Covering All the Bases

So Long, Fair Well (for real this time)

2009-05-11T11:11:00.001-07:00

Each semester I end my sports blog with some sort of goofy goodbye with a promise to come back next semester with bigger and better blogs. Over 150 blogs later, I have written around 5 or 6 goodbye blogs, which adds up to roughly 2 and a half years of blogging, which started when I was just 19-years-old. This semester's goodbye blog is different because I am not promising to come back next semester. I am not coming back next semester. This will be my last blog for "Covering All the Bases."

Ah my blond years. Photo from facebook.com

I remember when I first started blogging for Experience. I had just entered my freshmen year at Emerson College. I was young, uninhibited, driven, and ready to dive head first into the world of sportscasting. I did everything and anything I could do that I thought would help me become a better sportscaster. This caught the eye of one of my professors, Rebecca Hansen, (probably because all I ever spoke about in class was sportscasting and the Red Sox), who just happened to know the then boss of Experience.com who just happened to be looking for someone to fill the spot of "Up and Coming Sportscaster" for Experience's "Rising Stars of 2007." And nothing strokes one's ego like an online award (with a picture), so naturally I responded enthusiastically with a yes I will except the award and I will give you a taste of my excellent prose in a handful of interview questions to complete the piece.

Oh the "Ladies Room". One of my first Emerson College TV Shows. Photo from facebook.com

Then the unexpected happened. Experience.com offered me a job as their sports blogger. I have to assume the job was offered because of my stellar ways with the English language, but god knows I have poor grammar and run on sentences so really, I have no clue why I got the job. What was even more surprising is that I accepted it. I never wanted to be a writer. I never thought I was a good writer. And, most importantly, what did I know about advising people about breaking into sportscasting? Why would people want to read my thoughts on what's going on in the world of sports? I rarely start tasks that I'm not sure if I can complete and sports blogging was one of them. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a shot.

And here I am at 21-years-old still blogging for Experience.com. I've survived 3 different interns, a change in management, blog cuts, job cuts (we all remember Joe the other sports blogger, even though I wish I could forget that brief moment in my blogging career where I was forced to share my beloved sports blog). I've also gone from writing blogs with no pictures, no video, and no labels (and I wondered why no one ever read my first 60 blogs nor commented) to blogs full of pictures, videos, and sometimes cohesive paragraphs with relevant points! I've written some dismal blogs (most of the top ten lists), some controversial blogs (Plexico and his gun mishap, don't mess with the NRA and their love of guns because they are apparently all avid bloggers as well), and my favorite blogs of all, the one's about my friends and family who were definitely the most fun to write about. And as it turns out, people actually read my blog! And although I joke about only my family reading my blog, I had comments that proved to me that people other than my immediate family read my blogs and that I actually made a difference in teaching people what the world of sports journalism is all about.

While I have enjoyed sports blogging, I cannot continue with my blog. The main reason being that I left Emerson College and sports journalism. When I first entered college, sports journalism was a glamorous world of perfect people, with perfect teeth, perfect makeup, handling perfect interviews with big time players in neat minute and a half packages. But, it wasn't until my junior year of college that I fully realized the blood, sweat and tears that goes into being a sportscaster.

For some this is an ideal lifestyle. Photo from Flickr.com

Broadcast Journalism is not a job, it's a lifestyle choice. Those neat little packages about athletes takes hours upon hours to complete. Those interviews you need to conduct sometimes require you to travel to another state or even another country at a drop of a hat. Sports Journalism isn't a 9-5 job, it is your life and everything else revolves around it. You have to live and breathe sports and grow a hard shell or you will not last in the business. There are far too many people clawing their way to the top that you can't afford to be anything but perfect. And it's hard being perfect and I'll be the first to admit that I'm not perfect. I want to enjoy my career, but I've learned that there's more to life than being on ESPN or interviewing the winning team in the World Series. Sometimes it's the smallest things in life that can bring you fulfillment that a job could never bring you.

I'll be honest, I'll still always love a TV control room. Photo from facebook.com

So, with that, I decided to leave Emerson. I moved back to New Jersey (greatest state in the Union) and am starting The College of St. Elizabeth in the summer as a double major in American Studies and Performance and Criticism (can't quite get away from a communications related major). I am returning to things that used to bring me joy; I am one of the coaches for a year round swim club, which I absolutely love and I recently tried out for my first musical in three years and got in. So, I plan to spend the next 8 weeks practicing endlessly for a community theatre production of "The Producers." It'll be tiring, but worth it.

My first real love was always theatre. Photo from facebook.com

Well, I think I've rambled on long enough, but before you run and grab your tissue box for the endless hours of crying I'm sure that you'll do as this is an end of an era, some thank yous are in store.

First there is Jenna the Intern, my first intern boss at Experience.com. If it wasn't for her positive weekly emails and her overall cheeriness, I don't think my first year with Experience would have been nearly as fun. I still miss her weekly memos. Then there is Ken, an editor at Experience.com. Somehow he has managed to keep me in line over the past however many months, and I thank him for putting up with me. Experience.com in general has to be thanked, thanked for taking a chance on me, for hiring a college student to do their sports blogging, for paying me to write, for giving me an outlet to express myself and grow as a stronger writer. They've let me get away with a lot, and for never holding me back, I thank them. Finally, my friends and family. I need to thank Alison and Jess, my two buds from high school for reading my blogs whenever I begged them to and for commenting on my blogs when I went into freak out mode, convinced I was about to get sacked. Then there are my grandparents, Mom, Dad, Tom, and especially Uncle Rip, for providing plenty of traffic and comments on my blog. Their support means everything. Finally, thank you to everyone out there that read my blog. You don't know how much it means to me that you took the time to read what I had to say.

Many thanks and happy blogging!

Experience, Experience.com!

2009-05-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

The spring semester is coming to a close (unless you go to a college that is on the quarter system, or the 3-1-3, yeah I'm talking to you University of Delaware, thanks a lot for holding my best friend hostage till JUNE you meanie). And if you are not in school and living in the real world of bills, early mornings, and a full time job, than this time of year isn't significant to you at all, my apologies. As for me, the end of the semester means I am a handful of blogs away from wrapping up my spring semester of blogging. And in all honesty, it has been rough coming up with blog topics as of late. The well has almost dried up and my thoughts have shifted from the sports world to how will I fit into that bikini by summertime and is it too soon to wear white shorts? Clearly these would not be acceptable blog topics for my editor, Ken (told you, you would get a shout out Ken). Although, fitting into that perfect summer suit would probably be on Ken's Blogging Wall of Fame, right next to my blog about sports related dating.

Sort of felt like that guy trying to come up with blog topics. Photo from Flickr.com

Sorry, got off on a tangent, back to the blog! After mulling around I decided to do something totally CRAZY and putter around on Experience.com, the website that is host to my infamous blog. Then a light bulb went off in my head. How could I be this daft? In two years (yes it's really been two years) of blogging for Experience, I have never once plugged Experience. And this is especially shocking to myself since 1. They sneakily hint any chance they get to give props to the site and 2. One has to imagine that I get an extra $100 added to my paycheck at every mention of their company. (Experience.com, Experience.com, Experience.com, Experience.com, that's at least $400 extra on my check, payroll dude at Experience.com-opps there's number 5!).

On your mark, get set....find a job on Experience.com!). Photo from Experience.com

So, just for the company that took a chance on me and not only pays me, but allows me to write in run on sentences and rant about anything I want (sports related that is), here are "The Reasons You Should Check Out Experience.Com (and Love it)."

* Experience.com is like a college job fair except online and with way better graphics and you don't even have to dress up (or leave your house) to use it.

*Experience.com has a Twitter account (aren't they current and hip!)

*On Experience.com you can set up a portfolio, search for job listings in your area of expertise, and reach out to potential employers through their networking site. And the separate pages help to make it more effective and less confusing for its users (aka even tomorrow morning, the day after Cinco de Mayo, when you are recovering from too many....chips and dip, you can still manage to work the website).

*Unlike other job related websites, Experience.com is geared toward college aged youngsters like yourself and is more personalized to your needs.

They have jobs, so could you! Photo from Experience.com

*Experience has different pages that focus on specific job areas such as: accounting, sports, entertainment, education, energy and so forth. And almost every page has its own blogger! Even accounting! I'm not sure what he writes about, but anyone that can write about accounting on a weekly basis is pretty impressive to me (and apparently the guy who blogs is a pretty big deal from his description. Note to self: do something more important with life to make blurb on Experience more exciting).

*Experience has an excellent list of job postings and even has links to sites such as this one for even more job searches: http://www.teamworkonline.com/?userhnd=0. Seriously, I didn't even know there were that many sports leagues out there, this site is an up and coming sportcasters dream.

All joking aside. Experience.com truly is a wonderful company to work for (and I would know) and they have a phenomenal product for anyone who is starting to look for potential jobs who does not want to be overwhelmed in the process.

Oh, and in case you missed the memo, to learn more, go to www.experience.com

What Recession?

2009-04-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

As many of you have probably guessed over reading my blogs for the last few years (yes Experience has actually kept me on payroll for YEARS, it's shocking to me as well), I do not like a wide range of things. I don't like NASCAR, don't like the Yankees, and I really don't like March Madness (mostly because I don't attend a college with a shot in you know what at scoring a coveted spot and I don't know how to make a bracket). But, there is one thing that I do love: commercials.

Now, not any old commercial will do, but when I get stuck on a commercial that strikes my fancy, I am obsessed with it and look for it on television more than normal programs. I can do funny commercials, commercials with good jingles (Freecreditreport.com is especially catchy), and romantic commercials are definitely my favorite (tell me you have seen the one where the man and woman are driving in a car on a snowy night and at the stop light he slips a diamond necklace into her hand with "Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg playing in the background. Hands down favorite commercial of all time, it was my former roommate, Ginger (as you may recall from early blogs), and I's definition of true love.

Watch the greatest commercial ever below from a diamond is forever.

But, some commercials do fail to hit my mark of excellence and one recent commercial that really irks me is the Chevy commercial with the "rally caps." The concept of the commercial is regular Americans wearing rally caps to "rally" America out of the recession (with the help of Chevy and their wonderful finance options) similar to how fans at a game would rally a team out of a slump to come back and win the game. The reason this commercial makes my skin crawl is that it's completely hypocritical. While the rest of America struggles with job losses and pay cuts, athletes continue to sign multimillion dollar deals and new stadiums are continually built as if we are living in the glory days instead of a period being compared to the Great Depression. This leads me to the question: if America is in a recession, why is the world of sports ignoring it?

Old Yankee stadium, meet new Yankee stadium. Photo from flickr.com

I decided to put my journalist skills to the test and peruse the internet highway for signs that my thesis was wrong and that athletes are struggling. I found none. Most of the articles that came up were about the New York Yankees and the New York Mets unveiling brand new stadiums this week. What was wrong with the old stadiums you ask? I have no idea. I've been to Yankee stadium, it's massive so it can't possibly be a space issue and the park seemed to be well maintained so I can't imagine the building was in dire disrepair. And, I hate to admit it, but the best part about the old ballpark is the history of the stadium. So, many heartbreaking moments (for a Sox fan), but nevertheless, magical sports moments have happened inside the "House that Ruth" built, so to think that a $1.3 billion dollar glitzy new stadium could replace it seems ludicrous. And then the Mets also needed a stadium? I feel like the Mets and Yankees are like siblings and since the Yankees got a pretty new toy, the Mets wanted one as well. But, don't worry, this one was cheaper only $800 million (eyes roll). And who paid for these stadiums you ask? Call me crazy, but I have a feeling some tax payers' money was involved and as we all know, money is so easy to come by these days (insert a second eye roll).

Besides New York wasting money on new stadiums, I found a few more points of interest in my google search for signs of a sports recession. Remember Chad Ocho Cinco, the Cincinnati Bengals player stupid enough to change his last name to 85? Well, he was also stupid enough to skip off season workouts costing him $250,000. The fact that someone has the ability to give up that kind of money is an insult to every hard working American that is struggling to hold onto a job or find a job at that.

Why so sad Chad? Because you lost $250,000? Photo from flickr.com

But one man did take a pay cut this year, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. He took a $2 million dollar pay cut this year, which is pretty noble, except that he makes enough money that he probably won’t miss that $2 million that badly. It would probably seem more of a sacrifice if more commissioners and players took a cue from him and did the same.

Back to the athletes, and in particular, C.C Sabathia. He is an amazing pitcher, but is he worth $161 million? Apparently the Yankees think so. Now, plenty of teams shelled out big bucks this year for top players, but I am simply noting this instance because it was one of the biggest off season acquisitions by any team in the MLB. But really, who is worth $161 million? Isn’t there a Yankee’s charity or a way to give that money back to the city that has supported the Yankees for decades instead of showering one man with more money than he can probably even spend in a life time? Now, I’m not really sure how athletes getting pay cuts would get that money back into the economy and into the hands of regular Americans, but I have to think that it would at least lift the moral of everyday Americans if they saw their heroes taking a hit and scaling back their income in honor of the current economic situation. Mia Hamm, one of my least favorite human beings of all time (she stole my man Nomar Garciaparra, I will never forgive her for that), but Mia Hamm even took a pay cut along with 18 other U.S female soccer stars to keep the Women’s United Soccer Association alive. She gave up a portion of her salary for the sake of her sport. Can’t athletes do the same for America?

