For those of you who watched the FSU-UF game on Saturday, you might have noticed the "Did You Know" stat on ABC referring to the true origin of Gatorade. Simply, the graphic said the drink was created by Florida State not Florida. My little brother texted me as soon as he saw it. I'd never heard that one before and was hesitant to believe it. Then Awful Announcing posted this.  

Including: "The University of Florida is so concerned about this new revelation that they are supposed to issue a press release later today, perhaps to quell what has become the hottest new smack talk in Florida."

I'm pretty sure their reputation is safe. Gatorade belongs to them. That game was awful, as in 45-15 awful. And rumors have now surfaced about job security for Chuck Amato and Mickey Andrews. Swirling is that both Amato and Andrews will be gone after the bowl game. Again RUMORS but where there's smoke...

There was an article written after the game about a particular play, the throw-back pass. Here you go...

"Florida called a throw-back pass from Tim Tebow to tight end Aaron Hernandez in the waning seconds of the first quarter. The play called for Tebow to roll left, stop, turn and throw a pass back to the right to Hernandez, who the Gators hoped would be alone in the flat.

There was risk involved.

The ball floated through the rainy sky for about 30 yards, and if a Florida State defender was alert and nearby, the possibility of a long interception return for a touchdown existed.

However, it turned out perfectly for second-ranked Florida, as Hernandez caught the imperfectly thrown pass and scored untouched.

Hernandez said he wasn't surprised the play was successful.

"We knew we were going to run it because the past few weeks other teams used it against Florida State and it worked," Hernandez said. "We put it in our playbook and it worked."

I've always been a fan of Mickey Andrews, standing on the sidelines, smacking his gum, yelling at his boys. The defense is one part of the Noles game that hasn't completely fallen apart. But maybe it is time... Time for coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher to usher in a new staff consisting of the people he wants and needs to get this program back on track.

Or Florida can continue on with their win streak of 8 straight wins against FSU.

Along with that of course, Jimbo, must stay as coach to usher in his new staff.

Just another rumor out there floating around.

 

 

TV might be one of the hardest industries to figure out "how to do it". How do you start? Where do you look? Who out there can give some insightful advice? I've always been compelled by people's stories and career paths, the most interesting part being how it all happened. When I graduated college, I couldn't find a job right away. I spent a solid four months sending out resumes and working as a substitute teacher. (That's a whole other post, let me tell you.) Easily, I had some free time on my hands and I spent most of it reading anything within my grasp about the different paths people in the industry took to get jobs. I still do it. In fact last night I met up with one of my producers and a friend who works with us at NBC to watch the Steelers-Bengals game. Somehow we got on the subject of books and somehow I confessed to reading AUDTION by Barbara Walters. Note to the ladies, boys + Barbara = non-stop ragging on you. Granted I can see why they wouldn't read it but I see it as researching the industry I'm in.

Today I was on Deadspin and clicked on a story about ESPN's Michele Tafoya. She did a podcast for ON THE DL. If you have any interest in sports, TV, you're a woman wanting to work in both, you're a guy who likes her, whatever it may be I suggest to take a listen. She's pretty open and has very interesting things to say.

Now if you have an interest in just being entertained... watch Matty Blakes show this week. He manages to get the whole work crew in on his act, which is a talent in itself. Both Clifton and Ed (our co-workers) dress up in the most ridiculous pilgrim outfits. It's pretty funny.

 

My friend Roy, who is perhaps the biggest Florida State fan I know, passed along this story to me today. It was written by Stewart Mandel, whom I had the chance to meet back at last years Big East Tournament when we sat next to each other during the game. The subject is Myron Rolle, the FSU safety and pre-med student who holds a 3.75 G.P.A.

Oh yes, and a Rhodes Scholar finalist.

But what happens when education clashes with sport? The dilemma: 32 spots and a chance to study at Oxford OR play, this your final season, in the game that will (most likely) decide the ACC Atlantic Division? Maybe you are wondering why there has to be a choice? Can't he just have both? Sure...

Except both are decided on the same day.

Read here... to learn what decision Rolle makes. And then pass it on to athletes who perhaps are in search of what a true role model should be.

Would you want your teammate to make the same choice?

...As in what was this weekend and my sports teams.

I should never have done it. Even while I was doing it, I thought to myself: "Jinx." Then I went and did it anyways. When FSU beat Virginia Tech, I got excited. I looked at the rest of the schedule and counted games the Noles could and should win. I had us beating GT, Clemson, BC, close call with Maryland and then losing to Florida (see I was trying to be realistic). Shoulda known betta!

Saturday afternoon (ME: getting ready for a wedding, darting between the bathroom and the TV): FSU takes a loss to Georgia Tech after fumbling the would be game winning touchdown in the final minute of the game. Sigh. A brief stint in the Top 15 is over, now back to clinging to the bottom of the Top 25.

Switch to the Fighting Irish.. ND lets the game get tied in the fourth. After four OT's, FOUR!, and Brandon Walkers missed field goal, Pitt's kicker makes it and wins. My motive? The weekly ND shows are much easier to do when the Irish win.

Saturday night (ME: attending a wedding, pestering my roommates boyfriend to check for scores on his phone): I rooted for my "other" college football team- Texas. All looked pretty decent right up until Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree connect to create one of the most unforgettable moments in college football. One second left and plus seven...for Tech.

Sense a pattern here?

Sunday afternoon (I get home from doing Fantasy Fix and turn on the TV to see stats for Sage Rosenfels): Immediately I text Gregg and learn Matt Schaub of the Texans busted his knee. He's out, Sage is in. Not that I have a problem with Sage or that I expected them to beat the Vikings, but we were on a three game winning streak!

Now before you tell me "Well maybe you should like better teams..." the loss (all of them) is bad enough. And so a new week begins...

Switching to baseball... I made sandwiches with Ryan Howard on Friday.

