To quote one of the greatest movies ever, "I have long feared that my sins would return to haunt me, and the cost is more than I can bear." In the movie, that cost ends up being Maximus' wife and child. No one should have to go through that. In the movie, you believe Maximus to be a good man. He seems noble, even willing to return Rome should he be allowed to "conquer" it. But who really knows what he was like. I know the movie is fictitious, but it makes you wonder.
Well, I recently had something similar happen to me. Without going into to too much detail, one of my best friends completely pulled the rug out from under me in a variety of ways. I couldn't believe that someone that I cared so much about, and who cared about me, could just pretend like I didn't exist. It hurt. But it also got me thinking. What have I done? And the answer is a lot. For that I am sorry. I took this person for granted, wasn't completely honest, and at times, and wasn't probably the type of friend worthy of the "best friend" label.
I have apologized, and am almost thankful. I hope that I never treat this person like I did again. Hopefully, I didn't realize this too late.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Working In Baseball
I have the fortunate opportunity to work in both something that I am passionate about, as well as got a college degree in. I have always had a love for sports since I was barely old enough to walk. this love was developed by my grandfather. Despite my lack of knowledge, or the presence of a game of Jeapardy on tv, Grandpa would always change to whatever sporting event might be on and help educate me as to what was going on.
Because of my Grandpa, I am where I am today. I started off going to college to be a sports broadcaster. That changed after I transferred to WSU from WWU. I was .4 credits short of junior standing, and getting into all the communication pre-requisite classes. But I didn't give up hope. The communications department at WSU requires a minor. And since I wanted to do sports broadcasting, I decided that sport management would be an excellent choice. It was about this time that a few things happened. I learned that I wasn't quite ruthless enough to be a broadcast journalist, I really liked the sport management classes, they made sense, and I was pretty good at it. I also learned that there is more to life than just going to school and working. There are plenty of growth opportunities in other areas. So after a year at WSU, I switched my major to Sport Management, and picked up my communications minor.
After finishing classes in December of 2005, I took an internship with the College World Series of Omaha. It was amazing. Being in that atmosphere was fantastic. The internship showed me three things, that I loved baseball, that I enjoyed event planning, and that I wasn't quite ready to leave school. So after Omaha, I started graduate school at the University of Illinois. Here I discovered that my passion for baseball was very strong and I got very curious as to what it would be like to work in baseball. So what did I do? I packed up my truck and drove to Nashville, Tennessee for the 2007 Baseball Winter Meetings. In Nashville, I interview with several teams and got offered three positions. I accepted the one that paid the least, but would provide the most experience. I took a job as an account executive with the Jacksonville Suns. After nine months with the Suns, I learned three things. I loved baseball, I loved working in baseball, and I missed the Northwest. So what did I do? Packed up and moved back home.
Upon returning to Spokane, I had the amazing fortune of getting hired as the Assistant General Manager of the Spokane RiverHawks. The RiverHawks are a summer collegiate wood bat baseball team. People ask me what I do, and I tell them "I work in baseball." Their response? "That is awesome. What do you do?" The answer? What don't I do.
Working in baseball is not just putting a team on the field, selling tickets, or running on-field promotions, it is all of them. And more. It is trying to sell sponsorships, which is basically trying to get companies to give you money to advertise to the audience at the game. It is dealing with the high-rollers and catering to their every whim, all while making the average fan feel like a high roller. It's trying to orchestrate concessions, tickets, game operations, and fan experience while making it look flawless and easy. It's making 50 calls to get one group of 50 people to book an outing. It is pretending that plans A, B, C weren't good enough, and having to go with plan D. Even though plan D is the biggest headache. It is getting to watch an exciting finish to America's past time on a warm summer night, with a cold hot dog, warm pop, sore feet, and shirt that looks it has been raining. When in fact, it hasn't rained in two week. It is knowing that at the end of the day, there is no where you would rather be.
I love baseball. And I love working in baseball.
Because of my Grandpa, I am where I am today. I started off going to college to be a sports broadcaster. That changed after I transferred to WSU from WWU. I was .4 credits short of junior standing, and getting into all the communication pre-requisite classes. But I didn't give up hope. The communications department at WSU requires a minor. And since I wanted to do sports broadcasting, I decided that sport management would be an excellent choice. It was about this time that a few things happened. I learned that I wasn't quite ruthless enough to be a broadcast journalist, I really liked the sport management classes, they made sense, and I was pretty good at it. I also learned that there is more to life than just going to school and working. There are plenty of growth opportunities in other areas. So after a year at WSU, I switched my major to Sport Management, and picked up my communications minor.
