My "Grad School"

When I first stepped foot onto the OU campus, there were many things running through my head. Everything from how small my room was to the amazement of how many empty beer cases there were in every dumpster. I came into OU with a big goal: graduate. There were smaller goals but none bigger than that. But I also came in with a few guidelines for myself. One was to not aim for the Dean's List and add more pressure to myself. Well, I didn't do that and somehow still got on it (Scripps is not THAT hard). Another one was that no matter what, there would be no grad school and that this would be my last time in school. And that one is holding true.

But as I sit here in Augusta, I kind of came to this idea that you know what, these 2 years in Augusta are my "grad school". In case you don't know, I signed a 2-year contract so I'm here in Augusta for sure until those years are over, unless something crazy or opportunistic happens. So far, the job has been a lot of fun and challenging at the same time. But it has a lot of similarities to grad school, or what I think I know of grad school.

One of those things is that most people who go from undergrad to grad are doing it to make themselves more marketable in the working world. Well, that's the case for me as well. By working two years in a market this size, I am preparing myself to work in a larger size market.

People also go to grad school to learn more. Well, that's definitely the case for me too. Just in the two months I've been here, I've learned a lot about how the TV world works once money is involved, and by that, I mean sponsors and sales and such. For example, I worked at WOUB, a PBS station that is funded by well, the public. Even Gridiron Glory, which had financial backers such as Follett's, was unknown to most of us because we didn't have to say their name on air. But for my high school football show, I have to mention sponsors like crazy, saying who paid for this scoreboard or who supplied these drinks or how this is the (insert company) Player of the Week. It's just a different world and one that I learn more about everyday.

In undergrad, the amount of work is sporadic. Sometimes large, sometimes small. No matter how big though, there's always time to play hard. But in grad, there's not only more work, but more responsibility. It could be that you are a GA, TA or just knowing that the grades really will suffer. Same deal for me. Maybe not the suffering part but with me being known by face to a fair amount of people, being seen as I had been seen in college just can't be done. In other words, it's more work and less fun.

And finally, like grad school, it means yet another beginning. That could mean new friends and a new location. New schedules and new expenses. While some do the grad school thing at the same place as undergrad, most move, even if just a couple hours away. It just makes for one more transition. It's not a huge one though, since you are still around people your age and interacting with people with the same interests as you. Well, same goes for me. I work with people my own age and many with around the same experience. I moved away and came upon many new things, among them, a new climate (still too damn hot).

So what do I want to get out of my "grad school" experience? Well, as of now, I can tell you I want to improve. Diction, creativity, on-air presence, wardrobe, likability, etc... There's a lot. I also want to make a lot of friends while here. I honestly don't know if after this job, I will ever live this far south ever again so why not make some friends down here? Plus, just like my friends at BHHS and OU who are all over the map, there could be some great connections later (or places to crash at). I also want to move on to bigger and better things. You know, the great thing about my "grad school" is that I can make mistakes and yet, not be punished extremely for them (unless I make a HUGE mistake). And the same can be said for real grad school. It kind of represents your last chance to make mistakes. But once I move on to bigger and better things, something tells me those mistakes won't be handled the same way.

So am I counting down the months like I did in undergrad? Not gonna lie, yea. Kind of already picturing my "graduation" from small-market television in July 2010. I'll only be 23 years old and will have the world in front of me (again). But I still have a little more than 22 months left so right now, I'm just soaking it all in. I may be far away from a lot of my friends but hey, it's only 2 years of "grad school". And just like undergrad, in this "grad school", they're paying me.

Gimme A Break...

"Pure Gold". "The Golden Boy". "The 8th Wonder". And my personal favorite, "The Best Ever!".

All of these were headlines after Michael Phelps won his 8th gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games. Some were from newspapers. Others were online. No matter where they were though, they all were a bit much for me, especially that last one. Why? Because Michael Phelps is NOT the greatest Olympian ever.

Now, I know I have about half the athletic ability as the worst football player at OU (and that's saying something) but I do think I am somewhat qualified to make this argument. I've watched every Olympics faithfully since I was born. Yea, that only takes me back to 1988 but hear me out. I'm a big Olympics fan and know a lot about Olympic history, especially the athletes and their achievements. So when I hear all these people gushing over Phelps, it just makes me shake my head.

Don't get me wrong. Phelps is an amazing athlete. He did what no other SWIMMER has ever done. He does have more gold medals than any other SWIMMER. But think about this Olympics fans: What other sport can you take in a haul such as 8 gold medals other than swimming?

