After 20 years and over 200 columns, Don Oliver’s “Flies and Lies” is over

As I write this column I am reminded of the saying, “All good things come to an end.” I am saddened, and grateful, to say “Flies and Lies” is coming to end.

It saddens me to know that I will no longer be writing for you. It gladdens my heart to know that I have been able to write 234 columns in nearly 20 years. Having made a full-time move to Tennessee, to be closer to three-fifths of the Wild Bunch, it is time for SWMBO and me to “move on.”

With this last column I want to say thank you to the owners and editors of the Durango Herald and Southern Ute Drum. Without the owners signing my paychecks and the support of numerous editors, I would not have been able to write this column for all these years.

The editors, for the most part, never made large corrections, nor changed the content of what I had written in “Flies and Lies.” If they had questions, and there were some, they did me the courtesy of calling for clarification of my intent, or asked why I had worded a sentence in such a way.

This attitude was a positive way to do business and a great encouragement. Even when I climbed on my short soap box, to pontificate, my thoughts and words almost always passed their scrutiny. To those men and women I say, ‘Thank You.’

Lastly, and most importantly, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who read “Flies and Lies” for all these years. Your encouragement and positive thoughts via texts, emails, phone calls, and word-of-mouth meant the world to me.

When someone disagreed with something I said, usually through a letter to the editor, it was done in a respectful manner, proving, once again, that people who fly fish can disagree, but still be friends.

Maybe the people holding elected office in this “me first” politicized country should pay attention to, and take a lesson from, those that fly fish. Writing “Flies and Lies” has truly been one of the most fun and rewarding ventures I have ever taken on. I will always remember my years with you. I just cannot say THANK YOU enough.

Now, I will once again, for the last time, leave you with my annual politically incorrect statement. I wish everyone Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukkah, a good Eid al-Adha, and of course, merry Christmas. If none of these fits your beliefs, then may whatever touches your heart with hope be with you all of 2026. Thank you and farewell.

From sports editor to columnist: Thank you to Don Oliver

The Durango Herald wouldn’t be the paper that it is without its columnists, and Don Oliver is a big reason why that statement is true.

I’ve only been at the paper for a little over two years, but I was saddened when Don said he was going to stop writing for us. He’s been an institution in the Sunday paper for two decades. I don’t want to make Don or anyone else reading this feel old, but 20 years ago, George W. Bush was president and the iPhone that some of you are reading this article on didn’t exist. Let’s also just say, I was still in school.

What’s always existed since Don has been writing for us is knowledge, education, wit and an appreciation for all that fishing can bring to someone’s life.

Whether it’s recapping great road trips with his SWMBO, writing about fly fishing with his grandchildren, local fishing spots, or different techniques, Don has consistently written about fishing in this area that has improved many local fishermen’s experiences in the greater Durango area and beyond.

When I got to the Herald a little over two years ago, it was a new experience for me in a new part of the country. Having a dependable columnist like Don was such a blessing to know I could rely on getting his column the same time every month. I also learned a lot about fishing, and Don’s columns have deepened my appreciation for the sport.

Although I’m saddened to see Don go, I’m excited for him to embark on a new adventure in Tennessee, and I’m sure he’ll have some great fishing experiences there just like he’s had here.

Thanks so much to Don.

All of our fishermen reading this, don’t worry, there will be a new fishing columnist for the Herald in the new year.

Best regards,

Bryce Kelly

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Mike Hill kneels at the bed of his son, Jaeden Udean, and peeks under the striped sheets. A shaky stack of shoe boxes scales one of the bedroom’s walls, high enough to cast a shadow. Hill’s head is nowhere to be seen, but the shoes are. He flings them out from under the bed, and they thud across the room. Black high-tops and low-tops with pink laces. Nikes and Adidases.

“He’s got all kinds of shoes,” said Hill, with a grunt. Another Nike shoots out.

Udean, a standout basketball player at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, said he keeps other shoes at his friends’ houses. His high school gave him two lockers, he said — one for his jerseys, another for the shoes.

Space can seem like the only limitation for high school hoopers like Udean, whose shoe collection stretches into the dozens of pairs and probably deep into the thousands of dollars. And the shoes seem to just appear, either from brands trying to get products in front of their social media followers, or from coaches as a reward for winning.

Historically, shoe companies have leaned on superstars to sell shoes but are now using high school athletes to be brand ambassadors as the sneakerhead economy descends from a larger marketing shift in amateur sports.