In 6th grade I loved Celine Dion and Matthew McConaughey. Today, half of that duo would still be legit. But regardless, at the tender age of 11, there aren't words available to describe the possibility of meeting the one person you admire most. Yesterday, a sixth grader at George G. White Middle School in NJ had the kind of day no kid forgets.

Chase entered and won the "Bring an NFL Player to Work" contest. The prize? An NFL player in the area arrives in a limo and takes the winner to school where together the two promote the importance of fitness. Chase told me of all the players he could choose, Amani Toomer of the NY Giants was the one he wanted to meet the most. Lucky for him, Amani was the player assigned to hang out with the winner.

While those two were hanging out at Chase's home, enjoying a nice breakfast (fruit) and posing for pictures, the faculty and students at the school were itching for any sign of the limo. I was hanging out in the principal's room. Well, me and John Discepolo of CBS 2 and Otis Livingston of WNBC 4. There aren't really that many spots in a middle school for people who are over five feet to stand and not get noticed or in the way.

A great prank... all of the kids were brought into the auditorium and were waiting for the arrival of Amani and Chase. Otis, being a little funny, walked in waving as if he was the man all the kids were waiting for. The place erupted into cheers; I burst into tears of laughter. It was hilarious.

After the official visit was over, Amani and I sat down to speak. I said, "Of all the times you are referred to as a role model, when you walk into a school like this and see the kind of reaction these kids have over you, does it re-emphasize the impact you have?" He responded by saying of course but then went on to say how it's amazing to him that someone whom he's never met or heard of before could be that happy to meet him. I asked him when he was in sixth grade, who would he have wanted to bring to school with him? He thought for a second, smiled and said: "Jerry Rice."

Every weekend NFL players run onto a field surrounded by tens of thousands of fans wearing their jerseys and screaming their names. I don't think that situation is intimate enough to register on a consistent basis what those players mean to little kids like Chase. It's a cool contest (going on throughout the country) and I think both sides get rewarded. The athletes are reminded (and probably warmed to know) that what they represent to young kids goes beyond big hits and scoring TD's. And the kids.. well who could forget a day like that?

I'll link to the interview once it's up.

I turned on my computer this morning at 1:30 a.m. and then hopped in the shower. When I returned the first headline I saw made my heart plummet.

First, back during a time when I had a life, say around May (?) we had an Olympic training seminar for the on-air talent. It was designed to introduce the new and old, address the goals for the games, serve up some kool-aid and open our eyes to the major stories of the summer.

Michael Phelps was one.

Liu Xiang was the other. His name (pronounced Loo Shawn) was used in sentences like:

"1.3 billion people are counting on him."

"He has the weight of an enitre country on his shoulders."

"To these people, he's bigger then Yao Ming."

"It will be the moment of the Olympics."

Now, I'm not sure about you but I can't relate to any of that. As the oldest of four, I remember feeling responsible for my two sisters and brother if I was babysitting and that was pressure. But this?! Unfathomable.

However, and it happens so often, the athlete forced to take on the pressure normally succeeds. See: Michael Phelps. We expect it and they deliver. So what happened with 25-year-old Liu?

Football. How I almost forgot about you! If there's one thing the Olympics brought to the sports world this past weekend, it is a relief from the 24-7 stalking of Brett Favre. Just as I write this, I turn on ESPN First Take and what are they discussing? A phone interview with yet another Brett update. Well, so much for that. And for that matter, I'm glad to hear Aaron Rodgers wasn't dreadful against the Cincy Bengals and did it without Ryan Grant and Greg Jennings!

We shot a bunch of college football previews late last week and hopefully will have them up soon. As a girl who grew up in the south (kind of) I love the college game. Georgia. As I read more and more about this team I can only think to myself: "What could have been..." Mark Richt left FSU and took our offense with him. In turn it is the Bulldogs surrounded by talk of a potential run at a National Championship this year. But, like last year, it's going to be a crazy scramble for anyone to come out on top in January.

In the NFL, here's a video from Lake Tahoe with the question: "Who are you taking, Peyton or Brady?" Which QB do QB's and players from the league take?

 

And in Super Bowl news, The NY Post's Page Six is starting rumors. Please, fingers crossed, I wish I wish, let this come true... Could the Boss be performing?

I'm like a grandma. I wake up early, eat at 5 p.m. and get all tucked into bed as Bob Costas' voice sings me good night.

These hours I'm telling ya! So basically I sleep while all the good stuff happens. (Not that I'm complaining. For most of my co-workers sleep is now in the category of: Things I Used To Do.) I'm awake for everything sabre, water polo and badminton. Nothing a few highlights can't fix and after watching those, I'm all set to go. It's as if I saw it live anyways. No one at my house is up so the results aren't given away. Try as I may (I even set the alarm last night for 10 p.m. so I would wake up to watch Michael Phelps go for three.) but apparently three texts and two missed calls later, I still missed all of it.

1:16 (in the a.m.) and my alarm goes off. About 20 minutes later, grandma finally crawls out of bed. It's a habit by now to automatically turn on the TV and the computer at the same time, then hop in the shower. Afterall, I want to see what everyone else got to watch last night!

At this point I honestly don't know if I dreamt it or if someone told me right as it happened, but Phelps is now 3-3. Sweet. Awesome but no surprise, right? Kid hasn't lost that event in some like 400 years. But what threw me for a loop this morning was the title: GYMNASTICS: U.S. Men's win bronze. What?! Seriously? Yes, they were hoping for a bronze. They also had everything from their fingers to their toes crossed in hopes of anything being put on their neck. Of course, that wasn't the only thing to happen. BUT... that was a huge win for the boys. HUGE.

Well done Team USA.

The SNL Studio has been destroyed! Where's the Grand Central clock? The set? A band? It should all be here somewhere?

Nope, at least not for the month of August. You'd have to look long and hard to recognize what you and I are used to seeing on TV every Saturday night. It's all been pushed aside and shoved into the back of a closet somewhere at 30 Rock. With the transformation complete, the Olympics have moved in.

