April 30: 1-to-1

I’m looking forward to having 9-hour work days.

As of now that sounds like time off. Vacation. A break. Because on days like today my schedule is packed. Nine? More like 12. Better yet, 16. And I only got paid for two of those hours.

My day started at 8:30, when I woke up to do circulation for The Towerlight, something I am in my fourth semester of doing. After that was class. Back to my apartment for lunch and a shower. Then the 12-hour run (as described in today’s title) began.

1-3: Shooting and digitizing a stand-up for my sportscasting class.

3-6: Towerlight editorial board elections.

6-8: Dinner break.

8-1: Finishing the sportscasting feature on Towson Lacrosse player, Bobby Griebe.

Granted, it could have been a far more stressful day. And it’s hard to complain after a two-hour dinner break. But still. The look shown above on the face of Fernando Madrigal, a fellow WMJF-member, pretty much tells the story on days like these.

But hey. At least I got home in time to see the Nuggets drop to 3-1 against the Spurs tonight. Why wouldn’t I want to see J.R. Smith hoist an off-balance three-pointer with 30 seconds left, down 4, and with Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony on the court. Makes perfect sense. Do your thing J.R. You’re now 0-325 from beyond the arc in the playoffs. In case you haven’t heard, UNC has withdrawn their scholarship offer. Tough break.

This reminds me of something I was thinking about today (not that it should). As I was working on the Griebe feature, I kept thinking about how the thought process of a journalist and that of an athlete is so vastly different (like I said, not at all related to J.R. Smith thinking he belongs in the same stratosphere as Bubbachuck and Melo).

April 29: On the Way Out

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the waning moments of my college career. It finally hit me today. Sort of.

Since the spring semester of my freshman year I have been on the The Towerlight staff. My Sundays and Wednesdays have been dedicated, in one way or another and to varying degrees, to putting out Monday’s and Thursday’s issues. That’s not even beginning to take into consideration the hundreds of games I have covered over the last three-plus years. This has been the case this semester more than any other. My responsibilities were heightened as Associate Sports Editor. I have literally spent full days in the office reading, writing, editing, and podcasting. It’s been stressful, frustrating, exhausting, and at times aggravating. But, as I have said before, it has been my most enjoyable semester at the paper.

And as of tomorrow afternoon, my time as an official member of the sports staff will be over.

Towerlight elections are held a couple weeks before the end of each term so as to give the new regime a chance to get their feet wet before they are truly thrown into the fire at the start of the next semester. With hundreds of issues as a Assistant or Associate Sports Editor behind me, I will be demoted to Senior Writer, along with current Editor in Chief Brian Stelter.

It’s a bit strange.

‘The office’ has become such a major part of my life. I have scheduled my classes around the newspaper. Developed some of my most cherished relationships at Towson in University Union room 313. And have countless memories dating back to my first talk with former Sports Editor Brent Kennedy.

I don’t know if I ever intended to pursue a newspaper job after college. But my time at the Towerlight has solidified writing as a passion, and at the very least a career possibility. It may not be a full-time vocation. But it is something I hope to continue doing in some capacity for the rest of my life. My name may never again be found in a newspaper’s staff box. But whenever someone asks me what I plan on doing after college, I always mention that I plan on pursuing opportunities as a freelance writer (hopefully in the magazine side of things). It’s a unique craft. One I have developed an extremely deep appreciation for.

This is certainly not to say that my days with The Towerlight are finished. I still plan on dedicating a significant portion of my Sundays and Wednesdays to the paper. Not being obligated to go in is like getting a day off of school when you’re a kid. You don’t really know what to do with yourself.

But it won’t be the same. No real responsibilities, other than the occasional story (and the looming Senior Commentary). Things will get done without me (not like they wouldn’t have otherwise…but you know what I mean). My presence is no longer necessary.

My days are either numbered, or over. Depends on how you look at it. But hey, one of my final articles was a Women’s Volleyball spring update, and thanks to Jermon Bushrod, I finished up my official days with my third career cover story. That adds him to the list of people I owe immense gratitude to for a great four years with the paper.

Thanks.

In a little while
I’ll be gone
The moment’s already passed
Yeah it’s gone
And I’m not here
This isn’t happening
I’m not here
I’m not here
-Thom Yorke, Radiohead

*The above picture is the Donut Cake that PSmith literally dreamt up. His girlfriend Kate brought it in this afternoon to help celebrate his 22nd birthday. I wasn’t kidding about the dream thing. A few weeks ago a donut cake, comprised of chocolate frosted donuts, appeared in a dream of his. To be honest I’m a bit surprised I didn’t come up with this idea myself. And in case you’re wondering, it was delicious. Happy birthday, Pat.