Photo from flickr.com

So, as far as Chevy is concerned, I’ll put on my rally cap, once sports stars start rallying for America as well. Until then, I will scoff at multi million dollar contracts as I work several jobs trying to support myself through college and onto whatever the future holds in store for me.

The Best and the Worst of the 2009 MLB Season (so far)

2009-04-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hello my sports crazed fans! I apologize for the tardiness of my blog this week. The Internet was down and I knew my paycheck wouldn't cover the medical expenses to treat the carpel tunnel that would surface if I tried to type my entire blog from my Blackberry. But, in reality, you already knew my Internet was down (I'm talking to you, fans of my blog: Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Rip), so I guess all is forgiven. Onto this week's blog topic!

Clearly I am feeling creative and decided a top ten list of the greatest moments in the MLB 2009 season thus far would not suffice, so I decided to also include the WORST moments so far (clever I know).

So, here are the Top 10 Best and Worst Moments in the Infant 2009 MLB Season (according to Meredith):

10. A TOP moment to start things off. The Pittsburgh Pirates are excelling at pitching? Jest I do not, the Pirates, or should I say new pitching coach Joe Kerrigan, seems to have a deal with the devil because the Pirates pitching staff is excelling in this young season. Their pitchers are so good that they lead the NL in ERA (who would of thought!).

9. A LOW: Barry Zito "twittered" before he pitched on Monday. Now, it's not the fact that he uses a website that only allows him a mere 160 words to describe how he currently feels that makes this a low, it's that ESPN felt it was hard hitting news and reported on it. (But, as a fun experiment, I am ALSO on Twitter, follow me at MereCon and let me know if you found me from reading this blog! It's an experiment in trafficking!).

Is that a Blackberry in your back pocket, Zito? Photo from Flickr.com

8. BEST moment: Red Sox CF Jacoby Elisbury steals home off of Andy Pettitte. (Now don't say I wrote that just because I'm a Sox fan, it's a rarity). Even better? It shook up Pettitte so badly that he gave up double on the NEXT pitch.

7. Just to show I'm not biased, a LOW moment from a Sox player. Pitcher Josh Beckett went "head hunting" against the Angels. His target? Bobby Abreu. I don't care who it is, aiming 90+ mile an hour pitches at somebodies noggin is never a mistake and it is never ok. When I get into a tizzy while arguing with a friend, I communicate how I feel using my words, I don't hurl a hard round object at their skulls. Communication is key, Beckett!

Photo from Flickr.com

6. And just so you can question whether or not I am really unbiased a LOW from the New York Yankees. So, you want to know the real reason the New York Yankees lost to the Indians 22-4 and are 3rd in the AL East after the Red Sox and the Jays? The wind. Yes, the dimensions of the new Yankee Stadium are so bad that homeruns literally fly out of the park. Two problems with that theory Yankee lovers. 1. Over a billion dollars was spent on that stadium, wasn't it someones job to get the measurements down to perfection? 2. If the wind causes so many issues, like in the 22-4 loss, why were the Indians the only ones that seem to be having any luck? I guess the wind is a Sox fan.

5. A HIGH point times 16. Matt Stairs became the 16th player in the history of baseball to have 16 pinch hit homeruns. While playing everyday would be a favorable alternative, it can't hurt that bad to be the hero and round all four bags 16 times to an All Time list.

Doing what he does best, hitting home runs. Photo from Flickr.com

4. A HIGH point for one player, well a player and his agent, and a LOW point for the rest of us. While, I struggle to make more than 15$ an hour (only to get taxed, stupid recession), Stephen Strasburg may be receiving a pretty big check from the reluctant Washington Nationals. And I'm not talking a couple hundred, although lord knows I would kill for a check that has three digits, but Strasburg could be walking away with somewhere in the ballpark of 8 digits if Scott Boras has anything to do with it. And, we all know he does. How can I get Scott Boras to represent me? In life, generally. It was just a thought.

3. This really only concerns me but a LOW point nonetheless. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. I'll say it once (and I literally did in an early blog gripping about this very issue) and I'll say it again, Sunday Night Baseball is garbage. The games are drawn out, the announcers are dated, I'm sick of the NESN blackout! Give me back Don, Jerry. and TC!

2. While this may seem like a negative thing, it really is a HIGH point for those of us that enjoy normalcy. The Tampa Bay "No Longer Devil" Rays are last in the AL East. The reason I'm pleased? Besides last season, they have ended up at the bottom of the barrel every season since I first realized the only way I could stay in my family was to become a Sox fanatic. I enjoy consistency, so thank you Rays for holding a losing record thus far in the 2009 season.

and number one goes to......

1. The GREATEST moment of all! Get out the broomsticks people, not for spring cleaning, but for the Red Sox sweep of the Yankees this past weekend. If I have to suffer through Fox Sports I might as well see it end in a W for the Sox. And for all you disgruntled Yankee fans/Sox haters, you can at least chalk it up to the fact that they were a couple of very exciting games.

That does it for the list. Are there any moments that you would like to add? Any you disagree/agree on? Let me know!

Soccer: The Most Popular Sport in America?

2009-04-21T06:04:00.000-07:00

Jack Constant is maybe the one family member who hasn't been mentioned once in my blog and he happens to be my little brother (he mostly hasn't gotten a shout out because I generally only include family members who are likely to comment on my blogs if their names appear in them, thanks Uncle Rip, Uncle Jay, Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa). But, in this case, Jack happens to be the inspiration for this week's blog. Jack is good at roughly five things in life: eating, sleeping, making a killer ice cream sundae, spraying an unhealthy amount of AXE on his body, and soccer. Jack can play soccer like it's no body's business. In fact, Jack is so good at soccer that he plays for a league in the Iron Bound section of Newark, NJ (he is basically like the real life white from the movie "Save the Last Dance."

Jack the soccer stud. Photo from Facebook.com

He is getting roughed up by teams with players that come from backgrounds where soccer is life (think anywhere in Latin America and most of Europe) and he is loving it. And the reason I chose to write about Jack and soccer today is because there are kids like Jack all across America, living, breathing, sleeping soccer and yet it is one of the most unpopular, underpaid major league sport's in the nation. How can soccer be so popular as a youth sport and so unpopular as a professional paid sport?

Chuck Klosterman first brought this issue to my attention in his book "Sex, Drugs, and Coco Puffs" when he writes about his hatred of the sport and how every child in America has played it at one point in their lives. Even I played soccer in my youth. I did the YMCA soccer team, mostly for the trophy you receive every year just for signing up and paying the 30$ it costs to join the team, and yes I even played for a traveling team for a hot second (I quit because there were no more trophies being handed out each year. Oh, and maybe because I was atrocious at soccer).

Cute little kids love to play soccer, why doesn't anyone watch soccer? Photo from Flickr.com

According to my mother, I spent more time dancing and singing in the goal than I spent paying attention to the game, probably much to my father's chagrin who just happens to be a member of the Summit High School Varsity Soccer State Champion Team from the 70's, but what can I say, I was made for the stage. But, Chuck also brings up a pretty valid point that almost every child in America plays or has played soccer, it's an extremely competitive sport to get recruited for in college, but yet it doesn't fair well against the MLB or NFL as far as fans are concerned. Why is that?

I guess I can somewhat see why people don't go to professional soccer games or bother to watch them on TV. First of all, soccer announcers are obnoxious to listen to. If I hear one more person yell, "GOOOOOAAAALLLLL" I may have to crack skulls. I know it's a goal, I'm watching the same thing you are Mr. Announcer, calm down. Also, from what I've learned while watching games with my brother is that soccer announcers are usually Irish with obnoxious accents. It's probably different in American soccer, but still a turn off. Lastly, movies such as "She's the Man" and "Bend it Like Beckham" have made soccer seem more like a choreographed lame dance than a riveting sport to watch and are completely unrealistic. In "She's the Man" the first thing Duke Orseno teaches Sebastian "Viola" Hastings how to do is a bicycle kick. On how many occasions does a player do a bicycle kick and why is it the first thing you would teach a mediocre player? Nonsensical I say.

Seriously, no one learns that right away. Photo from Flickr.com

On the other hand, why wouldn't America fall in love with soccer? Unlike other sports, soccer is essentially the same for men and women, which means if either watched a game, they would understand what they are watching. I know how frustrating it is to watch a sport that you don't entirely understand, but soccer is easy to learn the basics and follow, so why wouldn't Americans enjoy watching something they understand? Also, if most Americans have played soccer, why wouldn't they want to watch the sport they once played? Also, have you ever looked closely at soccer players? They are gorgeous, not mammoth beasts like football players, not absurdly tall like basketball players, not likely to loose teeth and get a black eye like hockey players, not jacked up on steroids like baseball players; major league soccer players are perfection. And sometimes they even take off their shirts during games! Come on ladies, there should at least be a female following at soccer games.

You knew Beckham was bound to make an appearance. Swoon. Photo from Flickr.com

So, after writing this blog, I am thoroughly convinced that the MLS is lacking some much needed love and attention. I encourage everyone to go out, catch a game, and decide for yourself. I'm going to look into it this summer, why shouldn't you? Also, here's a question for all you readers: Why do you think soccer is popular in other countries but not in America? What would influence you to watch more games? Post your comments and I'll respond!

Playing with the Big Boys: Adam Harding

2009-04-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember Adam Harding, a popular character in my blog back when I was a freshmen at Emerson College. The talented, sometimes infuriating, never boring sports producer who was the first person to give me a chance at Emerson in sportscasting and made me believe that I could actually make it in this business. Adam has since graduated from Emerson College and is currently a minnow swimming in a sea full of sharks trying to make it in the world of broadcast journalism. Adam is the perfect person to give you the inside scoop on life as a broadcast journalist, so this is a must read whether you are interested in sports journalism, hard news, or any kind of broadcasting. While I can give you insight on getting through college with the dream of being on air, Adam can give you the facts on what life is like after you get your diploma.

The man himself. Photo from facebook.com

Interview with Adam Harding

Hey Adam, what is your current job?

I am a reporter. (Note: less than 24 hours ago, Adam was promoted to Weekend Anchor. I think this blog is a good luck charm)

*So, what does a regular work day look like for you?

Regular? no such thing, because every day is vastly different from the previous.

BUT, try this: work 9:30-6:30. Wake up early, read the paper, go to work, check messages, e-mails, etc. Make beat calls (cops), form story ideas. Then at 10 we have a morning meeting, go over the stories of the day. 10:30 I'm making my calls for the day to set up interviews. I try and be out the door between 11 and 11:30, back to the newsroom no later than 3 (preferably 2). Come back, immediately ingest my tape into AVID, and start brainstorming my package. Once the tape is ingested I pick out my soundbytes and edit those, then write them down. I go back to my computer, write my script by say 3:30. Get it approved by the producer. Go edit my package by no later than say 4 (if it's for the 5). Finish my package, head to the make-up room (which is really the bathroom :) ), then go on the set, do my live hit... or drive to my liveshot, do that. After the news I put my stories online and come home....exhausted.

Also, I drink a lot of coffee. That's something you NEED in this business.

*Wow, I can understand the need for coffee. But really, why Washington State? I didn't even know people actually lived in Washington State.

I chose Washington for 3 reasons; one was a personal, "self-discovery"-type deals. Second I knew Melanie (an Emerson graduate). And third, honestly it was the only job offer at the time and I didn't want to wait any longer to start my career.

*Fair enough. What was the hardest part about adjusting to life as a real time broadcaster and also Washington State?

Well I have a unique story because as soon as I moved out here, I came down with a really bad case of mono. Needless to say, that made the adjustment about 100 times harder because I was constantly at the doctors, couldn't be around people, couldn't even work out. So that was tough.

But I think in terms of adjusting to my job, it was more a self-confidence issue. I knew I wanted to do the work, but wasn't sure I could do the work, at least on the same level as everyone else. This industry does put a lot of fear in you, a lot of doubt in you. It's really a mind game. But once you overcome it, it's great.

As for Washington state, people look at me funny for saying 'wicked.' And it's not soda, it's pop.

Reporting. Photo from facebook.com

* That is wicked weird calling soda, pop. So, what is the most bizarre story you have covered so far?

I did two liveshots from a science fiction convention. Let's just say my liveshot for the 6 pm involved me dressing up and speaking Klingon (I'm not a 'Trekkie'), and hanging out with a Star Trek character . I signed off by saying I learned how to save I love you in Klingon (it was the day before Valentine's Day).

Turns out, all 3 stations in the market were watching, and I heard later from my friends at the other stations everyone was laughing hysterically and even applauded for me!

