2015 came and went in a flash. The sneaky ol’ girl somehow crept by in what seemed like a matter of weeks, let alone the 12 months she contains. Hours from now that giant, crystal ball will drop in New York City’s Times Square and the majority of us will forget to write “2016” on the first check or document of January. ’15 was especially kind to me and mine. Fallon and I will celebrate our first anniversary on January 3rd, after we signed our marriage license in Whitefish, MT. The celebration continued into Jamaica for our honeymoon before we returned to the Sonoran Desert and Tucson, Arizona. Now, as we prepare to flip the calendar to another month and another year, excitement again awaits. After an incredible opportunity with KVOA News 4 Tucson, my final day with the NBC station will be January 8. The past two years have taken me from Portland, Oregon to San Diego and LA. I have also frequented nearly every corner of the Grand Canyon State, covering sporting events from the club level to the pros. The Pro Bowl and Super Bowl made stops in Arizona. The UofA went to the Elite 8 and Pac-12 football championship game. I will just miss out on the College Football National Championship on January 11, unless I sneak in backstage. But, Montana is calling and home is home. ’16 will see Fallon and I load up our belongings and head back to the Treasure State for a new adventure in the new year. We will be living in a new town, buying a house and starting new jobs. Who needs a resolution when you have that much excitement?! If anything, my goal is to spend more time spoiling my wife and more time with family and friends. One of my best friends lost his mother on Christmas Eve and my heart continues to break for him and his family. Their loss reinforced that nothing is guaranteed in this life and we should cherish every moment we can. Tonight, as we celebrate before the clock chimes at midnight, take the time to enjoy the company of those around you. Wish them a happy new year and hope ’16 treats them as well as it treats you. If you’re in to resolutions, be meaningful and stick with it. Yes, ’16 has all the makings of an incredible year. Our return to Big Sky Country is just the beginning. In fact, there is more great news to come in the next few days. Stay tuned Montana! In the meantime, we say bye to ’15 and raise a glass and cheers to you ’16. But, Montana is calling and home is home. ’16 will see Fallon and I load up our belongings and head back to the Treasure State for a new adventure in the new year. We will be living in a new town, buying a house and starting new jobs. Who needs a resolution when you have that much excitement?! If anything, my goal is to spend more time spoiling my wife and more time with family and friends. One of my best friends lost his mother on Christmas Eve and my heart continues to break for him and his family. Their loss reinforced that nothing is guaranteed in this life and we should cherish every moment we can. Tonight, as we celebrate before the clock chimes at midnight, take the time to enjoy the company of those around you. Wish them a happy new year and hope ’16 treats them as well as it treats you. If you’re in to resolutions, be meaningful and stick with it. Yes, ’16 has all the makings of an incredible year. Our return to Big Sky Country is just the beginning. In fact, there is more great news to come in the next few days. Stay tuned Montana! In the meantime, we say bye to ’15 and raise a glass and cheers to you ’16.
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December can be a painful time for a sports journalist. High schools close up shop for the holidays, college basketball's schedule dwindles until the new year and if you're unlucky, you're probably working over Christmas and New Year's Eve anyway. While the sporting scene slows down, the news front rolls on, meaning you still need to fill an average of three minutes of the nightly newscast. Luckily, there's bowl season. College football's postseason spans from the Bahamas to the Bronx to Hawaii with random sponsors from across the country putting their name on the sport. Some have argued there are too many bowls and that winning one doesn't hold the same prestige that it once did. I agree, if your program is outside the big games (Rose, Orange, Fiesta, Cotton, Outback, Peach, Citrus, etc.) there may not be as much glory given to the winner. But every team wants a victory in their final game as it provides momentum for the following season and especially the recruiting period. I took in the newest bowl, the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl, on Tuesday night in Tucson. Arizona Stadium played host to Colorado State and Nevada where the Wolf Pack won a thriller. Time literally ran out on Colorado State as the Rams were driving for the win but fell 28-23. They weren't the top-ranked teams in the country and no national championship trophy was handed out. But playmakers on each side provided an entertaining game all the same. The Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl also became the first game to provide 100% of the profits for local charities in Tucson. There were upwards of $1-million available if the game sold out. Unfortunately, only 20,000 seats were filled Tuesday night letting a huge opportunity on the table. Still, watching players like Nevada's James Butler (24 carries, 189 yards and two touchdowns) and CSU's Rashard Higgins (nine catches for 129 yards making him the all-time leader in career yards at CSU) was worth the price of admission and will hopefully set the tone for future Arizona Bowls. While I was reporting during the game, I took the time for my photography hobby. Feel free to catch some of the snapshots my camera collected during Tuesday night's game. |
AuthorRichie is a small-town boy chasing big-city dreams. When he's not involved with sports, he's spending time with his wife, Fallon; their yorkie, Tinker; and their Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rosie. Archives
April 2016
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