Another Interview

This one is courtesy of Agent Ness the Afro Amazon, who NEVER lets me off the hook, so here goes;


1. What is your ideal sports beat (i.e. team, city, etc) and why?
Man, so many places so many beats, and I have to narrow it down to one? *Mays Gilliam voice* that ain't right! I have several dream beats, one includes coming back to this area to be the beat writer for the Philadelphia 76ers for the either the Inquirer or the Daily News, covering hockey somewhere (yes, I would like to be the Jack Roosevelt Robinson of Hockey Journalism), and any NFL team in the league. Preferably one with a chance to get to the Super Bowl every year. And my ultimate dream is to start, maintain and have a successful Black College Sports media site/publication. If I grew some gonads and decided to chase after that dream, it would be full blast and every HBCU from Prarie View to Cheyney State would get great coverage for the athletics programs.

2. Who are some of your non-journalism idols and why?
Stevie Wonder, top of the list, because in spite of being blind from the get go, which means he was already backed into a corner, the man managed to become a music genius, pop icon, philanthropist, all of that without one of the senses that most of us take for granted. I would just LOVE to look inside his mind while he's creating. If I could know what he was thinking when he was recording "Superstition," "Higher Ground," "Isn't She Lovely," "Master Blaster,"....whooo. My mother obviously goes without saying because it's common knowledge that I'm in a position to be somebody because of her. Other than those two, I really don't have too many people I look up to outside of journalism, maybe I should look for more folks to model myself after.

3. What is it going to take for you to get over these low self-esteem pouts and pity parties you throw for yourself? And I don't want hear, "I don't know." I want specifics!!
*PS: If I am awake in Vegas, I'll be at the least tipsy. You do this once and I'ma go off!!
Oh lord. Well once people (women in particular) start treating me like a human being instead of whatever's underneath their shoes, it'll be a start. See, what you and Jameil (my two biggest critics in this matter) fail to realize is that people have treated me like crap since I was nine years old. I've rarely run into people that weren't adults and authority figures who didn't have something negative to say about me.

I mean if it wasn't my weight, it was my voice, being called a nerd, never being popular because I wasn't a thug/prettyboy/athlete, I've never been held in any kind of high regard by my peers. And though that's allegedly not supposed to matter, at the end of the day, no one wants to be hated. That takes a toll on you, and it's bothered me for over 15 years now, that's why I have problems with those things. As far as the solution? Like I said, once people respect me and treat me like a human being, then maybe I won't have anything to complain about.

4. WHY HAVEN'T YOU DONE #3's ANSWER YET!?!?
Number 3 isn't up to me. It's up to people to open their eyes and realize that I might not be 6 feet plus, lightskinned, sporting dreads/braids, skinny or have these characteristics that women love, but I'm still a person with feelings and that I reserve the right to be treated with some respect.

5. Leave us on a good note...give us a quick R. Kelly crack (i.e. I'm out like R. Kelly at a....)
Wow this is tougher than R. Kelly substitute teaching at a sixth grade girls school...wait, no it wasn't :) holler.

The Gift of Gab...or not

Before I begin with the topic that has racked my brain for about 24 hours, I just want to say that BeBe and CeCe Winans tricked the mess out of me. I'm sure everyone has heard of the song "Addictive Love," and from the way it sounds (beautiful mid-tempo cut where they go back and forth...typical Winans formula/flavor) I thought BeBe and CeCe had a brief dalliance into R&B or secular music (sho'nuff, thanks to Wikipedia, I found out the song was a Billboard R&B chart Number One late in the summer of 1991). I really thought they were singing about love of a romantic kind, but they were singing about their love for Jesus Christ. It's the Black Folks' version of Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life," where nobody had a clue that they were singing about the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. I swore this song was gonna be on my wedding playlist if I ever get married. It still may be, but dang, what a twist.