* Oh only you Adam Harding. Where did you go to college? What kinds of activities were you involved in that were related to your career choice?

Emerson. I did sports for our morning show, 'Good Morning Emerson,' for two years. I was also the sports director of one of our college stations, EIV, for two years. I also produced our 6 o'clock news and anchored sports and news. It was a lot of work, but I got to go to Colorado (all expenses paid) for the 2007 World Series, see the Red Sox win it all, be on the field and in the locker room celebrating with the team. It was something I'll never forget.

* What was the biggest lesson you learned about TV once you were out of college and in the real world?

Learn your voice. Be you, do you. Don't be or do anyone else. You have to know how you speak, and then you have to write like that. People relate to people, so be a person. Have flaws. Don't worry about being perfect all the time, it's unnatural.

* If you could go back to school would you still choose to go into broadcasting? Or, would you have done anything differently while in college?

I sometimes wish I had a broader education, but ultimately I'm happy where I am, so it's hard to say I'd do anything differently. I loved my college experience, so no, I don't think I'd change anything.

* Do you ever see yourself leaving the field? If so, what would you do?

Yes, but only to be a teacher. And even then I'd probably teach broadcast.

* What advice could you give to others thinking about going into broadcast journalism?

This business is all about telling stories. You really have to tell a good story for anyone to care, anyone to pay attention. So use your time learning how to really tell a good story.

Best advice, and I really can't stress this enough, is learn your voice. Everyone is meant to sound different, so never put on a "broadcaster" voice. It doesn't exist. And have fun when writing your story. Nobody wants a dull, straight-facts, story. Throw some spice into it!

* Do you have any family members who are in the business?

Dad is anchor in Boston.

Father and son. Photo from facebook.com

*So, does having Papa Harding in the business hurt or help your career? Why?

I guess help, but not because he can (or will) ever get me a job, but because I show him my work and he critiques it.

*My favorite question, what is the most embarrassing moment that has happened to you in broadcasting thus far?

Ya know, I've been really lucky (knock on wood) because I've never fumbled on a liveshot (everyone says your first one is always a disaster!), but there was one time I did a package in studio, and I was talking to my news director while it aired and none of us paid attention to the prompter, and when we came out of the package the script wasn't loaded and I didn't have my script iin hand, so there were maybe a few ummmms and ahhhhhs in there.

Also, once I did a liveshot with a dog, and during the story before mine, the audio board turned my mic up. So on the air you can hear me talking to a dog (mostly "good boy!") in a weird doggy-talking-type-voice, but you couldn't see me. It was very bizarre.

That's another lesson--when you're mic'd up, SHUT UP!

* Ha, sometimes it's hard to remember when the mic is hot. Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Married with children and living in a major metropolitan city, preferably close to family.

* Any last thoughts you’d like to share that I didn’t ask?

This field weeds out the people that shouldn't be there quickly. So a word of advice: if you want to do this as a profession, put your heart and soul into it. This isn't so much a job, as it is a lifestyle. You have to love news, love telling stories, love meeting new people.

It's arguably one of the hardest and most stressful jobs. You'll get angry, want to cry, get in fights, lose sleep. You'll mess up a lot, too. Fortunately tomorrow is a new day, and the great thing about this job is you never know what tomorrow will bring.

And remember, it's a communications job. You have to be a good communicator. That means you have to work well with others. You're a news TEAM.

--

The most important thing I've learned from Adam is basically the overarching theme of his interview; you won't make it in this business if your heart isn't full committed to it. Work hard and your hard work will eventually pay off. Adam is the perfect example of just that.

Skim Boarding = Lame

2009-03-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

I'm going to tell it to you straight this week, Meredith is with her best friend, Alison, in Florida on vacation. The little focus I have is virtually nil this week, which makes blogging particularly hard. In fact, I am lucky that I can get internet here in Naples, FLA in Alison's grandmother's elderly community. Old people love golf, but WiFi? Not so much. But, I knew the time had come to give in and pull out a blog for the week except the tank was empty for ideas and the combo of too much sun and beverages were certainly not helping. So, while sitting on the beach taking in the sights, Alison and I found ourselves thoroughly entertained for hours by two things: 1. A man in a speedo with legs neither one of us could ever hope to have and 2. Skim Boarders.

Alison cannot contain her delight. Photo by me.

Number 2 particularly had us in stitches because the two young boys we were watching couldn't ride a wave for more than a second without totally humiliating themselves and wiping out in the surf (note: these boys were all of 14-years-old, yes we find pleasure in watching children hurt themselves, sick I know). But our perverse humor did not stop there, we also took advantage of my camera and tried to catch the wipe outs on film.

Legs that no man should have. Photo by me.

So, why am I telling you all of this? Mostly because it was the only sports related thing that has happened to me on this trip (besides old people tanning, if there was a contest to see how leathery one could get, every 70-year-old Floridian would beat me), but also because I feel the need to inform you that skim boarding is the lamest sport ever and if you partake, I will probably make fun of you. I have broken down skim boarding into these steps: 1. Get a bro with sun-in in his hair and a scrawny body 2. get an appliance that looks like an overweight skateboard sans wheels, 3. stare at the ocean for a few minutes until a meager wave is about to break near the water's edge, 4. run quickly towards the water's edge with board in hand, 5. throw board, 6. jump onto board, 7. Enjoy 2 seconds "skimming" the water and either A. step off gingerly or B. fall on your derriere to the delight of 20 something year old girls' on the beach.

Skim boarding bros. Photo by me.

There you have it, that is the sport of skim boarding. The point? I'm not sure. It looks neither fun and apparently it is extremely dangerous. According to the journalistically sound "Wikipedia" skim boarding can cause: "fractures or dislocations of the lower limbs, bruises, and if knocked unconscious, drowning." Seriously, if I die from skim boarding, someone better lie in my Obituary and claim that a surfing accident or sky diving caused my unfortunate early demise.

Why is this a sport. Photo by me.
Yes I admit this blog is more an opportunity for me to rant than anything else and if you disagree, fine with me, leave a comment and let me know the finer points of skim boarding (what they may be, I do not know). All I'm saying is that if you want to impress chicks (boys) or not lose a bathing suit in the process (ladies) I do not recommend skim boarding. Go to the beach to tan, surf, throw around a football, kick around a soccer ball, heck, float around on a noodle, but stay away from the skim board, you will thank me later for it.

How to Impress in an Internship Interview

2009-03-23T16:47:00.001-07:00

There are very few people I will pick up the phone for if they call past 10:12pm M-F (I get up wicked early for work and I fancy even numbers, so that explains that). Claire is one of those people. Claire is my dear friend from high school who is known for having a crazy long last name (for privacy sake I will not include it, but seriously, she has like 15 names, it's insane), being Belgian, and having a wardrobe that any self respecting Connecticut WASP would envy. Claire also happens to be dying for an internship position at a big name news station in NYC. That's right, Claire, an engineering major at RPI wants to go into TV, which is just further proof that you do not need a journalism degree to get into television (or at least land an interview with a major station). The bulk of my time spent on the phone with Claire was to pull her away from the ledge and force her to stop freaking out over her upcoming interview. Naturally I was honored that she called me for tips on interviewing at a TV station, later I realized that I was probably the ONLY friend she had involved with TV but nonetheless, I realized that some of the tips I was dolling out would make for an EXCELLENT blog.

See Claire, you're already camera ready. Photo from Facebook.com

So, here are my "Tips for Landing that Coveted Internship". They seemed to calm Claire down so hopefully they'll work for you too.

*Dress attire: Business casual. Being a female (and a well dressed one at that). Claire fretted over what to wear to her interview and was worried that since she didn't like the way she looked in the only two piece suit she owned, she wouldn't have anything to wear. Word of advice, you don't have to wear a suit to look professional. In fact, an ill fitting suit just makes you look like you are playing dress up, opt for a pair of dress pants or knee length skirt, a blazer with a shell or a nice blouse on top and a pair of heels and you are set. Gentlemen, unless you are interviewing for the position as drag queen intern, I would instead suggest a pair of khakis, button down shirt and a tie. As an intern you are simply representing the company, but you usually will not have an opportunity to go on air so a full suit is not required.

Dressed for success. Photo from Flickr.com

*It's ok not to know everything about television. You're an intern, they expect you to not know everything there is to know about the business. They'd rather have someone that is willing to learn than someone who thinks they're a know-at-all already.

*Make sure you understand the job you're getting yourself into. If you don't see yourself doing busywork, maybe you're not cut out to be an intern. Also, it's impressive to an employer if you've done your homework about the job you're about to accept.

* Eye contact, smile, hand shake. You can never make too good of a first impression. A firm handshake shows you're confident, too hard of a handshake just makes you a jerk. And, if you really don't have a good answer to a question, any amount of b.s. can be covered with a pretty smile. Always smile, it makes you seem more trustworthy (unless you have a freaky smile that is).

*Give them something to remember about you. What makes my friend Claire unique is that she goes to an engineering school and while that obviously doesn't give her a solid journalism background, it does give her a solid foundation in problem solving, which is extremely important in the unpredictable world of television.

And most importantly, DON'T over think your interview. Don't try to guess what they are going to ask and pre plan answers, just go in and be you. If you're meant to get the internship, you'll get it, if not, a better suited one will come your way.

Good luck!

All the JUICE-y Details on Reporting from Spring Training

2009-03-16T09:57:00.001-07:00

Ah spring training. Photo from flickr.com

There was a whole lot of Juice this past week during Spring Training for the 2009 MLB season. And I know what you're thinking, "But A-Fraud is having surgery, who else is guilty of taking steroids and who is stupid enough to take them with thousands of reporters milling around the ballparks?" Well, I'm not talking about those kinds of juice (although I'm sure they were there), I am speaking of the man himself, the legend, Johnny "Juice" Russo. Johnny, better known as Juice for reasons previously unknown until last year at Emerson when Johnny asked me if I wanted to hear the long or short version of the birth of his nickname. Wanting to impress him and genuinely curious, I asked for the long version. Big mistake. In fact, just to leave you in suspense, I am not going to even hint at the reason for his nickname, ok I'll give you one, it seriously has nothing to do with juice. Anyway, Juice is a buddy of mine from Emerson who is known for always wearing some sort of Nike apparel (seriously you would think he had an endorsement with them), using strange phrases such as "supa dece" and "toss the rock" (if you can tell me what that means I will give you half of my semester's paycheck from Experience.com), but most of all, Johnny is known for, well, being well known on Emerson's campus. The man might as well be running the school. Besides being an RA he is involved in a slew of Emerson College TV shows and I believe it is safe to say that he either produces or acts as talent for every sports related show on campus.

Always with a mic in hand. Photo by Scott Jackson.

So, I decided to tap into this wealth of knowledge for advice for up and coming sportscasters, especially since Juice has just returned from most sportscasters dream job: Reporting from Spring Training. You don't have to be in a major news market to get access to the ball fields and players at Spring Training; you simply have to be prepared and know your stuff. Here's my interview with Juice on a college reporter's perspective on covering Spring Training for Emerson College's WEBN.

Ok Juice, let's get right to it, what was the purpose of sending a bunch of college kids down to Spring Training?

The main purpose of the WEBN trip was to go shoot interviews and packages for our annual Spring Training Show. Another purpose of the WEBN trip was to gain real live sports reporting experience talking to professional baseball players.

So how does one get picked to go on this trip (and why didn't you pack me in your suitcase and bring me along!?)

Basically the people picked to go on the trip are the people who are dedicated to WEBN Sports, which is a weekly sports TV program. Also you have to have some experience in reporting, and it goes with out saying you have to be very knowledgeable about baseball. My role on the trip was to captain a crew of three everyday, although reporters changed everyday. My job was to get a feel for the ballpark, sometimes talk my way into getting credentials, get interviews and help out my fellow reporters feeding them questions or telling them to get a camera angle of a certain player. Everyone helped everyone out. We had a great crew down in Florida, which made the trip fun and everyone helped out whether it was shooting b-roll, coming up with questions for interviews, researching players, or helping write stand-ups and tags.

Trying his hand at cameraman. Photo by Scott Jackson.

Guess I should have done WEBN. What can viewers expect to see when the final product airs?

The viewer can expect to see good hard reporting on teams and players, and not just reporters talking about which teams they like. The viewer can expect to be taken on a trip throughout the state of Florida to various ballparks and told about stories the Red Sox youth, the Phillies quest for a repeat, how the Tigers will bounce back from a bad year, how the Reds outfield can help Cincinnati climb out of the basement of the NL Central, etc. It will be a thirty minute show, with good interviews and great sports reporting.

So, where'd you go in FLA? And more importantly, who did you see?

We went to Bradenton to see the Pittsburgh Pirates play the Red Sox and Astros. Then we went to Fort Myers to see the Red Sox take on the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays. We went to Clearwater to see the Philles take on the Reds and Braves. We went to Lakeland to see the Tigers play the Yankees. We went to Kissimmee to see the Houston Astros take on the Braves. We went to Dunedin to see the Blue Jays play the Pirates.

