Your first trip

Hotter 'n Hell 500?

 

Compton High to watch the Tarbabes play Poly in a Moore League game. That was only a 10-mile trip.

The first out-of-town trip was to Antelope Valley to watch L.B. Wilson and Quartz Hill in a CIF playoff football game.

 

My first trip as part of my college paper was North Little Rock to cover the SEC women's basketball tournament. The drive up there and back took longer than Alabama's stay there.

Two things I learned: I-40 between Memphis and Little Rock is the most wretched, packed stretch of interstate in the country. I was lucky to do about 55 or so.

As Lt. Dan said, "I've been through Little Rock. It's a fine town...." ;D

 

I heard he was willing to fly ... Qantas. And that he'd get real cranky if he missed Wapner. Is that true?

 

No. Know a guy who competes in that every year, but I've never watched it. And I don't think this guy will ever make it to France either.
Was there for a hgh school football game.

 

New York City for the Big East basketball tournament. Paper paid for the room for two of us, but we had a few other guys tag along and sleep on the floor.

Two weeks later, Nashville for the NCAA tournament. Not sure I should tell all of that story, but if anybody knows anything about Printer's Alley, that's where the photog and I ended up. Intersting place. ;D

 

Oh yeah, I'm aware of it...

Won't share??? Can you provide a PG version?

 

Girls state basketball tournament. Austin, Texas.

It was 1982. Team I was covering won state, so I was there for three days or something.

I came. I saw. I went to Sixth Street.

Driving down I-35 on a chilly March day, I heard the radio playing "Soul Man" by The Blues Brothers. I had a weird feeling about it. "Briefcase Full of Blues" came out a few years earlier.

The song ended. The dude came on the air and said, "John Belushi, dead at 33."

Man that sucked.

 

In college I went to Iowa to cover volleyball NCAAs. I stayed at a Days Inn. For some reason the concept of deadline escaped me and I meandered back to my hotel at 9:30 to write. Got done around 11:30, I believe our deadlines were usually 11. My ed didn't say anything but I'm sure he wondered what the hell was wrong with me. I was rather clueless. Luckily my deadline apathy didn't become a habit ... it would be hard to keep a job with that trait.

 

My first driving road trip was also to a college football game in Florence, Ala.

My first flying trip? I forget. Maybe Des Moines for a USAT cover story on girls basketball.

 

First road trip was to L.A. for a Pac-10 football game at the Coliseum.

I had to file four stories -- I got two out in the press box before they started clearing. I had to drive to a better area (anyone who's been to the Coliseum knows) with WiFi to get the rest of my stuff out.

 

Come on, Adel's not all bad. They have King Frog there!