I was inoculated with Purple at age 1 when my oldest sister enrolled as a freshman at K-State. Some of my earliest sports memories include watching homecoming football games at Memorial Stadium and listening to WIBW broadcast K-State basketball games. The one fly in the ointment was that my local television station only broadcast basketball featuring the WSU Shockers.

For years I was mad at WSU and the TV station because when I wanted to see Purple, the only color available was Yellow.

Then, as irony would have it, I was hired to teach at WSU, had Shocker athletes in class, and discovered I could cheer for both teams.

One semester, star basketball players Cliff Levingston and Ozell Jones enrolled in my Comm 111 class. Even though they could make dazzling plays in front of screaming fans, the idea of giving speeches made them very uncomfortable.

In fact, Ozell kept telling me he thought he might faint. At 6’11”, Ozell would have wiped out the first row of students if he had carried out his threat.

At the end of that year, Ozell transferred to Cal State Fullerton when he and WSU lost a lawsuit against the NCAA. He left the same time I had baby #2, so I lost track of him until I saw a very small article about him in the Eagle.

Ozell Jones, a 6-foot-11 center who played on the Wichita State basketball team that reached the Elite Eight in 1981, was killed by a gunshot on Thursday in Lancaster, Calif.

The Los Angeles Daily News reported Monday that LA County Sheriff's Department homicide detectives are investigating.

Jones, 45, played two seasons at WSU before being ruled ineligible by the NCAA late in the 1980-81 season because of an irregularity with his high school transcript. He didn't play in the Shockers' 1981 NCAA run, then transferred to Cal State-Fullerton.

Joining the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, he averaged 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in the 1984-85 season, then played briefly the next season for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Jones, originally from Long Beach, Calif., ran a big and tall men's clothing store in LA, one of his sisters told the Daily News. He is survived by his wife, Daphney; his mother and three sisters.

For more, check Wednesday's Eagle.

Published in Wichita Eagle on September 12, 2006

While I never learned if the shooter was caught, I did learn that school colors don’t matter—people do.

Wichita Eagle Reality Check

This was my second trip to the Eagle and I was over the glitz and glamour that I felt on my last visit. This visit just ensured me that I want to write about sports for the rest of my life, couldn't even imagine doing anything else.

Although the road to being a successful journalist seems gloomy right now, I have high hopes that things will get better. People love sport's and its something that won't be going away anytime soon.

This was Kirk Smirnoffs very first sports writing job and I definitley feel he is so lucky to have gotten the oppertunity to be where he is...it's my ideal job! He gave us some very useful tips on being good sports writers. First step to writing a good story, ask yourself: "Is this approach interesting?" He also told us to be careful with word usage and elminate the word "or" as much as humanly possible.

I thought it was neat to see the whole Eagle and see where the writers work. I enjoyed our speakers and am looking forward to reading more stories in the Eagle. :)

Squish the squasher

I played baseball collegiality and bowled for my university for a semester, and though I'm laid back in my everyday life, I'm somewhat of a balls-to-the-wall a$$hole when it comes to competition (ironically, one of my most memorable a$$holish athletic moments, when I broke a kid's jaw with a high and tight heater, was an honest accident). Most of the time I keep that intensity inside, tucking it in gently somewhere between my cerebellum and my pride. Occasionally, however, that ravenous misfit finds his way out in the form of fist pumps and sounds like "Oh yeah," "hell yes," and other various sayings that might be mistaken for another, non-athletic activity if one had their eyes closed. Unfortunately, it's the curse of the competitor. With that said, I have never, ever got this testosteroney before: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/22/trinity-college-squash-wa_n_472073.html .

If you read the articles about this squash match, you'll learn that the smaller fella actually started the taunting. Taken out of context, it looks like Goliath is about to eviscerate, emasculate, and necromate his tiny competitor. Since I blew the sinew out of my shoulder, I haven't been able to take the mound, so I've found another athletic endeavor: racquetball. It's a great workout and an absolute blast when you play someone within your skill-level. It is also very similar to squash. But to me, a competitor in everything from basketball to Scrabble, this Trinity squasher is two racquets short of a restraining order. I love racquetball, but its not the type of sport where one's masculinity should show on the outside; it's a game of touch and placement, more than just a tribute to the brute strength of a good ole fashioned pi$$ing contest. Perhaps it's because I just started playing three years ago, but to me, Goliath needs to check his jockeys. Hopefully, David's slingshot sails low next time.

March means three things. College basketball, baseball and warm weather. Thank goodness for all of them. After a grueling basketball season, teams battle for conference championships and top seeds in the NCAA bracket. Spring training leads to games and warm weather means I can get rid of my cabin fever.

March madness is always so exciting. The matchups of teams, the upsets and the do-or-die attitude makes the rest of the season seem too long. Don't get me wrong, conference play is rich with rivalry, and there is always a chance for an upset. However, we don't make brackets and spend three hours a day checking them when we're supposed to be working. Besides, we want to see who the next NCAA basketball championship will belong to. I've already been invited to join a few pools, but need to raise a little more dough before I commit.

Baseball at WSU is perhaps one of the most awesome things at this school. We are blessed enough to have talented teams year after year. We seem to be in the national spotlight througout the season, but this year it's different. This year we make the TOURNAMENT! That's how I know WSU has a winning baseball tradition, because year after year we can say that. Eck Stadium, Tyler Field, The Hill, WSU baseball, I can't wait.

Which leads me to the weather. Please no rain-outs, or snow-outs for that matter. The weather in Wichita, as we all know, can suck. I want to set up my chair and kick back. Beer in one hand and hot dog in the other with the sunshine beaming on my face. I want to watch WSU win and in my excitement give a buddy a hot dog high-five to the face. Is 60 degrees too much to ask for?

Come on Spring

Just a random pick me up for the day....Anyone else ready for Spring and Shocker BASEBALL?

All this talk about the Shockers being pretty good this year mixed with this weather is making me want Spring to get here as quickly as possible. Not to mention it means the oh so needed Spring Break. A break from classes, a little bit warmer weather and baseball season.... Spring where are you?!?

Titanic match-up #2?

Stop the presses! Hockey is now popular in the United States. The U.S. Olympic hockey team is on a hot streak and people are taking notice. They are the hottest team in the Olympic hockey tournament right now... except for maybe Canada.

These two nations are bitter rivals in hockey and after the U.S. beat the Canadians in pool play, this rivalry has been turned up a notch, and perhaps on a collision course for the gold medal game.

The Americans are undefeated in the tournament and goaltender Ryan Miller is perhaps the best in the tournament. The Canadians are coming off dismantling the gold medal favorites, Russia last night.

Each team has to win there semifinal games tomorrow, but this the mere thought of this titanic match-up has hockey fans, like myself, salivating. Go USA and go Canada!

Reaction to Wichita Eagle

This is the third or fourth time I have made a trip to The Eagle. However, this was the first time I went there to visit the sports department. Even though I have worked for the WSU baseball team for the past four years, this was the first time I have met Kurt Seminoff. They in the Wichita Eagle sports department are very blunt about the sports writing industry, and I appreciate that.

