Blogging the BJK

I'm headed outside in scary conditions to brave a night of (indoor) tennis at the Billie Jean King Cup at the Madison Square Garden.

I'll have a post up later this week about my experience there!

Breathing Elsewhere

Just in case you're wondering, I'm still alive. I'm working on a few new projects while I make it day-to-day as a barista in the Big Apple.

The first of those is my personal blog, which I launched just over a month ago and am calling The McColumn. I'm trying my best to take each post as a column that might appear in an actual newspaper (remember those?) while trudging through each day as freelancer, an individual, a young adult...

Secondarily, I've began working with Erwin Ong over at Tennis Served Fresh. I'll be doing posts for Erwin with some regularity, hopefully contributing a new angle to his already-well written blog.

My first assignment for Erwin is to head over to the Billie Jean King Cup at the Madison Square Garden this coming Monday. It's a huge exhibition event, with Venus, Serena, Ana and Jelena all in attendance. No doubt lots of tennis dignitaries will be in attendance too. Check out TSF all next week to see what I come up with!

And, as usual, I'm contributing at Green for Good with a column on being young and Green. Don't forget to check that out once in a while, too!

Hope all are well!

(I'm even finding some time to release my anger in healthy ways! Photo copyright Matthew Murphy.)

Tennis Chatter: Weekend Thoughts

I had a busy first week at my new job with Seena Hamilton & Associates, but I'm learning a ton while helping plan a great event - The Easter Bowl. This tournament is a stronghold in junior tennis - some (including Seena), call it the 'blockbuster of junior tennis' - and attracts players from all over the country to the Indian Wells area for an incredible week of springtime tennis. Needless to say, it's a storied event.

One of the many things that my eyes were opened to this weekend is an individual known as Gene Scott. Among other things, Gene was the founder and editor at Tennis Week for many years, and was a pioneer in a variety of ways. When you start learning about an individual like Gene, it makes you look at tennis from a different angle. Such an angle might be that this is a 'lifetime game' or that tennis can teach us things we can't learn anywhere else.

My point is that Gene wasn't just a good tennis player, he was a stand-out human being. When he passed away unexpectedly in 2006, there was a great sense of loss in the tennis community. Who would come up with a "Vantage Point" similar to Gene's? Who would continue to criticize a game that he or she loved so much?

It makes me appreciate and respect players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who take their celebrity status and positions in the game to do good - to improve tennis and the world around it. Players like these guys and others - Andre Agassi comes to mind - make this game so great. We must continue to self-criticize (as a sport) and not shy away from challenging who we are and what we are as an institution in order to move forward.

No, I don't think tennis is the platform to change the world, but it can be a platform. Martina Navratilova and Amelie Mauresmo did so when they came out, Agassi, Andy Roddick and others do so with their charities and non-profits, and Andrea Jaeger proved that the tennis afterlife could be more than just coaching clinics and commentating gigs.

That's a funny thing to think of - The Tennis Afterlife - isn't it? I look at players like Irina Spirlea or Richard Krajicek and can't really muster up any thoughts or feelings other than how oversized tennis clothes were in the mid-90s. No, not every player can be an Agassi on and off the court, but tennis is just a game - a game encompassed in a life that asks us to work together and for each other, not alone and against each other.

So maybe that's why so many tennis players are so socially awkward (myself included). We are taught to be tenacious, to go for it, to "Off with their heads!" on the court and then asked to be buddy buddy with our over-the-net foe when we're off. It's not an easy switch to turn on and off.

That's one reason why I love working for The Easter Bowl so far: this isn't a pro tennis tournament. This is a junior tournament, where American kids are bred to be champions but few - and fewer these days, right? - actually play competitive tennis past college. This is a junior tennis tournament where a future outside of tennis is likely for all, and a chance to do good in the world is only just beginning to form.

I think that's an idea Gene Scott would've liked.

"They're Both Outdoors"

A few weeks ago, when I was in New York, I took the Chinatown bus from New York to Boston and back again for the weekend. It was a fun adventure to be out on the East Coast traveling by myself, and along the way I met several fun characters on and off the bus.

One of those characters was a girl whose name I forget, but whose personality is unforgettable. She sat next to me on the ride back to New York, with her iPod in hand and her humming voice singing along - she was going to audition for a show. We got to chatting and she told me about how she was doing a show this summer at a theme park, something she didn't seem necessarily proud of, but deep down knew that it was a gig.