Throwing the heat. Photo from flickr.com

Wow, you caught all the best teams (besides the Pirates obviously). Ok, who was your favorite interview?

This one is a hard question because I enjoyed all my interviews and I mean talking to major leaguers is awesome, but if I had to say one it would be Carlos Pena first baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays. He was so nice during the ten minute conversation I had with him on the field. He was such a great guy, and answered all my questions. Carlos is just a fun guy to talk to, and you could see his passion for the game. When asked about what’s the difference between this spring training and last years coming off a Cinderella season, you could tell all he was thinking of was getting back to the fall classic.

Carlos Pena seems like a fun guy, but I know if I had been there, Lou Merloni would have been the first guy I spoke to and he doesn't even play anymore. Any bad interviews?

There really wasn’t a bad interview. I wish we had more time to talk to some guys but all the interviews were good. Every guy we talked to was super.

There must have been one bad interview! Fine, I won't press it, onto my favorite question, any embarrassing moments?

I woke up the day of my birthday (March 11th) knowing I was covering my favorite team, the New York Yankees and I opened my contact case, put in my left eye contact, opened the right case and there was no contact. I searched my bed, the floor and the entire room, but no contact. So I had to cover the Yankees Tigers game in my glasses, which I hate.

Well, you could have just worn one contact, but you would have looked sort of goofy and probably would have ended up with a massive headache. Speaking of headache's, what was the toughest part of the trip?

Hardest part was figuring out how every park was run media-wise. For some teams there is a PR guy to go to and ask for interviews, and the PR guy approaches the player for the interview. With other teams you just walk up to the player yourself. It’s all about reading the situation and the team because every team has their own way of doing things.

From one sports reporter to another (that's ESPN's Jason Stark). Photo from flickr.com

Although you're a sportscasting star at Emerson, did you learn anything on this massive trip that you hadn't known before?

I knew this, but on this trip and the Oscars trip (Juice also went to the Oscars, that jet setter, seriously could you have a better three weeks in your life?), you have to be prepared for anything and everything. Preparation is so so so key. You need to do your research and remember to ask questions the guys have not answered 100 million times before. Prep- work makes the production so much easier. Always be prepared, never walk in thinking you are going to wing it.

Any other interesting antidotes?

Got nothing for this one.

Or is it that you just can't share any other stories? A bunch of college guys and a week with no supervision? I'm sure there are plenty of stories to tell off the record for another time.

Just like any reporting gig, you will not get the story you wanted or the final product you dreamed of if you are not 110% prepared. And, it just goes to show you, you don't have to be T.C to score top interviews, you just have to have the credentials, the reporting skills, the drive, and the talent to report from locations that you had previously only witnessed on your TV in the comfort of your own home.

Spotlight On An Up and Coming Sports Journalist: Andrew Constant

2009-03-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

I decided I would switch things up a bit and do something wild and crazy and interview someone else who is similarly trying to break into the sports journalism biz (I know an aspiring journalist actually conducting an interview, insane! And it only took me two years of blogging to come up with this idea!). So, I rattled my brain for the perfect person to interview; I needed someone around my age, a sports nut who is actively involved in sports journalism, and preferably someone who is taking a somewhat different path to success from myself. After contemplating over some finalists, which I will not name in case this whole "spotlight on" blog concept is a success and I continue doing them, I realized I had to look no further than my own family.

Already looks like a pro. Photo from Andrew Constant.

The future of sports journalism, with Winnie the Pooh in hand. Photo from Constant family.

Yes, Andrew Constant, the focus of today's blog is also my cousin. Unlike myself who chose to go the broadcast journalism route to break into sportscasting, Andrew is going the other, but just as respectable route into print journalism, or more specifically, sports writing. Andrew is currently a freshmen at Towson University and we met up via the internet highway one day last week to talk about sports journalism and what he has already accomplished (and hopes to accomplish) at Towson.

Andrew, besides your wildly talented cousin, who inspired you to go into sports journalism?

After my freshman year of high school I knew that I wanted to be a journalist. My teacher was really instrumental in my decision. The sports part of it comes from my love for sports.

But why not Broadcast Journalism? Come on! We could have had a show on ESPN: Constantly Talking Sports! Why'd you ruin my dream?
I was never one that was comfortable speaking in front of people or a camera, thus I decided to go into print journalism. Also, I was always a good writer and it came easy to me.

Ok fair enough. So, how did you settle on Towson?
I chose Towson over my other schools for the opportunities. I was offered coverage of the Women's soccer team within weeks of being on campus. It was the best fit for me.

Clearly you're already involved on campus, what did you cover Women's Soccer for? Was it for your school paper?

Yes, our newspaper, The Towerlight, has gotten me into so many things sports related. I have made so many contacts and friends in just a few months thanks to The Towerlight.

What have you covered already?

In the fall I covered Women's Soccer, I just recently finished covering Women's Basketball, and I'll be covering Softball in the spring. I have also helped out by writing about Golf, Track, and Football.

Wow, that's a lot of sports and very different ones at that. What was the most difficult sport to cover?

The biggest challenge I have faced so far was covering the Women's Soccer team. They struggled through the season and after a while it was hard to write articles about a team that wasn't scoring a lot of goals. It was good for me to write about a team that wasn't so good as compared to a team that steamrolled their opponents.

Yeah, no one wants to lose and no one wants to write over and over again about a losing team, but that is good experience for the real world. Any difficult interviews?

I have encountered two difficult, post-game interviews. One was following a Women's Soccer game that they had lost with seconds to go in overtime. They had gone a bunch of games without scoring and they were on the verge of finally gaining a point. But a lapse in the defense cost them the game and the Coach was very upset following the game. It was hard to ask appropriate questions. Another was when I interviewed a member of the Women's Basketball team who was from Lithuania. She didn't speak great English and it was hard to understand what she was saying at times.

Ok, the question I have been waiting to ask, any embarrassing moments? Come on, you can tell your cousin.

I have yet to encounter anything embarrassing so far.

Liar. Fine, I'll let that slide, but if I ask again your senior year of college there better be a different answer. Where do you hope to end up on The Towerlight?

Hopefully by the time I'm a senior, I can be the Sports Editor. I will eventually be an Assistant Sports Editor this year, and I hope to move up to Associate within the next two years. But Sports Editor is the ultimate goal.

Any dream internships?

I would love to work for ESPN or The Boston Globe as an intern, but I also know of one with the Cape Cod Baseball League that would be awesome to do.

A summer at the Cape wouldn't be bad. And hey, if worst comes to worst, you can always cover Cape Cod Community College sporting events. Moving on, where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years, I see myself covering a baseball team for a daily newspaper. I can't say where that will be, but ideally I would love to cover the Boston Red Sox or the Atlanta Braves.

Finally, as an almost sophomore in college on the road to becoming a sports writer, what is the most important advice you can give to an aspiring sports journalist?

The most important piece of advice I could give someone interested in getting into Sports Journalism would be that you need to be able to adapt. You need to be able to cover sports that you don't know or like, you need to be able to work well with others, and you need to learn to not be a fan of the team you're covering. That's the hardest part. You can't root for the team you're covering. It's not professional.

There you have it all of you wannabe sports journalists, another perspective of breaking into the biz. The other great thing about sports writing is that even with people buying newspapers less and less, online journalism is a huge market now so as long as people are literate, you will have a job. If you are interested in sports writing, one of the most important things I would recommend is learning all you can about web design and being able to upload videos and pictures onto the web to compliment your articles. It's just another way to make yourself a more marketable employee.

Just because everyone loves a throwback. Andrew and I as kids. Photo from Constant family.

The Pink Elephant in the Room of Sportscasting

2009-03-02T06:42:00.000-08:00

I'm going to get straight to the point on this one. No witty story, no obscure references, no introduction that requires me to take up five paragraphs before getting to the thesis of this blog, none of that will occur today. There are two things about sportscasting that continually irk me; former athletes and hot women. These two groups of people seemingly have nothing in common at first glance, well except that athletes usually date hot women...but that's not the point. The point is, these two groups have some of the greatest impact on your careers as an up and coming sportscasters because they are the ones that will mostly likely steal your jobs from you. That's right, study away at your top notch journalism schools and claw your way to the most coveted internships, but at the end of the day, if it comes down to you and a recently retired athlete or some good looking hussie who thinks that sportscasting is her ticket to breaking into the entertainment industry, you are going to be the odd man out. (Quick note of clarification, I am not saying that all female sportscasters are unqualified, I'm just saying it's an industry where looks count and some women manage to slip through the cracks and make it on air when they quite clearly have little knowledge of sports. It's almost like the opposite of former athletes turned sportscasters who tend to have all the knowledge in the world, but little knowledge of how to act on air.)

This fact is something that has infuriated me for years and over the past two and a half years that I have studied broadcast journalism, I've realized that it's something that is never spoken about. No one wants to admit that all this work and money poured into a sportscasting career could be in vain. You may be the next sports anchor in Eufaula, Oklahoma (that's a real place, I looked it up), but if Derek Jeter retires tomorrow and decides he wants to be a sportscaster, I guarantee ESPN or the YES Network hires him as an analyst the very next day.

The man himself, Jerry Remy. Photo from Flickr.com

Now, this isn't to say that all sportscasters who were former athletes themselves are incompetent. In my humble (and biased) opinion, Jerry Remy, color commentator for the Red Sox on NESN is the greatest sportscaster ever. He may have been an average ball player for the Sox, but his New England accent and upbeat personality has made him a superstar in Boston. And then there is John Madden who may not always make sense, but he's vivacious and always interesting to listen to, which makes him popular. Plus, he has a whole set of video games named after him, Madden 64 was an essential part of my childhood, I thank you for that John Madden.

Paul O'Neil lurking in the corner. Photo from Flickr.com

But, on the other hand, there are sportscasters who make me cringe. Paul O'Neil, analyst for the Yes Network? Give me a break, he was barely likable as a player. Jill Arrington? Great she looks like a real life Barbie doll and is the daughter of Rick Arrington, that doesn't make her a good sportscaster.

Yes, Arrington's hot, doesn't make her talented just genetically gifted. Photo from Flickr.com

And then there is Pam Oliver. I can't even think about something as equally painful that I would rather do than have to listen to Pam Oliver attempt to form a coherent sentence on the sidelines for a FOX Network football game. Remember that Giants-Steelers game where she FORGOT WHAT SHE WAS SAYING and threw it back to the the boys in the box? Isn't the first rule of journalism to always provide a filler no matter what? Seriously Pam, you couldn't have improvised something, anything, for the one minute they let you out of your cage and allow you to speak? Disgraceful.

(I couldn't get the video to upload of Oliver's slip up, but copy and paste this link into your browser to check it out. It's too good to miss).
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1470526920144258267&ei=qvyrSf6GOo2grwLb17TdDA&q=pam+oliver&hl=en

My hope for this blog is that it hasn't discouraged you from becoming a sportscaster, but rather it has open your eyes to the hard facts of breaking into the business that people largely ignore. But, at the end of the day, my optimistic self has to believe that those who are well trained in journalism will nab those dream sportscasting jobs eventually. Can Troy Aikman edit his own footage for a story? Does Paul O'Neil know how to write a post game summary for an online sports site? Does Paul even know how to write? There are certain skills that well trained journalists have that former athletes or hot babes who know little about sports do not have so I suggest learning all you can about sportscasting, both on air and behind the scenes, to mold yourself into the kind of journalist networks cannot turn down.

Which is Worse?

2009-02-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

Unless you've been living under a rock or live everyday with the sole purpose of avoiding any media outlets and people in general, you know that the two biggest sports stories over the past two weeks have been that Michael Phelps enjoys cannabis and Alex Rodriguez doesn't mind it when grown men stick needles into his behind (but only in 2003 obviously).

He may be a great swimmer but that doesn't make him the sharpest tool in the shed. Photo from flickr.com

And as these stories have been growing with new reports and speculation of what will become of these two spectacular athletes in their own right, a question has been posed; which is worse? I forget when this question was first brought to my attention, I know I was driving in a car somewhere with someone, but I don't quite remember who, which really just makes me fearful that I am already losing my short term memory and I'm only 21 years of age. Anyway, the story, told to me by whoever this person is that I cannot remember went like this: A little boy went up to his mother and asked, "Mom, is it worse to be caught smoking marijuana or is it worse to take steroids?" After a few moments of thought, his mother had no clue how to answer the question, because both were equally terrible in different ways.

Now, if I had been the mother of that child (thankfully I have yet to bear children, once again only 21-years-old) I would have set him straight right away. Of course it is worse to take steroids than it is to take a hit from a bong, the two are not even comparable. Michael Phelps participated in some recreational drug activity that you, your parents, and maybe even your grandparents if they were hip happenin' cats enjoyed at least once in their lives. Am I condoning marijuana usage? Of course not. Am, I saying that it's more likely that you've smoked out of a bubbler before than had a cousin inject steroids into your butt? Most definitely.

