I had mixed emotions when I came to the Mahoning Valley in mid-May.

Leaving the Motor City, a town that has a thriving professional sports scene, to a place with no professional team downtown.

What are we going to cover at The Vindicator? How boring is this place going to be?

I quickly learned there is much more than meets the eye in the Mahoning Valley.

High school football is the ultimate source of entertainment.

Although I’ve only experienced one game thus far, the atmosphere was electric. The folks can’t get enough of Friday night lights around here.

In the summer, you would think baseball dominated the sports fans attention.

Wrong.

Johnny Manziel, better known as Johnny Football, became an instant sensation and the talk of the town for a team that plays about 90 minutes away.

And who can forget about the hometown kid coming back.

LeBron James’ return made even me — a Detroit Pistons fan growing up — smile.

Although the Cleveland fans of the area had an exciting offseason, not all folks in the Valley were amused.

Only 80 minutes from Pittsburgh too, the Valley is divided between Cleveland and Pittsburgh sports.

The Steelers had a much quieter offseason than the Browns did, but the two collide on Sunday.

I wonder what the over/under will be on the number of times Manziel’s name is mentioned by the broadcast team.

The rivalry is not the same in baseball, simply because neither the Indians nor the Pirates have had a ton of success recently. They don’t play in the same division or league, which makes no sense to me.

And while the Valley has to root for pro teams elsewhere, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers try and provide a closer option for summer fun.

They didn’t have a good season in the New York-Penn League (Class A short-season baseball), but there is nothing a dollar beer night can’t solve.

The surprise of the summer was the enthusiasm about golf. I never would have thought such a slow-paced sport could pick up speed in the Valley.

Throughout the summer, The Vindicator Greatest Golfer of the Valley events highlighted some of the best golfers and golf courses in the area. After such a harsh winter, I was shocked there were still playable courses from the start of the season.

But for me, my summer in the Valley has been interesting and indescribable.

At first, the move was tough for me, being away from Detroit for a period of time, but I can say I made a good decision.

The area is unique because the fans here are divided, which brings a special buzz.

From covering Little League baseball to everything in between, it’s been a fantastic learning experience.

Although the weather left plenty to be desired at times, the sports scene has been just the opposite.

I also learned that being a sports reporter isn’t as easy as some make it look or that some think it is.

However, most importantly this summer, I learned that I still have a lot to learn.

Write Vindicator sportswriter Curtis Pulliam at cpulliam@vindy.com and follow him on Twitter, @Pulliam_Vindy.