As the conversation turned to me, I told her about how I was moving to the City in September to try to make my way as a writer. I told her that my interested varied, but that I was particularly interested in the environmental movement and the professional tennis tour, which are two completely different things.

"Well," she replied. "They're both outdoors."

Yes, I thought, they are both outdoors - sometimes. Needless to say, she was being kind and trying to make a connection, something that I appreciated from her.

Those two issues - the environmental movement and tennis - are what my two most recent published writings include. My column at GreenforGood.com, "The Greener Grad" continues this week with a look at how the green movement is often seen as a competition when it shouldn't be. And, over at TENNIS.com, I wrote an article about my own school, Seattle University, going Division I and bringing back their storied tennis program.

Check both of them out when you have time, and get out and enjoy the outdoors when you get the chance! There's lot to do out there, separate from tennis and the environment, of course.

Summer is Winding Down

The past few weeks in Montana have completed what has been an incredible summer of 2007. I began my journey as a wide-eyed Montana boy in Manhattan, and am ending it over the next few days with my two best friends visiting me in Helena before we head back to Seattle for our senior year of college.

Thinking that I'm a senior (senior!) is so intimidating. Everyone here in Helena (and I mean everyone - this town is so Stars Hollow-esque) keeps asking me: "So what are you going to do after graduation?"

Four years ago, as a high school senior, I felt like I faced that question every day. Though I had many answers throughout the year (college in Massachusetts, then Seattle; AmeriCorps; staying in Helena), I never knew exactly what I was going to do until late May, when my scholarships lined up at SU.

So instead of throwing out the answer of the day, I've told most people that I have 'no clue' what I'm going to be doing in a year. Seattle is a possibility, as is Portland, or Helena, or New York...or anywhere for that matter.

I do know that I want to be doing something that I'm passionate about. In a lot of ways, I hope that includes tennis, but if it doesn't, then so be it.

For now, I'll enjoy my last few days of freedom before I find myself wedged between paper deadlines and work schedules. On goes my life (and the blog!).

Come One, Come Rain

The rain drops started on Tuesday and they never stopped. I hoped for most of the day that they would stop, that the Pilot Pen might get some play in before my train back to New York. Come mid-afternoon, however, the rain had hit a persistent level and I had lost all hope.

I boarded a train back to New York at 3 - about five hours earlier than I had planned - with a little bit of disappointment weighing on my shoulders. It was, no doubt, a great experience just to have the chance to utilize my press pass, see the behind-the-scenes happenings and get a glimpse of what the future might hold.

(I just hope the future doesn't involved washed-out Tuesdays. AIPT photo.)

New Haven: The New Seattle

If rain is out of fashion in Seattle then I know which city stole its style for the season: New Haven, Connecticut.

By 1:30 no tennis ball has been hit. And they don't even have grounds people working to keep the courts semi-dry: the rain has been upgraded to 'steady'.

(Look! An empty interview room. Which means no matches have been completed. Which means no matches have even started. AIPT photo.)

Oh what I'd give for a Ashley Harkleroad press conference right now. "So Ash, tell us about your MySpace quote..."

Summer at TENNIS: Everything Ends

I grew up in a house built during the 1880s gold rush in Montana. It's brick, with white trim and has a romantic sense to it that my mom has brought out with her golden touch of decorating.

My favorite part of the house, however wasn't inside with the hardwood floors and intricate molding, instead, it was in the back alley, behind our garage. You see, the alley faced an old barn - yes, barn - that had the most perfect texture for hitting a ball against.

Starting at the age of 5, I would go out there most summer days, and some winter ones, too, and bash a ball against the wall until my forearm was numb. My neighbors were generous, never complaining about the noise or the wear-down on the wall I was guilty of. I became familiar with the drivers who used the alley as a short cut, and, remarkably, I won dozens of grand slam titles and thousands of adoring fans.

It had always been a dream of mine to be involved in professional tennis. Back in my wall-hitting days, I thought my role would be Wimbledon king and US Open prince, but past the age of 12, when I realized tennis was to Montana as water-skiing is to big cities, I turned my focus to my skill of the pen rather than my skill of the racquet.

