The Pilot Pen Diary

11:17 - As usual, the press badge and parking pass are a blast. You have that in your car and everyone greets you with a smile and treats you well. It's really a fun experience. I recommend it if you ever have the chance.

11:23 - I am in the press room. It's me, one photographer, and two Pilot Pen staff members. It's a big day.

11:42 - I meet my supervisor, Jim Fuller. Seems like a nice guy. I find out I'm going to be covering a local girl who just had a hard-fought first set, but then got roughed up 6-4, 6-0. "So how tough was it to try so hard and lose?" Should be a fun interview.

12:03 - Just wrapped up the interview. Lasted all of five minutes. Seems like a nice girl though. Rachel Kahan. She's from the area so I guess it's not fun that she lost. But now it's time for the write up. Keep an eye out for it in tomorrow's New Haven Register or at nhregister.com.

12:23 - Just finished writing the story. The two other guys who interviewed Kahan are writing a lot more than I am. I feel like I'm back taking the SATs when I finished a section and no one else was done. Did I not analyze the questions enough? What did I do wrong? Hm, I guess interns don't get as much space to write as actual writers.

12:37 - SportsCenter is on. Ochocinco kicks? That's impressive. Even more impressive? They haven't caught Usain Bolt for using steroids yet. Either this man is the second coming, or he's juicing. 19.19 is just too fast. I guess gender testing takes precedent over steroids in Track & Field. Sounds like interesting work, maybe I'll start covering it.

1:36 - Just walked around the Stadium. Caught Mardy Fish hitting around for a promo video on center court. Some reporter was trying her best to play tennis without making a fool of herself. What some of us will do for a story. Anyway, the stadium is nice. It's a little hot out though. They're announcing the draw right now. Some big names are coming to New Haven. Let's go Sam Querrey though!

2:00 - Going on my 4th hour here. Not much has happened. It's all qualifying today, so I'm missing out on the exciting stuff. They just gave us the Women's Draw. Get excited for Svetlana Kuznetsova, Caroline Wozniacki, Nadia Petrova, Marion Bartoli, and Amelie Mauresmo. New Haven should have a good 2009.

2:09 - Strasburg press conference is on ESPN right now. Big day for the nationals. No one is there. I liked him better in red and black, but the goatee is still pretty killer. I'd love to see how it is full-beard. Probably strong, intimidating. Besides, the goatee territory is pretty well-covered (see: Jeff Bagwell, Matt Clement, Chad Gaudin, Kevin Youkilis) unless you're going to get creative (see: Scott Spiezio).

2:36 - Being a ball boy is just an art you don't find outside of major tournaments. Just watched one roll two balls in completely opposite directions down the line. Then, two points later, in bouncing a ball to nearly 6-foot-tall Olga Govortsova, same kid bounces the ball two feet over her head. It's a sad day for Pilot Pen ball kids that such terrible skill has penetrated their ranks.

2:49 - Couldn't stand the heat, so I came back to the press room. Did you know you can't leave the stands of a tennis match until a change over? It's like you're in prison out there. It's 89 degrees and a woman in a blue shirt is blocking my out. How to do you respond to that kind of intimidation? 

3:07 - That's four hours here at the qualifiers for Pilot Pen. Aaaand I think I'm done. My first journal has been pretty fun. It's a good format, might do it more often. For Patriots Games, I'm thinking. Anyways, I'm out.

-TSI

The Delays Part 2

So my summer is winding down, as is my internship with the Register (amongst a couple other jobs) and I have been working on packing and saying goodbyes to home life.

Caught up in the business and craziness of the last week and a half of summer, I've neglected my blog, so today I will be doing something special. I'm going to take a page out of the Simmons textbook and write a diary as I cover the Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament.

This summer I have had the opportunity to cover two professional sports events. The Traveler's Championship was my first experience and today the Register has given me yet another opportunity. I am in the press room at Pilot Pen and am excited for some tennis. The Diary will be posted later today.

Until then,

-TSI

The AL East

Yesterday, after a late night party and a missed train, I finally made it into New York City to meet my friend Marc for the Yankees-Red Sox game at 4. We wandered the city before taking the subway to the new park. Over the course of this week, I plan to make a few posts about the teams, the game, and some interesting questions Marc and I came up with.

The Red Sox are first in line. And they have a lot of problems. 