I just got back to my apartment (only to kill a few hours before heading back- which side note, there is nothing on TV at 4 am except guess what? Olympics!) before heading back to NYC's Olympic HQ. 600 plus employees are scurrying around the hallways drinking coffee and for the most part still functioning. After all, this whole thing just started.

In a weird twist, most of the sports are actually being called from back here in the states. Mini grey sound booths have been set up, placed in line one after another, across the traditional SNL stage and seating area. When the event is about to start, announcers enter through a door, shut themselves away from the rest of the world, strap on a headset and watch on a TV. Just like you and me. Off to the side, rows of computers are set up where (from what I've heard) interns (?) are devouring tons of footage and processing it over to the web. Back down the hallway, MSNBC and USA Network have their sets up and running, both of which are really beautiful.

"Are you a morning person?" That was the title of the email I received telling me my hours for the next two plus weeks would begin at 3 am. And that's nothing, some of the guys I was hanging out with this morning have already passed the 24 mark.

Obviously the big stuff, Track and Field, Swimming and (my fav) Gymnastics are going to be airing primetime on NBC. But evvvveeerrrryyyyyttthhiinnnggg else (and there's a lot) will be available across the rest of NBC's channels (MSNBC, CNBC, USA) and on the internet.

Hilton, as in the Hotel not Paris (which I guess are one in the same but for intensive purposes-the hotel) is sponsoring the show I am hosting. Called "While You Were Sleeping" (Partying, Studying, Spending a late night on Facebook), the show is basically a highlight package getting you caught up on what you missed. Short enough to not take over your day but meaty enough to give you the heads up on what happened. "While You Were Sleeping" will be up and running every morning on NBCOlympics.com

Also, look out for Matty Blake's own version of an Olympics show. I watched it yesterday and it's hilarious. Guys, trust me, Matty has your best interest at heart when it comes to his special correspondents.

College Football vs Professional Football. Which one is better? In Lake Tahoe, I asked a couple of guys who've played both what they thought.

 

 

And then... what rules would they make for their team if they were head coach?

It's as good as you've heard, possibly better. I'm not one to hype things beyond any reasonable expectation, I hate when I hear over and over how amazing something is and then show up only to be dissapointed and it drives me nuts when people say something is cool just because it makes them sound cool. So with that on the table, the movie is seriously that good. 

I'm in Cleveland, OH for the second stop of AST Dew Tour. My co-host Kenan Harkin and our co-worker Chad Perry and I went to the midnight show last night. Years ago when the first Batman movie with Christian Bale came out, the same group went to see that film in Denver. Keeping with tradition, we decided to see Dark Knight together except this time Kenan insisted we arrive early... as in 90 minutes early. Obsessive? A little. (At least we had awesome seats.)

Heath Ledger, who left behind one of his finest performances in the most unfortunate and sad way, steals the show. It's so hard to play a villan that in some twisted way manages to have the audience sitting in the palm of his hand but he does. As complex as the Joker is, he makes you laugh, keeps you on your toes and charms you. The show started at 12:01 and finished shortly before 3 am. Sure enough, it's been the discussion of the TV compound throughout the day.

****

Tonight we had the BMX Dirt Finals which will air in less then an hour from now on USA Network. The course was a bit of a challenge for the guys due to the short jumps and curved first two hits. Luke Parslow threw a double backflip and Ryan Guettler threw a 1080 both on the third set. What?! Cameron White FINALLY got a win tonight with an incredible showing. I say finally because he has been so close several times and yet this is only his second win on the Tour.

Congrats to Steven McCann who is the first guy in the history of the Dew Tour to make it into all three BMX Finals. He placed 4th tonight in Dirt and will compete in BMX Vert tomorrow night and BMX Park on Sunday.

My heart goes out to James Foster. He crashed in BMX Park Prelims (he advanced to Finals) and gashed his eyebrow right above his right eye. Then while taking a practice run during Dirt Finals, he crashed again and this time slammed on the left side of his face. He was unable to finish the contest.

Ryan Guettler- back in the game! Kid looks focused, hungry and ready to live up to the high expectations that were placed on him back in '06 after he dominated in '05. He took second place.

Finally, congrats to daddies-to-be Ryan Nyquist and Alistair Whitton. Nyquist and his wife are expecting a little boy and the Whittons will find out in the Fall!

****

Tomorrow if you're by a computer you can catch the live stream competition of SKB Park and RYAN SHECKLER go for his second win this year on NBCSPORTS.COM at 1. Then at 4 pm ET on NBC it is SKB Vert. In Baltimore, Bucky Lasek edged out PLG but the key factor was there was no Shaun White in the mix. White will be competing tomorrow.   

Hello from beautiful Lake Tahoe! Actually let's make that smoky and beautiful. The fires around here have wiped out just about any view we might have had looking across the lake. But who cares, right? It's Tahoe, the land of casinos, boats and 83 of the biggest celebs and athletes.

Yesterday we set up shop in the back of the club house and piggybacked off of the guys doing satellite interviews. At times it was a bit of a battle to grab someone in between random affiliates and ESPN but we made it work.

So check out the video section for...

I sat down with Tony Romo, Carson Palmer and John Elway and got their thoughts on the situation with Brett Favre and Greenbay.

One of the greatest things up right now is the clip of John Elway imitating Charles Barkley's golf swing. Of every person I asked to do it, he was the only one who claimed to be capable of mimicking it. It's great.

Jason Kidd spoke to me about Brandon Jennings and the possibility of him skipping over the mandatory one year in college to instead play a year over in Europe. It was interesting to get Kidd's take because he knows Jennings.

I semi a bit made fun of Ben Roethlisberger for wearing sandals and his golf socks. He fired back asking what was wrong with them. After going back and forth, we called it even when we realized we had a mutual love for Florida State. The very first jersey he ever bought was Warrick Dunn.

CAA

If you Google it, you'll read under the second link down: "Founded in 1975, CAA is one of Hollywood's top talent agencies...".

