Morgan’s Game Day Grub with Mac Friday
Mac Friday talks food, sports writing style and the ‘Mac Friday curse’
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - For Mac Friday, covering sports in Yuma County has meant long nights, championship games and plenty of stories. It has also meant finding a good meal after the final whistle.
Friday, the former Yuma Sun sports editor joined KYMA Sports Director Morgan Feller for the final episode of “Morgan’s Game Day Grub” at Bubba’s, where the two discussed food, sports writing and Friday’s upcoming move to Tucson.
Friday chose Bubba’s because of its atmosphere and menu, opting for a simple burger while reflecting on some of his favorite foods to make at home.
“I like the pickles. I like the cheese. I like the sauce,” Friday said.
Friday said he enjoys making smash burgers at home and considers grilled cheese one of his specialties.
“I can cook you probably the best grilled cheese you’ve ever had in your life,” Friday said. “That's probably one of my favorite things to cook.”
Steaks, smash burgers and experimenting with different sandwiches also make up some of his go-to meals.
But after a long Friday night covering high school sports, Friday said his food routine usually involves a familiar fast-food stop.
Growing up in Texas, Friday became accustomed to the tradition of heading to Whataburger after high school football games. In Yuma, that tradition has shifted to In-N-Out.
Friday's time covering Yuma sports has also produced an unusual statistic: He has covered 18 Yuma championship games without seeing a local team win a state title.
That led to a lighthearted discussion about whether Friday is responsible for what has become known as the “Mac Friday curse.”
“I could potentially be the problem if you’re big into that kind of belief,” Friday said. “You can say it’s the Mac Friday curse, and yes, I will be keeping tabs.”
With Friday moving to Tucson, he joked that Yuma teams could finally have a chance to break the streak.
“If it does happen as soon as I leave, then yes, we can safely say that the Mac Friday curse was a real thing,” Friday said.
The conversation eventually turned back to Friday's craft as a sports writer.
Asked what food best describes his writing style, Friday pointed to the loaded nachos sitting in front of him.
For Friday, the chips represent the foundation of a story: reporting.
“You have to lean on your reporting the most,” Friday said. “That’s the solid foundation of everything you do.”
The cheese, meat and other toppings represent the interviews, quotes and storytelling that bring a story together, while toppings such as tomatoes, guacamole and salsa add color and personality.
It was a fitting comparison for the sports journalist who spent his time in Yuma layering statistics, interviews and strong reporting to tell the stories of local athletes and teams.
As Friday prepares for his next chapter in Tucson, he leaves Yuma with plenty of memories — and perhaps some food tradition to take with him.