Through three games in this series, the offense has gone 16-111 (.140). That's WELL below the Mendoza Line and just an awful showing for one of the best teams in baseball. With that kind of performance, aging former star John Smoltz and resident head case Clay Bucholz could not be confident on the mound.

Smoltz needed to be moved to the pen or designated a long time ago. He doesn't have what it takes to pitch five innings effectively anymore. The Sox either felt bad for him or respected what he used to be too much. It cost them. Lesson learned.

Bucholz is astounding because his career may only be at the AAA level. He pitches like an ace, a future number 1 on any team when he's down there. Bring him up, and he crumbles like a stale cookie. He got lucky with a lot of double plays on Saturday, but you can't give up five walks and expect to hold a team like the Yankees down.

That being said, the Red Sox are pretty much out of the race in the AL East. The Yankees now own the best record in baseball and I'm fully expecting them to complete the sweep tonight at 8.

Speaking of the Yankees, it's all coming together for them.

Of the two teams, the Red Sox were supposed to be the ones with abundant depth in the rotation. And yet, the Sox clammer to even get 5 innings out of their starters. 

Burnett has been lights out and shows no signs of slowing down. Shutout baseball is more than you can ask of a starter. And he did it, for 7.2 innings. He simply shut the Sox down.

Sabathia is showing why he is the highest paid pitcher in baseball. The Yankees seem pretty brilliant in buying him. After watching him down the stretch last year, everyone believed he was being abused and would certainly have a down year, get hurt, or worse. Apparently, clutch pitching is his forte and he just likes to save his best stuff for August and September.

Watching him in person yesterday, the Sox just looked baffled and confused. It was an ugly day at the plate with 9 strikeouts and only two Sox hitters getting on base more than once. With Sabathia on the mound, ONE Sox baserunner reached second base. One. Not a single other time did the Sox have someone in scoring position with Sabathia out there. He got a standing ovation when he left in the 8th and he deserved it.

The end of the whole matter is that tonight, the series will be over and the Yankees will hold a commanding lead over the Red Sox in the division. The Sox are playing for the wild card and even that is almost hopeless with the way they're playing. 

If these two miraculously make the ALCS, I'll be excited because I'm up in Boston for school. But unfortunately I don't think Fenway will be seeing any baseball after October 4. The Yankees, on the other hand, should expect to be 2-0 in any series with Burnett/Sabathia the way they are. I fully expect to see New York going apeshit come World Series time.

More to come about the Stadium as well as some game time musings later this week.

-TSI 

The Next American Hope

Sam Querrey is knocking on the door. In his fourth year as a professional tennis player, the young American is finally garnering the attention he deserves. After amassing an 85-77 singles record, breaking into the top 100 players in the world after just his third year, and now attaining his career's highest rank of 26, Querrey is set to be the next American hope for tennis fans.

Born in San Francisco, CA, Querrey is not the typical young tennis player. He attended public school and did not follow the typically strict scheduling of rising tennis players. Nor did he attend a tennis academy or hire a private trainer in his youth. In a recent interview with Kevin Armstrong of Sports Illustrated, Querrey shared his thoughts on youth tennis:

I played all different sports coming up. Some kids play six hours a day since they were eight years old. When I see 11-year-olds in the gym training for tennis, that's too much. You have to keep things fun. When you're that age, you should just do what you want.

Querrey is often attributed with this laid back attitude. In big matches, he seems to be relaxed and unconcerned with the result. And yet, he has the tools to be the next major star on the ATP tour. His Roddick-like game combines a big serve and a powerful forehand, often putting his opponents on their heels. His height, at 6-foot-6, no doubt benefits his service game. In fact, Querrey presently holds the Open Era record for most consecutive aces in a match after smashing 10 in a row against James Blake at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships in 2007.

Querrey's attitude and size can be benefits, but they are often the characteristics critiqued most by tennis experts. Many of those who have hopes for the American question whether his attitude is one of a true champion. In an interview after playing in Cincinnati in 2008, Querrey talked about his calm demeanor:

I'm going to just try to have fun. That's the only purpose of playing every match. Yeah, I mean, I don't really feel pressure. I'm just kind of going out there and doing whatever.

Whether or not he has the drive to win tournaments and beat the best is questionable to many. He seems to be more set on enjoying himself than anything else. In my opinion, however, the drive is there.