Back in Phoenix, AZ at the Super Bowl, CAA hosted a private party in Scottsdale at some swanky hotel. Apparently a few people knew about it because we pulled up and the line of cars waiting for valet wrapped around the block. I'd just wrapped up shooting at the Playboy Party and had the night to go out and meet up with friends. After handing off the keys to a kid barely older then 17, I was standing under a massive white tent lit by glaring bright lights and not far from a distant rumble of music. To the right a shall-not-be-named-QB was macking on some girl and to the left was the entrance to the party. Passed the bouncers, across the courtyard and once inside, it was a candy store with every major player (not necessarily just athletes but them plus all the big names in the 480 area code) letting their guard down to have a good time.

No media. No cameras. No questions.

Perfect.

At this point I've interviewed a "little black book" list of famous athletes. Not to down play my job, but it gets to the point where I know I'm there to ask questions and not fawn over having met so-and-so. I leave that duty to all of my friends. For the most part that way of thinking works (To quote the classic Anchorman- "60% of the time it works every time"). Except that night in Scottsdale when I looked across the room and saw him.

No bigger then 5' 9" according to his stats, he barely covered me in height (gotta love those damn high heels.) But he carried an aura that represented what I grew up loving about football; a guy I've rooted for his entire professional career in the NFL. I'd never interviewed this one. I'd never met this one. The following minutes of what happened next played out so storybook typical of fan finally meeting star.

In my replay it goes-

3- number of times FSU has played Miami this season. Today will be the fourth.

1- the number of times FSU has beaten Miami.

While the numbers above don't make FSU's odds for a win today look too good, the situation is perhaps what this team has become used to and where they have learned to play their best. With the fear of losing and being sent home right on the tip of their tongue, freshman Tyler Holt said: "Thats kind of what this team has been built on - fighting back."

The Noles lost the first game of the Regionals to Bucknell. After a moment of "What the hell just happened?" FSU pulled it together and came back to beat Florida, Bucknell and Tulane (twice) to advance. Over those four games the Noles put up 74 runs (the other teams combined came up with 35).  

Advance to the Super Regional they did only to turn around and lose the first game (yet again) creating the same story but with a different team. This time victory belonged to Wichita State after the Noles went down 10-7. And yet it when it mattered most, their backs pushed against the wall, somehow this team managed to do it again and win the next two.

Finally, after eight years, a return to the College World Series. A place Mike Martin has visited 13 times in his career but a title he's never won. A game against Stanford and the story repeats, a first game loss. Not of course without some notable records, the third-longest nine-inning game in CWS history and a tied record by Stanford for most runs scored in an inning (11 in a brutal ninth). Seven other teams share that record. Unless you are a Stanford fan, watching that inning sucked. It went on forever and got worse with each batter (or error).

And so it all starts over again. FSU down, facing elimination, going against not only an in-state rival, but a team they have only been able to beat once this season and a favorite by many to win it all, the No. 1 team in the nation.

And I wonder, can they do it again? Can this team, with the best offense in college baseball, manage to win another one and hold off Miami? Or has luck run its course? Which Florida team will be the last one standing?

I've got my fingers crossed that the numbers above read like this at the end of the day:

4- number of times FSU has played Miami.

2- number of times FSU has beaten Miami.

Here's a scenario for you:

Picture a competitive situation where you are a vet and a few rookies have just joined your team. Now this doesn't necessarily have to pertain to sports. You can think of perhaps the PTA (you are in charge of Teacher Appreciation Week and newbie is in charge of bringing candy), Girl Scouts (Junior to a Brownie), your job (you have a desk and a window, they have a cubicle. It's simple office hierarchy.), even the school lunch room (you obviously sit at the cool table cause you know people, they just sit). Ok, got it? Competitive situation, you're a vet, they're a rookie... and done. Good. Moving on.

Now this rookie, who has done nothing but be selected to join your crew, has a great deal of potential. A real star this young one! However, don't we all know (as former rookies) everyone must pay their dues? Earn our keep in the club, prove we're worthy. Rule "Suck it up and take it" 101.

And yes we all have been in a situation where we realize our genius is superior to the current leader. We take a moment, glance around and think: "You're kidding? This idiot is running things? Pssshhttt... I could do wayyy better." But most of us know better. We politely smile and nod our head while listening to said leader. We volunteer, ask if we can do more, and bury our complaints. When asked: "Who wants to __________ at 6am?" Our hand involuntarily shoots up and offers. We earn our spot one stupid early morning after another to prove we belong. We keep our mouths closed. Hello. The reason a rookie doesn't get to do it is because there are older much grumpier people who've been around way longer and have rightfully earned their position to complain. If there's one thing that puts a target on a rookie's back, it is the act of speaking. Period.

So imagine how the vets of the Indianapolis Colts, the XLI Super Bowl Champions mind you, must have felt after hearing what their prized new little rookie Mike Hart said about them! From Profootballtalk.com 

“Indianapolis is a different organization.  You watch ‘Hard Knocks’ on HBO and you expect to be hazed and a lot of those things, but the Colts are a lot different.  It’s not as bad as I thought — we don’t get taped, we don’t get hazed with the Colts.”

Oh that's nice. Wait, he keeps going.

'Cause we just can't stop making our own NBA commercials.

Set the scene: I'm chillaxin (no I did not make that word up. Rather it was used in all seriousness by a guy on a beach to my friends and I this past weekend. I've since adopted it in all of its ridiculousness) reading my New York Magazine standing in line with other greedy Manhattanites who are all impatiently waiting to get in. Into what you ask? A random building on the West Side where two flights above valuable merchandise is kept, all of which is disgustingly overpriced at major stores except HERE for three brief days, aka a Sample Sale. It's all the pleasure of buying good stuff minus the remorse of having to fork over an entire paycheck for a dumb dress.

The line is long so I entertain myself by reading. At page 11, the first article leaps out. 

