Run Amy Run

Athletes make the best stories at times. Unfortunately it's at a time of struggle. Why is that? Perhaps it's the inspiration we feel, a human interest story, something we can relate to and through them we feel triumphant too.
This story is about Amy Palmiero-Winters, a 37-year-old mother of two with an amputated leg.
Yeah, I know, another feel good piece but it's pretty incredible.
She is the first amputee to be named to the U.S. national team. Palmiero-Winters runs 24 hour marathons, and competes in all sorts of insane endurance races, like the Western States Endurance Run, 100 miles of trail running through the Sierra Nevada (she is the third amputee to qualify). In July, she will run the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-miler in California from Death Valley to Mount Whitney — spanning three mountain ranges — in temperatures reaching 130 degrees.
Props to this lady, and the others as well, but she only has one real leg. I can run about three whole miles with my two god-given legs before I want to go home and take a cold shower to cool off.
Thanks for the inspiration Ms. Amy Pamiero-Winters. Good luck.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/summer/track/2010-04-25-amputee-runner_N.htm

Book 2 Review

One long season in professional baseball was enough for Matt McCarthy. During that season McCarthy would keep a diary which he later turned into the book "Odd Man Out, A Year On The Mound With a Minor League Misfit." McCarthy exposes the realities of locker room politics, paranoia and the dream of being in the major leagues.
McCarthy was a twenty-sixth round draft pick in the 2002 MLB draft. Listening on a different phone, McCarthy's father negotiated a deal and the next day he was signing a contract with the Anaheim Angels for a thousand dollars - the league minimum. He was on his way to climbing the relentless tower that is professional baseball.
The locker room politics was one of the more interesting topics throughout the book. Apparently teams are racially divided by race. The Dominicans, and the Americans. This being one of the first lessons learned entering training camp. The chase for the big leagues turned the team game into an individualistic mindset. Routing against a teammate was not uncommon, no one really cared about winning or losing, and everyone despised the guy who was drafted ahead of them. In the height of the steroid years, when sluggers like Bonds and McGuire were breaking records, the temptation of steroids was a struggle.
Friendships were made as the minor league life was rough, 76 games in 80 days. McCarthy was surrounded by guys who were in their sixth years in the minors and contemplating retirement and some would go on to be All Stars. Some were angry with the lies they felt they were fed, and some couldn't let go of the fact they would never make it to the league.
McCarthy gave readers the perfect insight to the character of baseball. From training camp to the end of his career, he would play one in one full season with the Angels' single A team in Provo, Utah. He logged appearances in 15 games and walked more batters than he struck out, but what he took with him was an experience some of us would envy.

Joe Drape

I was pleased when I could put a face and voice to the name, Joe Drape. Although I had viewed Jim Kobe's piece on Drape and saw the picture on the back of the book, it was nice to hear from the author in person.
I felt like Drape really appreciated his experience. Judging from his past assignments for the Times, I think Drape began "Our Boys" as another assignment and in the end came out with a different view on life.
He talked about life in New York, the hustle and bustle. He explained how there are possibly more people on his block in New York than there are in the entire town of Smith Center. I got the feeling that his trip to Smith Center was a relief from all of that. I got the feeling that Drape is a family man and through writing this book and being involved in a community like Smith Center added to his values and beliefs.
Drape explained how one of the parents in the book felt like her family's life was exposed. He said he understood, and I think he did. He talked about his family openly and their gains and struggles as Drape wrote "Our Boys" and I thought that was pretty cool.
You could tell Drape loves his job and the job fits him well. He was every bit the people person, and he seemed to believe that everyone truly has a story to tell. He wanted to know who we were, what we do, what we're interested in. He really took his time with our class and I feel like he tried to soak in the experience as much as he could.
I guess if you have a job that exposes you to many cultures and major events, it could be easy to lose interest in the small things. Or, like Drape, you can experience everything with the intent that you might just learn something new.

KOCH TOUR

Larry Rankin seems to take his job in stride. Maybe it's the long days and the constant change that forces him to do so. The job description seems like it's not a job for any ol' schmo.
I forget how much media relations encompasses on a daily basis, especially in the sports department. Putting out online media guides, updating goshockers.com, traveling with the team, archiving...the list goes on.
The turnover rate sounded pretty low. People were only leaving to take jobs at other universities or athletic teams around the country. Rankin said there is currently a position open and so far he has over 100 applicants, perhaps this is why he stressed that an interim entry is the best way to pursue this profession.
I've been to Koch Arena many times, but never took the time to walk around and notice the art, hall of fame wall, and the Shocker sports history room, all of which Rankin and his team had a part in constructing. Also, it was the first time I had ever been on the floor, it's a pretty neat feeling. I couldn't help letting my imagination run wild. In my mind I won the game with a 360 dunk over UNI's big men...both of them, sending the Shockers to the NCAA tournament. I think it was Us who beat KU in the second round...the dream began to fade around this point.
I liked how the public relations aspect was presented. It's amazing how much work goes into keeping an image clean, or in Tiger's case, cleaning up and protecting what's left.