For shoe companies, giving out free kicks can tap into a kid’s local influence. And for the players who are good enough, the shoe game gives them another arena in which to compete, if an unspoken one.

Fans sitting in high school stands from Minneapolis to Rochester may not notice, but the players do. With the 2025-26 boys high school basketball season underway, players admit their eyes are bound to drift from the scoreboard to the floor, just to see if their shoe game got beat. They’re also a bit apprehensive about disclosing where, and who, they got their shoes from.

“If you know, you know,” Udean, a junior guard said, holding back a smile.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— Just two months after New York Giants tight ends Theo Johnson and Daniel Bellinger visited Staten Island to connect with local fans, Big Blue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. made his own trip to the borough on Saturday afternoon, taking time to meet with dozens of supporters at fitness center Limitless Athletics in Oakwood.

“It’s amazing; it fills my heart that people want to talk with me,” Tracy Jr. told the Advance/SILive.com when asked about the opportunity to engage with fans, especially during the holiday season.

“It’s great getting to talk with fans and get to know them in addition to them getting to know me off the field a little better,” he added.

Brandon Auerbach, co-founder of Limitless Athletics, said hosting Tracy was an ideal opportunity to use their space to bring the local community together — a core pillar of their mission.

“We’re very involved with the community here. We like to be very engaged, and we’re big on getting everybody to come together in some way, shape or form,” Auerbach began.

“We throw a lot of events here, so this was a great one that we were very excited to host. We had a lot of vendors and sponsorships, and, like I said, we hope it was beneficial for everyone — a great community event to bring everyone together.”

Among the local vendors in attendance were Napoli Pizza, Tactical Beards, JAG Physical Therapy, and Next Level Sports, a youth sports organization that raffled off a free year of opportunities to participate in activities such as flag football.

“The Auerbachs reached out to us to come down today; we’re in the Staten Island community, so we want to help our local businesses as much as possible,” said Nicole Mistretta, a representative from Next Level.

“We are rooted in flag football — it’s part of our DNA. We’re one the largest flag football leagues in the tri-state area, so we were really excited to do this and we’re happy to be here. It‘s great for our Next Level community to see our affiliation with Tyrone and hopefully he can support us and grow youth flag football.”

In addition to hopes that the event would raise awareness for youth athletics, one young Giants fan in particular — Giuseppe Maneiro — was thrilled to travel to Staten Island from New Jersey to meet Tracy, marking yet another occasion in which the leukemia warrior has met players from his favorite team.

“It’s been great,” Giuseppe’s mother, Melissa, said of the warmth Giants players have shown her son.

“It’s literally his strength when he’s having a bad day; he always watches the Giants. And now that he’s gotten to see them and talk to them, it motivates him to keep going. Our entire family are diehard Giants fans, so this has just been amazing,” she continued.

Eric Laverty, another devoted Giants fan from Staten Island, said the chance to meet one of Big Blue’s biggest contributors this season was too good to pass up, adding that he admires the effort Tracy has given the organization so far.

“I’m a big Giants fan, and Tyrone Tracy is a great Giant. He’s been an honorable Giant since he was drafted out of Purdue; he’s always done the right thing by the organization, and I felt this was a great opportunity to meet him and get an autograph,” Laverty shared.

“It’s only about a 40-minute drive from the stadium from here, and there’s a strong Staten Island presence in the Giants fandom, so for him to come out and engage with that part of the fan base is an awesome opportunity.”

As for how Tracy, a second-year player who has accumulated 1,953 all-purpose yards and seven TDs in just 28 career games as a Giant, has adapted to his time in New York/Jersey, he said, “When you get here, you hear a lot about how intense the fans are, but I love that.”

“I’m an intense person myself and I like to think that I play with a lot of passion; so far the fans have matched my energy. They’ve treated me really well when I’ve been out and about. The fans are amazing here.”

While Big Blue may be out of playoff contention this year, Tracy, who’s part of a young Giants core alongside fellow talents Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo and Abdul Carter, shared a simple message for fans hoping for a postseason run in the near future: “Stick with us.”

“I don’t think we’re far off from where we want to be. I think the fans know that and we as players know that. So stick with us, and know that it’s a process to get where we want to go,” Tracy concluded.

Coming off their bye week, Tracy will look to help the Giants finish the final four games of the season strong, starting with a division rivalry matchup against the Washington Commanders on Dec. 14.