Anyway, on to the topic for today. In another forum I belong to, a woman brought up a theory that dudes talk themselves out of sex with women by saying something dumb/offensive/that doesn't make sense, and the fact that women decide within the first five minutes (or less) whether this dude is someone they want to sleep with or not. Now pardon me for being inquisitive, but I could've sworn that women HATE when men think of sex right off the bat. I mean of course women think that once we're sure she's a born woman that the lower head takes over with the thinking and we spend all of our time trying to get you in bed. Well that's true for about 92 percent of us, but I just find the double-standard to be a bit odd.

In the forum, women shared stories about dudes who caught their eye, but then said something that invariably ruined whatever chance he had of advancing things. Others said that men have taken the lead from women in being talkative and that women like the "strong, silent type" for a reason. Another thing that confuses me. Y'all swear a man that doesn't talk is boring, yet when a dude tries to engage in some conversation, he becomes emasculated. What part of the game is that?

To me this is just another move in a long, drawn-out game of Chess (or depending on the IQ of the woman, checkers) that takes a toll on those of us of the male gender that don't have a clue where the hell women are coming from.

Back on topic though, that has to be a trip to know that a corny joke you might think is hilarious, or you might have a witty comment about religions or neighborhoods or anything might automatically disqualify you from hot lovely relations because a woman is offended/annoyed/angered/irritated. This is why guys indeed have to be on top of their game and on their toes at all times because you never really know what's going through a woman's head when you talk to her, even though some women have expressive faces that are pretty much a parallel with Homeland Security's terror alert color coding. Like furrowed brow = "oh really", cutting of the eyes = "negro, you reachin'," slight smile = "I'm interested, keep talking." And that last one is sure enough a trick bag, you have to be careful because if the smile disappears, say goodnight.

So I open the floor to women readers of The Post Game Show, despite those of you who think I'm misogynistic, to answer me this; is it true? Do y'all really figure out in less than 5 minutes if a dude has what it takes to earn your goodies? What the hell can a man say to shut those feelings off? And this last one...I thought y'all didn't think about sex. Kidding...only half-kidding. Fellas, if you want to weigh in, you can as well. I need to hear all sides of this argument.

Another Interview

The questions have come from that paragon of sweetness and sarcasm, T-Dot, so check out this interview and enjoy yo'self. It's a celebration.

1. What's the most important thing in life to you? Why and give us the story behind it.
Good question. I have no idea. I wish I could say life itself but that's obvious. I'd probably have to say the gifts I've been given with writing because it saved me from a life of mediocrity and of course as is the case with this blog, it's given me an outlet to express my frustrations and gripes with life, school, women, R. Kelly...all of that good stuff. If I couldn't write, I'm not sure what I would do with myself.

2. Where would you love to report - and on what? (No boundaries)
Whooooo.....as far as the what, my goal is to reach the plateau that so many of my favorite writers in the business and that is the Super Bowl. That whole week in a more than likely exotic locale (Miami, Tampa, San Diego, etc.) covering the biggest event in sports from all angles (game strategy, feature stories on a player with a great personal story or outstanding personality, etc.) would definitely be a shining moment in my career that I would take FULL advantage of. Now as far as the where, not much has changed, I still want to live and work in the South because the Northeast has been nothing short of a nightmare, and I want to experience life in an area that doesn't seem to be such a wasteland.

3. We all want to be happy. What would do it for you?
I honestly don't have an answer for that. I've never been a happy person, or at least since I first discovered I was fat as a fourth grader. Even though I'm losing weight now and making inroads on improving my body, I still feel like an outcast because of who I am and what my personality is like, and of course being a solo act gets to be boring most of the time. I definitely want to be happy, but as far as what it takes, I don't know. Could it be being slim and trim? Being swarmed by adoring members of the opposite sex? I don't know. My potential career gives me great satisfaction, but all work and no play won't cut it.