There is a lot of doom and gloom in the newspaper industry and they made no bones about it. I appreciate that they told us we had better want to be sportswriters real bad and be willing to pay our dues. The truth is even though I don't plan on getting into the newspaper industry, this is true in television as well. This has given me a lot to think about in regards to how much I really want to get into this business.

Help us, Admiral Ackbar. You're our only hope.

I assume most of you saw this already, but there's absolutely no way I'm going to let it go by without making sure.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that students at Ole Miss are making a strong push to install Admiral Ackbar as their next mascot. Yes, the red squid-looking guy from Star Wars.

Apparently, students at the university voted recently to find a mascot to replace "Colonel Reb," who was removed from on-field activities seven years ago by the school. Since Mississippi's sports teams are still known as the Rebels, they're going to need... um... another rebel to take the Colonel's place. Naturally, thoughts turned to the guy(?) who led the Rebel Alliance to victory in the Battle of Endor. Makes perfect sense.

Really, now, come on. Who DOESN'T love Admiral Ackbar? No one, that's who. And if you say you don't, I know you're lying. (I might believe you if you say you don't know who he is. Might.)

Well, everyone except Jim Rome. I assume his head is exploding right now. I've never heard anyone who claims to hate Star Wars talk about it as much as he does.

But let the kids have their fun. I think we can all pretty much agree that this will never happen, if not because it's absurd then because George Lucas will try to charge the university some obscene licensing fee that they won't pay, and that will be that. Still, though, we can dream...

Lane Kiffin Loves Middle Schoolers

Believe me, I know. I know the title makes it sound like Lane Kiffin is a pedophile, but his obsession with middle-school kids is bordering on absurd. Here's a little background: At Tennessee, Kiffin offered eighth-grade football player Evan Berry. Berry is the younger brother of former Tennessee All-American safety Eric Berry and, even as a middle-school kid, showed lots of promise on the football field. But...oh yeah, he was 14 at the time.

Now Kiffin, who said he was done with his attention-grabbing antics when he was hired as the head man at USC, is at it again. On February 5th, 13-year-old (yes, you did read that right) quarterback David Sills committed to USC immediately after being offered a scholarship by Kiffin. Recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron, defensive coordinator (and Lane's father) Monte Kiffin, and another member of the USC staff sat alongside Kiffin as he sold the bony, physically immature seventh-grader on being a Trojan. And, of course, the flattered kid accepted.

Now, once again, this kid shows a lot of promise. He works with quarterback guru extraordinaire Steve Clarkson, who also trained the likes of Matt Barkley and Jimmy Clausen. The kid has great technique, but...he probably doesn't even has chest hair yet. Only time will tell if he sticks to his verbal commitment and becomes a great quarterback; but in the meantime, check out this kid's highlight tape.

(Yes, you read that right. The thirteen-year-old kid already has a highlight video.)

Judge for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUb8F8Ltru0&feature=related

Eagle Trip

After having covered sports for five-six years, and after sharing many an interview with other reporters, it's amazing to me just how universal the typical sports journalist can be. While there have been variations, its seems like there are two types: laid-back, and frantic. I know there are exceptions, and I'm not pigeon-holing those who work in the industry, but, from my experience, it really is quite astonishing how many fall into these parameters. Those at the Eagle seemed to follow that as well: both seemed cool, even-keel personalities, who could, on occasion, let evildoers know exactly what they think of them. While neither Kirk nor Tom came off as brash or skullcrushing, I could see them laying into the occasional wayward reporter or tardy correspondent.

There wasn't anything truly ground-breaking with what the two of them were saying, but then again, is there anyone out there who really thought the industry is growing? Doubtful. So I appreciated what the two of them had to say. While I do not plan on resuming my career as a full-time sports editor, it's good to know that that option is still out there, in terms of smaller papers. I have worked for an Eagle-sized paper, an El Dorado-sized paper, and a Po Dunk-sized paper, and to me, the most reward came from the latter two. So hell yes, take that job if it's offered. The smaller town stories are just as compelling, if not more so. Of course it would be amazing to cover the Cubs, but what are the chances of that happening? I'm just glad Tom and Kirk didn't blow smoke.

Wichita Eagle

I have toured the Eagle before with other classes, but that's all they were. A quick walk through. A viewing of the different work areas in the news room. A brief sit down in the conference room to hear how the Monday paper is barely put together. A single file line lead us past the print machines and out the back door.

Tom Seales And Kirk Seminoff, really made the trip worth while. They were direct and informative about the status of the newspaper industry. I found their advice on reporting to be educational. It defenitely changed the way I read the sports section. Before,I would read the articles for an update on scores. Now, I try and find the angle the writer was going for and the style each reporter carries.


I felt like Kirk and Tom got along well, and all I could think about was ESPN and how the sports castors feed off each other on air. It seems in the world of sports, with so many topics to cover,it is essential that there be an open atmosphere. I found it humorous looking at the desks of the reporters, and thinking, for once my work desk looks more organized than someone elses.

Basketball's Next Doogie Howser

Kids grow up so fast these days.

One minute they’re 14, shooting hoops in the driveway after school. Before you know it, they’re being offered scholarships to Division I universities.

Unless of course you’re Jahil Okafor, then you’re doing both.

Okafor was recently offered a scholarship to play basketball at DePaul University in 2014.

Problem is, Okafor hasn’t even passed eighth grade yet.

At 6’7, and according to his doctor, on track to be 7’3 by the time he’s fully grown, Okafor is obviously built for career in basketball.

But does that make him ripe for college recruitment?

According to the Blue Demons’ head coach Tracy Webster, yes. Webster was the coach that gave Okafor the formal offer, which the family declined, because, well, he’s 14.

But I don’t applaud his family yet. They may have turned down one offer, but I can already the dollar signs in their eyes.

Soon, Duke will call. And North Carolina. And the NBA.

His parents are currently shopping around for a high school in the Chicago area. More than likely, they will choose a school known for its basketball program, not its academic recognition, which at the prep level is ridiculous.

The same will likely happen in college, if Okafor even goes.

As for Webster, I understand recruitment is a vital part of any college program, but there has to be a line drawn somewhere. When you are slumming around at junior high basketball games looking for the next big thing, you’ve gone to far.

At the Eagle

I'm not going to go so far as to say that I was actually surprised by anything that Seminoff and Seals had to say, but two things stood out to me:

1) I appreciated how candid the two of them were about the condition of newspapers right now. And not just in an "it's obvious to everyone so we shouldn't really go through the trouble of denying it" way, but in a way that communicated that they understand that things probably aren't going to get better for newspapers, at least not in a NEWSPAPERS ARE MAKING A COMEBACK! way. The world is changing. And they seem to acknowledge that they're going to need to make adjustments to adapt, even if I wasn't convinced that they know what those adjustments are just yet. (To be fair, if they did, they'd probably be getting paid a whole lot of money by every dying newspaper in the country to fix the problems.) At any rate, they're not fooling themselves, and they weren't trying to fool us.

2) In what's becoming a common theme (if a common theme can develop after two whole weeks of guest speakers), Seminoff and Seals made it apparent that sports journalism is a lot of hard work. A LOT of hard work. If one is going into the field, one had better really enjoy it, because it's a major time commitment. And not just because of having to spend time watching games, going to press conferences, and pounding out stories before the next morning, but also because it takes a good amount of mental energy and creativity to keep stories fresh and interesting. It's always been fascinating to me how good sports writers can make game stories engaging when they're basically doing the same thing over and over and over again for each game. I'm glad they addressed that.