Music gets him in the zone, not Mary J. Photo from Flicker.com

And, although more people having done one particular thing doesn't make it right and the other wrong, let's get right to the heart of this issue which is, what is more likely to help you succeed in your sport that you are paid millions of dollars to play, Mary J or steroids? Michael Phelps is not a better swimmer because he hit a bong. Michael Phelps is certainly not lighting up a joint before diving in for a race nor is he going to lose any of his medals for smoking marijuana. Instead, he just suffers public embarrassment of proving he's not a god but just a 23-year-old dude with a possible speech impediment who parties just like any other 20 something year old in America. And, come on, the guy just brought America pride and bragging rights for the rest of eternity in swimming, give the man a break!

Up, up and away! Like his career. Photo from Flickr.com

A-Rod, or A-Fraud (love that nickname) on the other hand, should probably share some of his honors and records with his good ol' friend Mr. Steroids, and his cousin for pumping him up. A-Fraud claims he only took them in 2003, which I guess is somehow supposed to make America breathe easier and forgive him, but not so fast A-Fraud. Anyone who knows anything about sports knows that 2003 was a significant year in Mr. A-Fraud's career, he earned his third Most Valuable Player Award with 54 home runs and 156 RBI's on the year and was noticed by both the Yankees and the Red Sox and ultimately penned a contract with the Yanks for a disgustingly large amount of money. Steroids didn't just pump up his body, it pumped up his career. It brought him to almost a super human level, among the greats such as Bonds and Pettitte (hm odd they both also tested positive for steroids). And, maybe the most laughable thing of all is A-Fraud expects us to believe that he hasn't been taking steroids since he joined the Yankees back in 2003. Yeah, because that is all too believable that he would stop taking a substance that made him Yankee material now that he is on arguably one of the greatest baseball teams of all time. I think those roids are starting to get to your head A-Fraud.

So, will Michael Phelps never take a hit from a bong again? Doubtful. I would just hope he does it in the privacy of his own home and when he doesn't have millions of dollars in endorsements on the line. Will, A-Fraud never take steroids again? Now, that is a question I don't have the answer to, one would hope not and with the situation he's in, who knows what the future holds for this fallen star's career. But, with the steroid scandals surrounding baseball in the last five or six years it does bring back the question of why isn't there a salary cap in baseball? The Boston Red Sox's ownership is highly in favor for a salary cap for the 2012 season and this is coming from the management of the team with the second highest payroll in the Majors (second to the Yankees of course). If there was a salary cap, then teams couldn't offer people like A-Fraud these ridiculous paychecks that arguably force them into illegal activities such as steroids to stay on the top of their game and earn their paychecks.

If you look at the stats, almost all of the players who have recently been caught red handed steroiding are either from the Yankees or big names like Barry Bonds with even bigger paychecks. If they were forced to make less money and couldn't get these big contracts with big name teams, maybe players could relax a bit and spend more of their effort getting into top shape the natural way instead of resorting to HGH and other steroids. It's just a thought, but while it may be impossible to prevent youngsters from experimenting with marijuana, the MLB should be working harder to make it impossible to take steroids or make the consequences so severe that a player wouldn't even think twice when given the opportunity to get juiced up.

Katie Couric Didn't Major in Broadcast Journalism

2009-02-15T16:42:00.000-08:00

During my youth (up until a year ago) I spent many a summers working six hour days in 20 minute rotations staring at a pool full of stay at home moms with too many children (aka I was a lifeguard at a private swim club). During that time I became good friends with an older lifeguard I will name "Susan" for legal reasons. Now, Susan was a bubbly college aged girl with an amazing figure that made you want to hate her except that she was too nice to actually hate. She also always wore these big black sunglasses, more so in the morning when it wasn't sunny and she was working the opening shift than any other time of the day. After years of witnessing this routine, I realized that Susan may have been hitting the bottle a little too hard Monday night, Tuesday night, and basically every single night of the week. Adding onto my suspicions is that you could always find her "sleeping" on a lounge chair until 10am when the pool opened and she miraculously perked up. Susan really was too good to be true.

But, Susan did have a problem. She could never seem to decide on what major to declare at her top tier school. The one thing she always fell back on was, "Well it doesn't really matter what I major in, I can always go into a different field. I mean look at Katie Couric, she majored in American Studies and is now one of the leading women in broadcast journalism."

Looking good Couric. Photo from Flickr.com

After hearing Susan say this hundreds of times I decided to do a bit of research myself and found out that in fact, Couric was an American Studies major that has now become the first woman ever to anchor a solo evening news show. This led me to think about myself and fellow friends who have decided to pursue Broadcast Journalism and, in some cases, Sports Journalism. Are we making the right decision by solely focusing our major on what we think we want to do with our lives or would it actually make us better, more well rounded journalists, to major in something other than Journalism?

Now, I am not saying you should run to your Academic Advisor and switch your major, I am merely saying that I believe there are other routes out there that could get you to your future job as a sports journalist. So, if you are thinking about majoring in Sports Journalism or planning on declaring a major soon, here are some other Majors and Minors to consider that will help you become a better journalist.

*Any Communications Major: The skills I have learned as an Organizational Political Communications minor I have no doubt will help me understand people better and become a better communicator and therefore a better journalist. If your school has classes such as Mass Media, Argument and Advocacy, Debate, Leadership, or Conflict and Negotiation, definitely take them. If you don't know how to communicate and work out your problems with people, you won't just fail in journalism, you'll probably also turn out to be a pretty miserable human being.

*Acting: You may dream of being behind the mic and not on stage, but a lot of the qualities found in a great broadcaster are essential in becoming a great actor. When I entered Emerson I had no broadcasting experience, but I landed on air spots my first semester because of the skills I acquired from acting in plays and musicals. As a journalist you have to know how to occasionally memorize your scripts, banter or "improv" when you have extra air time to fill, and how to look at ease in front of an audience. These are all skills you learn from being on stage.

*Voice: Majoring in Musical Theatre or Voice may be a bit extreme for an up and coming sportscaster, but taking some private lessons in singing is highly recommended. A big mistake a lot of people make in life really is that they don't know how to use their voice. Your voice is an instrument, if you misuse it you will hurt it, if you know how to use it well and do things like (speak from the diaphragm, project, etc etc) you will sound much better on air. And, if you're a little too shy for a vocal class, a Professional Voice and Speech class will do the trick. Knowing, how your voice works will help you understand why you speak the way you speak and will make you a better journalist. Plus, if you have issues like dentalization, nasality, or a really terrible accent, you might as well work on getting rid of it now.

If she can sing, than so can you. Photo from Flickr.com.

*Journalism: This option may be a given, but I'm not saying you have to major in Sports Journalism, what I'm saying is dabble in a little bit of everything. Take some print journalism classes, some broadcast journalism classes, some editing classes because these are all skills you are going to need to make it in the real world. People don't just get hired to "talk on the tv" anymore. You have to be well rounded. You must know how to write a good story, occasionally edit and put together your story if it is for radio or tv, and how to present it on air. And, you may find in these different kinds of classes, that the technical side of journalism is more your style or that you'd rather see your byline in the newspaper than on tv with your name in the lower third box on the screen.

The only better feeling than being on air is being in the control room. Photo from Flickr.com

and your last option is....

*Anything: While taking journalism classes are advised, don't beat yourself up if you don't get into that broadcast journalism program you wanted or if your school doesn't have a sports journalism degree. Most schools don't. In fact, sports journalism as a major has only been around for a handful of decades so most of the older men and women in sports journalism do not hold degrees in that major. And, if they are old and you're still hearing them on the radio or seeing them on tv, clearly they are doing something right. Take classes that interest you. Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple, took courses in calligraphy because it was something that intrigued him. And, he later used calligraphy as one of the many fonts available to Microsoft Word users, an idea he pioneered. And where would we be today if we didn't have to option of expressing ourselves through Comic Sans, Times New Roman Bold, and the ever popular Lucida Handwriting?

So, if Katie Couric can major in American Studies, and Art Garfunkel and Lisa Kudrow can both major in Mathematics, then you, the next up and coming star in the world of sports journalism, can major in whatever you darn well feel like.

Your Guide to a Sports Related Date

2009-02-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

This blog is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing in the sense that I get to throw lines into conversation such as, "Yeah, I'm a paid blogger" "I write a sports blog" ""There's a website with a picture of me next to my awesome sports blog." And my best pick up line, "That's right, I write a blog, maybe some day I'll work you into it." I've yet to use that one, sigh.

But, this blog is also a curse. Just because I write a blog about sports doesn't mean I know EVERYTHING about EVERY sport or that I even enjoy 50% of sports available to the viewing public. And this brings me to hockey. Hockey is a sport I feel like I would watch more often if I were A. at a bar B. at home with friends and copious amounts of beer C. in the mood for a good fight. Usually I am feeling a bit of C (I'm from Jersey of course I'm scrappy), but I can never find the patience to sit through a full game and wait for the brawling to begin. Needless to say, I do not watch a lot of hockey or even know that much about hockey.

NJ Devils. Photo from Flickr.com

And that is where the problem started.

A few weeks ago I was asked out by a very handsome young man, adjectives cannot describe him adequately, but let's just say he's easy on the eyes. Once I got over the excitement of it all I actually fully read the email he had sent me and realized that he was asking me to go to a New Jersey Devils game. Verbatim he said, "I know that you're into sports or at least like to write about them (aka the blog) and was wondering if you would like to go to the NJ Devils game with me." My thoughts at that moment went from pure excitement to, oh crap. He thinks because I write a sports blog I'm some sports buff, and I've never even written about hockey! Once I stopped hyperventilating, I sprung into cram mode to get myself mentally prepared for this possible date at the hockey rink, which also happens to be the inspiration for this blog.

flickr.com

So, in lieu of Valentine's Day here are:
Meredith's Tips for Making You Into a Sports Know-It-All (or at least do a really good job at faking it)

*Watch the game the night before your sports date. That way you can throw in facts such as, "Wow the Devil's really used the power play to its full potential or can you believe that game went into OT last night!?"

*Employ that friend of yours who knows way too much about sports for his or her own good to pump you with sports information. I went around asking for three facts everyone should know about hockey, it's really applicable to any sporting event you may be asked to go to.

* Read! Literacy is back in! Pick up the paper and find an article that sums up the kind of year your date's favorite team is having. For instance, I learned that the Devil's are much stronger defensively this year and are doing extremely well in the overall standings, who knew!?

* Wikipedia. I know, as a journalist I should never encourage the usage of this blasphemous site, but it is good for searching things like "hockey" "baseball" and "oh no I have a date and I need to know if hockey is basically soccer on ice."

And, if all else fails.....

*Look cute or dapper (depending on if you are a woman or a man). You don't need to go and outfit yourself in every apparel item that your date's team has ever manufactured, if you happen to have a team shirt, wear it, if not looking good and dressing up is always in. As long as you don't show up in a mini skirt and a tube top or a tuxedo I think you should be just fine. Stay away from the extremes!

*Buy the alcohol. The best part about beer at games is that A. Your date will probably never object to you purchasing it and B. It gets you away from the game so that you have a few minutes where you don't have to be on your A game. Also, it gives you the excuse to lean in extra close to your date and figure out what you missed.

And at the end of it all....

* Don't be afraid to give away your cover and expose your less than knowledgeable sports self. You can enjoy sporting events and not obsessively follow them. And if you're date is a keeper, he or she is not going to care that you really didn't know anything about the game/match that you went to see. This is exactly what I did. I fessed up to my lack of hockey knowledge, but did come to find that I really love live hockey games and I would definitely go back to see another one. Well, mostly because I want to see a live action fight. Still waiting on that fight....

Nothing screams romance like a good ol' hockey fight. Photo from flickr.com

So, happy early Valentines Day and if you go on any good sports dates (and even better, you used some of my tips) let me know! If you comment on my blog I will always respond.

Super Bowl XLIII (That's 43 For Those of You Illiterate in Roman Numerals...aka Me

2009-02-02T07:20:00.000-08:00

I’ll be honest this blog came as a bit of a struggle for me. I know what you’re thinking, just blog about the Super Bowl. But, saying to just blog about the Super Bowl is like saying just go organize a black tie event for 1,000 people for tomorrow evening, run a marathon, climb Everest; the Super Bowl is simply bigger than me. It is such an obvious topic, but also one of the hardest to blog about.

So, naturally I kicked around different ideas. Blog about the commercials, analyze the game itself (now there’s a thought), or focus on something only loosely related to the Super Bowl: the Puppy Bowl. Essentially the Puppy Bowl is an alternative for people that enjoy pets more than watching grown men pummel each other (aka old single cat ladies). Broadcasting off of the Animal Planet, the Puppy Bowl is the Super Bowl for puppies complete with a play-by-play announcer and a makeshift mini football field. After describing this idea to my God fearin’ “no cursing in this house” mother, she replied with, “that’s retarded.” That idea was quickly axed.

