In the seven years I have spent working at The Honolulu Advertiser, I've covered a wide range of sporting events.

Everything from bull riding to water polo — I even wrote a story about playing a video game. So when our sports editor, Curtis Murayama, asked the staff to write about their most memorable moment, I simply drew a blank; there were just too many to pick from.

The news that The Advertiser had been sold came as a surprise in late February and most of us didn't know how to react. As the days passed, we slowly learned our fate and I started to think again, just what exactly will I miss about working at the paper.

The answer came to me a couple of weeks ago. Curtis treated the sports staff to a buffett lunch and afterward we sat around and shared stories for another hour or so. As I listened to stories the guys shared, it became all so clear to me at that moment: I would miss them the most.

When Curtis hired me in 2003, I was 18 years old and straight out of high school. I had little idea of what I was doing or getting into, but somehow, he had enough faith in me to take that chance. I felt fortunate at the time, but as the years have passed, I've come to appreciate that opportunity even more. I mean, in April of that year, I was writing for The Trojan Times at Mililani High School and by September, I was working at The Advertiser.

I've been fortunate to have learned from a veteran sports department — many of whom have been here over 25 years. I've tried to pick the brains of the our talented staff over the years: our skilled writers (Ferd Lewis, Stephen Tsai, Ann Miller, Stacy Kaneshiro, Dayton Morinaga, Wes Nakama, Kyle Sakamoto, Leila Wai and Stanley Lee), the savvy copy editors (Clyde Mizumoto, Bart Asato, Steve Kimura) and the hold-it-all-together designers (Paul Carvalho, Brandon Masuoka, Stan Pusieski). Not to forget Da clerks (Sarah Kawachi, Seryna Ko and Tiera Kekaula) and, of course, the boss (Curtis Murayama).

It is the commitment and passion of each of the 20 individuals in our department that gives us Hawai'i's best sports coverage.

I've developed some great memories on the job — like meeting Tommy Lasorda and interviewing Drew Brees — but, mostly I'll miss those slow nights in the office, sharing laughs with friends.

Thanks for the memories guys.