A few weeks back, we noted the selection of M50 racquetball king Ruben Gonzalez as GeezerJock of the Year. At the time, I wondered how much his Web site contributed to his selection — since he urged visitors to “Vote for Ruben.” Turns out it helped — a little. GJ magazine editor Sean Callahan writes: “The sheer number of email votes didn’t have an outsized influence on his selection. (We noticed that a number of athletes nominated for Michelob ULTRA GeezerJock of the Year mobilized their friends, family, etc., to vote for them. We took that into account). But what did have an influence was the passion of those who voted for Ruben. Many of them told stories about him: about his honesty on the court, about mentoring two no. 1 players, about his inspiring run in the nationals, and about his art.”

Sean also answered some other questions regarding the GJOTY award.
Masterstrack.com: Who decided on GJOTY and the age-group winners?
Callahan: We tallied the votes (again recognizing that some athletes were more aggressive in getting their friends to vote than others). We also formed an editorial board, consisting of GeezerJock partners, and we cast our own votes.
What is AB (Michelob) giving as prizes this year to Ruben? To the other winners?
Michelob ULTRA is providing prize packages to the athletes. They also provided prize packages last year.
Do you have an informal rule against winners not repeating? (Bill’s season was better than Nolan Shaeed’s.)
We look at the GeezerJock of the Year as akin to Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year. It’s not about pure athletic achievement; it’s about being a role model and giving back to the sport and having a good story to tell — in addition to being a great athlete. So I wouldn’t expect too many repeat winners. There are a lot great stories out there in Masters sports. Bill Collins is a great one and so is Nolan Shaheed. We want to tell as many as we can (ideally without repeating ourselves).
Did you notice that Bill and Ruben were both 54 when honored?
I did notice that. It’s a coincidence.
Has AB helped your magazine’s bottom line through ad purchases?
Anheuser Busch has helped our magazine immeasurably. The company was our first advertiser, and having Michelob ULTRA in the magazine has given us a ton of credibility.
Does AB have a say in the selection of GJOTY?
Anheuser Busch has no say in the selection of the GeezerJock of the Year.
How and when were winners informed of their selection?
The winners were told of the honor when they were interviewed for the stories written about them. They were then sworn to secrecy.
Is the pressure on to choose a woman as GJOTY next year?
I don’t feel any pressure to name a woman, although there are plenty of great female athletes with amazing stories who would make excellent GeezerJocks of the Year.
Do minor masters sports have a chance at recognition? (Racquetball seems to be a sport with big masters numbers.)
I would say racquetball is a fairly small Masters sport. Cycling, running, swimming, tennis, softball — even baseball — are all bigger if you look at participation and association memberships. Just as any American can grow up to be president, an athlete in any Masters sport can become GeezerJock of the Year.