Admit it, the Puppy Bowl sort of looks like fun. Photo from Flickr.com

Finally, a light bulb went off in my head and I said to myself, “Why not do something journalistically correct for once and take notes during the game so you actually have a basis for a blog?” My genius never sleeps. This seemed like a grand idea until I got a few beers into the game and taking notes went out the window.

But, I did manage to scrap together a few coherent thoughts so here is Meredith’s Social Critique of Super Bowl 43:

• Why do they make the players say their place of matriculation during the game? I mean, obviously they don’t say “matriculation” they probably word it more as, “Where did you spend a semester Majoring in Basket Weaving before getting drafted?” And what about those players who didn’t attend college? What are they supposed to say? My favorite response was the player who said “Swagin’”. Not quite sure what he meant, but I know it was amusing.

*And, on the subject of the players, can any of them articulate? I pride myself in being fairly fluent in English, but they might as well have been speaking in Ebonics because I couldn’t understand any of them.

• If the Super Bowl could be won by whichever quarterback Meredith finds most attractive, Kurt Warner and the Cards win. Big Ben looks like he’s taken one too many hits to the face and Meredith Roethlisberger just doesn’t have a nice ring to it.

Kurt Warner looking less than masculine but never the less, swoon. Photo from Flickr.com

• Apparently “fights” are called “skirmishes” in the NFL. Because nothing is more manly than getting into a “skirmish.”

• Cardinals’ Steve Breaston may not grow up to become the greatest name in football, but he will always have the funniest one.

• Highlight of the game? Half time. The appearance of Bob Costas on my TV screen was enough to send me into hysterical little girl shrieks. I was fairly certain they locked him away and only let him out for two weeks every other year for the winter and summer Olympic Games.

And just because I know you all watch for the commercials……..

*The advertisement for the TV show Chuck tomorrow night in 3D? Lame. I’m sure Chuck in 2D is bad enough.

• The Mr. Potato Head commercial. I don’t know what it was for, but I got the chills when it came on. Not because it was especially moving, but because I had a run in with Mr. Potato Head in my youth and Mr. Potato Head was almost victorious as his lips got stuck in my throat and I almost choked to death. Oddly enough in this commercial Mrs. Potato Head lost her lips. Well, she can’t blame me this time.

• Conan O’Brien Bud Light commercial? Sort of hilarious.

• The NBC promo for their Monday night line up. I love ads where actors lip sync some cheesy rock hit. Gets me every time.

Oh, and if you’re wondering why I didn’t talk about the half time show, it’s because there is no need. I’m from Jersey, Bruce Springsteen is from Jersey, and therefore Bruce Springsteen is a god. And I may not be a math wiz but Bruce is approaching 60 and looking suspiciously young. Botox anyone?

The Boss. Photo from Flickr.com

Congrats are in order for the Steelers though. Thank you for winning the Super Bowl, mostly for my former roommate Brent, one of the biggest Steelers fans I know. If it wasn’t for him making me watch the Steelers’ games every weekend, I probably would know zilch about the Steelers and wouldn’t have cared nearly as much about this game. Well, ok he didn’t force me to watch them; I was mostly in it for the savory snacks he provided. So, thank you Steelers for bringing Pittsburgh, Brent, and myself eternal happiness.

Yum junk food and sports, two of my favorite things. Photo from Flickr.com

Beauty Pageants: My Favorite Sport of All

2009-01-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

After a month long hiatus I am back and better than ever, ready to kick off 2009 on a superficial note. I spent Saturday night the way any normal 21-year-old female would spend a weekend night, on the couch watching Miss. America 2009 on TLC. And ok maybe a half a bag of Doritos accompanied me.

Miss. Indiana. Guys, you can thank me later. Photo from Flickr.com

Call me sexist but I love a good beauty pageant. And personally, I hate this garbage TLC is trying to pull by making Miss. America a “reality show” and making the girls “modern” and especially letting America pick four of the top 15 finalists. Erroneous. I love old school Miss. America. I want big hair, big makeup, and ridiculous dresses. And let’s not even pretend it’s about the scholarships, it’s a beauty contest; ever notice that the “girl next door” or anyone from New Jersey never makes it to the Top 15? I rest my case. (And I can say that about New Jersey because I am originally from New Jersey, it’s a place, we just pick questionable people to represent our state). And a $50,000 scholarship for the winner? With most private colleges averaging around $33,000 a year, that's only going to cover roughly 3 semesters of college. Offer a full ride or to pay off all the winner's student loans and then we can talk about calling it a scholarship contest Miss. America corporation.

Miss. America 2008. I told you, blond, big hair, and beautiful always wins in the end. Photo from flickr.com.

But back to my theory that beauty pageants are the ultimate sport for both the viewer and the participant. For the participant there are the endless hours of working out to look flawless in a bikini aka the “swimwear portion of the event,” honing their art for the talent competition, practicing holding those goofy smiles (harder than it looks), quick changes (no one likes a wardrobe malfunction…they love it), and of course walking in heels (we all remember Miss Texas a few years back who ate it on stage). For the viewers it’s more of a mental strain, willing their favorite contest through to the next round and of course the emotional satisfaction and feeling of superiority when a girl’s thighs are less than perfect or when you realize that some of the Miss. America’s of 2009 were suffering from a bit of the butterface syndrome. It may have just been my ancient TV but the close up on some of the contestants looked less than stellar or maybe it was just TLC’s attempt on making them look “modern.”

Seriously did she raid Madonna's closet from the 80's? Photo from flickr.com

I think the best part about the sport of beauty pageants is that they have longevity and never really change. Call me crazy but I like a little consistency in my sports. There is rarely an upset and generally the principles of Darwinism and the survival of the, well, prettiest in this case, prevails. And, once I spotted angelic, big hair and heavily made up Miss. Indiana, Katie Stam, I knew that I was looking at the winner. This was furthered confirmed by the fact that she looked great in a bathing suit and “sang” for her talent because nothing is more generic than singing in a beauty pageant. Seriously, I would rather watch paint dry than listen to six girls sing mediocre (now Miss. Hawaii’s traditional dance was by far the coolest talent). The only major slip up was her dress. It was to the point where I silently prayed that the girl in the off the shoulder bad 80’s style wedding dress wouldn’t win but, alas, in the end, Katie Stam prevailed and won and proceeded to shake and cry (not ruining her makeup naturally, a sport within itself) and another Miss. America passed on her crown.

Alas, sweet victory. Photo from flickr.com

If I haven’t convinced you yet that Miss. America is the ultimate sport, let me leave you with this thought. Similar to Miss. America, other sports are based off of high intensity, energy, healthy competition, pushing yourself emotionally and physically, and unlike Miss. America, other sports such as hockey and football actually encourage fighting. But you want to know what is even harder than throwing insults across the 50-yard line or cheap shots on the ice? Being poised and nice. Miss. America is the end all be all test of fakery. 51 women will lose on that one night but they still have to stay composed and say nice things about their “newest bff’s” to Clinton Kelly in the “loser lounge” on stage, live, during the competition. Not only do these women have to look perfect, have the perfect talent, give the perfect 30 second answer to a randomly selected question, they have to act perfect as well.

So, congrats Katie Stam and the rest of the Miss. America contestants, I consider you among the great American athletes; you are like Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Tom Brady, only with more lipstick and a heck of a lot more Aqua Net. And while, I do love a good football game or a baseball day night double header, sometimes I like my sports with a little glitz and glamour on the side.

Hey! We're In a Recession! Happy Holidays!

2008-12-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

Well the cats out of the bag, according to the New York Times of December 1st 2008, the United States is in an economic recession.

And you know when the New York Times tells you that your country is in a recession, it's official. (As if the homeowners crisis, bailout bill, auto industry tanking, and unprecedented job losses weren't enough to hint to you that maybe the U.S is having a bit of trouble holding onto the moulah).

So, thank you New York Times for breaking the news to us right in time for HOLIDAY SHOPPING to begin that we're in a recession. What better way to get you into the shopping mood than with a recession lingering on your mind. As if shopping for the perfect gift for your friends and family members wasn't hard enough, especially those sports fans because nothing is harder than finding a gift for the sports fanatic among your clan or group of buddies that has everything already related to sports. There are only so many Atlanta Braves shirts one person should own (my cousin Andrew should know, someone manages to buy him something Atlanta Braves related just about every year. Poor kid, he likes other teams too!).

So, here are some interesting sports gifts that I found courtesy of the internet highway that are sure to satisfy the hardest to please sports fan on your shopping list this holiday season.

http://www.xperiencedays.com/prodview.asp?idproduct=7331&af=XperienceDays&CK=80

For the Nascar fan (yeah I don't know any either, don't worry), but for those of you that by chance know someone what enjoys Nascar why not buy them a ride in a Genuine Nextel Cup Car. For under $200 your loved one can experience 3 exciting Laps (this is verbatim from the site, I don't know what makes driving in circles exciting) as passenger in a Nascar Stockcar. And they get to wear a sweet racing outfit!

Remember when you were little and your little brother would throw a Nerf football and boast that he totally threw it like 200 million yards. Well, now you can prove him wrong with the Virtual Distance Football.

Using advanced sensor technology this ball can determine how far it is thrown and even shows it to you on it's oversized readout. So finally you can stop quarreling with your little brother over if he threw the ball 200 million yards. And the answer is, no, you didn't, but maybe you should invest in some KUMAN lessons as well as a Virtual Distance Football.
http://shopping.discovery.com/product-64886.html?jzid=40600651-0-0

I call this next gift "you really don't know what to get your husband/father/brother/grandfather/uncle/etc but you know that they sometimes play golf" so why not get them a "Tee It Up!: Golf Gift Basket".

This basket not only includes golf items such as a golf towel, golf tees, practice wiffle balls, and a golf mug (yippie!) but also gourmet snack foods. Now, the only people I know that are avid golfers are my Uncles and you could stick a case of Heineken in a basket along with a cheeseburger and some potato chips and call it a Golf Basket and they would be perfectly content. Why is it that only golfers enjoy gourment food and who are these golfers? I would love to meet them and compare notes.
http://www.greatarrivals.com/product_detail.cfm?pid=77&ah=1&affcode=FINDGIFT&stateful

Now, you knew a Red Sox gift was going to make the list. So, for those of you that aren't lucky enough to live a handful of T stops away from Fenway, why not bring Fenway to the biggest Sox fan on your holiday shopping list with a "Red Sox Premier Pail Gift Set." The gift basket includes Fenway Peanuts, a Wally doll, a replica autographed Red Sox baseball with autographs of all the players on the roster beginning in 2007, a Sox cap, and other assorted munchies and Red Sox gear.

http://www.massbaytrading.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=SOS2013&Category_Code=SRR&Affiliate=FG

My little cousin graduated high school last spring and had the obligatory family/friends graduation party. Now, said party would have been awkward for a semi-adult like me (I didn't know any of his friends and I only really knew my side of the family well) if it wasn't for alcohol and the Sportcraft 3 Game Tailgating Combo.

I don't know if this was actually the game set they purchased but they did have two of the three games included in the set and they provided hours of fun. And apparently you can use them for tailgating as well although beer and horseshoes in a crowded parking lot sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00610494000P?vName=Fitness%20&%20Sports&cName=Sports&sName=More%20Sports&sid=IAx20071220x000001&aff=Y

Now for the gift for that person who really can't get over their alma mater or that high schooler who recently got into their top school, you can get them collegiate golf balls! There are over 25 colleges and universities to choose from so obviously coming from a big name sports school (Emerson College...only teasing) I couldn't wait to find my schools special golf balls. But to my chagrin, no Emerson College golf balls.

http://www.caddicap.com/collegiategolfballs.html

And finally the most unusual gift I found but I thought I would be fair and include something New York related, why not get your loved one a New York Yankees Hammer! Because apparently all Yankees' fans are construction workers in need of a hammer with their favorite team's logo.

http://www.sportsgifts.com/fm-prom-ha-yanks.html

There you have it, gifts that are perfect for any sports fan on your shopping list.

And in case you already finished your shopping, here are some items you should consider returning:

- That Plaxico Burress jersey
- The Sean Avery talking doll (apparently all it says are "bleep" "bleep" "Elisha Cuthbert" "sloppy seconds" "bleep" "bleep"

Yet Another Reason Why Guns Should Be Banned in America

2008-11-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

Growing up, there are many hard lessons you have to learn: Santa Claus isn't real, the Toothfairy is actually a tired parent slipping a dollar under your pillow for that coveted baby tooth, the story of Pocahontas didn't play out like the Disney movie (I learned that 6 years ago and I'm still not over it), and last but not least, athletes are stupid. Well, saying that they are all stupid is making a rash generalization, they are, for the most part, the opposite of smart. As a former athlete myself, I know that sports teach you a lot about discipline, working with other people, etc etc but I think where sports sometimes lack is teaching common sense.