After finishing classes in December of 2005, I took an internship with the College World Series of Omaha. It was amazing. Being in that atmosphere was fantastic. The internship showed me three things, that I loved baseball, that I enjoyed event planning, and that I wasn't quite ready to leave school. So after Omaha, I started graduate school at the University of Illinois. Here I discovered that my passion for baseball was very strong and I got very curious as to what it would be like to work in baseball. So what did I do? I packed up my truck and drove to Nashville, Tennessee for the 2007 Baseball Winter Meetings. In Nashville, I interview with several teams and got offered three positions. I accepted the one that paid the least, but would provide the most experience. I took a job as an account executive with the Jacksonville Suns. After nine months with the Suns, I learned three things. I loved baseball, I loved working in baseball, and I missed the Northwest. So what did I do? Packed up and moved back home.
Upon returning to Spokane, I had the amazing fortune of getting hired as the Assistant General Manager of the Spokane RiverHawks. The RiverHawks are a summer collegiate wood bat baseball team. People ask me what I do, and I tell them "I work in baseball." Their response? "That is awesome. What do you do?" The answer? What don't I do.
Working in baseball is not just putting a team on the field, selling tickets, or running on-field promotions, it is all of them. And more. It is trying to sell sponsorships, which is basically trying to get companies to give you money to advertise to the audience at the game. It is dealing with the high-rollers and catering to their every whim, all while making the average fan feel like a high roller. It's trying to orchestrate concessions, tickets, game operations, and fan experience while making it look flawless and easy. It's making 50 calls to get one group of 50 people to book an outing. It is pretending that plans A, B, C weren't good enough, and having to go with plan D. Even though plan D is the biggest headache. It is getting to watch an exciting finish to America's past time on a warm summer night, with a cold hot dog, warm pop, sore feet, and shirt that looks it has been raining. When in fact, it hasn't rained in two week. It is knowing that at the end of the day, there is no where you would rather be.
I love baseball. And I love working in baseball.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Apple Cup 2008
I had the privlege this weekend of traversing the lovely Highway 195 from Spokane to Pullman for the best worst football game ever. Not only were both teams terrible coming into the game, neither team had a win. Yes, WSU did beat Portland State, but so could UW. Therefore, it doesn't count. I also decided to brave the highway at two-thirty in the morning after getting off work at the Double Dribble. I got into Pullman about 4 am, grabbed a power-nap and was ready to have my adventure.
The morning started at about 8:30 when I began receiving all sorts of text messages from various people wanting to know what my plans were. I still had no idea. I set out into my personal Disney Land known as Pullman. And yes, The Roto is still my Space Mountain. Our adventure began at the "boys house" which was full of the usual Saturday morning leftover. Empty beer cans, half-drank beer cans, and some feeling-very-lucky Keystone Light cans. I don't know if they survived the weekend. After a brief stop, we were off again to the mysterious area (To most undergrads) known as the Field House. I will pass on that in the future. I decided that I didn't want to be crammed in with everyone, and made my way to Valhalla for a pre-game pitcher of cold, refreshing, Busch Light (Yes, this blog is available for sponsorship).
At about 11:50 I rendezvoused with Megan, and we made our way into the game. I then proceeded to the 35-yard line and met up some old friends from undergrad. Same seats as back in the day. Good times. I stayed here for the first quarter, before moving to the alumni side. This side was always an anomaly to us students. I now understand it a little more. Alumni understand how to better watch a football game, and it is not required to stand and yell seemingly witty things. We made it to half time, before deciding it was time to get food, and maybe find a warmer spot to watch the game. Back to Valhalla.
Valhalla was everything I needed it to be. I got some beer, and a burger and fries (Thanks Megan). Here I was able to watch the game in relative warmth, and surrounded by other Cougs. Fantastic. Except for the idiot that kept yelling Go Cougs. If you want to yell like that...go to the stadium. They can't hear you through the TV. This was another chance to catch up with long lost friends. Which was fantastic. Watching several UW field goals miss, I thought, we have a chance. And we did. I won't call it an upset, even though we were underdogs, I will take it however. Seeing the missed field goals, the ability to not play defense in the last second of the game, and their mysterious ability to get a first down, the Huskies Coug'd it in the 2008 Apple. I don't know what is better than the Huskies Coug'n It. Except that the phrase "Coug'n It" be changed to "Dawg'n It".
