as I stood at the 30 yard line basking in the sight. As I wrapped up my preview, I still continued to bask in the aesthetic sight when an unlikely voice came out: "I know that man. That is the one and only Keno Sultan!"
I thought Mrs. Sattler and her daughter Courtney along with Gordon were the only ones that knew my attire. I was mistaken. Then defensive coordinator now varsity football coach Matt Rees knew who I was the first time he saw me and noticed my suit, a British suit. Someone should have sent me a memo to bring tea and donuts to Crater Stadium and Yankees cookies too. All this before the Tornadoes pinned down Canton South 31-3 in what was Dan Ifft's 30th and final season atop the Tornadoes post.
Fast forward now to January 14th of this year. As I was executing color commentary for ESPN 990 at halftime of Massillon's basketball game against Dover, I was approached by a young man and an entourage of middle school students. Rocco Rees, Matt and Courtney's son (get this) knew who I was and identified my newest suit: my black and gold Pittsburgh Steelers suit. Rees, now an eighth grader at Dover Middle School mentioned he knew who I was the first time he saw me because of my suit.
An interesting fact here. Earlier this year, a man from Dover had told me to "run on back to Massillon" where I came from in a not-so-nice message. I knew the person who did that and won't mention his name out of my respect for him and that's me being serenely nice. I smiled and laughed upon seeing it. But Rocco did something that no one could imagine. He was sad that the high school team had lost a 71-68 decision to the Tigers but as I was leaving the floor, he sought me out for a handshake and embrace in what was a poignant moment of sportsmanship, offsetting the message I got. That same night, Mrs. Sattler's husband, Rob also was in on the party, knowing who I was and my suit and successfully identified my cream colored suit. Even better: he told me he couldn't let me leave Alliance Middle School last night without a special person wanting to see me, that being his wife Mrs. Sattler. That moment reminded me of how former Massillon Tigers quarterback Willie Spencer Sr. when he was at a restaurant stopped a waiter and assigned him to take the order of his wife first before he ordered his food.
And it didn't end there. A Dover elementary PTA mother recognized me by name as well. I was kind of shocked by this but I wasn't complaining as she knew my suit and hat. I was in plain clothes at Walmart and yet identified me so greatly. That's even greater respect for Dover which just grew and grew like the beanstalk and that's one you can't cut down.
I know it may seem like I am being a motormouth here, which isn't my intention. I'm not a motormouth like the loquacious Morton Koopa Jr. from the Super Mario Bros. video games as he just goes on and on and on almost without any end.
But I can't forget about current Dover boys basketball head coach Matt VonKaenel and his son Cohen. It's one thing for me to execute dunk workouts at SkyZone. In a truly touching moment, the son of the coach knew who I was not to mention the son of the Dover head coaching legend who revealed my dunking moniker, the "Black Dragon". Coach VonKaenel's wife, Lia, also as well knew who I was even with sweat dripping down my face after a fierce dunk workout while perfecting my inner Dominique Wilkins.
My appreciation for Dover is astronomical. From the kids at Dover South, Dover East and Dover Avenue elementary schools up to the middle school and ending at the high school, I have an enormous respect for the people that know who I am and to know me without never seeing me before is just something I personally take sensational pride in. And I hope to have more appearances in that city for the years to come as long as I am here on this earth.
It's Tuscarawas County but Dover has a large sized scarlet and gray presence (sorry, not you Ohio State, Michigan fan here) that will always be etched in me forever.
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