Track? No way. The distances are too diverse. You think Phelps could win the 1600m Free? I don't think so.

Gymnastics? Well, for guys, the max you could is 8 but that means win the team competition, all-around, and all 6 individual events. Again, that's a bit much, considering how different each apparatus is. The vault is completely different than the still rings. The floor exercise is nowhere close to the pommel horse. Nuff said.

And what else comes close? Rowing? Weightlifting? Badminton? It's just fact. Phelps happens to be best swimmer in a sport that allows the athletes the best chance to rack up a ton of hardware. But does that make him the best ever?

Not at all. Think about the many athletes that came before him. Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis come to mind first. Track legends that overcame many odds. Owens competing in Berlin in the face of Adolf Hitler. Carl Lewis winning 7 gold medals in all types of track events. And beyond track, there are countless gymnasts, volleyball players, divers and more that have dominated their Olympic sport but because of the lack of medals offered, their notoriety suffered. It's a shame too because while they get two or three days of being in the news, Phelps gets a whole week and much, much more.

Oh, and how much more. How about a cool million bucks from Speedo just for winning all 8 gold medals. Oh, and add in an estimated 30 million more in endorsements he will get now that he did this feat. Not to mention at 23, the guy is still young enough to get any girl from the legal age of 18 to well...I don't even wanna think about the oldest lady that would wanna "get wet" with him. He's got it made and all just because the media and fans went crazy about a medal haul that is only possible in his sport.

He is a swimming phenom for sure but really, we're talking about swimming. It's only important every four years. The gold medal is important and by far, the greatest accomplishment any athlete could get in my opinion but when did we start shelling out millions of dollars to people for representing their country athletically? While we have Americans representing and fighting for our country overseas getting paid much, much less, we have swimmers like Mikey making tons just for going fast. Shouldn't the gold medal be enough? The countless interviews with Bob Costas? The knowledge that you are by far the best swimmer on the planet right now? Guess not. As usual, money talks.

Oh, and this whole world record thing is ridiculous. Everyone was breaking world records this Olympics. That's because of the pool and equipment. From 2004 to the 2008 Olympics alone, the pool went from 8 to 10 lanes, gutters were put at the ends of both sides and the depth went from 6 to 9 feet. All of this helped the swimmers go faster, whether it be less wave action or less density. Plus, the new Speedo equipment is just crazy. Back in the day when I was just an egg, the swimmers wore swimsuits that you could buy at K-Mart. Now, the swimmers pay $200 for these suits that shave 1 or 2 seconds off times. So of course, he was breaking world records.

Oh and finally, remember, Phelps does not achieve this feat without one person: Jason Lezak. While we all gush over Phelps, I think Lezak is the one who should be getting a cut of that Speedo Million Dollar Bonus. Without Lezak, Phelps is another "close but no cigar" case in sports that we talk about every Olympics. But because of Lezak, he's now a legend and pioneer. If I had the choice, I'd give Lezak the million in a heartbeat. What he did in that relay was better than anything I have even seen Phelps do...and that includes what he did in that butterfly race (Cavic should've timed his ending better).

And if not Lezak, how about Dara Torres? She's 41 and almost won a gold in the fastest event in the pool. She lost by one-hundredth of a second! She's solid as a rock and according to every drug test, clean as a whistle. Torres is more of an inspiration than Phelps by far. She proved age IS nothing but a number and that if you set your mind and heart to something, you can achieve it. Remember, she is 41, way past her prime, unlike Phelps. She has a 2-year old kid and skipped the '04 Games in Athens. Pretty sure Phelps hasn't had to overcome those obstacles. Torres received plenty of publicity during the Games but something tells me that people will forget just how remarkable her performance was whereas Phelps will be talked about ad nauseam. I mean, NBC is already advertising a DVD for the guy!

So in the end, I may seem like a hater of greatness but think about it for a while and you may even agree with half of my argument. Phelps is a great swimmer and deserved every medal he got. But before we crown him the King of the Olympics and Best Ever, put it in perspective. The guy competes in the sport where gold medals are a-plenty if you can be good in each stroke. He also had help from his teammates, who aren't getting nearly enough credit. He has the benefit of equipment upgrades and pool renovations. He has the perfect body frame for his sport and has gotten lucky numerous times. Kudos again Mikey. You're good. Hell, you're great. One of the best Olympians ever? Sure, why not. The best swimmer ever? I may go that far too. But THE BEST EVER? Let's not go that far yet people.