I had a chance to watch Querrey play in 2006 at the Tennis Hall of Fame in Rhode Island. In a match against a young Andy Murray, an even younger Querrey sacrificed his body for the chance to save a set point. Murray hit a hard, cross-court forehand out wait toward the stadium seating alongside the court. My family and I watched as the ball hit the grass court, then rose up and flew toward us.

Out of nowhere, thundering footsteps drew our attention to the left as we watched the tall, 200-pound Querrey lunge after the shot, running into the 3-foot wall dividing our seats and the court and nearly falling into my lap. He dumped the shot into the net, but he clearly wanted it. That was enough for me.

As for his size, Querrey is tall and has a big frame. That means he needs to do a lot of conditioning to keep up with the best in the world. It takes good footwork and a lot of training to move at high speeds with a body like his. This step will take work, but after a questionable decision to turn down training with former Andre Agassi coach Gil Reyes, Querrey has come around and spent time with the gifted trainer.

In fact, in the same Cincinnati post-match interview, Querrey noted a lot of the benefits he was seeing:

It's great. He's got a great gym. I think it's really beneficial. I definitely got a lot stronger in my upper body. You know, we'll work on strength from the feet all the way up to the shoulder and back. I feel like everything is a little bit stronger.

His fitness and hopefully it's improvement will play a crucial role in his future performances. We all saw what losing 15 pounds and training more can do for a player after Andy Roddick's performance in the Wimbledon final.

There is high hope for the young Californian. In my opinion, he has the hunger and the drive. He has a lot of dangerous weapons. He is training hard with one of the best coaches in the world. And he is very likely on his way to being the next American superstar.

-TSI

The New American Sport Finds Competition

After centuries of baseball holding strong as the true American pastime, it has been clear for nearly a decade now that a new sport is in town: football.

While the NFL is something I consider to be the pinnacle of entertainment, it does have its flaws. Games take too long, officiating can be spotty, and a fair share of our beloved players spend years in jail. But thank goodness for capitalism!

The NFL should surely fix up its poor flaws and its foibles once another league starts showing it up, right? Right?

Oh, never mind. I've just been informed the NFL has a pretty tight stranglehold on the football market in America (and London, kind of). And perfect, the word has come down that the Arena Football League will fold and declare bankruptcy, leaving the NFL alone as the only nationally televised football league in the United States.

Hopefully that won't be true for long. As much as I love my New England Patriots and the NFL, I'm also a big fan of competition (I like sports, who would've guessed). Thankfully, a new show is set to be in town this fall with its very own start up, 8 game season. That's right, folks! The UFL is in town!

This tiny league is near and dear to my heart thanks to the possibility of a team set in my state's capital of Hartford. But in all seriousness, the ramifications of another football league could do great things for football in America.

In baseball, we have a minor league system in which players develop their skills until they can perform at a higher level. The UFL, in the very least, can operate as a form of skill development for players who cannot find jobs at the NFL level. Overall, we could see a high level of talent develop in the NFL as more and more players compete at the professional level, developing their skills, and pushing one another to be better.

I have high hopes for the league and encourage everyone at their to attend a game if one is taking place in their city this season. If you love sports, I know you love competition, and who knows what could happen if the UFL and NFL compete. Personally, I only see good things and hope you all get a chance to enjoy more football than ever this year.

-TSI

The Summer Delay

Hey Folks,

Sorry about the week off. I have been in contact with the senior editor over at sportsfanlive.com about joining on with them in addition to writing here. So I've been a tad busy with my regular work schedule and organizing that. My apologies for the missed post last Friday.

Lucky for you, I'll be posting today! One of my middle of the week mini-posts will be up shortly, so be sure to check it out. Also, go pay a visit to my new friends as sportsfanlive.com and sign up. It's gonna be the next big thing, I promise.

-TSI

The 72 Hour Rule

Every now and again I want to just throw in a shorter post to share a thought or two. I like the idea of a weekly topic and hopefully subsequent discussion, but a blurb here and there never hurt anyone.

With the reports of Brett Favre being conflicted over his 75th annual unretirement and Michael Vick's unknown suspension, news outlets have taken it upon themselves to use vastly inadequate, if not non-existent, evidence to speculate and prognosticate on the futures of these two once fine athletes. Sadly, the viewers, readers, and sports fans out there have been saddled with the unfortunate responsibility of listening to the inanity coming out of their mouths or keyboards.

