What does it take to turn a passion for sports into a platform that gives an entire community a voice?

In a city like Chicago, where sports are more than just a game, stories matter. For Eugene McIntosh, telling those stories has become a career, a mission, and a legacy. As co-founder of TheBIGS, Chicago’s only independent Black-owned and fully-credentialed sports media company, McIntosh has built more than just a media platform. He’s created opportunities for voices that often go unheard.

But his journey didn’t start in a press box. It started in the halls of Mount Carmel. 

Before the interviews, press credentials, and leadership role, McIntosh was just another student athlete at MC. He graduated in 1994 alongside MC greats like Donovan McNabb and Antione Walker and was surrounded by talent and high expectations.

Like most young athletes, McIntosh once envisioned a future in professional sports. 

“I thought I was going to be a Major League Baseball player,” he says. After earning all-city and all-state honors, he went on to play Division-1 baseball at Southern University. But the elite competition forced a reality check. “That’s when I knew that my MLB dreams were over.”

Still, MC left a lasting impact far beyond athletics, and the discipline, relationships, and brotherhood he built there continue to influence his work today. “Mount Carmel shaped me,” McIntosh says. “It played a huge part in the man that I’ve become.” 

McIntosh’s path into media wasn’t planned out but instead was built through opportunity and connection. His longtime friend and co-founder of TheBIGS, Terrence Tomlin, had worked as managing editor at the historic Chicago Defender before deciding to create something new.

Frustrated by what he described as “a lot of gatekeepers” in the industry, the two set out to build their own platform. Combining Tomlin’s journalism background and McIntosh’s deep connections in Chicago sports, TheBIGS was born. 

“We kind of just put two and two together, and it worked seamlessly,” McIntosh says. 

Success didn’t come overnight, but one moment made everything real. Covering the 2016 World Series, where the Chicago Cubs ended their historic drought, marked a turning point. 

“That’s when I knew (TheBIGS) were here,” McIntosh says. 

From traveling during the playoffs to celebrating alongside players, the experience validated years of hard work. But for McIntosh, success is about impact as well as access. 

At its core, TheBIGS was created to shift narratives. McIntosh pointed to coverage of Derrick Rose as a key example of why their work matters. 

“We didn’t like the way Derrick Rose was being covered,” he says. “We felt like nobody understood what was really going on.” Rose was the first overall pick by the Bulls and is from Chicago. McIntosh didn’t feel that the local media were giving him the recognition he deserved.

Even after TheBIGS gained credibility, breaking into major spaces came with challenges. McIntosh often found himself in rooms where he was one of the few Black reporters present, sometimes the only one. 

That reality wasn’t something he ignored. Instead, it became part of his purpose. 

“Most of the time in those press boxes, I’m the only Black writer in there,” he says.

“I represent the underserved voice.”  

That representation carries weight. It influences how he asks questions, how he tells stories, and how he views responsibility to younger audiences watching from outside those spaces.

Now serving as managing editor, McIntosh balances multiple roles: writer, leader, mentor, and entrepreneur. His days are long and unpredictable, often starting hours before games and ending well after they’re over.

“This is 24/7, it’s nonstop,” he says. “But it’s a beautiful thing. 

Despite the challenges, his focus remains clear, creating opportunities for others. From mentoring young writers to building connections with institutions like Northwestern, having recently been involved with the Medill School of Journalism there. 

What separates McIntosh’s story from many others in sports media is not just what he built, but why he built it. At the center of TheBIGS is a focus on opportunity, especially for young journalists who might not have the traditional access into the industry.

“If you were working for the Suntimes or Tribune, they wouldn’t throw you into the fire as a photographer,” he says, “(TheBIGS) can do that for you.” 

Having once felt shut out of certain spaces himself, McIntosh now works to make sure that others don’t experience the same barriers. Whether it’s mentoring young writers, hiring new talent, or creating an entry point into professional sports coverage, he sees TheBIGS as more than a company; it’s a pipeline. 

“I want this to be a launching pad,” he says. “Not the final stop.”

For Eugene McIntosh, success is measured by freedom, impact, and legacy, not money or recognition. “Being able to wake up and do what I want to do, that’s success,” he says. 

From MC to the front of the Chicago sports world, his journey is proof that when one door closes, another opens. And for the next generation, his message is simple: be yourself, work hard, and create your own lane, because sometimes, the biggest stories are the ones you build yourself.