2025 Year in Review Part I: The 10 most-read stories
To subscribers and readers: A big thank you for helping make the year 2025 a successful one for kerryeggers.com.
Our stories have resulted in nearly 220,000 pageviews, up by 27 percent from the number of the previous year. Pageviews have eclipsed the 800,000 mark through 5 1/2 years of existence.
We offer hearty thanks to our sponsors, which provide the financial assistance to allow readers to subscribe to the website for free. A special thanks to Frosty Comer, Brian Cook and Cook Solutions Group, our presenting sponsor. Also, to supporting sponsors Cutsforth’s Market of Canby; Bravuro Cellars Vineyard; Old Spaghetti Factory; Pat Quigg, Sam Yockey and Incight; Jim Fisher Volvo; Jeff Sanders Entertainment; Shortland Golf Club; Craig Byrd Financial Group; Tim Euhus and Edwards Jones/Corvallis; Ken Eagon, Rick Coutin, Dan Botti and Greg Krpalek.
The Dean of Portland Sports is now on BlueSky.
The following are the 10 most-read articles from 2025. Part II, which will post Saturday, will feature 10 stories that merit a second look.
After an illustrious career as a national newscaster, Steve Bartelstein has turned to professional umpiring as a second career (courtesy Steve Bartelstein)
10. Jan. 19.
Once a sportscaster, now calling balls and strikes
The second part of a series on the careers and post-career lives of former Portland TV sportscasters. The headline and top story are in reference to Steve Bartelstein, once at KGW in Portland and later a national news broadcast figure at such networks as CNN and WABC and WCBS in New York City. Bartelstein left the industry for good in 2011 and turned to his first love — baseball umpiring.
9. Sept. 18.
Now is not the time to decide whether Bray stays or goes
Oregon State was 0-3 at the time this story was written. The Beavers would have been 1-2 if not for an unbearable-to-watch six errant long snaps in a 36-27 loss to Fresno State, a setback despite an overwhelming advantage in every statistical category. The other losses were to Power-Four schools California and Texas Tech, the latter going on to a No. 4 national ranking and first-round bye in the College Football Playoffs. Oregon and Houston — the Ducks are 12-1 heading into a CFP showdown with Texas Tech, the Cougars 10-3 after beating LSU in the Texas Bowl — were next on the schedule.
My point with this column was, Trent Bray was 15 games into his tenure as the OSU head coach. The schedule was brutal, but it would ease the second half of the season. If the Beavers continued to slog along to the end, his firing would probably be warranted, but not at midseason. Athletic director Scott Barnes waited until they were 0-7 to terminate Bray, elevating defensive analyst Robb Akey into the top spot. Under Akey, the Beavers lambasted FCS Lafayette and knocked off Washington State, but lost to winless Sam Houston at home the following week and finished 2-10.
First impressions of new Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard from football alums were overwhelmingly positive (courtesy Karl Maasdam/Oregon State)
8. Dec. 7.
With his press conference, Shephard wins over alums. All he has to do now is win
To gauge alumni reaction to Oregon State’s hiring of JaMarcus Shephard as head football coach, I reached out to such as Brandin Cooks, Steven Jackson, James Rodgers, Ken Simonson, Tim Euhus and Richard Seigler. Their feedback was interesting.
7. March 14.
Best sports movies of all-time? You tell me
Upon the death of Gene Hackman — star of “Hoosiers” — I asked readers to vote on their all-time favorite sports movies.
The scribe, flanked by Hall-of-Famers Pat Casey (left) and Mike Riley
6. July 31.
Talking it up with a couple of Beaver sages
I caught up with Oregon State coaching greats Pat Casey and Mike Riley to cover a variety of subjects of interest to Beaver Nation and beyond.
Interim head coach Rob Akey says OSU coaches “have to make the positive come out” of the remainder of the Beavers’ season
5. Oct. 14.
On Robb Akey, Bray, Barnes and the mess that is Beaver football
After Robb Akey was named Oregon State coach on an interim basis, I delved into Akey’s coaching record and philosophy and explored what was immediately ahead for Beaver football.
Sophomore running back Salahadin Allah will team with Anthony Hankerson to give Oregon State a formidable 1-2 punch in the ground game next season (courtesy OSU sports communications)
4. Jan. 16.
With Trent Bray and Kyle Bjornstad, everything you want to know about NIL
This was a combo column, covering Bray’s role as he began to enter his first full season as Oregon State’s head coach — along with the additional duties of defensive coordinator. Also, Bjornstad, then executive director of collective Dam Nation, spoke about where the Beavers stood in regards to the NIL landscape.
Since working at KGW from 1996-2002, Colin Cowherd has become one of the foremost national sportscasters in the U.S. (courtesy Colin Cowherd)
3. Jan. 12.
Colin Cowherd: ‘A small-town kid with big dreams’
First part of the series on former Portland TV sportscasters. National sports media personality Cowherd gets top billing.
Drexler, during an autograph-signing event at Dick’s Sporting Goods/Jantzen Beach last August
2. March 24.
Why didn’t Clyde Drexler attend celebration? He has his reasons
The Trail Blazers hosted a reunion for their NBA Finals teams of 1990 and ’92, but the biggest star failed to attend. This story tells why.
The current configuration of The Temptations, with Otis Williams at center (courtesy The Temptations)
1. Sept. 18, 2024.
After more than six decades, Williams still kickin’ it with the Temptations
My story with the only remaining living member of one of the great R&B/soul musical groups in history — who were set to perform at Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City — was written in late summer of ’24. The piece went viral and, remarkably, got more reads in 2025 than any story posted on kerryeggers.com this year.
It was such a pleasure to speak with Mr. Williams about his life and the history of the Temptations. What a true gentleman he is. I hope subscribers will enjoy what may be a second read of the story.
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