Gotta love what you do

This was my Friday. This was my Saturday.

It was a long weekend of work. I did eight game stories on basketball and volleyball, trying to make each sound exciting and different then the rest although they all blurred together in my head.

In three of those, I had to provide commentary on the streaming webcast online. It was an on the spot offer: "I need you to commentate volleyball." It was a new challenge. I mean, I don't really know volleyball. But it was a fun, spontaneous experience.

Commentary, run down, get quotes, write story, send, run up, commentary, repeat.

At the end of each day, I felt exhausted. I also found out I love what I do.

Anytime I feel like complaining about working any of my numerous jobs over the past year, I stop myself and realize how dumb that would sound. I am being paid to write, watch, and talk about sports.

If you would have told me two years ago when I was spinning my wheels in university, trying to get somewhere I didn't know how to get to, that this is what I would be doing, I would not have believed you.

I am thankful for all the opportunities that have been given to me throughout my schooling and I look forward to many more.

Because I like what I do.

Which is good because this will again be my Friday and my Saturday once again in the not-so distant future.

Not Incognito

Surfing through the rounds of NFL pregame shows yesterday morning, I landed upon FOX where the station had landed an exclusive interview with suspended Miami Dolphins lineman Richie Incognito.

Incognito has been suspended by the team while the league investigates claims that he bullied fellow offensive lineman Jonathan Martin to the point where Martin snapped and left the team. Evidence of texts and voicemails from Incognito to Martin have surfaced and the ensuing news story has gotten plenty of hot takes (ugh) from the sports world.

Incognito had not spoken publicly on the events since his suspension. He sat down with Jay Glazer yesterday for an interview.

The heavily edited, six minute interview featured Glazer asking predictable questions for rehearsed answers from Incognito. Disclosed beforehand was Glazer's relationship with Incognito. It raises a few question. How am I as a viewer suppose to know that Glazer handed this interview objectively? Why is FOX OK with a reporter holding this kind of a relationship with someone he's reporting on?

Today, there has been backlash stemming from the interview. The Atlantic Wire says that though the network disclosed the relationship between the two "...that should not excuse the player or journalist. In a lot of newsrooms, Glazer would have been disqualified from ever speaking with Incognito on camera."

Meanwhile, Dave Zirin from The Nation took the interview behind the woodshed. In his column, Zirin called the interview "sports journalism at its worst" and a "big steaming pile of propaganda". I would encourage you to read Zirin's piece since it sums up my thoughts on this issue in a much more colorful and articulate manner.

Winnipeg's Great War

During World War I, 261 Fort Street was home to a major milestone for the city of Winnipeg.

It was home to a factory owned by John Hadden, who by receiving an order for 6,000 tunics and pants, was the first Winnipeg-based firm to win a war-time contract.

To the right is 261 Fort Street today. 

Not a trace of that history remains on that site to the eye.

Winnipeg's Great War: A City Comes to Age touches on many historical themes in the book. One that is weaved throughout is the evolution of Winnipeg through the war. The Winnipeg that existed before World War I was completely changed by the end of the conflict.

261 Fort Street is an example of how that change continues today.

The book, written and researched by Jim Blanchard, is packed full of interesting facts, details, and anecdotes about Winnipeg during the First World War. Blanchard said the book took him three years start to finish and it shows in the detailed text.

One of the strengths of this book was Blanchard's ability to recreate event as if he was a bystander. Whether it was a riot or the torture of conscientious objectors, Blanchard does an amazing job in taking accounts from a variety of sources and describing the events as if they were happening right in front of his face.

The amount of detail in every paragraph did make it a harder read at points, especially with chapters that reached at times 70 pages. With no natural breaks, the information bogged me down at times and I felt like I wasn't completely digesting the entire story at times due to the length. However, that would be my small criticism of this otherwise terrific book.

Having an opportunity to talk with Blanchard today was very insightful in seeing what methods he used to research and write this work. As someone who someday wishes to write a historically-based work, I enjoyed listening to him speak about how he went about finding and tackling the information he needed to write the book.