Congratulations, Brooksie

CEDAR RAPIDS - When Source Media Group colleague J.R. Ogden told me last week it was pretty much a sure thing the Cedar Rapids Community School District was going to name the press box at Kingston Stadium after Bob Brooks, my first reaction was "Well deserved."

The second was "What took so long?" This should have been done years ago.

Apparently the school district has this "rule" that buildings can't be named after people who are still alive. That's poppycock.

Brooks has been covering local preps for 67 years, a true media legend. I remember being a kid and listening to him call prep football games on KHAK-AM and FM, brought to you by the old Steitzer Lincoln-Mercury auto dealership, by the way. I always remember the respect the kids had for him during postgame interviews, almost always calling him "Mr. Brooks."

Mr. Brooks still makes it to a ton of prep football and boys' basketball games each fall and winter, working for KMRY-AM in Cedar Rapids. Despite being in his upper 80s, he just can't stay away, and that's a good thing.

So was naming the Kingston Stadium press box after him now. Word is local guys Bill Quinby and Bill Happel were instrumental in making this happen, reasoning that Bob should be able to enjoy this honor.

Good work, fellas. Couldn't agree more.

So I say congratulations, Brooksie. You're a fine gentleman. Thank you for all the time and effort you have put in over the years to publicize and honor local prep athletes.

It's the least we could do to return the favor.