Bill Simmons (somewhat an idol of mine) recently responded to an e-mail from one of his readers with this brilliant idea: 

What if we tried out an embargo policy for all sports "news" for one year? Everything gets a 72-hour window; after that, we can't mention it again until it happens. Like the Brett Favre/Vikings thing: Once it became a possibility, we would have had 72 hours from that point forward to break it down. After that? Embargoed until we get proof of life (in this case, a Favre news conference in Minnesota).

I understand the media has a job to do. I also understand that with the advent of CNN and ESPNEWS, 24 hours, seven days a week needs to be filled with news, regardless of how tedious and rehashed it is. Nevertheless, would it be so painful for them to come up with twists on current ideas that allow for more discussion?

Take highlights for instance. SportsCenter gives us a baseball highlight and maybe a box score at the end. That tells the basic story of the game and some details on who contributed to the win/was responsible for the loss. How about telling me something I can't discern from the highlight? Talk to me about what the pitchers were using most frequently, what was working. Or how a player was taking advantage of mistakes by his opponents. Hell, show me some press conference coverage or interview footage.

I'm not saying it's ESPN'S fault or anything. They've become larger than life in covering sports news. With their own enormous shoes to fill, they have to cover their time. I'm just worried, and annoyed as a fan, that it's going to continue in a downward spiral. Already I find so much of the information they provide me to be pointless. Who cares who votes for Tim Tebow in an irrelevant preseason poll? How about what Tebow's doing in training to improve for this year and become the second man to win two Heisman trophies? Huh? Isn't that important? Yeah, thought so. Let me know when there's a story about that. I'll pay attention then, because that's when my attention will be on something relevant and important.

I appreciate ESPN having an ombudsman and kind of taking the concerns of their viewers into consideration. I just wish it would show a little bit. It's a product of the industry they've built and an unfortunate consequence. But given the media giant they are, they also have the power to change it. They almost dictate what is and what isn't important. By making the Favre insanity and similarly stagnant and dull stories the important news, they hurt themselves and the others who try to compete with them (because they inevitably follow suit). 

I propose Simmons' idea or something similar to it be instituted until ESPN can control and monitor themselves. Otherwise, they'll become the next Favre. A story that's frustrating and annoying that hasn't developed or changed in too long. I guess that would make me the ESPN to their Favre. I really don't want that. Please hear out your fans and change something.

-TSI

The Six Things that Make a Sports Moment Great

Yesterday's perfect game by Mark Buehrle got me excited for a number of reasons. First of all, anytime you get to witness any part of a perfect game, it's amazing. Second, Buehrle's on my fantasy team and I could seriously use the numbers this week. But lastly, it really got me thinking about what makes the great sports moments we experience.

Now, unfortunately (or fortunately, it's tough to decide sometimes), I'm young. This means that I haven't gotten to witness or experience many of the greatest sports moments in history. The 1980 USA Olympic hockey team, Murderer's Row, and a time when Brett Favre wasn't a daily story on ESPN all are times I didn't get to see. My era has brought steroids to baseball, gambling scandals in basketball, dog fighting and manslaughter to football, and the general sense that it's getting harder and harder to find the beauty in sports.

Then came Buehrle. A quietly consistent pitcher who has played for the Chicago White Sox his whole career, a time spanning a decade after this season concludes. During his career, he has pitched at least 200 innings and never won fewer than ten games in every season excluding his first (in which he was a reliever). In 2002, he won 19 games, narrowly missing the elusive 20-win season. In 2005, Buehrle was the White Sox's ace as they won their first World Series title in 88 years. In 2007, Buehrle threw a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers.

And, finally, yesterday's perfect game. A great moment in sports that I got to experience. I began to think what made Buehrle's perfection so great. Why did I want to watch it? Well, here's what I came up with:

1.) The Feat
This certainly seems obvious to me. Whether it's winning the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Olympics, or any other impressive accomplishment, great feats make for great moments. A perfect game is something that rarely happens, and barely witnessed. In over 170,000 games played since 1900, a perfect game has only happen 16 times. Feel free to do the math of 16 divided by 172,975. Multiply by 100. That's the percentage of games in which perfection is achieved. So, very obviously, yesterday was amazing. For those of us not in the Chicago area or at US Cellular Field, ESPN only showed us the ninth inning. Still, it felt like we were a part of it. A part of something some people never get the chance to see in their lives.

