This job always provides plenty enjoyable experiences with sports fans and there have been two that stand out recently. With football season starting, the Chase getting hot and baseball pennant races coming down the stretch, these are the busiest and most intense days of the year. But these particular comic relief moments made me laugh out loud and melted away the intensity and stress of it all.

The first came 5 weeks ago when a viewer e-mailed me suggesting I stop using so much goop in my hair, because on his new 57” inch high def. TV, it looked like, according to him, I had been rolling around in a grease pit all day. I explained to him that if my hair looking greasy was the only problem he saw when looking at me on a 57” high def. TV, I would be surprised. He should see what I look like first thing in the morning, staring back at myself in the bathroom mirror…..now that’s scary!

The second moment was last Friday night on the set of the Blitz. Langston Wertz from the Observer and I were getting e-mails from viewers to answer on the air, (which I love!) when a South Point Red Raider fan e-mailed me, disgusted that we didn’t show, or reference, a record field goal that happened late in the game against Kings Mountain. This fired-up fan wrapped up his e-mail by calling me “a hack”. I guess I subscribe to the “any publicity is good publicity” school of thinking, so I wrote him a nice e-mail in response.

Two points won him over – first, I explained to him that Lineberger Stadium is one of the best high school football atmospheres I have come across in all of North or South Carolina, (that’s the truth!) and second, if the record field goal happened after our crew left the game, he, (like all our fans!) needed to call me or e-mail the info so we can include it on the show. As much as we’d love to be, we just can’t be at every game in the area for their entirety. I should have asked him if he was the kicker’s father - and no matter, I love his passion for his team and took the “hack” comment as a sign of that love for his team.

Another great slate of games on the schedule for Friday Night and the Blitz will be bringing you the highlights at 11:15, right here online, and on WCNC-TV.

See you then!

Ira