April 28: Long Day, Short Post

This picture is far and away the best part of today’s entry. And the picture itself kind of sucks. This guy literally spent a minute watching himself dance in the reflection of a window. And once he saw I was taking a picture of him, his routine got increasingly bizarre.

Being that today was Towson’s annual TigerFest, it’s appropriate that my picture is of someone, well, you know.

Anyways, between watching Towson lose to Johns Hopkins in lacrosse (haven’t beaten them since ‘96), meeting up with friends from home (Abe, Ethan, Sarah, Lizzie, Alli), going to the Towson Women’s Volleyball Banquet, and visiting a couple bars in Towson, I am wiped out.

Admittedly, the last two posts have been a bit lame. I’ll have plenty of time tomorrow (today?–it’s 2:21am) to make up for it.

Tomorrow’s my last official day at the Towerlight. It’s going to be weird. I better rest up.

***I completely forgot. I got pulled over today. Apparently I was not staying ‘right of center’ (he actually came up with about 20 different ways of saying I swerved at one point). For the first time in my life I was flagged down by a cop, asked for my license and registration, and given the follow-my-pen-with-your-eye-test. And I FREAKING DOMINATED it. My head was still. My eyes were smooth and steady. And after proving my sobriety, I was left with a warning. I can’t really blame the cop, there were probably a ton of people driving under the influence, with TigerFest and all. Thankfully no fine was given. 

April 27: 1,000

Today I:

Filmed a TV show. Got my oil changed. Cleaned my apartment. Went to the grocery store. Caught up on wedding stuff with Jordan Conn, the first of my friends to get married (and who did in fact get my shoe size from April 19th’s post…#8). Took his recommendation and headed to Barnes & Noble to read a story on Allen Iverson in the latest GQ issue (read it, great idea, flawlessly executed). And watched Chicago go up 3-0 on Miami (literally seconds ago–for the record, Luol Deng has the most terrifying glare in the League. I saw him play at Blair Academy his senior year and I remember noticing it then. He was on a team with Charlie Villanueva at the time. And somehow they managed to lose.).

That’s pretty much it in a nutshell.

While I was busy preoccupied with that stuff, this blog was eclipsing the 1,000 hit mark.

That’s not all that outstanding of an accomplishment in the scheme of things. But it’s been something I have been keeping track of.

As I’m typing the number currently stands at 1,018. Other interesting stats/info:

The most hits I have gotten in one day is 104. The post with the most reads has 71.

People have found my blog by searching the following terms:

Maurice Clarett (photos)

Vertigo feeling

Mel Kiper Jr.

B. Jackson running back nfl draft

Jeff Satterfield (Satterfield, you’re caught)

Tackling dummy

Man vs ma conflict

Towson University Bushrod

Tony Reali pictures

forty5days@wordpress (I would bet any amount of money that one is from my mom)

Stephen Colbert + greatest living American

The last one is by far my favorite. Anyways, thanks to everyone who has taken some time out of their day to read about mine.

*Rusty is also appreciative. I like the above picture because it reminds me of Chappelle’s Rick James sketch when Rick first enters the club and Charlie Murphy talks about his aura. Unfortunately my novice photo-editing program does not have turquoise eye removal.

April 26: Just a Thought

I have a new Thursday night tradition. Remember Burgers, Beer, Billiards? Well, it’s become a weekly staple. Originated two weeks ago. Stalled out last Thursday. Back in a big way today.

When Kiel Mclauglin and myself went over to the University Club last week, only to find the pool table area engulfed by young professionals going through rounds like Larry Brown goes through coaching jobs, I feared the world had discovered my new spot. Rest assured, things were back to normal tonight.

While I was busy missing this shot (while PSmith was firing out yet another brilliant U Club photo), the NBA Playoffs were playing in the background. Game 3 of Detroit-Orlando, to be exact. And with nothing too monumental happening today, it leaves me with a perfect opportunity for a post I have been thinking about for the last week or so.

How to fix the NBA.

As far as I’m concerned there are two major questions the league needs to answer

1. How do we make regular season games more meaningful?
2. How do we keep teams from tanking?

My thoughts are directed primarily at question No. 1.

Right now, the Association has 30 teams with 16 making it to the postseason. As far as the four major sports go, the percentage of teams that make it to the playoffs is only rivaled in the NHL (great company, right?). Both leagues have the same number of teams, same number of playoff spots. And I have heard more people gripe about the meaninglessness and monotony of these two leagues’ seasons than any other, which is saying something considering there are 162 games in a Major League Baseball season.

The saving grace of the MLB formula is the fact that only 8 teams advance, 4 in each league. Compare the excitement of the Wild Card race to that of the battle for the 8th spot in the NBA playoffs. It’s not even close. Especially when teams hovering below .500 in the NBA are contemplating whether they’d rather get swept in the first round or get a shot at the lottery.

So this is what I’ve come up with.