All we have to do is look back on history for examples of athletes not using their noggin's to its fullest potential: Atlanta Falcons safety Eugene Robinson charged for solicitation the night before his Falcons were set to play in the Super Bowl when he offered an undercover officer money for oral sex. Then there was Pedro Guerrero, former first basemen for the Cardinals who allegedly agreed to pay $200,000 dollars for a shipment of cocaine. But that wasn't the best part. His attorney said that since Guerrero dropped out of school in the 6th grade and his IQ was 70 he had no way of understanding that he was buying cocaine. Great so now he isn't only a drug dealer but he's also an idiot.

Plaxico Burress. Photo from flickr.com

And now Giants' receiver Plaxico Burress can add himself to the esteemed group of arrested athletes with his Friday night arrest for gun possession.

But how did he get caught you ask?

He shot himself. In the right thigh. By accident.

I'll give you a moment to take that statement in.

Plaxico found himself partying at a nightclub Friday night (I don't know in high school we had dry seasons, it seems that should apply to professional sports where it's literally your job to play a sport). According to reports his gun slipped down his pant leg and when he tried to get it back into position he accidentally set it off, shooting himself in the process. (Someones gun was not on the safety lock).

Plaxico looking....alert? Photo from flickr.com

Oh but the story only gets better. Plaxico's teammate Antonio Pierce allegedly tried to help his teammate out by hiding the gun. Hm, maybe I should just go back to my thesis that athletes are stupid.....

I can't decide what hurts more for Plaxico, the pain from his self inflicted gun shot wound, the felony gun charges he will most likely face, or the fact that he potentially messed up the rest of the season for the Giants. The Champion New York Giants who are attempting to defend their title again this year. Here's where the lack of common sense kicks in and maybe lack of common sense is the wrong term, maybe it's more like the lack of consideration for others. When an athlete gets arrested, it's a domino affect. Losing a player, especially a key player like Plaxico, could ruin a team's season and, for lack of a better term, that's not fair. Besides apologizing profusely Plaxico should face massive repercussions from the NFL for his actions. This could be anywhere from taking a pay cut for the rest of the season, suspension from the league for a year or two, or just anything that shows other players that the NFL doesn't take this situation lightly. He not only hurt himself, he hurt hundreds of other people who work for the Giants plus the millions of fans who tune in every Sunday to catch him in action. He should pay for his actions.

Plaxico after Giants won the Super Bowl aka the good days. Photo from flickr.com

But this brings up a larger issue: guns. In less than two months one child has accidentally shot and killed himself with an Uzi at a gun fair, another boy shot and killed the very man who taught him how to use a gun: his father, and Plexico mishandled an illegal weapon and shoot himself, clearly there is an issue with gun laws in America and something needs to change. People shouldn't feel the need to bare arms, we should have a strong enough police force and a government that we trust so that we don't feel the need to own a gun. If anything good comes out of the Plexico shooting, it's that adults and children alike clearly are not responsible enough to handle guns and there should be a crackdown on gun laws in America so situations like the ones listed above do not happen in the future.

So, Plexico, here is your common sense lesson of the day:
Liquor before beer you're in the clear,
Beer before liquor never been sicker,
Liquor or beer while carrying a loaded gun is an ultimate fail,
it'll land you in jail. (and you'll have a killer hangover)

Creating a "Golden" Human Interest Package

2008-11-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday!

It feels strange to blog on a day other than Sunday or Monday but Meredith is off to Puerto Rico for some fun in the sun for her Thanksgiving break and a couple of days off from the bitter cold that is winter in Boston. And it's really, really cold. Words cannot describe what it's like to not be able to feel your face despite being bundled up so only your eyes are visible while almost being blown over by wind walking down Boylston St. Not a pleasant experience.

So, tonight we're going to keep it short and talk packages. I know we've discussed sports packages for news shows but we haven't talked about human interest or player profile pieces. What makes human interest sports packages different than normal packages are the following: 1. They tend to be longer 2. You have more freedom with your writing and showing off your personality. 3. They center on a specific player or a particularly life changing/dramatic event in sports, but it doesn't necessarily be timely. Think any package that you have ever seen on ESPN for a visual cue.

Now I'll tell you right off the bat, I really don't enjoy sports packages for news shows. You know the, "I'm at Fenway Park where fans are trying to get tickets for Game 1 of the World Series" kind of pieces that really don't teach you anything or have any impact on your day. As far as player profile packages go, I assumed that I wouldn't like them either because, well I'm apparently a Negative Nancy, and assume I hate things even before I try them.

But I gave the ol' player profile piece a try and took a chance on Meghan the former "Golden Girl of Purdue" turned Emerson College transfer student. And it turned out to be a chance worth taking.

For starters I was extremely lucky to find such a willing subject who had such an interesting story. Once again Meghan was the Golden Girl of Purdue (I know isn't that the sweetest title ever). And it wasn't just because of her blonde hair and sparkling personality, although I'm sure that helped, but it was her title as the top baton twirler at Purdue and arguably in the nation.

And when I say baton twirling I don't mean throwing one baton up and down. I'm talking extreme baton twirling, twirling three at one time, twirling on your nose, twirling around your neck, throwing them under your legs, somersaulting to catch your batons, things that you didn't even think possible Meghan could do with a baton.

And she gave it all up to come to Emerson to pursue broadcast journalism, a major not offered at Purdue.

And this is where I found my story, in the fact that she gave up her passion in life, the school she loved, her friends, everything to come to a small school in Boston. And also the fact that she was able to continue twirling, at a lower level, at Emerson so she was really able to find a way to focus on her future without giving up something she's spent almost her entire life doing.

And this is the most important part of a player profile piece; you have to know your angle. You have to know what makes this person important enough that they should have a package done about them. And everyone has a story, if you're willing to do some digging, I think you will find you can do a player profile piece on just about anyone.

Once you have your angle, holding an on camera interview with your subject is the next step. Plus it's a good idea to tape them in their environment and getting a lot of b-roll, which in the case of Meghan consisted of following her through most of her day as she prepared for her half time performance during an Emerson Women's Soccer match.

After that, a few short interviews with people that your subject is either close with or played a huge part in getting them to where they are now, is the next step. Record some voice overs and get one helluva good editor and you are on your way to package perfection. Another helpful hint is, if you can, be your own producer. You make a better reporter if you are also responsible for the content of your piece and it will make conducting the interviews a whole lot easier. Also, you have final say on how your package flows and also what the final product looks like, which can lead to a more satisfying package experience.

Unfortunately I don't have the entire finished package to show you but I do have a rough cut that my editor put on YouTube for me to look at a few weeks ago so enjoy! Just a quick disclaimer though, it's really rough, the music hasn't been synced and there is color correction to be done so don't judge too harshly!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7aVlEVFJis

And remember with the right angle, an eager subject, and an excellent editor and shooter, I think you'll come to love the player profile packages just as much as I do.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Boston Needs the C's

2008-11-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

The Milwaukee Bucks invited the Boston Celtics to town Saturday night for a showdown of epic proportions (ok that was a bit dramatic but it sounds wonderful). The Celtics are the title holders from last season and the Bucks have started off this season strong and were coming off a 2 game winning streak.

Da Bucks. I just really like that shot. Photo from flickr.com

They were probably feeling a bit smug.

And they probably felt even better when they tied the game at 93 all going forcing an OT.

Then when Garnett got fouled out of the game during OT, they probably thought they had the game in the bag.

Oh tisk tisk young Bucks, don't ever mess with the Green.

After Ray Allen sunk both shots at the foul line the Celtics pulled again 100-97 and never looked back winning the game 102-97.

Was I surprised? Not a chance. It's the Boston Celtics we're talking about! Now of course two years ago I never thought I'd ever have this much confidence in the C's (or blog about them in a positive light) but how can you knock the Celtics? They have the trinity of Pierce, Garnett, and Allen, which is like an Ortiz and Manny 3-4 punch, but better, because there are THREE people involved. Stellar defense. Exceptional coaching by Doc Rivers, what more could you ask for?

The Trinity. Photo from flickr.com

Love the Celtics or hate the Celtics, you have to admit that they are good for Boston. And Boston could certainly use some good news in the sporting world right now. Matt Cassel is about as consistent in the QB position for the Pats as Manny DelCarmen was as a middle relief pitcher for the Red Sox, Brady has had more surgeries in 4 months than I have had boyfriends (in case you're wondering, the answer is zero, not that I care), and the Bruins love putting themselves in dramatic shoot out situations....and losing. Factor in the Red Sox losing the playoffs to the TAMPA BAY RAYS, you have yourself a recipe that would send most Bostonians straight to the bar to drown themselves in Guinness and Drop Kick Murphys' songs (which is basically any night in Boston).

Home of the Champions. Photo from flickr.com

But the Celtics, they are the Bruins of the pre 1993 era, the Red Sox of, well last year, the Patriots of the early turn of the 21st century, they are the Boston team we can depend on to pull through and have unwavering confidence in. And Boston needs that right about now because other than that, there is not much to gloat over.

Right now the Celtics are sitting pretty in the top spot of their division by 2 games with a record of 8-2. And, I know it's early, but I'm going to make a prediction, back to back titles for the C's.

It may be a long shot, but this year, I'm dreaming big for the guys in Green.

Just because everyone love a good duck boat shot. Photo from flickr.com

Someone Please Explain to Me Why College Football is a Democracy

2008-11-10T08:12:00.001-08:00

Gymnastics. Now there is a sport that makes sense. Surely you may disagree with the scores from time to time but it always works the same, each move/combination is given a degree of difficulty and depending on how well it is executed, an appropriate score is given to determine the rankings.

Then there is swimming, another sensical sport. If you touch the wall first, you win. If you don't, you lose. If you get DQ'd well then, that is just an epic fail.

So one would assume that football, specifically college football would follow a pretty concrete format. The team with the best record would be at the top of the BCS and advance to the correlating Bowl Game. If you score the most points, have the best record, you advance to the Championship Game, right?

Wrong.

People hate college football. Just kidding. Photo from flickr.com

For those of you unfamiliar with the BCS and trust me I am a little fuzzy on some of the details but essentially what happens is that the BCS takes polls and computer reports on what teams are favorable and place them in a ranking order. So even if you win a game, you could still be a loser that week in the polls. For example this week Texas lost to a ranked team and Florida lost to an unranked team but yet Florida is still ahead of Texas in the standings despite losing to an easier team.

Make sense? No it doesn't make sense to me either. Since when did sports become a democracy? America can barely get out and vote for a solid Presidential candidate half the time (cough Bush 2 terms? cough) why should they be allowed to pick the top teams in college football? Football is based on a points system, which has proven to be a pretty foul proof way to determine a winner of a game, so why wouldn't they use the same concrete unarguable system to determine the overall rankings? Referees don't choose the winner of a game, why should polls determine who plays in the BSC Bowl Games?

Cmon there had to be a behind shot, it's football. Photo from Flickr.com

And I know some of you out there probably fiercely defend the system because it gives you something to obsessively check at work (between facebooking of course) and talk about over the water cooler (do people even have water cooler talks anymore?) but it's ludicrous and I have some pretty strong backing on my stance: Barack Obama.

One of the most important statements Barack Obama made during his first 72 hours as President elect is that the BCS should switch to a playoff system. Now, if he had only promised to make that a reality during his campaign, he would have won over the entire Southern region of America.

Epic Fail. Just like the BCS system. Photo from Flickr.com

And I have to say I agree with Obama. A playoff system is a fair and square way to determine who rightfully should play in the BCS Championship Games. It's done in virtually every other sport, why should college football be any different? It's not different than regular ol' football just younger players who major in basket weaving and are allowed to interact with the cheerleaders, why should they play the game any differently? A playoff system is a foul proof way to determine the best teams that year and is a simple answer to solving this largely argued about BCS conundrum.

Then again, if they were to change things, ESPN would have nothing to complain about on their College Football page and super fans would have nothing to comment on. So maybe they need the drama. But I say, leave the drama to the game, pit the best teams against one another in a playoff system, send them to the proper Bowl Game, crown a victor. End. Of. Story.

Lamest World Series Ever That I Almost Forgot to Blog About It

2008-11-02T16:42:00.000-08:00

Know what really stinks? Baseball games postponed because of Mother Nature deciding that the rain cannot wait. Know what stinks even more? Rain outs during the World Series. Want to know the worst possible scenario? A rain out in the middle of a possible deciding game of the victor in the World Series and then starting the game over again in exactly the same spot it ended in.

All the sad wet Phillies fans. Photo from flickr.com

But that doesn't happen, not even in the worst movie plots! Who would ever agree to something that anti climatic?

Bud Selig, that's who. In a bigger blunder than putting Jessica Simpson in yet another straight to DVD movie (cough Major Movie Star cough), Bud Selig decided to put the Phillies and Rays in an underwhelming Game 5 situation and start Game 5 right where it left off, in the middle of the 6th with a tie score.

