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.

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.

Behind the scenes of the MVC Tourney: Networking

So far, one of my favorite things about the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament has been socializing with other journalists. In fact, it is something I look forward to whenever I show up to cover a game.

At this stage of the game, being a senior only a few months from graduation, it's about contacts. My goal is to meet everybody and make a name for myself. So far, I have befriended photojournalist Bill Greenblatt, who kindly provided the DE with its photo tonight. That came in part for a connect I made during SIU football season, Indiana State sports information director Mike Williams, who directed me to Greenblatt when I came to him in search of a photo.

People who know me on a personal level know I am a genuine person. For that to also happen on a professional level and for it to be appreciated, makes me feel special.

I think one of the best contacts I have made so far was actually one I had made in Normal, Ill., and that's John Mullin of the Chicago Tribune. Mullin covered the Bears beat when I was a young newspaper reader and now, covers Illinois college hoops like a blanket.

Today I learned he teaches a class at DePaul and was in the midst of reading one of 20 feature stories he assigned his students. If I only had the opportunity to take a class with a Chicago sports writing legend, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

In the mean time, I am recruiting Mullin to appear on the newest DE staple: The Sports Huddle. A web exclusive video that usually focuses on SIU sports. If time permits, Mullin agreed, in principle, to appear.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

You should too.

So long from St. Louis ... where's the after party at?

A blog about press credentials

I'm channeling my inner St. Lunatic.

"You can find me in Saint Louie" is just running on repeat in my head right now. I'm actually here, in St. Louis, Mo., covering the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament. This is the first time I've been here not as a fan, and to be honest, I'm having an awe-struck kind of moment here.

So this is really exciting, to me. I kind of figured it would be like that, though. When I was a kid, my friends filled up on hot dogs, pop and then eventually beer. I bought media guides and filled out score cards at ball games. I think then I knew I was destined to be different. Destined to be special.

Keep your eye on this blog for insider info. And by insider info, I mean a look at the life of a newspaper beat writer.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

You can't best the (sweater)vest!

I've come to the conclusion that the sweatervest > all other forms of sweaters and vests.

It has powers beyond making me look like a professional journalist that knows how to put together a nice-looking outfit.

The SIU men's basketball team is now 2-0 in games where I sport the sweatervest.

Coincidentally (ironically?) both wins came after overtime losses.

SIU 68 Bradley 62 in the debut of "The Sweatervest"

SIU 72 Missouri State 64 in "The Sweatervest Returns"

Don't get me wrong, if I wear this get-up on Saturday, I'll get booed out of the SIU Arena.

So this week I will be in search of "The Sweatervest II: Son of Sweatervest" so that doesn't happen.

Finally, the 'Press Credentials' tag

It's not every day I get to use the "press credentials" tag, even though there is probably something every day that merits its use.

Today its use is to paint the picture of a road trip to Terre Haute, Ind.

Here's a hint. It wasn't pretty.

Slowest. Subway. Ever.

I'm sure they're still making the other half of my sandwich.

Like Indianapolis, I felt as if the land of the Sycamores was a gloomy town (not city) with its redeeming quality being a pretty nice basketball facility. It's too bad Indiana State is 4-15 (2-5 in MVC play). It's hard to believe Larry Bird starred for this university a long, long, long time ago.

It's a nice stadium that doesn't look to have a bad seat in the house, which is easy for me to say seeing that I was courtside in press row behind SIU head coach Chris Lowery. If you watched closely enough, you might have seen me on TV.

The folks that work there, pretty cool too. Their sports information director (Mike Williams, because he deserves a shout out) was once again helpful to my cause. When he visited Carbondale for the SIU/ISU (blue) football game, he spent a lot of the game swatting bees in the press box and in the process, saving my life.

In the end, SIU left with a victory and after a late Denny's dinner (which also got screwed up) I left Indiana with a smile on my face.

Mostly because I was happy I was out of Indiana.

P.S. I'm still trying to figure out how or when I referred to SIU senior forward Tony Boyle as a future NBA all star. I don't think I've ever used "Tony Boyle" and "future NBA all star" in the same sentence, paragraph, story, blog post until these last few sentences.

Maybe I'm missing something.

TB. Good player. Solid player. Hard worker. Will never be confused with a NBA lottery pick.