This past summer, I have had the remarkable opportunity to work at TENNIS Magazine as an intern. It's been an opportunity that I at one point could've never dreamed of, and one that has taught me miles upon miles of lessons of the professional world.

For a boy from Montana, New York has no doubt been intimidating. The City has given me a lot, and hopefully I've been able to give back something through my taking. This all might sound cheesy and overdone, but it's given me a chance to see my future out of a pair of different lenses.

(The view from my intern cubicle. Well, actually this is from the top of Rockafeller. But a boy can dream, right? AIPT photo.)

Whether or not my future still lays in tennis or not, that I can't say, but I do know that I have a a good sense of where my ability stands, where my mind can take me and where my dreams still dwell.

A huge thanks to everyone at TENNIS, my summer savior Matt, Erwin for encouragement and all my family and friends keeping the emails and comments coming. Stay tuned to Talking Tennis for all your favorite updates from yours truly.

Photoblog: Finally, An Intern

Disclaimer: the photoblog idea totally came from the brilliant mind of Matt Murphy. I always give credit where credit is due. So Matt, where'd you get the idea?

Though my real camera stopped working a few months ago (that's what I get for buying it at Costco), I still try to take (poor quality) pictures with my camera phone as often as possible.

This week, Troy and I were sent off on a task that only interns could complete: pick up the manikin legs. Yes, that's right, the manikin legs were done with their photo shoot and they needed us to move them. You see, manikin legs might be legs, but they don't necessarily move - hence us getting them.

So we set off to pick them up from Rainier, the German photographer (not the beer). And from here on out, I'll let the photos do (most) the talking:

(Troy and I lugged the manikins in body bags downstairs. Glares from passersby were numerous. AIPT photo.)

(Then the cab dropped us off almost a block away from our destination - the Land of Manikins. Troy did the carrying. I played paparazzi. AIPT photo.)

(We heard crying from inside of a building and what did we find? The Land of Manikins. Our legs were finally home. AIPT photo.)

(Once we returned the legs, we hit the streets again but were pulled into a dark alley by this mysterious du: Federelf and Mirkadeer. "Take this," they told us. Troy Venechanos illustration.)

(They handed us a minute piece of paper, and, alas! It was page 66 of the October issue of TENNIS Magazine. With me, a stamp-sized boy, rolling on a foam tube. AIPT photo.)

Our mission was complete. Our work as interns - done.

NYC Firsts: Photo Shoots and FederBear!

New York City has been the home of a lot of first-time experiences for me. This city has taught me a lot in the short two months that I've been here, and I'm sad to say I have just 10 more days before I depart for what could be eternity, or perhaps just a year. Only time will tell...

This week (my eighth at the internship) surprisingly brought three firsts of its own.

The Photo Shoot Delivery
On Thursday, David Rosenberg, our photo editor, asked Troy and I to make a little delivery for him. Another one of the photo editors was setting up a photo shoot just a few blocks from the magazine, and they needed props delivered from the office. So Troy and I took a little trot to W20th and 6th.

Upon entering the studio, I felt like I was walking into a scene from America's Next Top Model or some TV set. A vast space with shiny hardwood floors and a raised ceiling gave the room an air of importance. Tim, SMASH art director, showed us around the studio, giving us a peek at the manikins in which they were using for a shoe shoot.

We didn't get to stay for the shoot itself, but I'm guessing the manikins (and bottle of cologne) cooperated just fine.

(The giant umbrella protected the manikins from the fierce rays of sun coming from the ceiling. Photo by AIPT.)

Photo Shoot: More Than an Observer
The next day (Friday), I was enjoying my time looking for pictures on Getty for our player profile section when David approached me again. "Want to be in the magazine?" He asked.

I laughed him off as he walked by. Not really sure what he was asking, but all the while slightly embarrassed and slightly intrigued by his comment. Later during the day, he approached me with tennis shoes, shorts and a shirt and said, "Let's get you into these."

It seems as though a last-minute crunch for the October issue left them with one option for part of the fitness section: do an in-house shoot. For some reason, I was the chosen candidate. And soon I found myself rolling on a thigh-massaging device with the direction of our SMASH fitness editor and Mr. Rosenberg himself.

(My BlueSteel face was on for much of the shoot. AIPT photo.)