Wichita Eagle Reaction

Despite my tardiness (sorry Les), I really enjoyed the trip to the Eagle last Thursday. Hearing from Kirk Seminoff and Tom Seales was informative and relaxed. The tour of the newsroom was also interesting.

Having never been to the Eagle, or any other newsroom for that matter, I was not completely sure what to expect. Call me naive, but I thought it might be something like the LA Times newsroom in the Soloist: chaotic, cramped, and messy. It was two out of those three for sure, and I can imagine that closer to deadline time, it is quite chaotic. I also enjoyed seeing Bob Lutz the day after he got ripped by Gregg Marshall and replied with his column. I wanted to go up and give him a high-five, simply because I like to see a writer stand up for himself every once in awhile.

The discussion with Tom Seales and Kirk Seminoff was also pretty cool. They were honest, sarcastic, and didn't polish up the current state of journalism. Their story about the former sports writer at the Eagle who had to switch departments was a good way to show the flexibility that is probably necessary in today's newspaper world. I also liked how they talked about their struggle with the sharing of Kellis Robinett and J. Brady McCullough with the Kansas City Star. Being a Kansas City person(and a K-State football fan), I recognized what was going on pretty quickly after it happened. I'm kind of curious how commonplace that is in the sports world in general or if that's a direction things are heading. Are beat writers for teams going to be sharing their content with multiple news outlets often now? I sure hope not, but I don't know the answer.

Overall, it was a great trip and very informative.

Clemson goes yard in class department

One of our bloggers, Becky Nordyke, the ever-present K-State fan, showed me this story. All university athletic departments and PR folks should read it.

Posted by John Taylor on February 4, 2010 2:07 PM ET

There are a lot of things to not like about the game of college football sometimes. From shady recruiting tactics to Lane Kiffin (wait, is that redundant?) to the BCS to the NCAA itself, there are a plethora of things to bitch about when it comes to the sport this Web site covers.

Then you stumble across a story like the one we are about to post, and it makes you realize that, more than some would care to admit, there are some really good people involved in the game at the collegiate level.

Back in December, linebacker Jake Nicolopulos, a Clemson verbal commitment since February 2009, suffered a stroke, which made it likely that the high schooler would never be able to play football again.

Fast forward two months, and Nicolopulos faxed Clemson his signed letter of intent. And the university will honor it.

That's right, a player who likely will never step on the field for the Tigers will be on scholarship and receive a college education because of some very classy people at the university. This move is not a surprise to those in the program because Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips told head coach Dabo Swinney shortly after the stroke that the school would honor the scholarship.

"This is realized dream for him that he achieved, that he earned," said one observer close to the situation. "God had a little bit of a different plan for him. But I don't have doubt at all Jake Nicolopulos will make an impact at Clemson."

Speaking of impact, what the people at Clemson did for this teenager and his family should be roundly and loudly applauded, and serve as a reminder that, regardless of how cynical we all are, there are indeed some very classy people in the game.

Wichita Eagle

Although it is somewhat of a rival organization (thanks Les for ruining my anonymity behind enemy lines) I enjoyed the trip to the Eagle.

Sports departments are truly a separate entity from news. In my experience at KWCH, everyone from sports to news has a much more lighthearted attitude than you would think. But in news, I think it is more of a defense mechanism. Joking around becomes the way of dealing with all the generally horrible things you have to report on daily.

Kirk Seminoff and Tom Seales attitudes reflected the laid back nature of a sports department. When the big news of the day is not a rape/murder of a teenager, but rather a coach blaming one of your columnists for booing in an arena, things at the office are pretty good.

I appreciated how they both talked about the lack of riches to be made, and that a good reporter will do a good job no matter what the subject. Kirk talked about two kinds of sports writers: those who are into sports and do it as a way to stay close, and those who are reporters who simply fell into sports as a venue to tell their stories.

I once read a boxing writer who said the key word to being a good boxing writer is the word writer, not boxing. He went on to say that too many people think that because they are knowledgeable sports fans, they would make good reporters.

I think this was Kirk and Toms' way of saying the same thing.

Again, although we work for rival organizations, I along with the rest of the Catch It Kansas staff, am a fan of Taylor and I was glad to hear the big wigs praise his writing.

Varsity Kansas used to be Joanna Chadwick and Jonathan Long. That was until Long made up a quote from Collegiate swimmer Josh Barrett without ever talking to Josh. I suspect this is the opening they were talking about. I think Taylor would fill in perfectly. He is a much better writer than Long in the first place.

On a side note, those tours make you feel like a monkey in the zoo. It was nice to be on the other end!

USA! USA! USA?

Growing up as a hispanic in Kansas, I can say that I am in an minority of hockey fans. Of course I love football like everyone else, but not as much as hockey. For my money, the Stanley Cup Playoffs make the best postseason in sports.

Living with my cousin Ryan (a Canadian whose brother actually has a maple leaf tattoo that says, "Made In Canada,") made the US, Canada Olympic hockey game on Sunday a MAJOR deal at my house. For the remainder of this story, picture Ryan decked out in an authentic No. 99 Team Canada Wayne Gretzky jersey, underneath an officially licensed Canada, Vancouver 2010 hoodie.

He, like every other Canadian, has said that there are only two medals that count in the Vancouver Olympics: mens and womens hockey gold.

Now, what made Ryan's head spin even more than the US's 5-3 win over Canada, was the fact that Canada clearly outplayed the US for the vast majority of the game. US goalie Ryan Miller simply stole it from the home team. Haha! In your face!

But the edge was soon taken off by the awful American post-game coverage of the win.

"How long before they compare it to 1980?" said Ryan, referencing the "Miracle on Ice."

Wow. Great question. There was no doubt in my mind that some ignorant, sensationalist moron would make that comparison. But surely any sports savvy journalist would see that NHL pros beating other NHL pros doesn't belong in the same breath as a group of college kids beating the best pros in the world.

But before these comparisons could be made, we must get to the fact that after losing the game, Canada would now implode.

Not Canada the hockey team, but Canada the country.

We take you live to our reporter at a Canadian sports bar for what will surely be the scene of a mass suicide.

Oops! Every single patron at the bar was singing "Oh Canada," loud and proud. Nice setup on the live shot. Truly a dark day for Canadians everywhere. And by the way, grab five random Americans off the street and I'll bet you at least three of them don't even know the words to, "The Star Spangled Banner."

Now, back to 1980.

Not even 10 minutes after the end of the third period, without even changing the channel, and here come the erroneous comparisons. Ugh.

Look, I know it was the eve of the 30-year anniversary and you desperately want to make that tie-in, but give me a break. Unlike Sunday, 1980 was the original "Pros vs. Joes." And unlike Sunday, the US win was in an elimination game.

We are joined now by Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 US hockey team, and game-winning goal scorer against the Soviets.

Mike, how does this win compare?

Well guys, it really doesn't. But thanks for marginalizing our accomplishment. Appreciate it.