'Vogue' Ranger Is a Hardworking Intern
He'll even get coffee, if only someone would ask.

I remember hearing about this...

A week into his Conde Nast career, New York Ranger turned Vogue intern Sean Avery hadn't yet had to fetch a cup of Starbucks. He later says, "Hopefully no one asks, but if they do, I'm definitely there to get the job done."

I hear ya Sean. It IS a job, trust me. I once was responsible for ordering oatmeal every morning for 19 days in the middle of December for the Executive Producer of a show I was working on. You do not screw up these people's orders, especially anything in the breakfast category. They take it seriously.

"Today I went to a Steven Klein shoot for a little bit in the morning, then I had lunch with Michael Bastian, a men's designer (I was wondering who that was?)," he said at the FiFi fragrance awards on May 20.

Now it makes sense. Just a few pages over I'd seen a picture of Avery attending the 36th Annual FiFi Awards. Because I had a brief stint working in the fragrance department of Bloomingdale's (Narciso Rodriguez anyone?), I'm all too familiar with the FiFi's. And I'm also aware that there aren't many male athletes clearing out their social calendars to attend this event. I read on...

The burning question appears: What does a hockey star do on a photo shoot?

"A lot of times it's just helping out wherever. If it's with clothes or lighting or whatever, I'm there just to learn it all and help anywhere I can."

Awww.. He sounds like a true intern! Love it while it lasts, buddy.

 

Now this is interesting...

That story was posted yesterday. The blog where said story was written is no longer up. From LAobserved.com:

Hmm, ESPN.com blogger Laura Lane's blog item where she calls the wife of Kobe Bryant insane — and talks about rumors of an affair — has gone off the air. In fact, her whole personal blog is gone.

Drama.. drama.. drama.

The Today Show.

If VH1 isn't playing music videos, Matt, Meredith and Al are my number one morning background noise of choice. I don't normally pay special attention to the stories because I'm getting ready for work and racing out the door. But today one story unexpectedly made me put the hair dryer down and pay attention. And at 8 something in the morning, that is hard to do. Grab my attention, not stop blowing my hair. 

Here's what I remember:

Ann Curry talking...
Mentions "A young boy... "
Says something about being against all odds...
And that what I'm about to watch will make me feel inspired...

Yup. Heard that one before. Blow dryer goes on full blast and I head back into the bathroom. 30 seconds later I come back out of the bathroom (hard to stay in one spot), yanking my hair with my brush and only able to hear the loud "oooooooowwwwwwoooo" of the blow dryer.

I look back at the TV. It's muted yet the screen is a screaming picture. There's this little boy, with one arm, no legs riding on top of a skateboard. He uses his one arm to push himself as the rest of his body lays belly down. What?

Then an interview, I'm assuming his father. Then a series of shots peaking into his daily life. Him hitting a baseball pitched to him by his mom. He holds the bat with his arm and between his neck and the top of his shoulder. A school musical where he plays the drums. His little body scooting down the stairs one at a time, secure only by the use of his elbow. A kitchen scene where he sits on top of the counter and helps cook with one hand.

An interview with his mom.

I turn off the blow dryer. 

At one point the boy is wearing a Tiki Barber jersey and playing football in the yard. It's football by a completely different definition then you or I know it but it's his version. A few more sound bites. Another shot of him back on that skateboard racing down the street.

The piece ends and Ann Curry is back. I'd forgotten what I'd been doing before. There sitting on a couch on the Today show set is the little boy squeezed in between his mom and dad. He's wearing the Barber jersey. They begin to talk. All I can think is "Tiki better be coming to the show today. They have to introduce him."  

I turn the volume up. Nick is his name and he's happier then most 12 year olds I've ever met. His eyes sparkle and I can't help but think, "I hope that little spirit never gets broken."

As I watch the interview I'm thinking to myself what I would do as a producer. I'd want to be careful that if I brought Tiki onto the set, the football star wouldn't overshadow the tiny boy. The presence of a famous athlete wouldn't take away from the story. Would I have had the two meet before?  No time for an answer...

Ann asks if Nick would like to meet someone special. You can tell Nick is hoping it's who he thinks it is but doesn't want to jinx it. Tiki walks out holding a skateboard. The boy lights up.

As Tiki tells Nick how brave he is and Ann asks how cool this all is Nick tears up. But the tears are a mixture of awe, joy and privilege. There are none of pity. Ann asks: "Do you want to play football with Tiki Barber?" Nick nods, rubs his eyes and then responds with quick wit: "Are you kidding me?" It was a nice way to start the morning.

So I check my email today and find one titled:

Psychic Judi Hoffman hits Kentucky Derby Trifecta. Who's Next for The Triple Crown?

Did you get this in your inbox too? (Cause I don't have a clue how Judi's people found me.)

Anyways, I read on ... it is after all for immediate release.

Vibrant celebrity psychic Judi Hoffman hit a trifecta at the May 3, 2008 Kentucky Derby. A "trifecta" is when a bettor predicts exactly which horses will finish in first, second, and third place. With an OTB ticket to prove it (scan attached), Judi predicted that horses Big Brown (20), Eight Belles (5) and Denis of Cork (16) would be the winning order.  (Don't we all wish we were at that 44th street OTB!)

The Chicago White Sox Locker Room, a unique spot for work to be conducted...

Granted most work environments are large spaces filled with desks, computers, TV's, printers, and a fax machine or two. Few "offices" are actual locker rooms... yet the very fine line between a typical locker room and a professional office was crossed on Tuesday. Of course which side of the line the offense falls on depends on who you talk to.

Gist of the deal is someone (no one person has been to blame) placed two inflatable female dolls, propped by bats (you can guess where the bats were placed), inside the locker room. The new "mascots" had signs hanging around their neck that read: "You've Got To Push" and "Let's Go White Sox". It was a petty and cheap display of team spirit with the laughable hope that a few dolls could bring the team out of a losing slump. Hey, we all have our ways of finding motivation. Turns out the cheerleaders dolls didn't work, they still lost. 