What made yesterday so great was the improbability of it all. Super Bowls and World Series happen every year, and great plays come along every week. But perfection is something rarely seen or experience. And Buehrle's most impressive feat was giving us a chance to witness it.

2.) The Team(s)
A lot of people made a big deal about last year's Super Bowl. The Steelers' Santonio Holmes made one of the most spectacular catches I've ever had the good fortune of seeing. And yet, the conclusion of Super Bowl XLIII was not a great sports moment because of the teams that took part. The Steelers were a great, defensively strong team, but not overly impressive. Even further, the Cardinals were just a mediocre team that caught some lucky breaks. The teams play can add to, even make, the greatest sports moments.

The combination of these two teams yesterday made the perfect game especially intriguing. On the one hand, the White Sox were getting exactly what they play for: good pitching, good defense, producing enough runs to get the win. On the other, the Rays were a strong, young team who are generally considered to be strong offensively. Both teams' strengths were set for a collision course.

Rivalries and playoffs spots make for interesting games, but when the strengths and weaknesses of two teams line up so perfectly, it makes for a battle to remember. It pushes each team, each player to a new level and adds to the game. It creates an intensity, a pressure, until one team reaches the breaking point. These are the teams that make great sports moments. The ones that put themselves between their opponents and greatness and dare anyone to get through.

3.) The History
More than any other game, baseball has historical value. The National League was created before the 20th century, in 1876! I mean, that's old. So when something amazing happens, and people are talking about it, then you know it must be important. While a perfect game is extremely historically relevant, history may show a different path for the lauded feat.

18 perfect games have happened in professional baseball. 18. One for each year of my life in over 130 years of baseball. I have been lucky. Since I was born in 1990, 6 pitchers have thrown perfect games. One third of all the perfect games in Major League history have been thrown in my lifetime.

Looking at that fact in the historical context of baseball, one has to wonder why there were only 12 perfect games in over a century of baseball, and now, suddenly it seems, there have been 6 in less than one-fifth the time. Is it steroids? It's hard to call pitchers like Buehrle, Randy Johnson, and David Cone juicers. If anything, the hitters they faced were more likely to have used steroids. That only makes it more impressive.

The fact that any given great moment can play it's own role in centuries of sports history makes witnessing that moment all the more amazing. Buehrle is part of a generation that will seemingly change the perception of one of the greatest accomplishments in sport: the perfect game. 

Who knows what the next great moment will do to sports history? It could simply be appreciated for what it is, or it could change the way generations to come see the game. While the moment itself is amazing, its relevance to the past and its role into the future are even more significant.

4.) The Moment of Truth
In every great sports moment, there is a point where the team or player can rise to the occasion or crumble under the pressure. In a perfect game, the entire team must act as one. An error, a misread, an extra split second can cost the pitcher and his team their place in history.

In the White Sox game, the entire ninth inning became the moment of truth for Buehrle and his defense. The first batter of the inning, Gabe Kapler, left Sox fans on the edge of their seats as he launched a ball to left field. Luckily for them, it went foul. It wouldn't be long before the fans' hearts stopped once more, as Kapler rocketed a ball to left-center field. Dewayne Wise, the hero of the day aside from Buehrle, had just entered the game. He sprinted back, leaped into the air and robbed Kapler of a home run, bobbling and finally securing the ball with his bare hand as he fell to the ground. 1 out.

The next batter, catcher Michel Hernandez, ran the count to 3-1. Facing a walk that would end his perfection, Buehrle rose to the occasion and fired two quick pitches for strikes, sending Hernandez to the bench. 2 outs.

Now one out away from perfection and history, Buehrle faced Jason Bartlett. In a 2-1 count, Bartlett swung, grounding the ball to shortstop Alexei Ramirez. On an awkward hop, Alexei fielded it, remained calm, and fired it to first for the final out.

Buehrle had been dominant throughout the game, but that inning was the moment of truth for the entire team. Each man played his part throughout the day and when the time came, they rose to the occasion. Moments of truth etch themselves into our minds when we watch sports. 

