It's not you, it's me

Blogger, it's been fun. Especially this blog. You'll still be around so I can look back at my own foolishness. And for bored people to look at my stupidity and laugh. That's what I'm about.

If you really wanna follow me around, check out my newest online venture.

TUMBLR!!!

Yay!

Trophies and Tribulations [TUMBLR]

Spring Break Day 3: I slept 'til 3 p.m. today

This isn't even worth blogging about. In fact, this should probably be reserved for Twitter. But I want freedom from 140 characters.

I slept 'til 3 p.m. today, kind of. I got up early (8 a.m.) to take my mom to the train station before visiting my Grandma. But then, I got home and just went to bed. It's too damn cold in Chicago. Too damn cold. Too damn windy. That's why I like Spring Break. Despite the cold and bullsh*t the city puts me through, it's always 70something degrees in my bedroom. It's even warmer under the covers.

That sounds dirty.

But don't worry, nothing happened. I've been sleeping the whole time.

Spring Break Day 2: Rest, rain and roses

It wasn't too long ago when a gazillion drivers were up in arms over the rising price of gasoline. Some conspiracy theorists even called for a Congressional Committee to investigate WTF was happening there.

Well, I want a committee to research why the price of roses always sky-rockets on and around Valentine's Day.

Nearly 200 million rose stems are sold for Singles Awareness Day, yet, I don't remember any dozen roses costing $9.99. I don't think there were any flowers I could have bought for $9.99 ... other than dead ones. Maybe it's the jilted, cranky, sleepy hopeless romantic in me ... but damn ... Prices go up on everything every time I feel like I wanna do something nice on Valentine's Day (a rarity) ... yet I'm still getting paid the same.

I'm calling shenanigans.

...

Nothing like sleeping through a rainstorm. It's so peaceful and relaxing. Just the way the rain rhythmically taps on my window, it's just one of the most comforting sounds in the world. Don't get me wrong: I do not like thunder. I do not like lightening. And I absolutely hate the flooding that comes with heavy rain. But there's something special about a nice rain fall.

Can't wait 'til Spring!

...

Speaking of spring ... WTF Spring Break? It's cold in Chicago. It's not even cold, it's that I'm still trying to adjust to the change in climates. It was 79 degrees in St. Louis on Friday. It's 51 degrees right now in Chicago. New rule: no more going home for spring break.

(Looks at SalukiNet, notices "senior" next to "class status")

Oh, there will be no more Spring Break for yours truly after this.

Booooooooooooo.

Spring Break: Day 1

Technically, my Spring Break began last Wednesday because I don't have class that day. Couple that with a pair of what I call "work vacation days" in St. Louis for the MVC Tournament, which started Thursday and I got extra vacation days.

Yet, I feel as if my break started today. So while you good folks were on the beach and mingling with co-eds you hope to never meet again after a night of fun, I was in a dentists chair. Then at an autoshop. Then on a couch in my chilly Chicago home.

So what am I gonna do to pass the time? Resumes. Job applications. Collect clips. Taxes.

Um, that doesn't sound like much of a vacation at all.

Ugh. FML.

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.

The post-game blog you expected me to write but didn't write until this morning

{Ed. Note: The first of (probably) many blogs detailing what life was like covering a Division I college basketball team. This blog is about how the season ended on a sour note.]

I was tempted to write the gloom-and-doom blog about how the SIU men's basketball team built up an early 10-3 lead and watched it turn into a 15-point deficit ... then cut into said deficit but never overtake the Bradley Braves in what will likely be the last college basketball game I cover in a very long time.

But I didn't.

I sat and waited. I went and ate at Imo's Pizza -- thin-crust cheese pizza with minimum sauce that is so thin you think you're eating it off a cracker. Then I watched not one, but both of the other Missouri Valley Conference games. I capped my night by learning what "media hospitality meant." Yeah, it's a good thing that one day soon I'll be telling stories about.

But this blog isn't about that.

This blog is about the end.

And about how dreams always come to an end. Because, that was the one thing that kept going through my mind Friday afternoon as I saw the time on the clock decrease as the Salukis' deficit increase. I knew time was short. All I could do is hope. And I know that as a member of the media, I shouldn't cheer. And I've ridden people awfully hard who have cheered in press row. But on the inside, I was pulling for the Salukis. A team that I cheered when I was in high school. That for four years at SIUC, I cheered for. Went to SIU Arena early and didn't leave 'til after the game was over.

For years, I dreamt of the day I covered the SIU men's basketball team. Interviewing players such as Bryan Mullins and a coach like Chris Lowery. Sit in post-game press conferences and listen to Dana Altman. Go on road trips and visit far off lands such as Terre Haute, Ind., and Springfield, Mo., and Normal, Ill., and so-on and so-forth. For years, that's what I wanted to do with my life. Finally, in the end, my hard work paid off. I got to cover the basketball team I so desperately wanted to cover.

And for the second straight year, they flopped in their first game of the MVC Tournament. But this year, there isn't a NCAA berth. Nor is there a NIT bid. There's nothing. It's over. There is no tomorrow for my college basketball world. It's done. Fin. Fade to black.

As for the future ... I'm almost tempted to fail at life (or in my remaining classes) long enough to see this team mature into the team it could be. With Anthony Booker dominating the low-post and Kevin Dillard, Ryan Hare and Justin Bocot securing the perimeter. It is a team full of talent - but talent alone isn't enough in a conference like the MVC where experience is key. A team like North Carolina can get away with starting three newcomers because the newcomers are future NBA lottery picks. SIU can't.

My hope is that SIU head coach Chris Lowery calls me in three years and invites me to see a renovated SIU Arena to see a rejuvenated Saluki basketball team.

Now? Well, when I walked off the court and headed toward the press conference room I shook the hand of Dr. Harold Bardo - SIU folks know who he is so I won't go into detail because it's late. I shook Dr. Bardo's hand and I asked him "why do dreams have to come to an end?"

I guess I'll leave the answer to that blog for another day.

Behind the scenes of the MVC Tourney: The happy post after a relatively sad day

Rough day at the office. Or on the sideline. Or courtside. Whatever.

I was going to write the "I'm sad that this season is over" blog. Then I was going to write "Why do dreams have to end?" blog. I'll save those for tomorrow.

SIU jumped out to an early lead. Then lost it to Bradley. The Braves then almost blew out the Salukis. But then Southern fought back. But it wasn't enough.

This blog is reading like a Bill Plaschke column.

At least I snagged a picture with the second flyest looking guy in the joint. We're going enjoy "media hospitality" ... whatever that means.

And I know lots of fans are curious about the NBA 3-point line, and I asked Missouri Valley Conference Associate Commissioner Mike Kern about it.

Kern, who is one of the most helpful gentlemen here, said the line is part of the Scottrade Center's floor for all basketball games. They have the NBA range line for potential exhibition games and (just speculation) for the day when maybe a team from the Association lands under the Arch.

Even though NBA scouts were in attendance, Kern said it was not the conference's doing.

There's your inside look. Now I'm off to be sociable with people who enjoy media guides and press credentials as much as I do.