Today I was at the National Swimming Championships

[DBBN]

They took place at my university this year. Being one of the lead sports reporters on the paper, I badgered my editor until I got to go ;D Honestly, he didn't even care that this huge event was going on at UMD until I reminded him that, one month prior, I was assigned to write up a piece on Jill Martin, a UMD student who is going for Athens '04. Jill and I had stayed in touch since then, and she wanted me to follow her up at Nationals. He couldn't refuse that.

And then we found out that Michael Phelps, the star of Worlds in Barcelona was going to be there. So now I was adamant that we were to give me lead story! I GRARed at him and no one can refuse the GRAR. Indeed, Phelps was a big selling point. So I went.

Man, being by the pool at US Nationals is just insane. Imagine 1500 of the buffest guys and girls in the world, in skimpy clothing. As a gay man, it was heavenly. Speedos are a gift from God. ;D These people have no shame. And they don't need to! I mean, I felt very inadequate as buff Adonises kept walking past all day, but they were groping me and I had a few "accidental" brushes against them (okay, many ;D) so all in all, a good day. ;D

Anyway, Phelps won both of his races today. Jill bombed out of her speciality, the 200 breast but she still has a shot at the 100 breast on Friday, and I'm going back for that.

700 hot guys. That's most important. I think I picked out the gay ones and I'm going to work on that on Friday and possibly Saturday. ;D

Over summer the paper comes out hard copy and Internet on Thursday, so I'll post a link tomorrow.

[Lee]

Sounds like you're in heaven, Hurley!

[DBBN]

This had better be what I get when I die! ;D

[DBBN]

www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2003/08/07/sports2.html ;D

[TennisHack]

LMAO, I'm sure you were in heaven. Swimmers have no shame and divers, apparently even less ;D

Good luck wrangling a date and/or trick ;D

[Lee]

Hurley said:

www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamondback/archives/2003/08/07/sports2.html ;D

Nice job Hurly! ;D

That's you?

[DBBN]

Yup, that's me. They didn't edit me at all this week. This one goes right into the portfolio.

I try to straddle the line between journalist and pervert, but sometimes it's hard. ;D

That was a dirty sentence, wasn't it

[Lee]

Hurley said:

Yup, that's me. They didn't edit me at all this week. This one goes right into the portfolio.

I try to straddle the line between journalist and pervert, but sometimes it's hard. ;D

That was a dirty sentence, wasn't it

Honestly, I really like the report. Pretty professional IMO. But the only reports I ever wrote were user manuals which basically nobody wanted to read unless everything were collapsing around them! And I always need someone to fix my gramatical mistakes.

[Lee]

btw, why is it called Diamondback? As I live in the SW desert, diamondback stands for rattlesnakes but I doubt there's any there.

[DBBN]

Lee said:

btw, why is it called Diamondback? As I live in the SW desert, diamondback stands for rattlesnakes but I doubt there's any there.

Well, I shall tell you ;D I don't know if you follow college sports, but the UMD mascot is the terrapin, which is a type of turtle (it shortens to "Terps;" Go Terps, National Basketball Champs 2002, hoo rah, etc.). More specifically, it's a diamondback terrapin. I guess this particular turtle has the same sort of pattern on it that the diamondback rattlesnake has. I've never seen one, except for the little statue of Testudo (our mascot's name) that is outside the library which everyone rubs for luck.

It's a good paper, probably one of the best uni papers in the country and world. It's a daily during the school year, and though we're a pretty laid-back bunch of kids, everyone takes it very seriously, and we all seriously want to become journalists. I mean, I have to write. There is nothing else I want to do; even if there was, there isn't much else I CAN do.

Meanwhile, Serious Jason slept through Jill Martin's prelims this morning. 9 AM my ass! And I just checked the website and she seriously fucked up AGAIN and didn't make the final AGAIN. She's a sweet girl and I'm truly sad. I guess this will make a better story but I'd rather have her be happy.

And also, this gives me no excuse to go back tonight but I think I will anyway ;D

[DBBN]

Lee said:

Honestly, I really like the report. Pretty professional IMO. But the only reports I ever wrote were user manuals which basically nobody wanted to read unless everything were collapsing around them! And I always need someone to fix my gramatical mistakes.

That's what editors are for, I always say ;D

I'm not there to spell-check! ;D

[Lee]

Hurley said:

It's a good paper, probably one of the best uni papers in the country and world. It's a daily during the school year, and though we're a pretty laid-back bunch of kids, everyone takes it very seriously, and we all seriously want to become journalists. I mean, I have to write. There is nothing else I want to do; even if there was, there isn't much else I CAN do.

I did take a quick peek on the other parts of the on-line paper and have to say I's quite impressed.

[Grarliner]

hurley, your perv integrity is unsullied.

[DBBN]

Wow. That was a good day!

[Grarliner]

Hurley said:

Wow. That was a good day!

Roar!