4. Embarrassing story from high school. Come with it.
Are you kidding, my entire high school years was one big embarrassment after another. Well just to pick one story, this happened when I played football senior year of high school. Thursday afternoon practice was a casual practice because we had a Friday night game at Woodbridge High. We were fooling around playing pickup football before we went over the game plan, and in the middle of catching a pass, the elastic came out of my shorts and everybody saw a side of Chris Stevens that NOBODY wanted to see. It was a full moon at 3:15 in the afternoon, and since some girls were loitering around the practice field, laughs and giggles came from ALL directions. Talk about embarrassing.

5. Give us five things that make you happy about yourself. And explain why they do what they do.
You're trying to sabotage me aren't you? Just want me to be a little lad that loves Berries and Creme, don'tcha? O.K., I'll try. One thing is my sense of humor, which you guys apparently think is top notch. I always was the kid cracking knock-knock jokes at family get-togethers and I sharpened my act in my many hours alone in high school and college and I've become the witty tour de force you guys know and love. I guess it's important because life is dull with out laughter, even I can admit that.

Another thing is the fact that if I want to figure something out, I'll do it. The thirst for knowledge and the dedication to seek it has always been one of my stronger points. While it's been lacking considering the amount of time I've spent at DSU, but if it's something that interests me, I'll go to great lengths to learn about it and become knowledgeable about it.

(You know this is a struggle for me, right?) I guess another thing would be my personality. When I'm in the right frame of mind, I'm not that bad to be around, even though I am an admitted misanthrope. My trust in humanity is gone, so everybody's guilty until proven innocent, no matter who it is. If I happen to trust you, then you get the better side of Chris.

Despite the fact I'm not completely high on my physical being, I still have a serious routine when it comes to hygiene and upkeep. For example, I do realize I've been blessed with some decent skin, so I go through a ritual every day to keep it fresh. 1) Wash my face thoroughly and vigorously with Dove Sensitive Skin Soap. 2) Clear out pores with any kind of astringent (Neutrogena does the trick most of the time). 3) Palmer's Coach Butter for moisturizing purposes. And voila; the GOAT of chocolate skinned brothers. At least I like to think I am.

Finally, I guess I can say that I have a side that isn't afraid to stop and smell the roses as they say. Walking around Dover these summer nights has opened my eyes to nature somewhat, especially coming up McKee road just when the sun begins to set and the sky is so many different hues and colors. On a clear night, there's nothing prettier to see and it stops you and makes you think like "wow...that really is something."

So there, those are five things? Are ya happy? Sheesh.

Do I make you hawnay, bay-bay?!

The worst thing that can probably come out of losing weight is my development of a super-huge ego. I say this because recently I've been having these thoughts of invincibility, thoughts that I've probably never had and if I did, they were as a child prior to me getting heavy or the time I jammed my left wrist falling off a fence in Battery Park when I was about nine years old (I was imitating the Undertaker's tight-rope act and slipped. Not fun). Somehow, I wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, and for the first time ever, I actually look at myself and like what I see. Obviously there's still PLENTY of work to be done, but it's been a lot easier to see myself as a person, as someone who has the right to be respected, someone who doesn't need the approval of others to breathe the same air they do. It's a welcome change.

At the same time, it leaves room for, as Veronica said, for me to "go Kanye" on y'all, and that's something I want to avoid. While I would never turn my back on or get cocky with so many folks who have been in my corner, trying to get me right professionally, emotionally and physically, I can't say I have that same love for these clowns at DSU and in the state of Delaware. If and when I decide to come back to this place (Homecoming '07 is a long shot because if I'm employed by then, I'll be damned if I'm asking for time off to see thousands of people I can't stand), I'll be about as untouchable as the President, minus the Secret Service.

The ego part of me is looking forward to coming back in shape, looking good and seeing the looks and stares. I've already seen some of those looks, and I'm still about 90 pounds away from my ultimate goal, so once I get there, you won't be able to tell me anything. While I really shouldn't care about showing so many people up, there's always been the Chris that has to have the final say, and what better way than to show up 140 pounds lighter, employed in the field of my dreams, living a happy and successful life when so many people went out of their way to make my life miserable over the years? Sounds like a pretty good plan if you ask me.

