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My SportsCenter begins now

Sporting News, The, August 19, 2005 by Tricia Garner-Young

I've got a new job.

Well, for the day, anyway. SportsCenter is in town for the Missouri portion of its "50 States in 50 Days" tour, and I'm working as a member of the crew on the 6 p.m. ET broadcast.

I'm supposed to report for work at 2 p.m. Only problem is, I can't figure out where I'm supposed to go. That's OK--everyone gets lost on their first day at a new job. I couldn't find the bathroom my entire first week at the SPORTING NEWS. I can roll with it. The only thing is, it's hot. I mean really, really hot. And walking all around Busch Stadium is only making it hotter. I'm trying to maintain my primped, "you only get one chance to make a first impression" appearance, but it's a losing battle.

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Finally, I drag my sweaty, borderline smelly self to the makeshift SportsCenter studio overlooking center field. The first thing I notice is the desk--it's absolutely tiny. My cubicle at work is bigger. The SportsCenter desk, however, has very cool neon pink stripes on the sides, which my desk at work does not.

When I talked to my friends at ESPN, the plan was for me to run the TelePrompTer for Dan Patrick. It doesn't exactly turn out that way. Instead, I will hold a piece of paper (its official name--"slate"--is the only thing distinguishing it from the stacks in your copier) in front of the camera to indicate the beginning of a new segment. Basically, I'm like the girl who snaps the black clapper and yells "Action!" on a movie set. Only, instead of a black clapper, I've got an 8 1/2-by-11 piece of white paper. And I don't yell "Action!" I just stand there until they tell me to move. I've barely reported for duty and already I've been demoted.

I'm not going to lie to you, though; I'm pretty good at it. You think your 5-year-old can hold a paper perfectly still in front of a camera? Not like me, he can't. I turn to Dan Patrick. "I'm a natural, huh?" Just then, I lose my grip on the paper and it slides to the left. Nice guy that he is, he agrees anyway.

Despite my rocky start, I somehow manage to impress the higher-ups with my job performance--it's not long before I'm given a new, ultra-important task: "Can you sit in while we adjust the lighting?"

Model in front of the camera? Now we're talking. I take my seat at the official SportsCenter desk and instantly discover the biggest perk of being a SportsCenter anchor on location. Wedged into the back of the chair is--you ready for this?--a portable air conditioner. It's perfectly positioned, blowing icy-cold air up the back of my shirt. It feels like heaven. No wonder Dan Patrick looks so happy on TV. "This is the best thing that's happened to me all day," I moan. No one's impressed. Instead, I'm asked to move my hair so they can see my face better. Whatever. I'll shave it all off as long as they don't make me get out of this seat.

Dan Patrick's suit jacket is slung across the back of my chair. I don't expect most guys to understand this, but I'm dying to know who the designer is. I don't want to look tacky, though. I glance around and oh so casually lift the left lapel. I totally blow all pretense of playing it cool when I squint at the label inside the coat. I don't even know what language this is.

The afternoon comes to a premature end when a shall-remain-nameless Cardinals outfielder blows off his scheduled interview. I'm invited back for the late SportsCenter, but I have to get back to my "real" job. Which, as it turns out, isn't all that different from my SportsCenter gig. There may not be lights and a camera facing my desk, but I'm drowning in slates.

My SportsCenter begins now

Sporting News, The, August 19, 2005 by Tricia Garner-Young

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