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Bud Poliquin has been with the Post-Standard for nearly 36 years.

(Frank Ordonez | The Post-Standard)

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Bud Poliquin, who has spent nearly 36 years chronicling sports in Central New York, is retiring.

Poliquin will leave Advance Media New York later this month.

After 42 years in journalism, Poliquin plans to turn his full attention to his family.

"The universe is talking to me a little bit here that maybe it's time for me to step up more as son, son-in-law, brother and husband and the job is sort of getting in the way of that," Poliquin said. "I don't want to cheat the job and I don't want to cheat the reader and I don't want to cheat my colleagues."

Poliquin started at The Post-Standard out of college in 1975. He was enticed to the West Coast and the San Diego Union Tribune in 1978. By 1981, he was the sports editor and columnist there.

He returned to Syracuse in 1984 as executive sports editor and columnist for the Herald-Journal/Herald American and has been with us in Central New York ever since.

"I've had a job for 36 years and I haven't worked a day in my life," Poliquin said. "It's been an honor to do what I've done because it's been such a great ride."

He has won too many awards to count, dozens by now: national attention from the Associated Press Sports Editors competition many times. More from the New York State Associated Press Association, the New York Newspaper Publishers Association and the Syracuse Press Club. He even won first prize in the 2000 John Hervey Writing Awards for writing about horse racing.

"Love him or not, Bud's take has mattered more than anyone in Syracuse sports journalism during his era, maybe more than anyone ever here," said Stephen Cvengros, vice president of content for Advance Media New York. "Who in sports writing has had more of an impact on readers than him? He gets sports, people and Syracuse. His remarkable insight has brought each of us a deeper knowledge and wider historical view of sports."