Long before sports media became a multi-billion-dollar industry. Passion and grit transformed by paper and ink translated a permanent message. For my father, Tom Curtis, the journey didn’t just begin on the turf at the University of Michigan or in the locker rooms of the NFL. It took root in the publishing rooms of South Florida. While football fans know him for his hard-hitting safety play, his true masterclass was taking the raw, underground blueprints of local publications and transforming them into foundational media empires—from national sports mainstays like Dolphin Digest, Steelers Digest, Saints Digest, Eagles Digest and Football News to our very own hometown anchor, the River Cities Gazette.
The drive required to build a publishing house doesn’t appear out of thin air. For my father, it was forged in Ann Arbor. Playing under legendary coach Bo Schembechler at the University of Michigan, he learned the values of meticulous preparation, teamwork, and relentless execution. Those college years laid the groundwork for an All-American career and a leap into the NFL. But my father always looked beyond the final whistle. He knew that the career of an NFL athlete was short, but the power of a well-told story lasted forever. He took the hard-earned lessons from the field—and the earnings he accumulated during his playing days—and prepared to pivot toward his next great opponent: the print press.
In 1970, an underground, hyper-local fan sheet named Dolphin Digest was quietly launched by the trio of Ron Handley, Steve Brody, and Larry Rikland. It was raw, experimental, and deeply loved by a small pocket of local fans. Seeing the untapped potential, my father stepped in. In 1972, he officially acquired the rights from Handley and Brody, formalizing the magazine under the brand-new banner of Curtis Publishing. The first issue was published on July 15, 1972, by HBR communications. (HBR stands for Henley, Brodie, Rikland) My father captured lightning in a bottle. As the Miami Dolphins marched toward their historic, perfect undefeated season, Dolphin Digest was there to document every single snap. When Curtis took over he thought BIG and scaled-up his vision nationally. Dolphin/Curtis Publishing soon expanded to dominate team-specific sports press across the NFL, launching Steelers Digest and Saints Digest, alongside the widely read national powerhouse, Football News.
By the mid-1970s, my father’s focus naturally expanded from the gridiron to the tight-knit communities he called home. In 1975, prominent local businessman and sitting Mayor of Miami Springs, J.C. “Chet” Fields, had launched a local print publication known as the Miami Springs Shopper. While it served as a functional community directory, my father saw the potential for a true journalistic voice. In 1977, Tom Curtis acquired the rights to the shopper from Mayor Fields. He didn’t just keep the ad spaces filled—he completely revolutionized the format. Recognizing that the neighboring communities of Miami Springs, Virginia Gardens, and Medley shared a deep, unified bond. He rebranded the publication into the River Cities Gazette. It was then shifted from a casual shopper into a hard-hitting, beloved community newspaper that stood as a local watchdog and a celebrator of hometown community information.
On March 1st, 2004. Dolphin/Curtis Publishing headquarters, 7000 NW 36st Street in Miami Florida was ironically devastated by a three-alarm fire that broke out in the kitchen of the popular restaurant Headquarters Lounge. It was physically attached to Dolphin/Curtis Publishing headquarters. The blaze quickly tore through the shared roof structure wiping out decades of sports history. Nobody was injured by the fire. The only thing left as the rubble was cleared was a photo of Dan Marino that hung on the wall. Although the archives were lost. That was NOT the end of Tom Curtis’s legacy. A new office was formed inside the heart of Miami Springs right there next to the gazebo on the circle.
Decades have passed since those early days of ink-stained fingers and printing presses. Today, the media landscape looks entirely different, but the core mission remains unchanged. As River Cities Gazette has transitioned from its historic print run into the digital era at rivercitiesgazette.net. The exact same heart and passion my father poured into it in 1977 drives us forward today into this digital format. That was the plan from the beginning of my tenure as “assistant publisher” straight out of University of South Florida, to take over the reins and continue his legacy. We do it right, we do it your way and we continue to do it as a family, here with rivercitiesgazette.net. “Your hometown community information and entertainment provider.” John “Hannibal” Smith said it right as the leader of the A-Team. “I love it when a plan comes together”