FederBear and the Photoshop Lesson
Friday afternoon also brought a little lesson for me: the art of Photoshop. Troy was kind (and patient) enough to show me little details of the program. I never will be much of an artist, especially a digital artist, but I've realized the more skills I can attain the more marketable I am as a 21st-Century journalist. Sound lame? It is.

However, Troy created the most not-lame picture of all-time to cap off a great week at the magazine.

(FederBear. Troy Venechanos illustration.)

Rush Hour, Flood Hour

You know in the movies when they pan over a New York street? The avenue is packed with bumper-to-bumper taxi cabs and waves of people flow in the sidewalks as one. Well, NYC is kind of like that, but in Hollywood's way of dramatizing things, they get a little carried away.

Yet today would've been perfect for such a rush-hour scene. As I walked toward the subway, the AMNY guy handed me my morning paper with this greeted "The trains are flooded." The trains are flooded? Okay, so I can't take the 6, no big deal. "What about the N/R?" I asked him. Nope, he shook his head. So as I started making my way north on 4th Avenue, I began to realize the more densely crowded sidewalks, the groans of my fellow pedestrians became more and more apparent as I made my way from 8th to 28th.

It wasn't a bad walk for me. In fact, I always enjoy a good walk. However, New Yorkers aren't much into walking, especially in the muggy, sticky conditions the post-storm morning held. Cabs were impossible to get, because if you weren't south of 14th steet, they had already been taken. Buses were bursting with passengers, and didn't even bother to try to make regular stops where dozens - if not hundreds - of subway-turned-bus riders watched with envy as another full bus made its way past them.

In many ways, my New York experience has been unique. The steam blast earlier this summer was a pseudo-9/11 experience for many in the City, and now there's talk of the 2003 blackout as packs of pedestrians fill the streets of Manhattan.

For a city that manages so much crisis, New York certainly has given me tools for survival in 'the real world.' And, oh yeah, I'm doing an internship here, too...

New York Return

After a glorious week in Montana, I'll board a plane this afternoon to head back to NYC. I can't believe I've missed so much in just a week!

Sam Querrey. John Isner. Who are these guys?

Can't wait to let the blogging begin this week.

AWIM: A Week in Montana

I'm about to board a plane for Missoula, Mont., via Chicago in a few hours. This year, my parents are celebrating their 30th Wedding Anniversary, something not too many married couples get to experience together.

It's a special week for my family for many reasons: both my older sisters, Katie and Annie, are celebrating their one-year wedding anniversaries (Katie and Andrew on July 15 and Annie and Kevin on September 22) and not just that, but Annie and Kevin welcomed in SAM (already a blog superstar) on July 11 of this year.

It will be a grand affair. My youngest sister, Marcie just got her license, while my brother JP returned from a second stint in Ireland this year a few days ago. My older brother Michael (de San-Fran-cis-co) will bring along his girlfriend, Jennie, and Katie and Andrew their brand-new lab, Willy.

If you've lost count, there's 13 of us (Willy included)!

Mary's Place on Flathead Lake, Polson, Montana (photo via HighNotePress).

I will be enjoying my Harry Potter on the shores of Flathead Lake between family boating, rafting, hiking, tennis and eating. Though I am deeply saddened that I won't get to experience the wonders that are San Diego and DC, I look forward to returning to NYC for two more weeks at TENNIS and (of course) decades more of blogging.

Happy August all :)

Finding the SMALL in the BIG (City)

When I first arrived in New York, I couldn't believe the pulse this city moves within each day. It's a wave of energy unlike any other I have ever encountered.

While the "big-ness" of this city is something I appreciate, I tend to flock to the small establishments in my daily adventures. Sure, corporate America is hard to avoid, but what makes New York (and any community, for that matter) is the character of the "smalls" that dot the city.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Think Coffee
248 Mercer Street
New York, NY 10012
I was introduced to Think during my first ever visit to the City last fall, by my friend Matt. Think is engulfed by NYU and is usually full of college and grad students sipping their espresso with eyes glued to glowing Mac screens. I enjoy Think for its large space (hard to find in Manhattan), free wireless internet and think-about-it mission. Fair trade. Organic. Local. What isn't there to love?

