DAY 8: VIDEO FQR/AN HISTORIC TRIUMPH

(Okay, so it's obvious to me now that I no longer have the time or energy to give you essay-long details, but I'll do my best to continue sharing the excitement.) My second of three roles began today. I was ONS's Video FQR. That means I'm one extra step behind the broadcast mixed zone, but still closer than the print mixed zone. The cool part is I get my own set up complete with a camera and camera operator. The coolest part is now I get to ask the questions. I don't even have to scramble to write the quotes down either. 

My first day as Video FQR included the men's 100m semi-final and final events, the most popular of them all. The big surprise of the semi-final was Tyson Gay not qualifying. I knew he'd be a tough grab. I saw him come down the steps of the broadcast mixed zone, defeat in his eyes. I tried to get his attention but he didn't immediately respond. After he took a couple of steps past me, I offered my condolences and again asked the Razorback (he went to Arkansas) for a word in a polite manner. The college reference and calming tone got him to turn around and stop for me. I asked him about his rough start from the blocks and how he feels about the upcoming 4 x 100m relay. Pretty much he said there were no good excuses for the race and he still felt confident in his team for the relay.

The men's final was later that night. We all know what happened there. Usain Bolt destroyed the field with ease while setting a new world record. He was the last guy through the mixed zone with a long time passing between him and the others. The largest group of journalists I've ever seen was crowded about 15 feet from me, while I had just one reporter to each side of me. Still we had to share the interview with Usain as he passed. I was able to get one question in and held out the microphone for the other questions. My neighboring reporters and I helped each other out and it worked fine. The excitement of preserving the words of such an historic triumph made working with the others an easy decision.

Here are the other athletes I interviewed this evening...

Men's 100m: Richard Thompson (silver) and Walter Dix (bronze). By the way the college reference worked on Dix too.

Women's Shot Put: Valerie Vili (gold)

Women's 800m: Maria Mutola, Pamela Jelimo and Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei

Men's Long Jump: Andrew Howe

Women's 100m: Muna Lee, Debbie Ferguson, Lauryn Williams and Torri Edwards

Men's 400m Hurdles: Angelo Taylor, Bershawn Jackson and Kerron Clement

DAY 7: WELCOME TO THE BIRD'S NEST/A TOTAL RUSH

Welcome to the Bird's Nest, home of track and field. My job there is a little different than at basketball, mainly because I'll be covering the actual events. Today I was in the broadcast mixed-zone. That's the front line. It's where all the major broadcast networks are set up and who the athletes have to pass through first. In this area, I have to weave my way around the cables and cameras to listen in on interviews, not to mention the reporters and cameramen and sometimes field producers. I write what the athletes say and run the quotes back to the copy takers along with the contexts. Then the best quotes are put on INFO. We have them on the database within 10 minutes of the words coming out of the athletes' mouths. 

It's fairly difficult to get within hearing distance while staying out of the broadcasters' way. They have mixed reactions to me being there, but I have to do my job just like they do. One of the ONS staff, Joel, led the craziness that was directing flash quote traffic. He told me and the three other FQRs where to place ourselves and who to interview. From there we do the best that we can. It was a total rush moving through the broadcast jungle to gather the best quotes possible and get them back to the copy takers. 

DAY 6: FAVORITE QUOTES/FINAL DAY AT SHOUGANG

"This is no time for the weak of heart or the weary. This is the time for Olympians. Dead or alive, he'll be there." 

That's my favorite quote thus far. Russian coach David Blatt said it in regards to whether his player Nikita Morgunov would suit up while sick. I'll give you the rest of my favorite gathered quotes from basketball later. First, let me wrap up my final day at Shougang. 

The rundown included the women from Australia, Mali and Belarus. Australia is one of the favorites and has some great talent. I was excited to talk to as many of the players as possible, especially because they're the only team we see that is from an English speaking country. Usually the first practice ends between 2:45 and 3 o'clock. But when 2:30 came around I started to hear the players come out of the gym. The venue workers neglected to inform us of the early finish. Crap, we didn't get the chance to talk to the players while they were still hanging out on the court sidelines. Anna and I had to rush out of our seats and grab the first player we could before they all left. I was able to interview Penny Taylor, who was nice, but the rest were gone when I finished with her. Anna spoke with another player too, so we did get enough quotes. I just really wanted to get in depth with the Australians. 

