I first ran across Stephen Holder's byline when I was following the Miami Heat's playoff push at the end of the NBA regular season. His stories on the Heat for the Miami Herald were entertaining, provocative and just plain fun. Reading Holder, you, immediately, got the sense that this is a guy who knows and loves sports, especially basketball. His articles always seem to give a little extra, which for a media blogger is heaven-sent. Steve started covering Miami sports as a student at the University of Miami.

His transition from sportswriting at The U to working at the Miami Herald was smooth and a tribute to his talent as a journalist. Now, at 28, Stephen is leaving the Miami Herald for the St. Petersburg Times later this month to cover the NFL and the Tampa Bay Bucs. From Shaq to John Gruden is quite a move. We at BV sports will continue to follow Mr. Holder and we are proud to present our interview with Stephen Holder as part of our continuing look at African-Americans in sports journalism.

The big question in South Florida is will he or won't he. Will Ricky Williams come back to the Dolphins and more importantly, should they let him back?

I think Ricky coming back could be a shot in the arm for the Dolphins, provided everyone has an open mind about his return. I do think he has to come in with a certain understanding that a lot of people are unhappy with him over the unceremonious manner in which he retired. I do think the people who chastised him for his decision are being unfair, however. I wanted to retire from sportswriting, I couldn't care less what other people thought of my decision. But now that he says he wanted back in, he has to come back with humility. As for the locals, I think people are a little emotionally spent when it comes to Ricky. First he left, resulting in an uproar from the fans. Then, they saw their team's fortunes plummet in historic fashion last season. Now, Ricky wants to come back and I think people aren't sure how they should feel. Who knows what to expect in the next chapter?!

How will Nick Saban fare as the new coach of the Dolphins?

Ah, Nick. For his sake, I hope he does well. As I explained earlier, the people here are fair-weather fans. What I neglected to mention is that they have little patience for losers. The airwaves will be burning up if the Dolphins have another year like 2004. And to compound that, Nick is not going to go out of his way to accommodate the media, meaning he won't have it on his side, either, if he can't put together a winning team. Unfair as it may be, coaches who have more engaging personalities tend to catch more of a break from us (though I believe this is largely unintentional). Point is, the bar has been set pretty high for Saban. He comes here making big money with a big reputation and and he had to deliver.

Dwyane Wade ... the next Michael Jordan?

Now, now... We're bordering on blasphemy when we invoke M.J.'s name. I think it's too early to say. I don't think we knew Michael was going to be Michael when he was in his second season. Besides, I don't think it would be fair to put that kind of pressure on the kid at this point.

That said, Dwyane has a certain fearlessness about him that great players always have. He doesn't cower under pressure, and even seems to like it. I don't know about anybody else, but I plan on watching Dwyane for years to come. And I think the best part about him is that he is humble beyond belief. I don't think he even realizes how good he is. And that might just be the scariest thing about him.

Is an aging Shaq the answer for the Heat?

Shaq and the Heat are in the process of negotiating a contract extension with Shaq that should keep him in Miami for the balance of his career. It's what Shaq wants and it's what the Heat wants. That should keep lots of South Florida sportswriters happy for years to come!

Who are the most quotable athletes?

You have to admit, Terrell Owens -- love him or hate him -- ALWAYS says something that makes you have to quote him. I don't think he really tries, but rather I think it just happens. Another football player I like to listen to is Clinton Portis. I covered him when he played at Miami and he hasn't changed a bit. Last time I saw him was in Washington at a Wizards playoff game. He was sitting in a courtside seat wearing a loud blazer that was much like his quotes -- colorful. And then, last but certainly not least, is old faithful: Shaq. Shaq in a good mood is the perfect cure for a slow news day. You just turn on the tape recorder and let the story write itself!

How would you rate Miami as a sports town?

Miami is a great sports town -- if you win. Miami is shameless about its fair-weather personality. For whatever reason -- some say it's the beaches, others the weather, etc. -- people here don't get interested in a given team unless they have a good reason. The Heat was the hottest ticket in town during its playoff run, but I remember just a couple years ago covering games in the same arena when it had no electricity. They couldn't give tickets away then. Miami is the ultimate "event" town. And when a team is winning, it's games are considered an event.

What makes a good sportswriter?

I think a good sportswriter is not necessarily someone who can break down the X's and O's. There's so much analysis out there today that it's pretty much overkill. What you must to do to separate yourself from the rest is offer perspective or show a side of athletes the reader can't find just anywhere. Don't just say a given athlete is a good or bad guy. Tell people how he or she became that person. Don't just say Player X played 42 minutes. Explain how he was unable to move and had to soak his feet in a bucket of ice afterward to soothe the aches. The primary advantage newspapers have over television is the ability to deliver the news with depth. This is something that a reporter has to capitalize on whenever the opportunity presents itself.

What are the advantages and disadvantages to being a black sportswriter?

I don't want to overstate this, but I think being African-American in any arena where the subjects are primarily African-American can be an advantage. Seeing how I have covered mostly basketball and football, this is obviously the case in those sports. But I think at the end of the day, the subjects we cover, be they athletes or politicians, respond to people best when you find a way to relate to them on a human level and not be the stereotypical reporter who takes themselves too serious.

How did you get involved in sports writing, a field which isn't always encouraging to black writers?

I've been at this since high school, really. I just happened to take a journalism class in 11th grade, not knowing what it entailed, and by the time I graduated, I knew this was the career field I wanted to pursue. It's kind of the storybook ending that you don't usually see. I knew what I wanted to do from a very early age, and I was able to fulfill that goal and see its fruition every day. Later, I started working part-time for The Miami Herald while at the University of Miami, with my earliest experience consisting of 6-paragraph stories on high school football games. Now, I'll be covering the highest level of football there is -- the NFL. It's been a nice ride, and at 28, I think there is a long way to go still.

What's your favorite sport to cover?

For me, basketball is No. 1. There are few sports that allow a reporter to see (and hear!) as much as one does sitting courtside. The game you see on television is nothing like the game you see when you are close enough to touch the hem of Shaquille O'Neal's shorts. You gain a certain appreciation for the game when you see it from our perspective. There's something to be said for being part of the action -- like when a player comes barreling out of bounds, knocking over your drink and tumbling all over your computer!