Laettner and Lewis Basketball Minute From London

I don't know what prompted me to look back at these interviews.

Maybe I'm nostalgic. Maybe I'm experiencing the so called "Olympic Hangover" and I need a little hair-o-the-dog. The Olympics was a heck of a time, and getting to hang with Christian Laettner only made it better. 

I figured some cable sports provider would have seen my riveting television moments created with Laettner and signed us on for a billion dollar 2 year deal.

No dice yet.

But to enhance those chances, here's a look at what we did:

Sample #1- A quick intro and tag to a fine basketball chat... not the full version because the subject was actually pretty boring: Team USA Basketball vs. Nigeria... ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

Then a week later this is how we did Sample #2... I feel we really grew as a television duo:

Oh, and I know this is late... but if you missed my final Olympic Journal from London here ya go:

I hope you enjoy, the next blog will include some excerpts/photos and overall thoughts from Hurricane Isaac... specifically my trip with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters into the storm.

Mahalo,
Lew

I'm going to Bob Costas Bob Costas

Another day at the Olympics. I got out into the streets. An area of London known as Angel... or maybe Angel Park? I should have paid more attention. It's a lovely area with a few flowers and a park bench. 

It's where Christian Laettner chose to meet me for a sit down Bob Costas. (I'm referring to interviews as "Bob Costas-es" now, just gonna use them interchangeably so try to keep up.

Example: "I really hope to Bob Costas Bob Costas." 

Anyway, that's what I'm doing with my life right now.

Here's some fun on video tape... roll that film son.

I should just film an entire movie like that.

Ha. I'm kidding.

Here's the badminton link I promised in the video:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19072677

Thanks for reading, give me a call sometime... my number's still 911... alrightythen.


Mahalo,
Lew

Hey dude, you gonna eat that?

I've been asked how the food is over here at the Olympics in London. 

I think because black and white, grainy images of porridge and gruel pop in folks' head and they get a negative feeling about British food.

Thanks a lot Charles Dickens! jerk.

Actually the food has been quite nice.
And even better... free.
I'm working in the NBC cluster of offices in the  INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST CENTER CENTER CENTER CENTER CENTER center ......


FROM SPACE!!!!!!

ECHO!!!!!

Kidding. Just adding some audio effects to the blog... ahem.

But this place is friggin huge, Mr. Bigglesworth. And a sneeze echos for 9 hours... and all visible light disappears into its extreme gravity and its mass dissolves even the strongest covalent bonds and the food is free.

((2:16pm QUEEN'S TIME: I just took a bite of this awesome British chocolate with caramel in it and now it's all over my computer, but i don't care.))

Free.

Point: The food is good. The picture at the very top of this Everest Edition of the Turnerloose novella is from a BBQ restaurant I found on the street:

 

Not free.

But it was so good, I'm trying to find 30 minutes of free time so I can get a pulled pork sandwich again.

Oh, and there are sports going on here too.

Olympics Blog,

--Lew

#DDUUUUUUVVVVVVALLLLLLLLL

#DuvalThings

I mean, you all are on twitter aren't you? If not, then I am so sorry for this post please forgive me and find a place in your heart that will welcome me back in one day.

ONWARD...

If you are into twitter, then you understand hashtags... I've really started to enjoy the "#DuvalThings" tag that people use when posting something about Jacksonville.

They are always so interesting.

Sometimes a bit dirty, or upsetting... but interesting.

Here's an example of a few:

Some are repetitive, but perhaps we're getting the idea here.

Let me get to the point... I'm going to start doing a series of stories based solely on #DuvalThings focusing on the positive and cool stuff.

Not the "jogging in white jeans and a mesh tank top" stuff. #DuvalThings.

This all stemmed from my story today, about Big Jim... a steam whistle that's been sounding off in Jacksonville since 1890.

You can click here to see it in case you missed it.

Anyway, how about some awesome #DuvalThings... neat places, cool people? Anything... I'm all ears.

Some of my favorite quotes...

Rarely is there a story where I get more quotes and soundbites than what I experienced today...

I interviewed Boss Hog Calhoun... a pro wrestler in here Jacksonville doing a couple shows for United States Wrestling Alliance and United States Championship Wrestling (yes, those are actual things).

More on this later in the week.

However... I went ahead and haphazardly threw together some highlights for us all to enjoy.

Again, we'll be seeing more of this dude later next week... as we get closer to show time.

Want A Lot of Youtube Views? Teach your donkey to sing...

The things that people look at on Youtube are hilarious.

I could stand in front of a camera, and using my classically trained and honed thespian abilities perform Iago's monologue from Othello Act 2 Scene 3.

I'd get 8 Youtube views.

However, show me a donkey that "heee-haws" while a rancher plays a violin... 100,000 hits (AND COUNTING!!)

Hilarious.

That was my day's work, hanging with the lady whose donkey can sing. I told her story for the 5:30pm news, but there was some stuff that didn't make the air, namely our attempts at making the donkey sing again.

Here's that effort:

Here's her full singing donkey story... including a little on why the donkey has a lot to be singing about:

Taking The Browns To The Super Bowl

In the news biz ((look at me, all big and bad saying "news biz." HA!)) the Friday before the Super Bowl is intense. Especially if your station is the one with the game.

First Coast News has the Super Bowl.

 I'll be watching from either the chair or the couch in my house. Maybe both at different points of the night. Who knows. 

But so many folks are going to embrace the passion of the wild... and head to a sports bar.

I talked to a guy named George today, he owns Players Grille on Hendricks... he expects to triple business Sunday.

Triple.

That's awesome. And just shows how huge of a business the pro football thing is... even in Jacksonville, with no real hometown rooting interest in the game, places are going to be raking in the cash.

I may contribute to that, by purchasing a case of Pepsi and some dip. 

Here's the contribution to television I made today... my take on the ole "are you ready for the Super Bowl" story that floats around year-to-year:

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/video/1432239619001/1/Ready-for-the-Super-Bowl-No-Really-Are-You-Ready

Here's a little something extra, folks tripling their biz on Sunday:

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the Super Bowl... most of all: be safe!

Mahalo,
Lew