Now here's the thing... was the act tasteless? Yeah, pretty much. Offensive? I could see how someone would be. I did not walk into the locker room, so as a woman I can't say 100% that I would or would not be offended by it. Did it completely lack in good judgment? Absolutely. But in the scheme of things, was there any harm meant in it? No way. A bad joke is a bad joke. Beyond someone looking for a cheap pick me up, I don't think there was any bigger meaning beyond it.

I'm not defending the team. This is no Matt Leinart invasion. Displaying it in the locker room where media has access made it fair game to become a big story. On top of that, when the manager has been known for poor taste in past decisions, it's hard to make excuses. 

The real question is should the behavior in the locker room have to change? Is what's acceptable behind closed doors between teammates still ok when visitors aka journalists have access inside those closed doors? Does the set environment have to fit the people who are present? Or should the media recognize that they are only guests in someone else's office and the purpose of their stay is to gather information for the story? The story being the game at hand.

I'd like to think that sometimes our sensitivity gets in the way of humor. Then again, humor can be harsh and repulsive.

In this case, it makes one think. Who knew a blow-up doll could make you do that.

 

AST China Invitational - the first ever - is complete.

Saturday kicked off with an opening ceremony that was almost presidential. Before I describe that I'll go back to a conversation I had last night. I was soaking in the oil pool (that's what you do before you go and sit in the 'fish pool', a pool filled with Turkish fish that nibble at you!) I was speaking with a man who has been working with us all week. He asked what I thought about the opening ceremony and I responded with compliments on how it all  went. "It's not similar to what you do in America?" he asked. At that moment it sunk in how different the two countries kick off a sporting event. Take baseball for example. We grab beer and hot dogs, have a famous person throw out the first pitch, a singer takes a crack at the National Anthem, a fat guy yells "Play ball!" and that pretty much does the trick. Here? Well let's just say it was a tad more formal.

College Baseball has a sweet match up this weekend. It's been a while since these two schools have stood atop the football rankings, but in baseball they're dominating.

Florida State University (2) vs. University of Miami (1)

Gotta love a 1 vs 2 and it's even better when an in-state rivalry is involved. Games are Friday and Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday at 1 pm.

We moved.

Bye Beijing, hello Daxing!

This morning the boys sadly put away their fanny packs, slid out of "tourist mode" and jumped onto the bus. The time had come for the athletes to do what they came here for: compete.

The buses drove us an hour and a half outside of Beijing to an area known as Daxing. The competition is to take place in an outdoor stadium that was actually built for bull riding competitions. I was told that back in November it was still under construction. However, we arrived to a beautiful and finished stadium (the business offices smell like fresh paint). Too bad our bus wasn't in as mint of a condition as the stadium. Somehow, someway, somewhere along the drive our bus busted the front tire. Nice.

As for the new competition digs? Well, it was compliments all around from the athletes. The build is very similar to how a tennis stadium is designed: four sides of raised seating looking down onto the court/area. Now its practice, practice, practice...

Our new hotel, ahem excuse me, our new resort isn't too shabby. There are hot springs inside and massages available downstairs. I didn't hesitate taking advantage of that massage service, consider it done and done.

One thing I haven't mentioned: there are these white almost dust bunny like things floating through the air. If you didn't know any better, there are times during the day when it appears to be snowing outside. We've been told it is actually a seed from a tree that has been carried by the wind. Takes a little getting used to especially as those suckers have a way of finding their way into your mouth, nose, eyes...

One note: in our new hotel CNN is listed as channel 2 (HBO is channel 3 and in ENGLISH!!) So I excitedly clicked to channel 2 hoping to get some American news. I got to channel 2 but just found on the TV screen a CNN logo. I was so close, so close... Oh well, HBO it is.

Click for a look at some photos from Tiffany's trip

 

 

I'm athletic (when it's warm out and right after New Years). I like to run, workout, you know stay active. Pssshhttt... today that was put to the test. Even the most athletic people (including the AST athletes) would have a hard time climbing up The Great Wall without breaking into a little sweat. And sweat we did...

(As I write this, playing on the one English TV station I can find over here, is a Mariah Carey video. Timbaland was on before that.) Last night was a difficult sleep. At breakfast this morning we all realized we each woke up between the hours of 3 and 5:30 am. Some people went outside and walked around, others tossed in their beds to pass the time. Conveniently there is a Starbucks down the street from our hotel so around 8 or so I ventured on my own to get some coffee. The streets were filled with people, mostly dressed in business attire, walking to wherever they go to begin their day. I admit, it was a little weird to walk around by myself, not knowing any words past "hello" and "thank you" (even that I don't pronounce entirely correctly), and take in the looks I got from the people passing by.

The Starbucks was about as different from say one in Atlanta, GA. Nada, overwhelmingly the same as back home. Tasted pretty good too. Our group met in the lobby of the hotel at 9 and we loaded onto two buses and headed outside the city for our trip. I woke up hoping the day would be clear and I'd see a bright blue sky. False. Grey and hazy again! Eh, what can you do? So we drove about an hour and half outside of Beijing and learned some information from our tour guide Emily. Take the word Beijing for example. It's two characters "Bei" and "Jing". The symbol (looks like a runner) for the '08 Olympics represents "Jing". The color red in China means good luck and happiness. You get the idea...

The countryside of Beijing is vastly different from the city. It's much further behind in development. The rural looking photos of people sitting on the road or riding their bikes on streets passed old weathered buildings are much more accurate to the area we drove through. At one point, off to the right side of the road, a huge castle like structure appeared randomly out of nowhere. Think Cinderella's castle at Disney but an unfinished version. Emily explained it was similar to an amusement park back in the States but had yet to be complete. I can't get over how clean the roads are. I've yet to see a single piece of trash on the road. I'm not kidding you. Not one.

The Great Wall.. well to get there you have to...

