FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Welcome to a new version of "Ask the 10 Spot." While we have previously used this title for two past columns exploring the genesis of certain sports terms, we've spun things a little differently for the 10 Spot Blog.

The concept now is that I will answer questions posed by a reader. Since Kari (yes, President of Pagination Kari) came up with the idea, she gets first crack. If this goes as planned, we will make it a regular feature, with a different 10 Spot reader handling the questions each time.

So here we go:

Q. How did you get into sports writing? Was that always the plan or is it a happy happenstance?

A. Happenstance at first, then "the plan." I never seriously considered a sportswriting career until my third year out of college, when I was working in London as an investment banker for Goldman Sachs. I had turned down an offer to become an associate (the next level up) for the following year, but I realized I needed a new goal to pursue in order to justify (to myself and others) passing up that opportunity. Thus late one night in the office, I came the conclusion that I'd always loved sports, and always loved writing -- so voila, I should be a sportswriter! I know that sounds obvious in retrospect, but it really was a Eureka moment for me.

Q. What three things do you never leave home without?

A. My wallet, cell phone and iPod. No. 4 would be a smile.

Q. What's on your iPod right now?

A. Well, I just checked and the next song on shuffle is TLC's No Scrubs, which is not unrepresentative. The 1,400 or so songs on my iPod (which I just had to replace after losing my first one on a plane) are a mix of my old CDs and whatever I have been able to pilfer from friends and family. I don't generally buy new music; I've purchased exactly one song on iTunes and haven't bought a CD since sometime in the mid-‘90s. I have a ton of U2 and Springsteen, plus everything from ‘80s tunes to early ‘90s dance music to Justin Timberlake and 50 Cent. I am not a hipster.

Q. Do you write any other columns for SI on a regular basis?

A. You mean, the 10 Spot isn't enough? No, this is pretty much my fulltime job these days.

Q. Finish this sentence: "I stay home to watch ... "

A. I have a DVR, so TV programmers aren't going to dictate when I stay home to watch anything. They're not the boss of me. But my favorite shows, in no particular order, are The Office, 24, 30 Rock, Lost, The Wire, The Amazing Race, Rescue Me, American Idol, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Monk and Friday Night Lights. Oh, and I like an old show called Seinfeld. I also watch a lot of sports, as you might guess.

Q. Have you ever played organized sports?

A. Yes. I played a number of sports in leagues or on school teams through junior high, especially basketball and soccer but also baseball, football and track. I did not play sports at my all-guys high school, in part because I got injured while trying out for soccer and in part because as a very late grower (and a rather average athlete overall) I wasn't good enough to make the teams. I also played a year of JV lacrosse as a sophomore in college, which mostly consisted of me trying to avoid getting my head taken off by the out-of-season football and hockey players that comprised the majority of my teammates. I was successful.

Q. If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you spend today doing?

A. Besides writing the 10 Spot? Probably drinking heavily and making foolhardy decisions, since I wouldn't have to pay the price tomorrow.

Q. What was your worst job ever?

A. Washing dishes at an Italian restaurant one summer during college. It's hard to get that sauce out. Oh, and soliciting donations over the phone for Just Say No to Drugs. That was really bad. I usually worked two or three jobs during the summers, and it was those extra jobs that killed you.

Q. If you could pick any four people to attend a sporting event with, which sporting event would it be, and who would you bring with you?

A. I've given this much thought, and while this might be cheating, I would like to bring four of my college roommates to watch the first four days of the NCAA Tournament in Las Vegas. That's way we'd have wall-to-wall games, plus general Vegas hijinks and catching up. If that's illegal, then I'd take the same group to the Final Four. Or maybe the Masters, which is the one major sporting event I've never covered that I'd really love to see.

Q. If you could, which pro athlete would you switch places with for a day?

A. Tiger Woods. I just think Tiger is the man. I love to watch him compete. Plus, after winning another major thanks to his immense skill and steely intensity, he gets to go home to a Swedish former nanny/bikini model. Well played, Eldrick.