My Pursuit of Happyness

So I decided after two days of drinking this week, I should prolly lay low on this Friday night. Between driving to Charlotte, buying a bed (finally), and buying dinner for a crazy girl, I needed to save a little money. So I went to Blockbuster and got a movie. I have a $15 gift card to waste so why not? The movie selection is a bit bleak for me but I narrow it down to I Am Legend and The Pursuit Of Happyness, two movies I have been meaning to see. I choose I Am Legend and drive home. Well wouldn't ya know it, right when I get home, The Pursuit Of Happyness is on a movie channel I get in 20 minutes. Guess I know have another movie to watch by 8/9 by noon.

If you've never seen this movie, do yourself a favor and watch it. The movie is well-acted, produced, directed and written. It is based on a true story and what a story it is. Truly inspirational for anyone.

As I was watching the movie, I started thinking though: how is my pursuit of happyness going? (By the way, I know it is spelled happiness but I want to stay consistent) As a guy who just entered the proverbial "real world", it is quite a question to ponder. In college, it was never something to really think about. Honestly, each day was a pursuit to happyness. You know, the pursuit to get drunk and have a great time (sorry OU for wasting that money...not really). But after college, the pursuit really begins.

But before I could analyze the pursuit, I have to define happyness. And that is a tough one to answer too. Every time someone asks me about long-term goals, I always say is to just have a job. I'm a step-as-a-guy person when it comes to this job thing. My profession is just too volatile for me to plan too far ahead. I mean, something like ESPN would be amazing but not gonna lie, I've never considered Bristol, CT as my future home nor happyness. During my phone interviews, I answered the question by saying a large market local station doing sports. Again, all vague answers because at the young age of 22, I don't know what my true happyness is yet.

I'm sure it involves having a family, a secure job and living in a nice neighborhood etal. I don't know where or when but that's where the pursuit part comes in. So far, as I sit in my one-bedroom apartment in Augusta, GA watching Shark Week on Discovery Channel HD, I am convinced my pursuit is rather slow. Not really speeding there but at a steady 25 MPH or so. Because I have no true long-term goal or definition of my happyness, I can't see how close or far I am. But at the present moment, I'm just happy on the road.

So how close are you to your happyness? Are you even in pursuit of it or have you given up? Are you waiting for an epiphany or act of God to get you jump-started or are you just burnt out and thinking of starting over?

For Chris Gardner in the movie, the pursuit was long, hard and a true test of his moral being. For me, the pursuit is fun. I say this now because I figure it can't get worse than where I am now. Not saying that where I am now is miserable or that I am in need of help but my hope (and goal) is to have the next job be better than the first. That's what make my pursuit of whatever my happyness is fun. Because I know it will only get better. From my measly salary to a decent salary. From one-bedroom apt to...well, a bigger one-bedroom apt. From a city of Augusta's size to a city of maybe Charlotte or Nashville's size. Chasing down that small hope is fun. That's why I still check tvjobs.com everyday, even though I am comfortably in one right now. I like to think ahead at what could be.

But in the end, I still don't know when that happyness will come. It could be 20 years from now. It could be 20 months. I honestly don't know. But for now, I am going to enjoy every second of my pursuit of it because once I reach it, I want to be able to look back at that pursuit and tell myself not only was it long, hard and tough, but it was a ton of fun.

13 Day Work Marathon - Day 13

(Author's Note: This is the 13th in a 2-week long series of what I am doing during my 13 straight days of work)

This is it folks. My final post for probably a while. The marathon is over and I have reached the finish line. My body and mind are worn out but there is a blog post to be written. So here goes...

I woke up today feeling great, knowing that the end was near. Just 10 or so hours from 2 days of freedom. I was gonna eat some breakfast and really be fresh but instead, I laid in bed and watched The Price Is Right and my station's noon cast. The goal was to get to work around 1:30pm so I could work on that story before the station got filled with reporters who needed edit bays to work on their informative yet depressing stories of tax increases, murders or car fires. I decide I'll just take a lunch to work and eat there.