David Tyree's helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII. David Ortiz's series-clinching home run in the 2004 ALDS and his game-winning hits in games 4 and 5 of the ALCS. Aaron Boone skyrocketing a ball into the upper deck of Yankee Stadium to clinch the 2003 ALCS. These are moments of truth that we never forget. Players and teams rising to the challenge in front of them. We get caught up in the pressure situation and our own excitement and happiness hinges on the players' success. We feel the same excitement, the same joy, as the players do, and simply get caught up in the moment.

5.) The Call
By far my favorite part of great sports moments is the call. Announcers can plan for these moments, consider what the right words would be, and execute them with as much perfection as the players used on the field. Ultimately, however, it is the spur of the moment call that captures the emotion of the feat.

Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson's call of Wise's catch from yesterday's game:

Wise back. Back. Makes the catch! Dewayne Wise makes the catch! What a play by Wise! Mercy! A great catch by Dewayne Wise!

Harrelson's call of the final out of the perfect game yesterday:

Alexeiii! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! History!

While Harrelson won't go down as one of the best call-men in history, his exuberant yells captured the moment very well.

Regardless of your feelings towards certain announcers, it's easy to see how they add to the great moments. Whether it's "Holy cow!" or "Theeee Yankees win!" we always remember our favorite calls as the voice that captured our emotions. Men like Harry Caray, Harry Kalas, and Gus Johnson are gifted at enshrining the moments we love in sound. Unfortunately for sports fans, moreover Giants fans, Joe Buck gets to call games.

6.) The Player(s)
What's most important about Buehrle is that he is a good guy. In an era of Terrell Owens and Pacman Jones, Ron Artest and Stephon Marbury, A-Rod and Manny, Buehrle is plain. So many athletes need the whole show to be about them in order to stay sane. Without attention, they go up in smoke. Buehrle isn't like that. He was humble and likable after he had reached a level of achievement only the greats reach.

Here's his reaction:

I don't know. When I threw the no-hitter, I was surprised as could be. A perfect game? I thought a no-hitter was impossible. I don't know what to say. Unbelievable.

On how he behaved in the dugout:

Same as before. I go up and talk to people. I'm not big on when the camera goes on you. I take it inside. I don't like the camera being on, so I just talk to the guys. If it happens, it happens. If it don't, it don't.

If it happens, it happens. If it don't, it don't. That sort of attitude towards one of the greatest accomplishments he'll ever have is astounding. It's why Buehrle deserves it. It is so hard to root for players with big egos and big mouths like Owens and A-Rod. Yes, their achievements are amazing, but how can I feel good for a guy I don't like? They don't make it easy to enjoy the moment because all the while you're applauding their success, deep down there's a sinking feeling that you're cheering for a bad guy. Buehrle didn't put us in that situation. He just went out and did his job. When he succeeded, he smiled, he laughed, and he celebrated with his team.

No expectations, no guarantees, no ego. Just a man doing his job and doing it well. That is why yesterday's moment was great. Yesterday's is the kind of moment I hope to experience again and again, as long as I'm a sports fan.

-TSI

The Why

I'm in the 51st day of my internship. Covering little league and writing about U13 volleyball teams has been interesting. A learning experience to say the least.

But a man needs a place to be free from all the constraints of life. Now, I know I'm no Costas or Gumble, surely no Simmons, but this will give me the chance to write on the subjects I care about, and hopefully reach a moderate audience.

So the mission seems to be clear to me. I'll put everything I can in, and I'll take what I can get. I'll be posting once a week with well-researched, in-depth looks at stories I found interesting. If you readers out there read my work and enjoy doing it, then that's fantastic. So please feel free to do that.

-TSI

The Internship

Eighteen should be an easy age. I just finished my freshman year of college, one of the best years of my life. I have three more to go before the Real World rears its ugly head. What do I have to worry about, really?

Sports. That's what. It's really the only thing I'm passionate about in life. So at the age of 18, with my first college summer ahead of me, I decided to make an early career move.

I e-mailed the editor of my local newspaper, The New Haven Register, and asked about their internship opportunities. Seven minutes later, he replied. Assuming I would receive college credit, he would love to work with me. Who would think that a random kid sending out e-mail could get a job that easily? But hey, I'll take it. That's how I became the Sports Intern.

-TSI