And don't think that the Phillies and the Rays didn't have a problem with this move. The Phillies sat down with the Rays and said "Hey brah we don't want to kick your tail in an hour long game, wanna start this thing over?" And the Rays responded with, "Sure dudes that would be chill, whatever."

Ok maybe that's not how the situation played out but each team essentially said that starting the game more than half way through was a total buzzkill and they would rather start it over completely.

So let's break this situation. Starting a game half way through is underwhelming and doesn't give fans enough time to get into the swing of things. Both teams agree to start it over. If the game starts over you make more money in the stadium from food, souvenirs etc etc, more money to be made for FOX for advertisements etc etc, so every things cool, right?

If only it were that easy. Bud Selig decided that obviously the teams didn't know what they really wanted and decided to start the game at the middle of the 6th. So they played for about an hour and a half, Phillies pulled ahead and won it 4-3. Yippie. This is a team that has only won TWO WORLD SERIES EVER and you couldn't even give them a decent full game, Selig? What's wrong with you? Did you want the lamest World Series ever?

Finally victorious! Photo from flickr.com

I won't lie, I didn't even see how it ended. I got home late from a meeting and the game was over. Done. Kaput in less than two hours. On the one hand, starting the game in the middle meant less time spent with McCarver and Buck, but it also meant the least dramatic World Series win ever.

And if I were the players union, I would sit Selig down and propose a policy for dealing with this situation in the future. If I played over 165 games to win those coveted rings, I want to win it in 9 complete consecutive innings. What happened was disgraceful and the MLB has to have a better plan for dealing with it in the future.

Anarchy after the win! Scary. Photo from flckr.com

Changing gears momentarily to politics (and Jenna the Intern didn't even have to tell me to relate it to politics!) please tell me you heard this line about McCain comparing Obama's flip flop opinion on if he was a Rays or Phillies fan to his flip flop attitude in Washington. Yes because baseball allegiances are a larger metaphor for your persona character. And for the record, if I were McCain or Obama I wouldn't say a darn word about who I favored, both the Phillies and Rays are ironically enough located in swing states. So I would say I was a Blue Jays fan, no one messes with Canada.

So how did you feel about the World Series? Do you agree with Selig? How do you think things should have played out? Leave a comment and let me know!

Awards Season...For Sports!

2008-10-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest with you my loyal bloggers, Meredith is in a bit of a writer's block. Basketball is still in preseason, hockey depresses me because the Bruins can't seem to win a shoot out in OT, and I just don't care about the Rays/Phillies World Series. I still feel like someone is playing a cruel joke on me with the Rays playing in the World Series.

So I thought, why not have an impromptu Awards Show for Sports Teams and Sports Fans? There's an award show for everything, why not sports!? And yes, I know there is the ESPY's but this ain't your grandpa's award show (sorry Norm), these are the awards that you secretly wish the ESPY's could dare to give out (don't worry Jenna the Intern, I won't write anything that could contractually get me fired).

Worst Politically Correct Team Logo:
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: KC in what is either a leaf or head of a spear outline? Lame. If you're going to have a Native American title, you either have to go all the way and possibly, well definitely offend the Native Americans of this great land, or change your name entirely. Give me a good tomahawk or cartoon Indian Man, but a leaf thing? Not cool.

Player I Wish Would Pull a Farve and Come Out of Retirement:
Dennis Rodman looking fab. Photo from flickr.com

Dennis Rodman. Oh yes, the cross dresser himself who married Carmen Electra. I bet a lot of you forgot about him. I bet a lot of you wish you could forget him. But I wish he would return to the beloved game of basketball and wear that infamous wedding dress. He spices up the game.

Worst Player to Ask for Illegal Substances:
Antonio Holmes of the Steelers: Pot was recently found in Holmes' car preventing him from playing in Sunday's game against the Giants so he is a no no. Best player to go for illegal substances? None. Drugs are bad and if you know that they partake in such activities, they've probably already been caught red handed and arrested for it.

Fans That Are Most Likely to Punch You in the Face:

Scary fan. Photo from Flickr.com
The Oakland Raiders: Oakland Raiders are the crudest most violent fans I have ever seen. And just to prove it, I will probably get punched in the face for saying just that at some point. Luckily I never plan on visiting Oakland.

Player Trade Meredith is Still Most Bitter About:
Nomar Garciaparra going from the Sox to the Cubs. Sure it was for the better and Garciaparra was miserable in Boston but it only took him farther away from his one true love, me. And then he married that horrible Mia Hamm. Life is cruel.

Team with the Worst Mascot:

McBeam himself. Photo from flickr.com

The Pittsburgh Steelers': It''s litteraly a steel man named Steely McBeam. According to Brent, my roommate, his name was choosen as a part of a city wide contest. So what have we learned today? Pittsburgers love a good pun. Runners Up were the Jazz. I don't know what their mascot is but last time I checked, Miles Davis and layups didn't really go hand in hand.

Player Most Likely to Ruin His Season Because of His Hot Model Girlfriend:
Tom Brady: Oh wait that already happened! Congrats Tom! Tom Brady was advised to have knee surgery in Boston by surgeon's hand picked by his coaches and team doctors. Instead of listening to them Tom decided, "oh no clearly my Brazilian model gf Gisele Bundchen knows more about knee surgery, she has a degree in being hot." So he went with another surgeon. Big mistake Tommy. You're now out for months instead of weeks and need a second surgery.

Team with the Biggest Fair Weather Fans:
The Tampa Bay Rays: Seriously did Tampa even know they had a team before this season? There used to be about 5 Rays' fans in the stands at any given game before the 07-08 season, enough said.

Best Stadium:
The Arizona Diamondbacks: It's like one big fun fest in the middle of the desert! There's even a pool! And yes I know the Ray's stadium has live rays but they only get one award.

Most Obnoxious Fans/Dedicated Fans:
It's a tie between the Yankees and the Red Sox fans. Because while both are rude, vocal, and passionate about their team's toward the brink of insanity, it is all out of good intentions, anything for their beloved team. To be obnoxious about your team is to be unusually dedicated and as much as I hate to say it, Yankee fans are just as crazy about their team as Sox fans are.

Well there are your winners, and I'm sure at least a couple of you are mildly offended, what do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Do you have any ideas for other awards for the spring show? (I decided there will be a spring show because I think this one is already going splendidly.) Post a comment and I'll make sure to get back to you!

There May Be Some Good in the Sox Losing

2008-10-20T07:03:00.001-07:00

Maybe it's for the better that the Sox are not advancing to the World Series.

Ok Boston fans, back off, before you jump down my throat, hear me out.

When the Red Sox lost the ALCS last night I was....asleep (hey I get up at 6:00am lay off). But I have to say when I saw the headline on Boston.com, I felt a mixture of let down and relief (mostly because it meant I didn't have to deal with TBS announcers or Joe Buck and Tim McCarver till next October), but also because, it made me feel good to see the Sox that I grew up with. The Sox that I knew and loved but didn't seem to have luck on their side.

And maybe this is an odd statement to make, but a part of me still cannot shake this self-deprecating mindset that I grew up with as a young Sox fan. I grew up surrounded by bitter Sox fans and learned the mentality very early on that being a Sox fan meant a life time of let down as well as love for the beloved Beantown favorites.

But that all changed in 2004 in the greatest playoffs I think I will ever see in my lifetime. Not only did the Sox make it to the World Series but they beat the Yankees, the unstoppable Yankees, in the ALCS overcoming the greatest deficit in sports history and then going on to win the World Series. It was one of the greatest moments of my life and I still can remember sitting in my grandparents TV room in their uncomfortable wicker furniture (why wicker furniture? I don't know ask my grandma, Bev) surrounded by my entire family and collectively freaking out when they won it all. It was such a gratifying moment and for the next week I wore my Red Sox shirts with pride in my New Jersey high school where no one could say anything to bring me down. We had a World Series ring. I could die happy.

But then, we won again. And to me this was confusing, I was ready to go back into a sulking "being a Sox fan is so difficult" phase that I had grown up with. 2004 was fabulous but 2007 was confusing. We hadn't won a ring in 86 years and now we had two in the matter of 4 years? What was going on here?

Papelbon after the 2007 WS win. Why am I not surprised? Photo from Flickr.com

And this isn't to say that I don't wish the Sox success but two things scared me about the Sox going on a World Series tear and especially making it this year. Here they are:

1. Kids need to know what it means to be a Sox fan. A part of that involves suffering. You can't be a Sox fan if you don't know what it is like to be at the lowest low and honestly, losing to the Rays is pretty low on my radar scale. I can't deal with these 10-year-old Sox fans that don't remember what it was like before the Sox had a 2004 World Series ring. You have to know what it's like to feel Sox grief, so kids, take this time as a learning lesson.

2. I don't want the Sox to be the Yankees of the 90's. Growing up, the Yankees were the gods of baseball. You couldn't beat them. Tino, Chuck, Roger, Andy, Bernie, Scott, Derek, the list of Yankee greats went on and on. They couldn't lose and I can't remember a year before this one where they were not in the World Series. And although it must have been fun for gloating Yankee fans, how quickly the mighty do fall. This year was a mess for the Yanks and they couldn't even make the playoffs. That is hard for me to fathom as well but I don't want the Sox to be the team that everyone wants to kill with fans that are both fair weathered and rude. I want the Sox fans that are die hard, win or lose, they are there for the team.

Ok Boston fans, I'm letting myself out of my bunker, taking off the bullet proof vest, I'm ready for your shots. What do you think? What is your reaction to the Rays beating the Sox for the ALCS title? Do you think they'll really go all the way and beat the Phillies? Leave a comment and let me know!

5:30 AM Never Feels Good...Not Even For the Sox

2008-10-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

My uncles know how to make me do anything.

On Friday night my Uncle Jay called me to invite me to the Sox game with my other Uncle, Rip, and my brother Jack. But what he failed to mention until he knew he had me hook line and sinker is that we actually had to wait in line for tickets. And oh by the way if I could, could I get to Fenway by 6:45am to hold a spot until they get there from the Cape no later than 8am?

Waking up at 5:30am on my day off, even for the Sox? Heck no.

But then he offered to buy me my ticket. Ok getting warmer. Then he threw in lunch. Closer. Then the underlying promise of beers. You got a deal sir.

So with moderate enthusiasm I made my way onto the T, Ortiz jersey and all to Fenway.

Fenway during the morning. Photo by Richard Constant

And let me tell you, I must have been the only one awake in line at 6:45am. Standing in line for Sox tickets is like a whole other counterculture of sports. There are unspoken laws laid down at these epic events, or at least according to the chatty man in back of me. Not that I minded, I think he kept me from just walking away, my uncles and brother didn't get to Fenway until 9:30am. Jerks.

But honestly, I don't think you have a choice but to be pleasant and make the most of your time spent in that line. Oh another fact my uncles didn't tell me, we were going to be in line for SIX HOURS waiting for tickets. Those little details that make such a big difference. But really if the UN ran like the Sox ALCS tickets line, we would have no world disputes and plenty of Dunkin Donuts coffees and Boston Globe newspapers to go around.

If you ever find yourself in an epic sport tickets line, here are some tips to surviving the wait:

-Bring a warm jacket. 6:30am is never warm, trust me.

-Think you're strong enough to stand for the entire wait? Well you're not. Bring a chair or a blanket to sit on, you'll need it.

- Never agree to wait in line alone, you need someone to make multiple Dunkin' Donuts runs.

-Leggings, no matter how fashionable are a no no. It's not only cold during the early hours of the morning but also in an enclosed ballpark at night, pants ladies!

- If you're like me and go to a school where your hopes of graduating with a M.R.S are quickly diminishing, go wait in a playoff ticket line. Tons of cute boys and if you get in a good spot, you are stuck with them for hours of awkward conversation hopefully ending in an exchange of numbers. I met such a boy but...then my uncle's showed up and we got bored and bought tickets off a scalper instead.

My brother and I. First time I sat down for almost 3 and a half hours. Photo by Richard Constant

Watching the Sox drive into the park. The highlight? Seeing Jerry Remy up close. I'm such a broadcasting nerd. Photo by Richard Constant.

And thank god for that! Our seats were amazing, 6 rows back near Pesky's pole so we would be in perfect position to catch home runs. Too bad none came our way, or were hit by the Sox, who lost dreadfully. But I did see a beer fight, and we made a sign about TBS ruining our souls with their baseball broadcasting (here's my attempt to recreate it):

T errible
B roadcasters

and nice
S uits (not)

I thought it was creative, and so did my Uncle Jay who created it in a cocktail induced haze last night. And apparently the Boston Globe photog also thought it was creative because he took multiple pictures of it.

And we actually made the Globe's website, check it out, hilarity ensues.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/gallery/10_13_08_game3_scene?pg=11

(you have to scroll a bit to find the picture but it is the green neon sign and you should see me in the corner).

The TBS cameraman? Not so impressed.

5:30am no fun. Free sox game ticket + free lunch + time well spent with family + insulting tbs + watching a beerfight = priceless.