By this point, Ryan has had a good laugh, and I no longer have a leg to stand on when it comes to rubbing it in. Not only do I know better as a sports fan, but I know better as an embarrassed part of the media that has overplayed its hand in the wake of what was a very good win.

The game was amazing. It had everything you could want, in the middle of an amazing atmosphere. I really hope a rematch in the medal round is on the horizon.

Win that game, and then we can go crazy sticking it to Canada.

Wichita Eagle visit

I've been working for the Eagle for the past four years now, so there wasn't much to be awed about going there and talking with the editors. Still, I found this trip to be very informative.

I think I have talked to my fair share of sports writers over the years and the one common thing I have heard them all say has been this: is what you are writing interesting? That is the one question you have to ask yourself when you write a story.

I pride myself in the different angles I take on boring game stories that could easily be written as a play-by-play just to get it over with it. That's what you have to do, though. I feel like the majority of my audience that will be reading my story the next day will be people that attended the game. I don't want to bore them with play by play drivel. They were there. They saw what happen. I want to tell a story they didn't know was happening.

As others have already pointed out, Kirk and Tom are very sarcastic and cynical. But that's what makes them great. It's a great environment to work in because everyone is laid-back and easy-going. Another thing I liked about what they said was about where you should try to start out. While everyone has dreams bigger than a small-town newspaper, sometimes that's where you HAVE to start out to make it.

Wichita Eagle Visit

Kirk Seminoff and Tom Seals did a good job of opening my eyes to the sports writing seen in the Wichita Eagle.

I do my fare share of watching sports, but I don’t think there is a sport that I care enough about it to get the paper just to read about it other than some shocker baseball or k-state football here and there. But after listening to Seminoff and Seals speak I might try to pick it up every once in awhile.

After listening to them speak about their jobs and what they put into the things they produce it made me wonder what kind of writers they really are. I will now be able to read through the sports sections and know the writer behind the story.

Also listening to them talk about how the world of newspapers is dwindling made me a little bit nervous about a future in journalism. Although I someday would rather write for a magazine than a newspaper it seems magazines are going in the same direction. When Tom Witherspoon came and spoke to our class he talked about VYPE making their transfer online just like the Wichita Eagle. Hopefully, for all of us writers, the print world finds a way to make a big comeback.

Wichita Eagle reaction

Tom Seals, assistant sports editor of The Wichita Eagle, and Kirk Seminoff, sports editor, spoke to our class last Thursday about the wonders of sports journalism.

These guys are cynical and sarcastic, but still really seem to love their jobs.

They are adjusting to the changes after 20-plus years in the newspaper business and are now having to think about things in a multimedia package format. They said you have to think not about great stories now, but a great product. They are now fighting what everyone in newspapers is fighting—readers that are jumping online instead of picking up the print version of the newspaper. I would imagine that for the most part people who buy the newspaper for the sports section are either 1) avid readers, 2) buying it for a special story once in a while or 3) buying it because someone they know is being featured. Everyone else is hopping online.

The Eagle has a substantial number of blogs, which I find to be more interesting and informative than most of their stories. They give me an inside look at the team and what the games mean in the broad sense without an extended play-by-play game story. I like the shorter snippets, probably because I’m not such a sports enthusiast and have trouble making sense of, and staying interested, in longer articles.

The one question they said to ask was one question I think not enough writers ask themselves with anything they write: Is my approach interesting? Too often writers just regurgitate facts onto a piece of paper, throw in some transitions and ignore the fact that it is boring drivel. They fail to ask themselves if they would even bother to read it.

It was amazing to me that as busy as he is, Kirk still reads every e-mail and responds to it. Not many professionals still take the time out of their days to do that (maybe it’s a welcome relief from reading sports, though, to get to have a take on things.)

The other point they brought up that I thought was pretty interesting is the back-and-forth between coaches and reporters. I never particularly thought about it, but it does make sense that good times for the teams usually means good times for the newspaper and its Web hits.

Overall, an interesting and thought-provoking visit.

Figure skating and eating disorders: Why is it just women?

An eating disorders specialist has said that figure skating standards lead to eating disorders among athletes.

An article published by PR Newswire Friday says that more than 80 percent of national level competitors suffer with eating disorders or serious body image issues.

Cue shock. Cue awe.

The specialist also points out that Olympic competitors in aesthetic sports such as gymnastics and figure skating have lasting physical issues from competing.

What Olympic athlete doesn’t?

I’m not saying that athletes should starve themselves for the sport, but I do think we have to acknowledge that just because these people are some of the most athletic in the world does not deem them among the healthiest.

Most Olympic track runners probably suffer from knee problems. Bobsledders can suffer from serious neck injuries. Figure skaters, who have to remain just as thin as those who dance ballet, likely will have body issues.

Many sports encourage bad training behaviors. Wrestlers from my high school ran around, dehydrated, in 100-degree heat in long-sleeved sweat suits to get down to weight for an upcoming match. They would eat cotton balls and salt in an attempt to soak up their water weight. I doubt either of these practices were particularly healthy for them.

The figure skating article discusses the increased risk of athletes being affected by anorexia and bulimia because of newer, tougher judging standards. It says they are favoring younger athletes and fostering eating disorders “…by implementing scoring standards that increasingly emphasize technically complex jumps and spins, which defy the laws of gravity. These changes inevitably favor younger competitors with pre-pubescent body shapes, and create an unlevel playing field for more mature women with fully developed hips and breasts.”

Isn’t that the case for most sports? The younger you are, and the younger you begin training, the more flexible your body is. The lighter you are, the more height you can get. But I don’t hear them complaining about different body styles at all, just eating disorders. I wonder if they are focusing on this sport in particular with eating disorders rather than looking at other sports because it has more of a focus and draw to women? It does not mention male skaters having eating disorders. Interesting.

96 Team Tournament

We're still about a month away from March Madness, but recently the subject of tournament expansion has been entering the sports media. As long as I've been watching the NCAA tournament, it's been a 64/65 team (however you choose to look at the play-in game) event, I wasn't born the last time the tournament really expanded. I certainly don't support adding 32 teams to the tournament.

To me, there's a pride in being selected to play in March Madness. There's a fairly even split between at large bids and automatic qualifiers for conference champions. Basketball certainly does a better job finding a true champion that football does. There's some special to be felt when you get invited. There are 347 NCAA Division 1 basketball programs. 65 make the tournament. That's only 18-19% of schools whose records and resumes deem them worthy of a shot. Add 31 teams to 96 and that rises to almost 28%. That's over a quarter of all teams getting a chance at the national, some who are certainly not worthy. Then, add in 32 more teams for the NIT and 16 apiece for the newer lower level tournaments and you're looking at 160 schools playing "postseason" basketball, even though three of those tournaments don't mean anything. That's 46%. Almost half.

Now, what would be the purpose of this? I'll spare you the obvious reason of money, because that's number one on the list and nobody would dispute that. Number two, I think it's because of how big time schools, for example North Carolina this year, have some down time. Right now, nobody would put UNC into the 65 team tournament. They've horribly underachieved. The selection committee would have to justify their inclusion big time if they add them this year. What if there's a 96 team tournament? A team like UNC can get in on history alone, no matter how bad their record is like this year. If UNC turns in, say a 16 loss season, the selection committee could include them for no other reason than saying "Oh, well, there's 96 spots, we just had to fill 'em."