Monday at around noon, I boarded a non-stop flight, destination Beijing, China. 13 plus hours and 6,830 miles later, I found myself on the other side of the world, further then any place I'd traveled before. 

I'm here for the AST Dew Tour, which essentially means I'm here for work. For me, when travel is involved, it's hard to consider anything work. I love going on the road and exploring. Being here a few months before the OIympics swoops in and the entire world moves its attention on Beijing, I'm excited to absorb and learn as much as I can about a language, culture and country I know little about. (Thank you Lonely Planet for the pre-arrival help provided by the book.) We landed at PEK, picked up our luggage, received a warm welcome by out greeters, stuffed the van (literally) with our things and began the hour and a half drive into downtown Beijing. I've heard people say the growth of this city is racing at an unbelievable speed. Being that I'm a virgin to the hood, I have no reference for what things may have looked like a few years ago. However the amount of construction surrounding the area proves a solid case that the city has developed and changed much over a short amount of time.   

Walking around today, I took pictures of anything I saw interesting...which was everything. A street sign, bikers riding in unison, a little girl no more then six dressed so trendy she looked like she belonged in SoHo, a man next to a pineapple stand. Let's just say he wasn't thrilled. I tried to snap, he began to yell and that was the end of that photo shoot. At one point, standing at a cross street light waiting for a police officer to blow his whistle and signal it ok to walk across, I looked around at the people surrounding me and listened to their voices. The constant murmur of sound was everywhere and yet I didn't understand a word of it. The light changed, the officer blew his whistle, and we began to cross in large mass. A guy here with me said: "Man, talk about being a minority." Simple statement but precise, we are so the minority. In America when do you walk around and not understand the language, recognize a person who looks similar to you or enter a grocery store and not understand what anything is? It's a new feeling and perhaps an important one to experience.

In Tuesday's China Daily on the front page reads an article titled "Measures to improve air quality". It says... 

It's one of the best parts of my job: interviewing people. People who happen to make their living as an athlete. Having the chance to go out in the field and learn something new while speaking with someone is what I always look forward to. I've met a few athletes in my day. Some are funny. Others are shy. Most are interested in just getting through the necessary obligations so they can return to whatever "normal" routine their life entails. (Can't nor do I blame them.) In fact, it must be exhausting to always be 'on' or aware of the tiniest sentence that might slip out and be taken the wrong way. It's a worry most of us never have to deal with. Then, however, there are the exceptions. The interviews that occur with people, not simply athletes, that seem real.

There is nothing I appreciate more then having a conversation with an athlete who is witty, articulate, interesting and at the most unexpected moment, surprisingly unaffected by all that surrounds them. What's even better is when said athlete also happens to be on your Fantasy Baseball team. To be honest, yes rooting for a guy on your roster just because he's there is likely. We all want to win. But it's a nice (albeit unnecessary) plus when the guy you want to do well also happens to be likeable. Meet Chase Utley. He's about as cool as someone can be without being arrogant. He answers questions, whether asked by me or you or a close buddy, truthfully but with a sense of humor and dry wit. A 'take it with a grain of salt' type, it's one kind of approach that is always appealing.

Here's the interview with Chase...

Got one for you. Btw 19th and 17th streets on 3rd Avenue. No clue what they are shooting (all the people with walkie talkies seemed to have disappeared) but the crew has taken over the street two days in a row now. So I'm sure it's something good (last time it was Leo DiCaprio's movie). Speaking of movies...

If you haven't seen it already, I recommend SHINE A LIGHT. My argument for the film is (partly) based on the 100% guarantee that the following plot lines are non-existent- cheesy love stories, bad jokes, awful special effects, Eddie Murphy and/or Lindsay Lohan, politicians. Ok, I take the last one back. Bill Clinton (of all peeps) does make an appearance.

Essentially the actual movie is nothing more then...

Each morning I get an email that serves as a brief run down of what is going on within the world of television. A buffet of useful information such as executive moves, ratings, teeny bit of gossip, new show line-ups... blah blah blah. (And yet guilt sets in if I try to skip reading it.)  

Lately the emails have been dishing out different companies upcoming programming slates. Today featured the new hopes for Discovery Communications. As I'm skimming through the list reading/passing over what Discovery Channel, TLC, and Animal Planet have in store I come across the Travel Channel. First one up reads:

Dhani Tackles the Globe NFL linebacker, Dhani Jones travels to different countries and immerses himself into the culture's specific sport.

I guess my question is: Inside a locker room, who gets ragged on worse? Dhani Jones for attempting Muay Thai Kickboxing in Thailand or Jason Taylor doing the waltz?

And then there were two...

Memphis.

Kansas.

Great. Exciting. Way to go! But umm, there's just one thing. These aren't the two I picked. (Hats off if you called it.) I thought for sure UCLA and UNC were in. Not that I underestimated the talent on the two teams who won, but once I made my picks I pretty much assumed the end result would be the same. I imagined CBS had already geared up obnoxious promos starring K. Love vs "Psycho T". And you know, for a hot second, it looked as if UNC was going to garner a miraculous come back, scream "Got ya!" at Brandon Rush and sneak out with a crazy win. Not. So. Much.

Now there's a positive in all of this. When the final game is between two teams with no connection whatsoever to the person watching (me) it puts a more enjoyable spin on the whole thing. Because as much as I'd like to see a good great game Monday night, I'll wake up a happy person on Tuesday. Now those kids from Kansas on the other hand...

This weeks show is possibly one of my favorite episodes. Thanks to guys like J.R. Rider, the level of creativity sprinkled with sarcasm was elevated. In addition to the overall thought of: "I can't believe this person is real."

 

 

Right now 90% of the TVs in our office have a baseball game on. Currently for me, Alex Gordon is up at bat against Detroit, bottom of the 6th, scoreless game. What I'd give to be at a game and not inside an office...

