I Talked To Kelly Kapowski

OK, I think I can die happy now. I just talked to Tiffani Amber
Thiessen, who will always be Kelly Kapowski in my book. We're both
running in the Nike+ Human Race outside of the Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum. She's here with Jason Priestly, who told me it was going to
be weird running at night. "I usually run during the day," he said.
"Then again I usually run on a treadmill." Tiffani said she had actually
been training for the race, which is more than I can say for myself.
"I've been running track," she told me. "You should have been out there
too." I might have been if I knew where she was running.

Best Buddies Challenge

I’m participating in the Audi Best Buddies Challenge at Hearst Castle next week, running a 5K led by Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis. If you have the time and the means I would encourage you to support Best Buddies and help create one-to-one friendships between volunteers and people with intellectual disabilities all the while increasing self-confidence, encouraging social inclusion and enabling lifelong friendships. Please CLICK THIS LINK to donate.

Crazy Cousin

My cousin, Milad, has been asking me for weeks if he can get on the blog
and he figured this audition tape would help. I guess he was right.

Stronger

I’m running in the Nike + Human Race in Los Angeles today for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and after the race Kanye West and Common will be putting on a concert at the Coliseum. I can’t think of a better song to get me ready for the race than Kanye’s Stronger.

Virginia Slims

Coming To Your City

In honor of the begining of the college football season, here's a special rendition of Big and Rich's Coming To Your City.

Westbrook's Vibe

I’ve lived near Topanga Canyon most of my life but I’ve never been to the Topanga State Park until today where I went and visited with my friends at VIBE magazine who are doing a spread on my main man Russell Westbrook, who is ready to light the NBA up this season as rookie with the Oklahoma City Thunder (yeah, that’s going to be the team’s name). Despite being a Bruin (it’s OK, he gives me grief for being a Trojan) Russell is one of the most humble, hard working players I’ve ever known and I’m sure we’ll be hearing plenty from him in the upcoming years.

Yes We Can

In honor of Barack Obama’s amazing speech to close out the Democratic National Convention, which was not only heard live by the over 80,000 in attendance at Invesco Field in Denver but also over 40 million Americans who watched the senator accept the Democratic nomination for president Thursday night, a record for convention viewership that exceeded even the expectations of his aides.

Pharrell Beats Gordon

The Lot

While I was at the USC campus I saw that they had completely demolished the student commons, where I would eat breakfast, lunch and dinner while I was a student and moved everything that was housed there into a bubble built behind the Grace Ford Salvatori (GFS) building, called The Lot. Everything also includes the campus bar, Traditions or “Traddys,” which looked a little to clean and high class with a couple of HD flatscreens plastered on the walls.

Just Friends

Musiq Soulchild is probably one of my favorite artists, which is saying a lot considering he only came onto the scene about eight years ago, but his debut album Aijuswanaseing was such a breathe of fresh air when it was released in 2000 and he hasn't disapointed since. The hit song of his first album, “Just Friends (Sunny)” is still one of my favorites.

Shatner Reads The Hot Read

OK, maybe he doesn’t, but my friend Alfred Hopton asked if I wanted William Shatner to read me a message while he promoted LiveAutographs.com. I was hoping he’d read something closer to this outtake it turned out fine. Anyway, I hope you and Shatner take a moment and peruse the past dozen blog posts which were lost in cyberspace since Thursday. As Shatner said, “You’ll be amazed at what there is to hear and read.”

Ilitch Celebrity Golf Classic

About two weeks ago the PGA Championship was played at Oakland Hills Country Club. In fact the stands are still being taken down as the signage from the major event is still around the club. The fact that I’m playing on this course is still a little mind blowing considering I’m not even a golfer. I’m playing with Jay Sapovitz, the founder and CEO of One Key along with Dana Warg and Rob Carr of Olympia Entertainment and Joe Louis Arena. Despite hitting the first put shot and nearly hitting the second, I was clearly the weakest player of the foursome, then again, outside of miniature golf, I’ve only hit the links twice in my life. That being said, it was a thrill to play the South Course of Oakland Hills, which was nicknamed, “The Monster,” after he won the 1951 U.S. Open. As he put it, “I’m glad I brought this course, this monster, to its knees.” It’s safe to say none of brought the course to its knees as we finished in the middle of the pack with a final score of 71, placing my foursome just ahead of that of D.B. Sweeney and behind Bernie Kosar.



This post was originally sent on Monday, August 25, 2008.

Kid Rocks The House

It’s a little past 2am and the party is still raging on the roof, with the bar passing out drinks, Kid Rock gets on the microphone and grabs a guitar. “Give me that f***ing guitar,” he says. “Let’s start this s**t.” His first song is one of the all-time country classics, I Want To F*** You More Time, which everyone begins to sing along to. He then begins to smoke a stogie given to him by Chelios as someone else hands him a vodka/tonic while he leans on the Stanley Cup trophy and sings, All Summer Long. Things turn a little ugly when he tries to play Sweet Home Alabama on an out of tune guitar. Frustrated, he throws it over the top of roof, which is three stories above the parking lot. Thankfully no one but the guitar was hurt in the incident. “That’s why I went to anger management twice,” Rock said as he grabbed a drink afterwards. “Oh well, f*** it, I’ll get him another one.”



This post was originally sent on Monday, August 25, 2008.