St. Mark's Market
21 St. Mark's Place
New York, NY 10003
Located directly next door to my apartment, St. Mark's Market is the place where I buy my (gasp!) groceries. Grocery shopping may be foreign to many New Yorkers, but for me, as an unpaid intern, I try to pick up the essentials to avoid $10-daily lunches. They encouraged me to re-use their aqua-colored grocery bags, a gesture that won over my heart (and debit card) from first purchase. Another great thing about them is they operate on the 24-hour schedule to make sure that any craving at any time of the day (or night) is satisfied.


Strand Bookstore
828 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
Though I wish I was more of a reader, I always love the romantic idea of a rickety quaint bookstore. Strand isn't rickety, and it certainly isn't quaint either; their web site claims they have 18 miles of books! My recent purchase of Harry Potter brought me upon this store that I had passed many times on my way to Union Square, and it reminded me of my one of my favorite place in Portland: Powell Books. The romanticism of these places is what sets them apart from the Barnes and Nobles and Borders of the world. Much like MT Book Co. and Elliott Bay in my other hometowns, I'm sure I'll find myself back at Strand in the near future. (Photo by AntiDiluvian via Flickr.)

The Faucet
Any Tap Water Drive
New York, NY 10001
No, The Faucet isn't the name of some chic club like Butter, Lindsay Lohan's favorite hangout. The Faucet is another name for sink - the same sink all of us brush our teeth and wash our dishes out of. I'm a big fan of The Faucet for this reason: tap water. It seems as though New York City is just catching on to the bottled-water-is-bad-for-the-environment swing, not to mention most bottled water is sold by large corporations that make money off of something that is free. I might have to say this is my favorite stop in NYC. It's cool, crisp and doesn't dent my pocket one bit!

Garbage, Art and My Future (In the Air)

New York smells. I mean really, it smells. For those of you that are Montanans, think Missoula, mix in a little garbage and throw in a dash of bad bathroom smell and voila! You have New York City.

Now you must understand, the entire city doesn't wreak, but the variety of wafts I get every morning on my way to (and inside of) the subway are enough to make you cringe a little. That's big city living though, right?

Creativity is always in the air in this city as well, and thanks to having one of the most well-informed artistic buffs as one of my best friends, I get to bypass the critics section in the New York Times and go straight to the good stuff.

Recently I joined my friend, Matt, for an uptown ride on the 6 train (always my favorite) to attend an outdoor display of art at The Met. The display included three over-sized movie screens, hung on the side of a building, with dancers of all different disciplines projected onto the screens.

These dancers were not ordinary performers, however, their 15-second dance sequences had been slowed down to dozens of frames per second, so that they move in the slowest of slow motion. The beauty of it - to me - was captivating. And though I'll never know a fouette as well as I know a forehand, the sight of it all was enough to make my mouth drop.

And while the aroma of art passed through my life this week, the fragrance of my future has been lingering in the air since I arrived in the City. New York appeals to so much of me - to my love of urbania, to my writing, to the dream of living here - yet I'm not sure if it's rubbed me the right way in my time here. I'm still undecided.

Come Saturday I'll board a plane for a week in Montana with my family, re-entering the world of pine trees and wildfires and get a little perspective on life. And, thank god, a little fresh air.

Baby City

Lindsay Davenport had her baby just seven weeks ago and is already itching to get back on the tennis court. I had the opportunity to write a news feature on Davenport and her comeback on TENNIS.com. You can find it here.

Meanwhile, my sister Annie keeps sending me adorable pictures of her newborn, Samantha Ann, so I can't resist putting another shot of SAM up. She's 9 days old today.


Keeping with the baby theme, tennis balls are always amusing to children in one way or another. I'm not sure about this video here, where the little boy is inundated with a box of tennis balls bouncing down the stairs. He seems to enjoy himself though. Future tennis champion?

Sustainability in the Center (of the Universe)

This entry might fall far - very far - from the tennis world, but it's something that has been on my mind over the past few weeks since arriving in New York City.

Being sustainable is something I work hard at each day. Sustainable can have a variety of meanings, but to me, it encompasses all those little things that we (humans) do each day to help preserve our home (earth).

Sustainability has just become a buzz word within mainstream media over the last couple of years. From hybrid cars to organic food and fair trade coffee, consumers are just starting to tap into a world that some (people much wiser than I) have known about for years.