Hopefully you have become fairly acquainted with your Fantasy Baseball team this week. It's a long season and really there's no need to be strangers. In the slight chance you care about my team, here's who I took (in no particular order):

At catcher: Joe Mauer, 1B: Justin Morneau, 2B: Chase Utley, 3B: Garrett Atkins, SS: Miguel Tejada, CI: Todd Helton, MI: Stephen Drew, OF: Grady Sizemore, OF: Andruw Jones, OF: Willy Taveras, OF: Lastings Milledge, OF: Casey Blake, UTIL: Frank Thomas.

For pitchers, I've got: C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, Mariano Rivera, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Derek Lowe, Matt Garza and Kerry Wood.

(somewhere in all of this Kansas City went up 2. How'd I miss that?)

Overall the team isn't looking too bad. Course Wood didn't do too hot, Lowe got hit in the leg and Chamberlain took out my utility guy. But the season is long...

If you haven't signed up for the Baseball Daily Dose coming to you from Aaron Gleeman himself straight into your inbox, you might want to do that. From one playa to another...

*As a former Bat Girl for FSU, want to toss out a small congrats to No. 3 Seminoles after beating No. 13 Gators Tuesday.

Safe to say by now you've filled out your bracket and settled on a Final Four.

UNC ... KANSAS ... MEMPHIS ... UCLA ... Most people would agree, the selection committee did a pretty good job getting the top seeds right.

But for those of us who aren't on the selection committee and live in the real world this is when all the magic happens. Because in our own personal bubble, we direct who's in and who's out. It's up to you and me to guess the Cinderella, pick out the spoiler, and decide which of those four top seeds will crash and burn. Ahh ... there's such power involved.

Now add in a little old fashion gambling for good measure and suddenly people who don't even like basketball are into it. March wouldn't be half as fun if there wasn't a little risk involved, some type of friendly wager and a few bragging rights.

So the process begins ... At this point "the responsible person" in the office has already collected the money, organized the filled-in brackets and is planning whose cubicle will play "host" to the rest of the office and watch the games. From now up until April 7 there will be absolutely no work accomplished at any office in the country. It's why we all love March.

Pay attention to the South Region. Memphis is the top seed, 33-1 only losing to Bruce Pearl, and went 8-1 against NCAA tournament teams. And yet, I'm not so quick to put them on a plane and ship 'em to San Antonio. I like PITT. I like them not just to beat Oral Roberts and Michigan State but to go all the way and meet Texas in Houston at the Regional.

Before you call me crazy ... I went to the Big East Tournament at MSG here in New York City. Watching Pitt warm up along side Rick Pitino's Louisville team, I thought they might just pull it off. I made a bet with my co-worker and said: "I'm taking Pitt. You?" He laughed, shook my hand and said: "Hundred bucks says Louisville." He kept his money but he and his team both headed home 0-1. Jamie Dixon's team was ready to go, they were confident and best of all not intimidated. Even when it got to OT, they got the job done. Saturday night against Georgetown (my pick last year to go all the way) Pitt looked even better then they did on Thursday. Pieces are fitting pretty nicely for those Panthers.

March Maddness arrived on Sunday and the interviews are still going. Sunday night John Walters and I spoke with Ben Howland, UCLA's coach. Today I interviewed Bobby Knight. While he had much to say and at the same time no picks to give, the thought that struck out at me the most was when he said: "You tell your parents they did a good job." Haha.. ok, will do Coach.

Spring Training. I hate to admit it but as a kid, it didn't seem like anything super special. I will even go as far to say I grew up thinking all kids had a team come and train in their town. Obviously I was a delusional victim incapable of appreciating things until I lived life without them. (I experienced something very similar with the beach after I moved away to college and NYC. To this day I crave salty air, sand in my toes and hot sun.) But just like growing up next to the beach, Dodgertown was always there and while I loved both, there was no reason to think about it beyond that. Senior year of high school I worked at Perkins, a CVS-type store just down the street from Holman Stadium. Players came in and out of there all the time. It was totally normal to come home, slam the door and yell: "Hey dad, guess who was in tonight!" 

Growing up, for as long as the Dodgers were in town, a few things came guaranteed on the corner of 43rd and 26th street. Field trips (yes, our high school justified this as some kind of learning experience; an administrative decision I completely support), jobs (you can easily dig up a long list of bat boys), photos and autographs (all I have kept to this day), food (for some reason stadium popcorn + hot dog + coke = perfect! Don't forget small Dodger helmets filled with dip n' dots.), socializing and crazy fan support (VB is almost equal to any small town in Texas), a Florida tan (rookies rolled up their sleeves, the rest of us knew to wear tank tops) and it was fun.

Have you ever been to Vero Beach? Well friend, not many things change. There's this one sign on State Road 60 that reads: "Welcome to Vero Beach, home of Dodgertown". Actually, I'm not 100% sure it says exactly those words. The sign has been there for so long I've etched a mental image of it in my head. So if we're being honest here, I never take time to read it as I drive pass. In my head, I already know it. It's just always been there. I mean there are restaurants the same age as Dick Cheney that have outlasted hurricanes. All of them. It's also a town that for the past 60 years has proudly wrapped its arms around a baseball team. Side note: if you do visit, we've got a drink named Dodger-Dodger. I challenge anyone to try and find something stronger then this drink. Not happening. With this being the last spring training for the Dodgers in Vero, a definitive change, of the biggest kind, is lurking on the horizon.   

Tommy Lasorda was, and still is for that matter, a legend. So imagine my smile when this morning I open up USA Today and see the headline: "Fill-in Lasorda gets back into swing with umpire dispute". Haha.. what?! You mean to tell me Joe Torre goes to the other side of the world for an exhibition game, Lasorda takes over and in a matter of five minutes, he causes enough drama to grab a few headlines! The man hasn't coached in 12 years! But you know what, only a fool would think any of that famous fire had burned out. It was refreshingly familiar, like a piece of home from a very long time ago. Looking at the article I smiled and happily thought, even when things leave, it doesn't mean they change.