Next up was Mali. This was my second go around with them. The only difference this time was Hamchetou Maiga was out of the Olympics with an ankle injury. She was their star. Anna ended up speaking with coach Ruiz about the tough adjustment. She acknowledged she spoke a little Spanish but no French when he told us most of his players spoke French. Of course coach Ruiz speaks great Spanish, so Anna was stuck doing her interview in Spanish. She pulled it off, though it wasn't easy. Meanwhile I found a player who spoke English by the name of Kadiatou Kanoute. She was a little sick too, which makes me wonder how the foreign athletes are dealing with the food changes overall. I know my classmates and I all had our troubles at different points. The final bail of the day went to Belarus, which I called like a Babe Ruth homer. Congrats to them for avoiding us not once, but twice. So that meant we were done with Shougang. Thanks to Zhang Bo and all the other Chinese volunteers and workers. You helped make this a great week. Here's a picture of Zhang Bo, our top reinforcement Susy, and me.

Now for the rest of my favorite quotes...

"The way people play, the way people give themsleves to play basketball is different because it's professional." -Joaquim Gomes, Angola

"The fact that I'm a backup in the States does not mean that I'm not a leader too. Even the 12th man can be a leader." -Manu Ginobili, Argentina

"When you have a gold medal on your chest, you have the world's eyes on you." -Sergio "Oveja" Hernandez, Argentina coach

"She is the only great player on Mali. She is our Nowitzki." -Jose Valentin Ruiz, Mali coach

"We think too much. The players are afraid of mistakes. The coach asked us to enjoy more of the game. Don't be afraid to do mistakes." -Adriana Moises, Brazil

"Of course we worked on things in practice for Croatia. For us, it doesn't mean anything until game time." -Andre Kirilenko, Russia

"I'm not going to change anything. I got to bounce back and have a good game. I'll go 2 for 10 again as long as we get a win." -J.R. Holden, Russia

"This environment is a little different because you have 48 hours to lick your wounds and get ready for the next one." -David Blatt, Russia coach

DAY 5: GET HOLDEN/IS THAT A GOOD BOOK?

It was getting close to leaving time at the CUC and I hadn't received an e-mail from Supervisor Alan. He usually sends me and the others basic talking points for the day, which I then research further. Anna realized this too, so she called Alan. He told her that we didn't have to come in for the first practice session because Iran wasn't generating enough interest. That gave us an extra two hours to spare to get ready for the Russian men. Remember, I wasn't able to interview former Bucknell guard J.R. Holden or Boston-bred head coach David Blatt last time. I wanted to make sure they didn't slip through my fingers again. I left Mr. Kirilenko to Anna this time. (foreshadow to a quick funny story about that)

We showed up to Shougang with our Chinese volunteer friends eagerly awaiting our arrival. Aside from seeing the players, Anna and I are their biggest forms of entertainment during work. (By the way, one of them took a picture of me interviewing Kirilenko. I put it up with day 3.) After receiving beautiful Chinese knots as gifts from them, I was ready to give back some Emerson pins. Of course I had to use the restroom first, and upon my return Anna had already given the pins out. She stole my thunder.

It's all right. I had to shift my focus to the task at hand. Get Holden. He turned me down last time and I'd be damned if he rejected me again. I made sure I got into the gym when practice ended so Holden already wouldn't be on his way out like last practice. I came around the barrier and there he was, stretching and chatting it up. When he finished, I got my positioning and put a smile on. As Holden came through, I said hey and reintroduced myself, this time including that I was originally from Worcester and was a fan of the Patriot League. (Holden went to Bucknell, whose conference rival is Holy Cross in Worcester.) That got his attention. I politely asked him to answer a couple of quick questions and he obliged. I told you I'd get him this time.

Now that I had Holden's mind on his college days, I had to ask him about the shift from playing conference rivals to Olympic rivals. He said there was no comparison but went into great detail about the locally legendary names and games he was around. I really had him excited to talk at this point. Now I could ask about his thoughts on the upcoming game and his performance the previous game. He gave some great quotes on both subjects. I could capture the emotion in his words, and that was key.

