I love this stuff

Congrats, spud. I'll always remember, as a college freshman stringing a Colts game for the first time, how intimidated I was to actual be part of the NFL experience. I tried to interview Gary Hogeboom (god, I sound old), but I'm not sure he heard me, given I was so nervous I could barely speak. Fortunately, he was nice about it.

Anyway, my advice is, when the business gives you the business, when you're spending that five hours trying to get five minutes ahead of the competition on some backup kicker's hamstring injury, when you're on the road so much you're turning off the Spectravision because you've seen everything on it, remember that feeling. If you can still summon it, that's wonderful. If it's dead and buried, you might want to think about leaving the business for good, or taking a hiatus until it comes back.

 

Perhaps it's because of his screenname, but I can relate. I still get pretty excited about covering a big event or inteviewing an important person.

The job is still fun for me -- granted it's much different for me than it was just a few years ago -- but it's still fun. I still get excited when I'm asked to cover a world cup speed skating competition because the other writers roll their eyes at it. I enjoy being asked to cover arena football. And I even enjoy being asked to take non-santioned high school lacrosse and hockey under my wings for monthly features and season previews.

And, I guess, I'm glad my beats don't include the high pressure ones that are more work than the average joe realizes.

but, yes. I remember going to my first NBA game and covering my first world record pole vault. Good times.

 

First big-time interview was Nolan Ryan, then with the Astros, in the visitors dugout at Dodger Stadium for a feature. Second person I talked to at the game was Don Sutton, in his last pro season. Interviewed two Hall of Fame pitchers within an hour of each other, not bad.

Spud, enjoy the feeling of what you've done, but know there's much more to it than just being there.

 

I covered both games.

 

Spud -- You revived some long-lost memories and feelings of the first time I was in a big-time pressbox, around 35 years ago. So thanks.

Of course, I also remember that at that game (it was at the Cotton Bowl, but for a regular-season game), a writer sitting two seats down from me slumped out of his chair and died of a heart attack. That probably should have been a warning, but I was too dumb to heed it.

 

i know what you guys mean about the empty stadium but for me the moving part was when the place was packed. i still remember standing on the sideline of an nfl game with three minutes left and being blown away by (1) how unbelievably fast the players move when you're 10 yards away (2) the chaos on the sideline and (3) the 65,000 fans screaming at me (well, not at me, but in my general direction). that was when i felt what spud describes.

i also used to get chills when the crowd noise was so loud you couldn't hear the press box phone ring even though it was on the table right in front of you. you had to put your hand on it to feel the vibration.

 

Leo, that moment for me was after the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in Game 7 of the World Series. Being on the field afterward and listening to the crowd was just amazing.

 

The empty stadium thing rules. When I was in college at LSU in the late 90s, they'd leave the gates to Tiger Stadium open all the time at night. It was awesome to just go in and sit in the stands for a while and take in the enormity of the place. It was so big that it blocked out all the lights from the city and was probably one of the few places in Baton Rouge where you could see the stars.

A few years later, I covered an Ole Miss-Florida game in Oxford and got to really take in the full-stadium experience for the first time. I lingered on the sideline for the first few minutes of the game (until the SID gave me a not-so-friendly warning to get my ass up in the pressbox) and just took it all in.
Also got to see the last half of a slapfight between the Ole Miss and Florida cheerleaders, which was incredible. Missed the first half because the Florida cheerleaders dropped their flag on my head.

 

I've been on the field at Wrigley a few times prior to games. I agree, there's no feeling like it in the world.

 

first year safeco was in existence, just got done with a one-on-one with ripken. walked out of visitor's clubhouse, through dugout onto field. couldn't help but walk up the hill and take a good look around.

even though i was the same bitter fuck i am now, still brought a smile to my face ... once i climbed into my truck.

 

I happen to do what is pretty much my dream job as far as the team and sport I cover. And going into the press box each game, with the windows open and the crowd cheering, absolutely positively NEVER gets old.