Working on the package is easy. I actually have so much good sound, I'm not sure what to cut out. The story could easily go 3 minutes but with no big comeback from death or inspirational story here, anything more than 1:45 is too long. I settle at 1:50 in the end because I figure, the longer package, the less time I have to fill later. As I stated yesterday, my interview video was all blue so I tried the color correcting. Well, try is the main word. No matter how long I would have stared at that screen, there was going to be a twinge of blue in that video. After the 6pm cast, my news director even comes by and suggests I talk to the chief photographer and have him show me how to white balance. I reassure I know and just had a mental fart. She does tell me that she likes the package and that I am ambitious enough to do stories like that on a Monday. That makes me feel better but it was the firs bit of disappointment from her.

After the cast, it's off to the ballpark to watch the future Indians take on the future Giants (Lake County Captains vs. Augusta Greenjackets). I get there and as usual, no score and after a few innings, I am bored out of my mind. Again, I don't want to complain too much because I am at a baseball game and not in a cubicle but man, hit the ball! I do get a run from Lake County in the 4th and call it a night. As I leave, a 15 or 16 year girl calls me News 12 Sports Guy and asks to shake my hand. An obvious flirt attempt. I oblige but man, one look at my face and she knew I wasn't in the mood. I know I am supposed to be always welcoming and happy wherever I am because I represent my station but at that time, I was just tired. Tired of baseball, tired of people, tired of working. That's what 13 days will do to you.

The 11pm cast is pretty much done by 9:45pm. Greenjackets package and game. A quick blurb about a Greenjacket pitcher being named pitcher of the week. Add in some Braves highlights that even came early since of the speed of the game. Then, the ACC preseason rankings to fill my last little bit of time. On air, it's all good and right when it's over, I feel the monkey come off my back. I know the marathon is over. But then I remember, I have to archive. And of course, this is something I could have been doing every night but decide to put it off until I leave tonight. So I don't get out of the station until 1:40am. Oh well, it's over and days off await.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Well, today I did learn to never use bad video again unless I am ready to hear about it. I was kind of hoping it would slide but this is the big time now. No more WOUB brushing things off. I also learned today that now that I am getting back to a regular work week, life is going to be much more fun. The ability to go out any night can happen again. The ability to fix up my place. The chance to see a movie or the driving range. All of the things that I enjoy that have been deprived from me because of this 13-day work-a-thon. Over the 13 days, I learned a lot about myself like knowing I love this profession and telling these stories. I learned that our viewers are a bit crazy and will call about anything. Heck, they may even be stalkers. I found out just how much fun the main anchors are and how welcoming the whole station staff can be for the new guy. I learned first-hand that this gig can be the easiest job in the world at times to the most stressful in 2 minutes. Take today for instance. The power went out twice around 3pm during a thunderstorm. It set me back about 30 minutes as I tried to redo all I'd done. I went from relaxed to almost pressed for time. But I love doing things under pressure so it wasn't a big deal. I am also learning how to get around this city and how competitive this market is. I am learning that I am going to be noticed by people now frequently, maybe even more than people recognized me for Gridiron. I am learning that you can eat healthy at fast food restaurants, though it is nowhere near as good as not eating healthy. I also learned just how important it is to stay active and work out because since I have not been able to do that, I can feel my body feel more sluggish and weaker. And finally, I learned just what great friends I have at home and across this nation who continually checked up on me, read my blog, left comments on the Book and sent texts or IMs.

In the end, I am happy I was put through this. It just showed me I could do this job and do it pretty darn well. Viewers are saying that. My bosses are saying that. My co-workers are saying that. But the biggest (and best) critics, my friends and family, are saying it as well. I mean, who else will tell you the truth all the time besides them? And because of all that, I feel like I did a good job. 13 days wasn't easy by any means but it started turning into a routine, and that's a good thing. Knowing I jumped into something fairly unknown and 2 weeks later, it's routine, makes me feel like I achieved something. Now though, it's time to relax. Take a break. Hit the range or movie theater. Work should only important for 5 days a week. These next 2 days will be great...and man, it's been a long time coming.

13 down...I did it.

13 Day Work Marathon - Day 12

(Author's Note: This is the 12th in a 2-week long series of what I am doing during my 13 straight days of work)

I can't believe it. I only have one day left in this thing. And while I cannot wait to get that day off, I am going to miss doing these blogs at 2:30am. It became a ritual almost for me. Oh well...I really want that day off.

Another slow morning. Waking up gradually while watching Greg Norman blow the British Open. That tournament went from one to tell my kids about to just another player winning a major because Tiger wasn't there. You can't tell me that Tiger would not have beasted in condition like that. That's just what he does. So after watching the end, I leave for work around 2pm, so getting there early but not getting there crazy early like other days.