Meanwhile, Anna found another player who spoke English pretty well. When I asked who she spoke with, she said, "Andre Kriviyenko." I thought about it for a few seconds and then realized she interviewed Kirilenko without even realizing it. She blamed me for not pointing him out to her, but I just laughed. No worries, Anna. You're still awesome.

Soon after, coach Blatt walked through the hall and came right to me. I told one of the staff members I wanted to interview Blatt earlier, and he followed through on the request. The interesting part came when he asked to come sit with me at my table. By this point, Blatt knew I was from Massachusetts, so the local connection worked both times today. When he sat down he saw my book, Call of the Game by Gary Bender. He picked it up and asked,"Is that a good book?" Shocked he was showing interest in my reading material, I simply answered with a yes. 

Then we started chatting about the next game against Lithuania while Anna and I wrote down what he said. Blatt seemed genuinely interested to talk. I let him fill the short pauses because he wanted to and what he had to say was much more important. Then he told us what he told his team after the previous loss. I felt like I was right there in the locker room. Finally I asked him for an injury update, which has become routine after Oveja told me about Carlos Delfino's ankle. Blatt said Nikita Morgunov was sick and didn't practice. When I asked if Morgunov would play, Blatt let out the meat and potatoes answer, the one with all the heart and emotion that comes with being a part of the Olympics. Check back next time for the actual quote.. Saijian.

DAY 4: ONE OF THE BIGGEST HONORS/FENGTAI SOFTBALL

The flash quoting was held to a minimum today. I interviewed one of the women from the Czech Republic. She was all cute and nervous about speaking in English, but she did a great job. It was still a great day for other reasons. Earlier in the morning I received word that I won the 2008 RTNDF Lou and Carole Prato Sports Reporting Scholarship. This by far is one of the biggest honors I've ever received. To be acknowledged nationally by industry professionals is a thrill. So thanks to the Prato family and all who participated in the selection process. I've also got to shed some love on those who've helped me get to this stage because I couldn't have done it alone. I'm excited to see what new adventures are ahead of me. 

So that was a good way to start the day. After finishing with Czech Republic, I headed over to the Fengtai softball venue. Professor Paul Niwa had some extra tickets to games thanks to Emerson's Maureen Tripp who couldn't get to Beijing to use the ones she bought. Thanks, Maureen. Catie, Jess, Susy and I got to see a double-header. China v. Holland and Japan v. Australia. Both were great games, but the second one was especially exciting. That's all to report for now... Saijian.

DAY 3: BROUGHT IN OUR TOP REINFORCEMENT/NOW I'VE GOT COMPETITION

It was back to the men's side today. Anna was out, so we brought in our top reinforcement, Susy from cycling. Team Russia was first on our list. That meant Andre Kirilenko. He's known as AK 47 to most basketball fans, Drago to Susy. I also had Bucknell's own J.R. Holden and Boston-bred head coach David Blatt on the wish list. Russia does pretty well with their Olympic imports overall. We didn't get to go in to the gym when practice ended this time, so Susy and I waited in the hallway/mixed zone. Some of the coaches strolled out first. I wasn't able to grab Blatt from Boston, but I did talk with assistant coach Daniel Gutt.

Then out came Andre. As soon as I saw him, I called out his name. I even tried to say it in a Russian accent. I hope he appreciated that. I'm sure you would have appreciated hearing it. Either way, he came straight over and I introduced myself and commenced the interview with trusty Susy by my side. He spoke English very well and seemed happy to chat. On his way out, he even stopped to pose for a picture with the eager Chinese volunteers. My buddy Zhang Bo had his camera today. 

The next round of players gradually came out and I spotted Holden. He's fairly easy to spot being the only black man on the team. Holden was on the phone but I really wanted to talk with him about playing in the Patriot League (Go Holy Cross!) and working his way up to the Olympics. Unfortunately he just wasn't having it. That's all right because we had enough quotes to turn in. Our manager only wants 3-4 quotes per team and reiterated that when I think I gave him two hands full of quotes the first day. 

The second team scheduled for the day was Spain. As they were practicing, a solid amount of reporters and cameramen walked in. It was clear they wanted Spain too. Now I've got competition. That's cool though because I kind of wanted the challenge. No one was going to stop me from talking with Jose Calderon, who was a major boost for my assists down the stretch of fantasy season. As for the Gasol brothers, I "assisted" Susy with what to ask either of them if she got the chance. 