While I still have my issues with women, I'm starting to feel like they're just that; women. Not saying that women are worthless, but the ones I've come across have made me feel like it's impossible to even deal with them. Now that I realize that once I get my stuff together on all levels I'll attract some decent members of the fairer sex, these cluck clucks that I'm presently surrounded by can't bring me down anymore, which they never should've been able to do in the first place.

So while I'm humble and grateful for what's gone right, I still have a bit of a competitive edge to me that wants to show everybody who ever wronged me that I made it without their help and it's too late for them to jump on the bandwagon. To quote the always quotable Shawn Carter, "please repeat after me, there's only rule; I will NOT lose." Well, anything except this weight. I'll definitely keep losing that.

Interview with Chris

I volunteered to be interviewed by Jameil (What? Yes I'm sober, thank you) for this interesting little meme that's going around the blogsphere, so here are the five questions she asked and my five answers in great detail.

1) Push bitter to the back. What is your dream girl like?
The bitter? Riiiiiiiiiiiight. Well, to answer honestly and truthfully, my dream girl (who I would hope would make me happy, yeah!) would be a lot of things to just one guy, me of course. She'd be caring and sweet, not to the point where it's nauseating, but a girl that can love me and care about me for who I am instead of dwelling on what I'm not is a plus. I'm kind of a sucker for a girl who will call me pet names, so for any woman interested in me; a "baby" here and a "sweetie" there goes a lonnng way. Also, she'd be ridiculously brilliant. I love, love, LOVE a smart woman, one that can talk about more than celebrity gossip and that chick at work that gets on her nerves. If we can talk about Senator Obama, racism, sports (yeah, that's important to me), education, the state of black music, we'll have a lot in common and get along great.

She'd also be firm and have a pretty clear sense of what direction to go in. I'm a Libra, so I'm taking forever to weigh the scales properly as is, so I need a woman who's going to say "wait-- this is what needs to be done and this is how we should do it." I don't necessarily equate that with me being wimpy or her being bossy, I need someone in my corner who's going to at least nudge me in the right direction.

Honesty is probably the key to it all, I was raised in a family of women who keep it 100 at all times, so if you can't be honest and real with me, then chances are it won't work, because I absolutely can't stand liars and people who aren't honest.

Looks are probably the least important thing, even though like most men I turn into putty for a pretty face and a dynamite body, but if she has the characteristics I listed above, then that really doesn't matter, as long as I like looking at her. Hopefully she'll like looking at me as well.

2) If you hadn't gone to Del State, in an ideal world, where would you have gone?
True story? Hampton. Yeah yeah yeah. I fell in love with Hampton on a black college tour visit when I was 16, and although all the schools we went to (A&T, Bowie State, North Carolina Central, Morehouse just to name a few) caught my attention, there were so many things about Hampton that just stood out and won me over. It should've inspired me to get on my grind in high school, but I didn't. Oh well, God had a different plan for me, and obviously as much as the people at DSU irk my life, the school itself gave me a great opportunity to hone my skills and get a degree. That's what counts, right?

For a close second, I didn't discover the wonder of Howard University until I started trekking there for MEAC showdowns in football and basketball, but I like the urban campus and the women there are top notch...oh yeah, the school of Communications is pretty solid as well.

3) What's the best experience (outside of the newspaper) of your college career?
I honestly never had any real "damn, this is what college is supposed to be like" experiences. I only attended one homecoming concert (2001, the infamous Beanie Sigel concert where he dissed the hell out of Jadakiss and Philly cats nearly took Memorial Hall apart they were so excited), I never involved myself in any activities outside of the Hornet and I never went to a party. Yes. Never went to a college party.

People will forever question why I never did the things that normal college students did, but the answer has always been a simple one in my eyes, and the answer is that those things just aren't me. I would've loved to have the camaraderie with my roommates (who have all sucked except for maybe two), I was steady wishing on the stars for the fairytale "meet your spouse at college" romance that never came, but things didn't work out in my favor in those instances. I still don't trust too many people, which makes it impossible to be social and get along with folks, and DSU girls were worse than the girls from my neighborhood who chastised me for carrying books instead of bricks and dime sacks.