After the game I hung around Valhalla, had a few celebratory drinks, and it was back on the road for the return trip to Spokane, and back to work at the Dribble. What a great weekend. Thank you Paul Wulff and the 2008 Cougars for one the more memorable season in WSU football season history. We avoided the "worst team in the nation" tag, and put the nail in the coffin for the worst season in the University of Washington's distinguished history.
The morning started at about 8:30 when I began receiving all sorts of text messages from various people wanting to know what my plans were. I still had no idea. I set out into my personal Disney Land known as Pullman. And yes, The Roto is still my Space Mountain. Our adventure began at the "boys house" which was full of the usual Saturday morning leftover. Empty beer cans, half-drank beer cans, and some feeling-very-lucky Keystone Light cans. I don't know if they survived the weekend. After a brief stop, we were off again to the mysterious area (To most undergrads) known as the Field House. I will pass on that in the future. I decided that I didn't want to be crammed in with everyone, and made my way to Valhalla for a pre-game pitcher of cold, refreshing, Busch Light (Yes, this blog is available for sponsorship).
At about 11:50 I rendezvoused with Megan, and we made our way into the game. I then proceeded to the 35-yard line and met up some old friends from undergrad. Same seats as back in the day. Good times. I stayed here for the first quarter, before moving to the alumni side. This side was always an anomaly to us students. I now understand it a little more. Alumni understand how to better watch a football game, and it is not required to stand and yell seemingly witty things. We made it to half time, before deciding it was time to get food, and maybe find a warmer spot to watch the game. Back to Valhalla.
Valhalla was everything I needed it to be. I got some beer, and a burger and fries (Thanks Megan). Here I was able to watch the game in relative warmth, and surrounded by other Cougs. Fantastic. Except for the idiot that kept yelling Go Cougs. If you want to yell like that...go to the stadium. They can't hear you through the TV. This was another chance to catch up with long lost friends. Which was fantastic. Watching several UW field goals miss, I thought, we have a chance. And we did. I won't call it an upset, even though we were underdogs, I will take it however. Seeing the missed field goals, the ability to not play defense in the last second of the game, and their mysterious ability to get a first down, the Huskies Coug'd it in the 2008 Apple. I don't know what is better than the Huskies Coug'n It. Except that the phrase "Coug'n It" be changed to "Dawg'n It".
After the game I hung around Valhalla, had a few celebratory drinks, and it was back on the road for the return trip to Spokane, and back to work at the Dribble. What a great weekend. Thank you Paul Wulff and the 2008 Cougars for one the more memorable season in WSU football season history. We avoided the "worst team in the nation" tag, and put the nail in the coffin for the worst season in the University of Washington's distinguished history.
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Leadoff
There is a good chance that if you are reading this one of two things is true. You either know me, or you have figured out that I like baseball. It's true I do. But I promise that I am not one-dimensional, and am quite capable of carrying on educated conversations about movies, politics, and where belly button lint comes from. Just ask.
I never really understood what blogs were all about until the other day when I was wandering through downtown Spokane and had a thought, but realized I had no one to share it with. What was that thought? Well, here it goes:
I was headed to the downtown OZ Fitness gym to get my nightly workout on. This facility is located across from River Park Square, right above P.F. Chang's. (On a side note, who builds a gym over a P.F. Chang's?) As you might have guessed, this facility is located on the second floor. That means that you have three options to get there: a) The stairs b) The elevator c) The skybridge from River Park Sqaure.
What do most people choose? The elevator. People, you're going to work out. Use the stairs. You're going to go exercise. God forbid that you burn extra calories during the day. That would only enhance your results from your workouts. That makes zero sense. Kind of like going to McDonald's and getting a Number One Supersized, with a diet Coke.
I never really understood what blogs were all about until the other day when I was wandering through downtown Spokane and had a thought, but realized I had no one to share it with. What was that thought? Well, here it goes:
I was headed to the downtown OZ Fitness gym to get my nightly workout on. This facility is located across from River Park Square, right above P.F. Chang's. (On a side note, who builds a gym over a P.F. Chang's?) As you might have guessed, this facility is located on the second floor. That means that you have three options to get there: a) The stairs b) The elevator c) The skybridge from River Park Sqaure.
What do most people choose? The elevator. People, you're going to work out. Use the stairs. You're going to go exercise. God forbid that you burn extra calories during the day. That would only enhance your results from your workouts. That makes zero sense. Kind of like going to McDonald's and getting a Number One Supersized, with a diet Coke.
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