So what do you think? Is tournament expansion a good or bad idea in your eyes? Maybe there's a compromise to be found between 65 and 96?

Witherspoon Reaction

I was so impressed and shocked at the same time. First off, I feel horrible for not really knowing anything about VYPE, but since class last week, I have since found and read VYPE (found it at Dillions) and also read it online the archives. I've been impressed by what I have read so far.

For only being local, this magazine sure has a lot to offer in photos, print, and details alone. Editor-in-chief, Tom Witherspoon, has been with the magazine since it's first issue came out back in 2007. Tom worked with the Eagle proir to VYPE and honestley, he had my undivided attention from the second he told us he was an alumni of Notre Dame. Notre Dame was my dream school and I was so jealous when he said he went there. I LOVE Notre Dame...GO IRISH! :)

I really thought his speech was greatly informative because I had no idea what a niche magazine was. I like that its not a typical magazine and that it covers south central Kansas specifically. It sounds like an ideal and fun job, but a ton of work, considering its a small staff size and the fact that you are the editor, writer, photographer..etc.

Tom gave us some really helpful tips and I thought they were really useful and vital to any journalist. First, you have to have skills. So basically, if you can't write, you are in the wrong profession. Second tip, caring about my subject and having a genuine interest in my subject/topic. Both very good tips.

Tom did a great job and I am looking forward to reading the next issue! :)

Wichita Eagle Visit

Maybe it's just because I'm from a small town, but I was very impressed with today's trip to The Eagle. I felt like Kirk and Tom were really knowledgeable and it was great to hear about all their experience. They also seemed to really enjoy speaking to our class, which impressed me as well. Some people aren't so friendly when they have to take time out of their day.

The thing I liked best about visiting with Kirk and Tom was their honesty. I think most of us already know as we've studied journalism that it's not exactly an industry you're going to strike it rich in. While we already know this, I think it's important that Kirk and Tom didn't just sit there and sugar coat it, they reinforced what we already knew. But we all have a passion for it and you can tell they do it. In order to do what they've done for so long and recognize they're not going to get rich but still do it and push others to get into the profession, you know they love what they do. Seeing the news room was also a really cool environment for me, I've never had the chance to experience something like that.

Finally, I'd have to say that I really enjoy The Eagle's sports section. I grew up reading The Salina Journal so seeing a bigger market paper like The Eagle is cool for me. I think they cover everything the area is interested in. It's also nice to have a figure like Bob Lutz writing columns for the paper because everyone you talk to has an opinion about him one way or the other. I think adding a Oklahoma City Thunder beat reporter would be a good idea, having a team close enough to Wichita to cover, they should take advantage of that, even though I'm not an NBA fan. Overall, I'd give a big thumbs up to The Eagle.

Blame the media?

Check out the post-game interview on kansas.com with WSU men's basketball coach Gregg Marshall after the Shockers' nail-biter, overtime win over Evansville Wednesday night.

Read Bob Lutz's column that appeared on kansas.com and also in today's Eagle. What do you think?

Give my ears a break

When I first began watching the Olympics (about the time dirt was invented), sportscasters talked about the huge rivalry between the USA and USSR. The rivalry died when the Soviet Union collapsed for good in 1991.

So, it was almost refreshing this week to watch the figure skating competition without Dick Button frothing at the mouth while complaining that the Soviet Bloc judges stole another medal from the Americans.

After the first few men completed their jumps, spins and glides Tuesday, I decided Scott Hamilton is every bit as annoying as Button ever was but for an entirely different reason. Hamilton criticized everything.

I wanted to listen to the music and watch the "artistry" of the skaters, but Hamilton's non-stop chatter annoyed me so much I found myself talking back to him.

The mute button was not really an option. Figure skating without music doesn't hold much appeal to me. Figure skating without endless, technical commentary would be delightful, however.

Future sportscasters take note: although TV stations hate the idea of dead air, there are times when silence is golden.

Please Explain.

I have two questions:

1) Now that the press has gotten the vapors all over again because Mark McGwire actually showed up to do the job he was hired to do, I'm reminded about the question I had when it was announced that the Cardinals had hired McGwire as their hitting instructor: Why did the Cardinals hire Mark McGwire as their hitting instructor?

I'm not talking about the whole steroid thing. To be honest, I'm bored silly by that stuff. I just don't quite understand why, of all people, they hired McGwire to do that job. Yes, he could hit home runs. About that there is no doubt. But he was a career .263 hitter. He hit over .300 three whole times in 16 years, and one of those was when he played all of 27 games in the 1993 season. McGwire always had power, but he never seemed to be a very good hitter.

Now, look, I recognize that there are plenty of people who can teach things that they weren't particularly good at themselves. And there are people who were great at what they did that can't teach a lick. I just don't see where Mark McGwire ever demonstrated that he has enough of a thorough knowledge of the technique and strategy of hitting to justify hiring him for such an important position. There was really no one else they could have hired who was better?

I'm not trying to be a jerk, here. I'm genuinely curious about the answer. I assume there's something I just don't understand.

2) I don't have a television. I watch pretty much everything online. And I'm not alone, I'd guess that I know more people at this point who watch their television either mostly or exclusively on their computers than who still use their televisions.

So why in the world is NBC not broadcasting the Olympics online? I love the Olympics. I want to watch them. I was floored when I found out that NBC opted not to show them live online.

What's the reasoning? Money? Almost certainly. But it's not like they're just keeping my eyes off the internet and on the television. No, they're keeping my eyes off the Olympics entirely. I'm just not watching them, because I don't have the opportunity. And I'm not at all alone. How much more money could they be making off of added internet advertising from online broadcasts? Plenty.

Sure, I get that my friends and I are not exactly representative samples of the general population of Olympics watchers. At this point, we are nowhere near the majority. But to a person, we all love the Olympics. And we are absolutely right in the thick of the coveted 18-35 age demographic. Watching live sports online is a regular part of our lives now, and I can't see how that's going to change in the future. It's not like people my age are just some strange blip in the history of TV broadcasting and we'll all go back to the way things were soon enough. Television online is the future.

I can watch every single game of the NCAA tournament live online. I can watch the Australian Open, Motocross, and German Bundesliga at the click of a button. So why not the Olympics?

Olympic Calamities

The games of the XXI Winter Olympiad are in full swing and they are, as usual, providing some world class entertainment. NBC ratings are up and the host country is finally winning gold medals on their home turf. However, these Olympics have been marred by calamities and tragedy.

No one will ever forget the fatal luging accident during practice when Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed during a training run down the luge track. He hit an exposed steel pillar while traveling in excess of 94+ miles per hour. This got these Olympics off to the worst possible start imaginable.

There have been numerous other foul-ups during this first week of competition, among them are complications with fan-seating at the snowboarding venue and Zamboni problems at the long-track speed skating venue.

These are foul-ups that the IOC absolutely cannot afford. The Olympics are held once every four years and the IOC has one chance to make a good showing of themselves every four years and these blunders are inexcusable. Hopefully there will be some stunning competition over the next week to overshadow these calamities.

Taylor on video

Check out classmate Taylor Eldridge on Joanna Chadwick's Prep Talk blog on kansas.com.