The plan for the day is to get some video of the drag boat racing and use that in the 6pm cast. Then, get the baseball game's ending since it has a 5:35pm start time. So I head to the river and yea, it's hot again. I mean, unbearable. How people can just sit there in the sun (or shade) and just watch boats fly by without really knowing any of these racers is just beyond me. I mean, it's exciting for about 10 minutes but 7 hours of it? A bit much. Since getting a driver is almost out of the question since they are racing all day and for money now, I get some quick video and get out of the heat. I even brought a sweat towel with me but after a while, wiping the sweat off your face with a towel wet with sweat just doesn't help. Plus, this event is nowhere as compelling as I thought it would be before the weekend. Unlike the Peach Jam, there's not a real story that pops up. Plus, it's just too damn hot. I knew it would be too when as I was driving to work, it said 101 on a lighted sign. Never appreciated A/C more.

So I get back to the station and put it all together. Braves play early so that gives me something plus the British Open stuff is a great filler. I still am a little light so I add the Tour De France. I mean, it does end next week so someone might care (I know, no one does). Cast goes fine on air though I did stumble over a word and instead of just stopping, I let out a big BLEH. Yea, kind of embarrassing but I found it funny...as did my other anchors. When the show is over, I begin thinking about the 11pm and tomorrow's cast. I have to start doing that now because I found out last week, the weekdays are slow. So I figure to fill time tomorrow, I'll interview a player after the game since it is ending early. As I listen to the game on the radio, I hear that today is game 99. BANG. And there's a story for tomorrow!

I get out to the ballgame around 7:45pm. Figure to get the last 2-3 innings. Not too worried about highlights since my cast only needs 20 seconds filled so even the final two outs would work for me. Of course, it's humid so I still sweat though the temp is down to about 80-ish degrees. I get lucky and get three runs while there so I get highlights anyways. (Quick aside: They are playing the single-A team of the Indians. I'm not impressed with the future Tribe players). Game ends with a 7-2 Greenjackets victory and that means players will be more than willing to talk. I get the manager first who is less than thrilling on camera but has some great sound bites. I grab two players younger than me (I know, hard to believe huh?) because I wanna make sure they are playing in their first full season (140 games). I ask the players about playing this long of a season, the heat, and the alternatives to playing baseball. Both give me great stuff and when I leave, I feel good about the story I'm going to put together tomorrow.

Of course, it's too good to be true. I forget to white-balance the camera for the interviews so the coach and players are blue. I try color correcting the video immediately so I can at least know whether or not if I will need to come in earlier than usual to think of something else. After some tinkering, I find the right combination that makes the video usable. I'm not overly happy but it will do. Plus, I just will count on more video of actual games and less on the sound. That's the good thing about sound. It only needs to be seen once and after that, it can just be heard. I calm down a bit, finish preparing my cast and get ready for the 11pm. Cast goes well though it does end with a funny moment. The story is about a nudist community in Portland, Oregon. It's what we call in the TV biz, a "kicker". Something funny to end the show and talk about until we sign off. Well, in this one, we all saw our lines and then our main anchor talks about their activities include kayaking, canoeing, tennis and fly-fishing. She then continues to say "so make sure you bring your pole". Now, me and the weather guy just start cracking up but she is completely lost. Oh, good times on the weekend. Our ratings should be going through the roof.

WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Well, besides learning that my sweating out of control is getting well, out of control, I learned just how fortunate I have been in this work marathon. I had a prominent AAU tournament, a drag boat event, Greenjackets at home, an MLB all-star game, and two people call me for story ideas I used. And then today, hearing that 99-game stat on the radio just gave me one more idea. They say luck is when preparation meets opportunity and I agree with it. I was ready to do stories. I just needed the opportunity and so far, so good. I also learned today that these minor league baseball players are geniunely good guys. Since they make about much money as I do and are the same age, they don't have an ego yet. They know their careers are just in the baby stage and most of them aren't getting to the big leagues. I think it'd be kind of cool to hang out with them for a couple days and learn what they go through. Maybe a story idea for next year since they only have 40 games left. Finally, I learned something else about being on TV here in Augusta. But I will leave that moment on my Facebook. Make sure you read and leave your input. It would be greatly appreciated.

12 down, 1 TO GO!