This time when practice ended we got to go in to the gym. I think I'm just going to have to keep asking during every practice and just hope they let us in. It's a lot easier to interview athletes when they're not all packed up and ready to head out the door to the bus. So I approached Calderon when he came back to the sidelines and sat down. I was curious about the experience he gained at point guard and as a leader on the Raptors when T.J. Ford went down with a neck injury that was hard to return from. I got my best quote out of that answer because he was able to relate the experience he gained to helping Spain. Zhang Bo got pictures of me interviewing Calderon and I think Kirilenko too, so look out for that. 

Meanwhile Susy got a hold of Marc and asked him about "you" playing in the paint against "Yi" and "Yao." The alliteration was pretty funny. Pau was unavailable because the other media had priority, this time. We were done after that because the final team, Australia, turned out to be the bail of the day. Sorry, no Andrew Bogut. Oh well. Saijian.

DAY 2: BRING ON THE LADIES/THE DRINKS ARE FOR THE ATHLETES

One successful day of flash quoting down and I was feeling great. Anna and I headed back for our second day at Shougang, this time ready to to interview three women's teams. That's right, bring on the ladies. We got to the security checkpoint at the front of the stadium where we were supposed to pick up our new credentials. The ones at Shougang are day passes because our normal accreditation passes just apply to National Stadium. There was a different staff working this time around, so they didn't recognize us from the previous day. We tried to communicate who we were and showed our other creds. The process was not as expedited as I had hoped. A solid 15 minutes of gesturing and waiting passed while the guards talked on their two-ways before they let us in. That was extremely fun. (A bit of Ginobili-inspired sarcasm there.)

Mali was our first victim. They're led by WBNA player Hamchetou Maiga. So she was on the ONS's most wanted list for the afternoon. (Aren't you just loving my creative criminal writing style? I'm sure it's to die for.) Other than Maiga, I just wanted to find someone who spoke English. That'll probably be the case again because there aren't any translators provided for practices. I was able to speak with Jose Valentin Ruiz, Mali's coach. He gave some thoughts on the upcoming game against Croatia and on Maiga too. He called her Mali's "Nowitzki." Meanwhile Anna found Maiga aka Nowitzki while I talked to coach Ruiz. Nicely done. 

After calling in our quotes, we started to think of questions for the next team scheduled to practice, Belarus. I heard a weird noise on the court while we sat in the lounge area next door. It was silence. There were no shoes squeaking, no balls bouncing, nothing. Finally I asked one of the Chinese volunteers to investigate. He came back and reported that the Belarus team had cancelled their practice. They were the bail of the day. It was pouring outside, but I don't know if that had anything to do with it.

That left us with almost three and a half hours to kill until we could interview the Brazilian team. Good thing I had a book and iPod handy. That held my interest for about an hour. By this time it was 6 p.m. One of the volunteers by the name of Zhang Bo came up to me and asked if I was hungry. Let's just say Zhang Bo and I are good friends now. He led me to the food court area where the was a small snack area set up. He let me take a few small pastries to share with Anna. When I asked to have a couple of Powerades from the fridge, he said, "The drinks are for the athletes." (Of course. What was I thinking?) I guess it was nice enough for my new buddy to get me that much. Zhang and I chatted for a bit back at the BK Lounge, BK in this case for basketball. Hey, I just thought of that now. We'll see if it sticks--probably not. Anyway, Zhang told me about where he goes to school and what he studies. He's my age by the way. Also, we talked about the Celtics and other basketball related stuff. I found out that Shougang is where the Beijing Ducks play. Pretty cool. 

Back to Brazil, their practice ended around 7 p.m. and I walked into the gym with Anna to get our final quotes of the day. I was able to speak with Adriana Moises, one of the players who wonderfully speaks English. After finishing the flashing of quotes, we were ready to head out. The thunderstorms had yet to subside though. Thankfully, a couple of the workers at Shougang found two umbrellas for Anna and me to borrow for the trek back to our dorms at the Communication University of China. Props to those guys. And props to you for actually reading this. Saijian.