They discuss high school sports, from swimming to basketball.

Most wonderful time revisited

With all due respect to Royals fans, whenever I hear KC fans lamenting their teams recent misery I have to chuckle. I, folks, am a diehard Cub fan, born 90 minutes from Wrigley and raised on a bittersweet diet of Sandberg, Grace, and the gag reflex, watching my beloved either commit suicide in April or choke at the most unchokiest of times. We blame goats and Bartmen and have priests sprinkle holy water in our dugouts so we can exorcise the poltergeists that have been piling up for the last 102 years. So, sorry, but when I hear about the Royals "drought" and their "frustrated" fanbase, I only have one piece of advice to offer: wait another 75 YEARS; then you can tell me what it's like to feel out of it by April almost every year.

True, the Cubs have had three winning seasons in a row, two of those years culminating with winless postseasons. And yes, the Cubs have some dynamite players, both on their big league roster (Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Marmol) and in the minors (Starlin Castro, Andrew Cashner, Josh Vitters, etc.). But none of that matters because the last time the Cubs even played in the World Series, Adolf Hitler's death was still recent news. And the last time they won: 1908. My great-grandmother hadn't even immigrated from Germany yet, and my grandfather, who died when he was nearing his 80th birthday, had to wait another 21 years to be born. My only hope is that I live to see a title come to Wrigley. If not, maybe my 10-month old son can. and then if we doesn't see one,well, I guess we'll just to wait to 'til next generation.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

The moment I’ve waited all winter for is finally here. Pitchers and catchers report to the Kansas City Royals’ spring training facility in Surprise, Ariz., today. That means no talking about anything related to football for the next two months (ESPN, I'm talking to you!).

Spring training. The time of eternal optimism for baseball purists and long-suffering Royals fans like me. As I’ve said for the past decade or so, this is going to be our year … well, at least until reality sets in when the season starts in early April.

Chances are it’s going to be a mediocre season at best for the Royals. Sure, Zack Greinke is coming off of last year’s incredible Cy Young season, but I worry that being the official ace of the pitching staff will be too much for his somewhat fragile emotional state. We need Gil Meche to earn his paycheck this year, and for Luke Hochevar to finally have that breakout season that’s he’s supposedly been on the verge of for the past couple of years. The bullpen is going to be shaky at best (provided Joakim Soria stays healthy). I still think we need to sign or trade for another solid starter and a top setup guy.

The offense and defensive picture looks better, as does the team’s depth, but the fact that we have about 137 second and third basemen and outfielders vying for playing time may hurt the team’s chemistry. The other question will be this: Can Trey Hillman finally learn to leave the batting order alone long enough to achieve consistent offensive production?

Okay, that’s enough optimistic pessimism about my favorite team. I really do hope the Royals are better this year, but I find that if I don’t set my hopes too high, I won’t be (as) disappointed.

And speaking of not wanting to be disappointed, the Shocker men’s basketball team had better beat Evansville at Koch Arena tomorrow night, and make it look like they’re doing it with one hand tied behind their backs.

Where's Everybody Going?

Conference realignment is a hot issue right now in college sports. It actually started gaining steam a while ago with Missouri to the Big 10 rumors picking. Then it turned into Pittsburgh to the Big 10. Now we've got Colorado to the Pac 10 and Texas leaving the Big 12 for the Big 10 rumors. There's a lot of why to be answered and I can only give my opinions.

Obviously, the big advantage for the Big 10 adding a 12th team is for a conference title game in football. The Pac 10 wants the same, so they're interested in Colorado and another team from a mid major. Now I believe nobody is going to make a move until the Big 10 does. The Big 10 has actually confirmed they have expansions plans in place, taking a 12 to 18 month process to lure another school. So it's the Big 10 that has their finger near the first domino, waiting to topple the college landscape.

Let's say hypothetically the Big 10 gets Pittsburgh. The Pac 10 will move next, bringing in Colorado and let's say Utah. This hammers the Big 12, the conference that has no intentions of changing would then be forced to. It's no secret that the Big 12 loves their South division schools so I'm guessing they add TCU if this happens. They could also target Rice or Houston. That would force Oklahoma State, the farthest north of the south teams, to change divisions.

All in all, speculation is rampant. Anyone else have any theories how this could play out? Who do you think the Big 12 would add if these events go down?

Would You Trust Your Life Savings With Lenny Dykstra?

Whatever happened to the old Lenny Dykstra- the one that Mets and Phillies fans adored? Not the one that can’t stop getting sued.

Over the past few years, the con artist formally known as nails traded in his cleats and baseball bat for $25K watches and private jets.

Long after his retirement from professional baseball and shortly before the stock market took a nosedive, Dykstra began making serious money as an investor. And this isn’t pocket change we’re talking about. At his financial peak, some say his net worth hovered around $60 million.

Mad Money host and former hedge fund manager Jim Cramer even praised Nails and coined him the “Stock Guru.”

Dykstra developed quite the reputation as an investment master/high roller, being photographed in front of his $18.5 million mansion with a Rolls Royce Phantom in the driveway.

Then the bottom fell out on ol’ Nails. His biggest venture, The Players Club, a magazine geared toward ultra-wealthy professional athletes, folded in less than a year.

Apparently he sunk a ton of money into the magazine and developed a bad habit of not paying his debts in the process. Now, Dykstra owes everyone from his business partners to his mother money. (He charged a $23,000 chartered flight on his mother‘s credit card and never paid her back)

That doesn’t sound like good money management to me. But if you have money to burn you can subscribe to Dykstra’s new company Nails On The Numbers. For only $1,000 a year, you can get “expert advice” from a man who’s been sued 24 times in less than two years.

Just don’t lend him and money.

VYPE finds niche with high school sports coverage

Very few things scare me as much as finding a job after I graduate. Work is scarce for soon-to-be college graduates, especially if you decide to venture into the field of journalism.

Tom Witherspoon, the one and only editor VYPE magazine of has ever had, helped ease those notions with his visit to class last week.

Witherspoon believes niche publications, like VYPE, will remain popular as print journalism continues to deteriorate. These narrowly focused publications will continue to provide jobs for writers long after the bigger publications disappear.

Niche publications are more popular than ever. You can find magazines and Web sites on everything from motorcycles to cooking to tattoos.

VYPE found its success covering high school athletics, which is popular in this area.

The high school sports market is big and there are plenty of opportunities for freelance growth with the expansion of the online market.

“It’s a larger demographic than you would think,” Witherspoon said.

You may think that no one reads a magazine whose content is filled with high schools kids from small towns, but that’s not true.

VYPE and its competitors like Catch It Kansas employ plenty of writers and bring in a lot of money from local advertisers.

Its one Achilles heel is the long shelf life. The stories in VYPE could be five weeks old by the time it’s pulled off the shelf.

The publication must focus on in-depth features and good photography instead of box scores and statistics to keep from getting stale.

Global Sports

Sportswriters need to think globally as well as writing locally.

Sure it's important to write about the popular sports from one's geographic area, but it is also important to know what sports are popular in the rest of the world. Knowledge about global sports gives you an edge as a sportswriter.

My international students are interested in this blog, and one in particular made this observation, "I am certainly amazed when I see the number of Americans who do not watch or are not even interested in watching a football [soccer] game when their national team is playing in the World Cup."

