Student of the game

I've been reading and writing a lot lately. Reading, mostly about how to become a tv writer. And writing, the tv show that has been nagging at me and brewing in my head for the last 2 years.

When I first started studying advertising and design, at School of Visual Arts (SVA) in 2004, I quickly realized that I could never completely enjoy a commercial break, billboard, poster, sticker, book cover, tshirt, shoe box....Anything that had to do with design. I found that I couldn't go without noticing the kerning (the space between two letters), the tracking (the space stereo words), color combinations, or how crooked something looked. I blame SVA.

I was taught to see those things other people didn't. As Bruce Willis' character in 'The Six Sense' describes it: "I see dead people." I don't see dead people. Well, maybe i have. I've seen a lot of weird people in New York. Anyway, I started seeing things that the average person could care less about.

This becomes frustrating because sometimes I want to have pure enjoyment in whatever I'm experiencing. It's similar to how kids enjoy baseball before they learn the rules of the game. To them, hitting the ball + running around = a successful day at the park.

But...just because the average person doesn't care about the rules of design and can't see "dead people," doesn't mean they can't feel that something's wrong with a book cover, tshirt graphic, or the typeface used in a menu. They can. And that's why we, as designers and art directors, have been trained to notice those nuances. So people can completely enjoy the items that they come into contact with.

I've been reading about how to write for television because I want people to enjoy and to be entertained by the stories that I write....And it would help if they didn't feel that something was wrong.

At bats

When you're up to bat, a pitcher usually throws your perfect pitch only once...Take advantage of your opportunities.

Sandy

Before Hurricane Sandy hit, I was one of the many who mocked the storm. At some point I think I looked outside and said, "What are you waiting for," quoting Anna Faris' character in Scary Movie. I didn't think it would live up to the hype. But it definitely did, and unfortunately there has been casualties from this storm.

I'm curious to see what pieces of art will come out of this tragic experience. Music, paintings, design, architecture, etc. Art can't replace lives, but I'm always interested in seeing the things that people create when moments of desperation come into play.

Craft

So I'm thinking about dusting off my cleats, and joining a baseball league this fall. I've played in office softball leagues, but I haven't played hardball (baseball, for those of you that don't know) in about 3 years.

I started getting into baseball towards the end of middle school/beginning of high school. In my freshman and sophomore year, I sucked. My timing was off, I made poor throws, and my baseball IQ wasn't there. It wasn't until I started taking baseball seriously, that I started to get good; Junior year.

I'd take about 200 swings a day in my backyard, and beyond our normal Monday through Friday practices, I practiced on Saturdays, sometimes even Sundays with my coach's 55 and up team. I also listened to the commentating as I watched baseball on tv. Joe Morgan, Jon Miller, and Buster Olney were basically my after school teachers.

In my senior year, I hit my first homerun, and was later named Detroit All-City in baseball. I wasn't the best player in the world, but I was pretty good...and that was because I worked at it relentlessly.

Today I woke up thinking, what if people treated relationships like a craft. Worked at it night and day, evaluating yourself, and worked on different aspects of your "game" that might be lacking.

We work very hard for inanimate objects. We have to get better at working hard for people.

Lesson on leadership

In a preseason interview with Andrew Luck, Chris Collinsworth asked Luck what was the best advice he got from his college coach, Jim Harbaugh. Luck said, "Coach used to say, 'If you're a yeller, then yell. If you're a quiet guy, be quiet and lead by example.' He just wanted to stress that you don't have to be a certain way to be a leader. Just be yourself and people will respect you.

Passing of the torch: From Kobe to LeBron

The afro days, the Adidas endorsement, dating Brandy, wearing #8, the 3-peat with Shaq, the Finals defeat by my hometown's Pistons, the close line by Raja Bell, and the last championship that allowed him to have a ring for every finger on his hand. Since 1996 I've been a fan of Kobe Bean Bryant. Early in his career, I had countless arguments about who was better between him and Tracy McGrady. It goes without saying, but those conversations occurred less and less as the years went on. It was crystal clear who the best player in the NBA was.

And then came the man-child from Ohio, LeBron James. I knew I would have to get ready to argue again soon. But because of his explosiveness and athletic ability, people crowned King James as the best player in the game way too soon. I still thought Kobe was a better shooter, better post-up player, had better handles, and had an overall higher basketball IQ. Even after LeBron's 2nd league MVP, I thought Kobe was the best player in the NBA.

After watching the 2012-2013 NBA season, the NBA Finals, and the London Games, I will officially say that LeBron James is the best player in the NBA. I'm super stubborn, but after witnessing (no pun intended) his dominance in basketball, I have to admit that. Not only can he score, but his defensive abilities give offenses around the league problems, and he makes every player around him better.

This isn't as dramatic as the David Beckham boat ride during the Olympics' Opening Ceremony, but the torch has definitely been passed to LeBron Raymone James. However, I wonder when LBJ will be forced to pass it to the lanky, near 7-foot, scoring machine in Oklahoma City. We shall see.

ESPN the Magazine Fantasy Football Edition

This is a nice cover and looks like a cool photo shoot. I might have to pick up Arian Foster in my Fantasy League this year.