Courtside Credentials: SIU's gone ... now what?

The SIU men's basketball team was eliminated by Bradley yesterday, so you're probably wondering why I'm still here.

Well, it's simple, actually. I like what I do. So much that I'm spending the entire weekend in St. Louis covering each and every game of the MVC Tournament. I figure I won't get this good of a job when I start out after graduation, so I might as well take advantage of having a this opportunity while it lasts.

I get to exchange ideas and opinions with beat writers from newspapers, you know, that thing you pick up at your doorstep, on a corner or at the coffee shop that you know, love and trust to get your news information.

As for media hospitality, it's exactly what you think it is.

It's a magical world where said professionals talk amongst each other and socialize. That's right. Socialize. The hot topic of last night's happenings, well, the good folks who were at last night's media gathering talked about what's up with newspapers.

What's good about the future? What should graduating seniors such as myself be worried about? What kind of advantages we have over experienced writers who aren't as technologically savvy as we are?

It's a different experience. It's an experience beyond the Xs and Os stuff you get when it comes to the day-by-day and game-by-game experience.

It's like what my buddy/boss/co-worker Jeff and I said. A little bit of hard work, persistence and marginal writing ability will take you far. Because the help of editors (God willing their saved as newspapers continue their purge of layoffs and such) helps an average writer become good. Then good writers become great. Then great writers excel to become known as elite.

Right now, I'm doing a lotta bit of that hard work and persistence thing.