Is he stereotyping Americans as clueless or is that really the case?

Other students offered information about sports from their countries. See if you can identify the country of origin and tell a bit about the following: Sand Driving, Falconry, Camel Racing, Drifting, Ssi-Reum, Tra-Kow, One Foot, Badminton, Ping-Pong, and Panjat Tebing.

If you don't have plans Friday night, think "global" and watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Check out this link to the latimes to see one sportswriter's view of all the unusual events that will be happening in Vancouver the next two weeks.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-olympics-plaschke12-2010feb12,0,4124346,full.column

Witherspoon Reaction

As a native Illinoisian, my passion for Kansas high school athletics is a relative non-issue. And for that matter, I haven't truly loved the Illinois prep scene since I was whiplashed from the mound in the 2000 Class AA Regionals, dragging my fastball behind me like it was roadkill. Even though I was a sports correspondent for about five years during, and after, college -- followed by an 18-month stint as a sports writer -- I never truly found myself smitten with watching 18-year olds play Dr. J, prepping themselves for the fantasy that was Sportscenter's Top-10. Yes, there were great games and great plays and small fish who thought they were great players, but there's nothing quite like 17-year old arrogance to turn one away from putting that player's name in print. I'm not saying all student-athletes are like this, nor am I saying that the majority are either. I've just scene too many showboats, too many hot dogs, too many false hopes.

So, I applaud Witherspoon. Honestly. It cannot be easy catering to high school wishes, nor can it be pleasant to listen to the temper-tantrums of Mommy and Daddy Vicarious. Vype seems like a quality mag, and the website is better than a lot I saw before moving to KS. Witherspoon seemed genuine, and I can completely empathize with the struggles he seems to be going through: the writing, the editing, the scooping, and the listening (see above).

One aspect of his presentation really stood out to me. Witherspoon suggested that sports writers try writing fiction. I could not agree more. I came to Wichita after being accepted into the MFA program, where I've been peddling my stories for the last four semesters. Before that, however, I was a sports journalist, as mentioned. While I enjoyed watching sports for a living, the best part was the writing, that freedom to take whatever angle I chose and transform it into a fun read. That experience has completely transformed my fiction, and I have a strong feeling it would do the same when reversed. It's not a surprise that the one big award I won was because of a feature story I wrote about a small town wrestler trying to make it to the WWE. His story was funny, honest, and compelling, all qualities of a good fictional story. Like I tell my Business Writing students, just sit down and write freely and you're bound to discover at least one good sentence on which to build. Ok, enough preaching. For now.

I have had the opportunity to work with Tom Witherspoon along with Mike Cooper at VYPE magazine. I have come to really like the guys after working with them for 2 summers and this spring. So you would think I knew a lot about Tom when he came to visit our class but I did learn quite a bit.

During my time working with the guys I learned about the writing process and a little bit about the printing and delivery process but I never really learned about all the behind the scenes action like the online information and the income part of the company.

The first time I worked with the guys at VYPE they were just getting into the internet side of the magazine so I didn’t get to learn much about it, but hearing Witherspoon talk about it made it sound very important to the company. I didn’t realize the internet side of the magazine would take up as much time as he said it did.

I knew most of their income came through advertisements but I just assumed that as much time that is spent on the internet work that some kind of income would come out of that.

The most shocking thing to me about the whole process is that two guys can manage the outcome of such an amazing magazine. The magazine is put together very well and I know Tom and Mike make it their first priority to print only the best. If I didn’t know the guys behind the magazine I would think their was a whole crew taking care of all the work they do.

Reaction to Tom Witherspoon (VYPE)

When Tom Witherspoon came into class last Thursday, I expected him to tell us how much we needed to pay attention in class. I expected him to tell us to get out and write for somebody while we get our degree. I expected a lot of things, and I was surprised because he said none of them.

Not only did Witherspoon not stress the importance of a journalism degree or its equivalent, but he was a history major. This surprised me more than anything. Nonetheless, Witherspoon does an excellent job as a one-man magazine machine. He obviously knows what he is doing and his "niche" magazine's role in the Wichita sports market. I had read VYPE several times before Witherspoon spoke, and for him to take on the amount of work he does while putting out a good publication, is impressive.

I also liked the way he prioritizes the parts of his magazine. He knows that good photography and design are important because VYPE is a high-gloss publication. With good photography and design, the magazine cannot help but stand out. However, even with the emphasis on photography and design, Witherspoon knows that his top concern should be the writing.

With the passion and time that Witherspoon seems to put into VYPE on a constant basis, it almost cannot help but be successful. There is definitely room for it in Wichita, and as he pointed out, VYPE has no true direct competitors. I will definitely continue to read VYPE every month, and I hope that Witherspoon continues to put out strong, timely content.

Extreme sports have a "high level of inherent danger" or so says Wikipedia. I have lived though my own foray into a high level of inherent danger because I was required to by law, not once but twice, so I find I am creeped-out by hyperactive athletes trying to kill themselves for fun.

I competed in X-treme driving, not as the actual driver but as the high-on-adrenaline passenger. If you need an adrenaline fix, you should give this sport a chance.

The rules are simple: be the adult supervisor of a teenager acquiring his/her 50 hours of supervised driving and make sure the driver is deaf.

Regular teen drivers watch the road while their parents speak, shriek, or groan suggestions/directions. Deafness is what makes this sport extreme because deaf drivers have to watch hands signing to them at the same time they are supposed to be attending to the road.

For instance, if the deaf driver drifts into another lane, needs to hit the brakes in an emergency, fails to pull over for emergency vehicles, etc., the driver can't hear the screams of the frantic passenger. The passenger has to move his/her hands into the driver's visual field so the driver can simultaneously watch the passenger's hands while concentrating on safely piloting a potentially lethal ton of metal down the street.

Next time you want an adrenaline high, try communicating via sign language in Wichita traffic during peak rush hour with an inexperienced driver. If you think that is too tame, try the Winter X-Games version, which adds icy streets to the mix.

Witherspoon

As I said in class, I'd never heard of Vype before a few weeks ago. And I've never really been into high school sports.

But I am definitely someone who could be into high school sports. And I love the style of article Vype puts out there. So why have I never heard of this thing?

I'm going to sound like a broken record, but I just can't quite understand why Witherspoon seems to ignore the power of social media in expanding a following. I'm not trying to be a shill for Twitter, but his response when I mentioned it was that "people need to know you're there already before they follow you." Yes, fine, but the people who are really able to grow themselves help people know that they're there. I checked his Twitter feed, and he had 28 followers. I'm just some regular guy who has absolutely nothing interesting to say, and I have four times that many. (Trust me, I'm REALLY not bragging about my Twitter followers, I'm just making a point.) Worse, though, he's only following 23. People aren't going to know you're there if you don't tell them.

I say all this because I'd like to see the guy succeed. And maybe he is succeeding, and he's perfectly satisfied with his level of readership. I don't know his numbers. Maybe they're fantastic. But the fact remains that I didn't know about the magazine, which means a lot of people just like me don't know about it. Which means there are a lot of potentially interested people (read: $$$) living in ignorance.