KWCH

I couldn't help but feel that the news room at KWCH seemed more alive than the news room down at the Eagle.Everyone seemed upbeat, people were buzzing around, meetings were taking place, there was excitement in the air.
Touring the facility, it was easy to see the attention (cash flow) KWCH is putting into media convergence. People were on computers, there were reporters and camera men in trucks and vans leaving the station like the flight of the bumble bees.
I heard the tour guide say that KWCH does everything digitally now. He also mentioned, a couple of times, that KWCH has one of the best facilities in the nation. If they can afford to pay people to listen to the C.B. radio for breaking news, they better have a good facility.
I enjoyed sitting in during the 2:30 news cast meeting. It was cool to see how ideas are pitched around, and what news was going to make on air, or how they could squeeze in a better story. I think it would be fun working as a reporter or anchor just to hear all of the crazy stories.
Maybe I felt this way because I've never been in a newsroom before. I watch the news and sometimes it seems like there isn't any.
I know the sense of urgency at KWCH is due to the scheduling of live newscasts, but it really made the Eagle look kind of boring. It made me realize just how much the newspaper industry is struggling. People like their televisions and you get the news like 20 times a day on multiple channels, it's gotta be frustrating for the guys at the Eagle.

Talk of the Nation...or not

On my way home from KWCH last week, I was listening to NPR's Talk of the Nation. Neal Conan was interviewing Jen Rizzotti, a former standout at UConn and 11 year coach at the University of Hartford. The subject of UConn woman's 74-game winning streak turned into a discussion about coverage of the woman's NCAA tournament, or lack there of.
I thought it was an interesting interview given that Rizzotti was former player of the year and played point guard for Uconn's first national championship team. Rizzotti also spoke from a coaches point of view explaining the politics of recruiting and her opinions on talent in woman's sports. She and a few call-ins had interesting theories on why the woman's tournament and woman's basketball as a whole is lacking patronage.
If you have a 20 minutes to listen to a fun interview check this out.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125176108

Kansas Sports Museum

The Kansas Sports Museum was a great way to spend an afternoon out of class. The facility, I thought, was pretty accommodating despite being located in a strip mall off the freeway in Newton, Kansas.
Once inside the maze of memorabilia, I became lost and intrigued with Kansas' rich sports history. With such a large space they did a nice job filling the walls and dedicating sections to there respective sport.
I especially enjoyed the Sports Illustrated wall. There are a lot more athletes with Kansas connections that have graced the cover than I thought, or remembered. This wall, being one of the first in the museum, was dedicated to some of sports greatest athletes. To be a kid and see this would be pretty exciting, and offer hope of being on such a monument.
I liked how high school sports teams and JUCO teams in Kansas were a part of the museum, as we know, there have been some great teams that have produced quality players over the years.
I would like to see the new Kansas Sports Museum with updated memorabilia. I didn't see anything about KU's 2008 national championship. I think Mario's "Miracle shot" deserves a little screen time, perhaps on a loop.
Perhaps by moving into its new location at the Boathouse, the museum will be able to expand its collection. They should have plenty of room for more interactive stations, and by the time they get settled in, hopefully a few more Kansas teams will make history.

"OUR BOYS"

I read "Our Boys" front to back in one sitting. Although I had the time to do it, I didn't want to put the book down. Joe Drape captured the story of The Redmen and the Smith Center community so well, I was inspired.Drape's description of the locker room during the introduction put me back in high school when I played football. Throughout this book, I often caught myself remembering certain things about playing sports I had long forgot.
Coach Barta and his staff were amazing in that the respect they have for the game reflected the Smith Center way of life. The infamous game against Plainville in which the Redman scored 70 points in the first quarter sent people and coaches around the country in an uproar. Instead of bragging and boasting, Barta was embarrassed showing his true character. The coaching staff were like close uncles to their players, and they cherished evryone of them. They balanced stoic attitudes with advice, love and openess. These are aspects you expect from coaches but they took it to another level. They teach the boys about being men, on and off the field. I especially appreciate Coach Barta for enstilling in the Redmen that there is more to life than football in Smith Center. It may have been what the boys had looked forward to their entire lives, but it seemed as though they understood football was a luxury.
I think the tradition of the Redmen and the Smith Center as a whole was very interesting. Small towns have the benefit of raising generations of kids who grow up wanting to play football. Beyond that the story touches on tradition of work ethic and family and how in the long run it is more important than anything. The wisdom past down from generations past is deeply routed and is respected throughout the community. The fathers of some of the current players had played for Barta and understood what they were experiencing. They too had learned valuable lessons taught by Barta, it was as if they were sending their boys away to become men. The Smith Center right of passage.
Although this is a story about a remarkable football team it is more a story of traditions, life and values, and that is what made this book exceptionaly brilliant. By the end of "Our Boys," I felt like I had physically met the individuals that live in Smith Center.

Bob Lutz

I was pleased that Bob Lutz took the time to visit with our class. Reading his columns in the paper and listening to his radio program from time to time, I felt like he was somewhat of a celebrity who would give us a spiel on the newspaper industry. Not the case.

Lutz let his thoughts of the industry be known. Whether it was his thoughts about the online version of The Eagle, or the cutbacks, he was blunt when sharing his point of view. I guess that is why his former job as columnist seems to fit him well. He calls it like it is. He is a "controversial" person and if you don't like what he writes, too bad. Or, you can leave him an e-mail, just be sure to put your name on it or he won't appreciate it.

I liked his sense of humor, it seemed to lighten the mood a little bit. I liked the way he turned the class into an interview session. It seemed like he wanted to flip roles and for once be the one who is fielding questions and controlling the room. Listening to class made me think of some of his articles I have read in the past. His writing is good enough that anyone could sense the sarcasm, but hearing his voice and his witty remarks, I couln't keep from laughing.

It's not that I disliked his stories or his writing style, but I feel like I know where he is coming from now.

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?

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.

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.