With global warming in full force, it's scary to think of what my children's children will have to deal with as they fight to live their everyday lives.

Perhaps I've been spoiled living in Seattle, a 'green city'. However, I've been less than impressed with New York when it comes to their sustainability. Packaged food is the norm, along with a bottle of this and a can of that. Want a napkin? How about 10? It's consume, consume, consume here in the Center of the Universe.

I've worked my hardest to save all my little bags, keep the AC on for a minimal amount of time, take short showers, avoid riding in taxis; walk, bus and train as often as possible and use my handkerchiefs for clean-ups that usually call for paper.

You see to me, sustainability means small steps. Today at lunch with my favorite cousin (shout out here BFB!), she laughed at me as I pulled out my own straw from my backpack. Yes, I admit, laughable. But what isn't laughable is the fact that not one barista in this entire city has yet to recognize my coffee mug as that - a coffee mug - and whenever I order my joe and hand over my aluminum paper-saver they greet me with a puzzled gaze: "What is this?"

That, my friends, is my attempt at sustainability. New York is trying to catch on, but with a lack of recycling bins throughout the city, and a fascination with bottled water (Americans spent $15 billion on the stuff last year), we've got a long way to go.

This woman seems to have the right idea, she's going GREEN and taking her dog with her. (If you can't tell, he's green too.)

Sure, I slip up every day in one way or another, but I'm hoping we continue to struggle together, as a community, in this unfair fight we humans have picked against the earth.

Beaming

The last couple days have been pretty good to me, and I can't help the glow I feel surrounded by.

First there was the news of SAM, the newest addition to my already gigantic family.

Then, (on a smaller scale, of course) I got the opportunity to write for Peter Bodo's blog on TENNIS.com called TENNISWORLD. This is probably the most well-read tennis blog on the internet, and having Pete suggest I write something and him actually posting it is an incredible honor. Check it out.

Is tomorrow really Friday the 13th? For some reason I feel like I'll enjoy this one.

Cross Town, Cross Country

While the men and women of Wimbledon were doing their best to play through the wet weeks that have been particularly persistent this fortnight, I was dodging in and out of a few Northeast storms during my third week in New York City.

Upon my arrival in the city just over three weeks ago, I discovered that my sublet (arranged through our family friend, Meghan), wasn't exactly what I thought it to be. It turned out that Meghan was staying in New York for the summer, meaning I was bumped to the 'guest room' of the apartment.

Now, I'm okay with a little change-up, and Meghan has to be hands-down the nicest person I've ever met. However, a small room with no outside window, a single bed, no air conditioner and (as I found out on my last night there) a leaky ceiling...I felt as though I wanted my New York experience to be a little more high class. This was my summer in the city, right?


The sent rainwater dripping onto my pillow just inches from my head!

Therefore, I moved into a new place in the East Village, just one train ride (19 blocks, via the 6 Local) to work and three blocks away from my great friend Matt. The East Village is in Manhattan, and is a vibrant part of this cultured city.

After spending much of Wednesday and Thursday moving into my new place, I flew back to Seattle Thursday night for a wedding in Spokane that is happening tomorrow, Saturday. I've enjoyed my short time back in Seatown to see some good friends, tie up a few loose ends and get ready for my friend Laura's wedding.

Monday takes me back to NYC and the world of TENNIS Magazine. I hope that the internship will keep its bite post-Wimbledon and one such event to help that will be the Hall of Fame Induction we're attending next Saturday, in Newport, R.I.

Until then, my thoughts and prayers are with Annie, Kevin and Tiny...who are ready for their adventure together any day now! Love you all.

A Bad Blogger

With five days of The Championships complete, I feel as though I've slacked in the blogging department. More than anything else, it's self-discipline that makes me feel guilty about it...curse me for having parents who instilled hard work!

I guess I'll save the slacking for another time.

I do have to say, the tennis has been pretty entertaining. Venus survived her first round Graveyard challenger; Tiger Tim wowed, then fell; Tatiana showed her true colors while Hingis and Blake were shown the door.

I've been lucky this past week to sit down and watch some great tennis players alongside some great tennis minds. What a thrill for me; what a learning experience.

If week one is any indication, week two will be a treat. Hopefully as beautiful as the Friday-night sunset beyond the Manhattan skyline.