But maybe he feels like he doesn't have the time to mess with the social media stuff. I can appreciate that. I was taken aback when he described how small the Vype staff is, and how much work he, himself, has to do. I guess that makes sense when we consider what a "niche" publication actually is, but still, I'd never thought about that before. That's a lot of work. And it's impressive.

Does he truly love what he does? I couldn't tell. He's obviously driven. But it sounds like he's been that way his whole life. I admit that I'm not like that. Not professionally, anyway. It's something to admire, yes, but only to a certain extent. How much does he give up to maintain that drive?

I hate college basketball.

Wait, wait, wait, wait. I don't mean it like that. I love watching college basketball. Sometimes even, I don't know, Vermont vs. American. I don't care. I love it all.

But I hate that it's not basketball anymore. It's too violent. The word they use now is "physical," but that's just doubletalk. I don't like the idea of "letting them play" when that involves beating the snot out of each other in the post and grabbing jerseys at the top of the key. As far as I know (and I could be wrong), they didn't re-write the rule book to change what constitutes a "foul."

When this is a player quote that describes an explicit game plan:

we started bumping them off their cuts and making them work harder

then I have a real problem with the way things are going. It's just not as much fun to watch. It's not elegant. If I want to watch football, or hockey, or rugby, I'll watch one of those. I watch basketball for the style, not to see people take a hit.

I realize a lot of people, college students especially, only know this style of play. Maybe I sound like the old man yelling at the kids to get off his lawn. Fine, then. Get off my lawn.

But here's a video of a 1982 game between Wichita State and LSU. If you have 90 minutes, you can watch the entire game. At least for as long as it's up there before some media outlet comes calling with copyright lawsuits. But you can see how much things have changed. Watching this 27-year-old game, it looks strange. Because guys aren't rabbit punching each other and crowd surfing.

Tom Witherspoon's backround is one that struck me as different, in the sense that most speekers that visit the Elliott School don't have degrees in history from Notre Dame. To me, he came across as cocky, but very interesting and driven. It seemed as though sleeping was not a priority to Mr. Witherspoon, but as he enlightened us on his daily routine, I could see why.

Wichita loves its high school sports, and with the Wichita Eagle, and CatchitKansas.com, I thought that would be enough coverage. However, Witherspoon seems to go to great lenghts making sure that Vype stays in a league of its own and ahead of the competition. The content of Vype Magazine provides a local niche market with quality human interest stories, and profiles provided by freelance journalists, photographers and Witherspoon. Oraganizing all of the stories for print is just a part of the job description. Vype is pursuing the online community as well, as it tries to grow if not maintain as a monthly publication.

It didn't take long for me to feel like Witherspoon's vain outlook of Vype seemed valid. The guy has an extreme passion for what he does, he has to, because something tells me he isn't rolling in the dough. He is genuine,ambitious and knowledgeable. I think Vype is definitley a direct reflection of Witherspoon's work ethic. People like him make me want to try harder. Maybe someone will write a story about him someday.

Manning's Legacy

Much has been made of the fourth quarter interception thrown by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. There has been a rising tide of fans questioning the legacy of Manning, which was hyped up entering the Super Bowl. People say he had his chance of entering the ever-exclusive club of elite quarterbacks and with one throw, threw it away.

I won't argue that a Montana or a Bradshaw or a Aikman would not have thrown such a costly interception in the clutch like that. Honestly, I was more shocked than anything when Terry Porter under-cut Reggie Wayne and sealed the Saints' fate. No one saw that coming. And why should we? Manning was built up before the game to be possibly the greatest quarterback to play the game. When he got the ball back with plenty of time to work with on the clock, everyone's mind was already shifting to the coin flip in overtime.

This, to me, is where the argument ends. Although personally I feel a healthy portion of the blame deserves to be heaped on Wayne's timid break out of his route, the greatest quarterback of all-time does not get intercepted and spoil his team's chances for a Super Bowl. No excuses. Manning isn't there yet. Is he still a first-ballot Hall of Famer? Without a doubt. Can he still reach that pinnacle of greatness? Absolutely. (Did you see the way he laid that pass out for Dallas Clark?)

But not right now.

I just don't understand why fans/media are labeling him as a choker again after one throw.

Witherspoon Reaction

I have talked to Tom Witherspoon plenty times before to pick up on is unique insight into the world of high school sports. I think he showed that intellect in discussing how his basically self-started magazine, Vype, has thrived in the niche market here in Wichita. I believe he understands what people want to read and knows how to market the magazine, and in my mind, publishes the most interesting articles about high school sports.

I have long agreed with Witherspoon that there is no equivalent of Vype in the Wichita market, which has allowed it to thrive. People often lump CatchItKansas.com and The Wichita Eagle into the same category, but Vype is a monthly publication. Like Witherspoon noted in class, he doesn't run daily features. I found it intriguing how many factors he has to consider when planning for story. Not only does he have to find interesting stories, he has to find timely stories that have shelf life.

The thing that I took away most from him was that if you dedicate yourself to your task at hand, then you will give your best, possible performance. Anything less will lead to disappointment. It's a mindset that I believe I need to incorporate more in my work.

When it comes to high school sports, you won't find anyone better to talk to than Tom Witherspoon. I have always enjoyed writing the longer features that really gets in deep with a subject and tells the whole story. In daily newspapers, the space just isn't there to share more than a few points. That might explain my draw to the magazine, but I believe its success speaks for itself!

Reaction to Tom Witherspoon

I was a three-sport athlete in high school, and I was always paying attention to the coverage that high school sports received in the media; to be honest, when I was in high school there was not much other than The Wichita Eagle. I have been out of high school for five years and I am involved in college athletics, so I still pay attention to high school sports coverage. Let me tell you, it has exploded over the past few years.

Tom Witherspoon is an ambitious guy, you have to be to do what he has done. I was stunned when he said he started Vipe Magazine by himself. It is obviously a daunting task to write, edit, and do all the photography for a magazine by yourself. It seems to be working out for him now, after a few years of almost slave labor to get that Vipe going.

Everything that I heard from him about reporting, writing well, covering your beat etc. I have heard many times before. The one thing that stuck with me was how hard he has worked over the past few years to get where he is. It is a little intimidating, to be honest. But he is not where he is today without working his butt off and taking a few chances.

Thoughts on Tom Witherspoon

I come from a small town that loves their high school sports. It's something to do in boring old towns with populations that total less than 500 people. One thing I've learned by now, in my third year of being in Wichita, is that just because this isn't the same small towns I'm used to, they love their high school sports none the less.

For a magazine like Vype to stick around this long really speaks to the market. This is something Wichita is interested in and something they want. That's where the credit goes to Tom Witherspoon for putting the tremendous amount of effort into this publication as he does to give this market what it wants.

I've seen Vype around and I have a friend that always has the latest copy. I always find it to be very well done, especially with so much of the writing being done by freelancers. To have a crop of freelance writers to get published in Vype, you know again that there is a huge interest in high school sports in Wichita.

As far was Tom's presentation, I felt like he said all the same things guest speakers usually tell us in the Elliott School. You have to have a passion for what you do, get an internship, remain focused and things like that. The one thing I didn't like about his talk was that he kept pushing for writers. At times it felt like he was there more to recruit than he was to actually teach.