The greatest experiences at DSU were with the paper, because my co-workers never judged me on outward appearance or my quirky personality; hell, they actually embraced it. They allowed Chris to be "Hucklebuck" and not have to apologize for it, and I'll always be grateful to them. The late night, pre-Quark, hand-drawn layout and editing sessions we had until dawn playing old school jams, the inside jokes, all of those things I couldn't have gotten with the whole campus population. And the sports-related things go without saying.

I'm very particular about who I choose to share things with and who I allow to get to know me, because there have been times in my life where I've been burned by people who I thought I could trust, and I've made the decision to tighten up my circle some, even though it seems like I have a lot of friends, I really don't. There are a select few who I am comfortable with sharing things with and they know who they are. NONE of them are at DSU, that much is certain.

4) we know you don't like mac and cheese, how can you earn back your black card?
I didn't know it had been taken from me, even though the threat has been made several times since I hate Mac N' Cheese, but I don't know how I can gain it back. I mean I'm pretty damn good with the electric slide, I used to drink my Kool-Aid out of mayonnaise jars (my mother hated that), it would probably take a hearing with the black card parole board to see what I can do to earn it back. I still think I've got it by virtue of my recycling skills.

5) if you were a woman, what would be the first thing you would do?
O.D. on PMS products. I get misty-eyed when I stub my toe...I couldn't IMAGINE having a period. I'd probably be a spy of sorts, going around asking girls what kinda foolishness goes through their minds when they think about men and such, and then when I went back to being a man I'd report it to the fellas so we'd have a better chance of surviving with y'all. And in the meantime as a woman, I hope no dude would ever touch me. I'd probably be a lesbian for real.

If anyone has any more questions they want to ask or if you would like for me to interview you so you can put this in your blog, feel free to place those requests and questions in the comments.

Success and my inability to handle it...

I stepped on the scale Friday morning expecting a reasonable amount of weight loss (which is about three to four pounds). During the month of May, I made the hard as hell step to cut back mightily on fried foods and sugar-related goodies, which are of course my prime weaknesses. Eating ham and mustard sandwiches for dinner and overdosing on fruit was simply put the hardest thing I've ever done in my life that didn't have to do with selecting a college, choosing the career of my dreams or deciding whether to tell another chick off in four letter wording or in professional language. Somehow I made it through May unscathed, and walking close to seven miles daily helped as well.

So when the scale notified me that I dropped 10 pounds in the month of May, my jaw hit the floor. "This can't be possible, no way," I thought to myself. So I stepped back on the scale. Same result. Talk about a breakthrough. I've lost 51 pounds total, and I'm at my lowest weight in seven years, along with being only 15 pounds off from one of my goals. So why am I unhappy? Why am I doubting the scale, even though my routine and effort suggests I earned this reward fair and square? The answer probably lies in the fact that I've never really been a positive thinker and expected much even though I've had some pretty cool things happen to me over the course of a few years.

The weight loss is a prime example. I took an interest in dropping weight after weighing myself New Year's Day '06 and seeing three horrifying numbers that I STILL don't feel comfortable repeating as of yet. Then and there, I decided to go ahead and make an effort to get in shape, and even though I've stuck with it for 17 months now, I never really thought I'd lose this much weight and have a realistic shot at reaching my goals. Now that I've made a serious dent in this, it's almost like "I guess I can't say I can't do it anymore." And that's probably what freaks me out. I'm so used to telling myself I can't, especially after that's all other people would tell me in regards to anything I've done, that I usually lose the game before it even starts.

This will definitely be a lightning rod for those of the "I told you so" persuasion, who think confidence is the key to everything. Doesn't mean I fully believe them as of yet, but I guess if I keep dropping weight and accomplishing other goals of importance, I may have to admit that they're right after all.