Hanging With Sir Stanley

One of the perks of calling the Ilitchs friends is being able to hang out in a night club with Lord Stanley’s Cup. By the way, words can not describe how generous Chrisopher Ilitch is. Not only are he and his wife Kelle amazing hosts, always making you feel warm and welcome, but they’ve done so much for the city of Detroit, which needless to say could use some good news these days. After the Summer Soiree we headed over to Iridescence for drinks and desert and to the adjacent Amnesia nightclub were we partied with Stanley Cup along with Chris Chelios and many of his Hollywood friends, including John Cusack, Cuba Gooding Jr., Dave Coulier, D.B. Sweeney, John C. McGinely and Thorston Kaye as well athletes such as Laird Hamilton, Bernie Kosar and Cecil Fielder. The party, however, was fairly short lived as we left the party and headed over to Comerica Park for some midnight B.P. followed by drinks at Cheli’s Chili Bar across the street.

This post was originally sent on Sunday, August 24, 2008.

The Cup Gets Around

I’ve only known Lord Stanley for a few hours now, but I’m fairly certain that of all the trophies he gets the most ladies. The cup has been kissed and hugged by nearly every woman within reach as it sits atop the roof of Cheli’s Chili Bar where we’ve all gathered to share a few drinks and laughs under the stars with sweeping views Comerica Park, Ford Field and the Fox Theatre around us. Kid Rock joined the party on the roof along with some of his boys, including Uncle Kracker, who was drinking a beer out of the Cup when I met him. Kracker is a good dude who was getting some grief from the Detroit crowd for wearing a throwback Angels hat. After he found out I was from LA, he took it off and put it on my head and said that it was mine. “I’m not from LA, I just thought it looked nice,” he said. “But it looks better on you anyway.”

This post was originally sent on Monday, August 25, 2008.

Summer Soiree

I don’t know how but somehow I was able to sleep through the flight to Detroit (I always have a hard time sleeping on flights) and by the time we landed, I felt fine. In fact, I felt better than I had all week. When I landed in Detroit there was a town car there to pick me up and take me to the Motor City Casino and Hotel. When I got there, there was an attendant with my room key, no check in required, and a security guard there to escort me to my suite. When I got the room there was a gift bag there as well as a fresh bouquet of flowers, both with personal notes attached to them, thanking me for staying at the hotel and being a part of the Ilitch Celebrity Golf Classic. After getting changed I went down to the ballroom for the Summer Soiree, which was a pre-party for the golf tournament. I met up with my friend Allison Walsh, who asked if I wanted to meet her friend Gordie, who, you know, just happed to be Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe. We immediately hit it off. He made fun of my big butt and I made fun of weird bulbous left elbow and by the end of the night he was drawing pictures for Allison and I. “I started drawing for kids a long time ago,” he told us. “I’d ask them to draw me a two and I’d make a swan out of it or draw me a 3 and I’ll make a duck.” The man is amazing. Simply amazing.

This post was originally sent on Sunday, August 24, 2008.

Sick, Sick, Sick

Playboy Mansion

I’ve been to the Playboy Mansion about a dozen times in the past year, which is amazing considering I didn’t go a single time before last year despite writing a cover story for the magazine and that one of my mentors is Stephen Randall, the deputy editor at Playboy. I went there tonight with the auction winners for a “Cops & Robbers Party” Daniel Puder was throwing to benefit the Cops Care Cancer Foundation. I also took Rama Sobhani, an amazing freelance writer and photographer and a childhood friend from back when our fathers were students at the University of Oklahoma. I gave him a tour of the place, including the infamous “Grotto,” which you can see above.

WTWL/ NWWL

So I’m sitting in the VIP balcony section of Boulevard 3 in Hollywood, watching the WTWL, which is apparently an extension of the Naked Women’s Wrestling League (NWWL), only with soaking wife-beaters instead of bare chests. I’m sitting next to Nerland who I think would be a perfect addition to the league although she argues that she might be at disadvantage against the silicone enhanced grapplers. We agree that the most impressive performer is the petite referee, although she has had a difficult time keeping order in the ring. I’m still waiting for the commissioner, Mia Legend, to somehow get into the mix.

This post was originally sent on Friday, August 22, 2008.

Salute To Troy

Having a quartet of Canadians join me at Cromwell Field for the annual Salute to Troy wasn’t enough. I invited the lovely Emily Nerland, who is moonlighting as graduate student at USC until she gets deported back to her hometown of Calgary. While the crew from Ottawa seemed to enjoy their first taste of college football they headed back to Hollywood early to rest up for a pre-party we’ll be going to where we’ll be watching the debut of a Wet T-Shirt Wrestling League. Um, yeah, should be interesting.

This post was originally sent on Friday, August 22, 2008.

Sanchez Is Back

Teddy's

So Teddy’s, nestled in the lobby of the Roosevelt, was hoping as usual. I forgot that the guys are required to wear ties so I had throw down a $100 and buy the group some ties, which was a small price to pay considering what they spent to come to Hollywood. Not only are the four auction winners here, lead by Dean Ross who owns Fitness Depot in Ottawa, but we’re also joined by a dozen of their Canadian friends who have made the trip out to LA as well. It feels like I’m in Ottawa all over again, or should I say, A-Gain. All I need is some Molson Dry and Poutine and I’m good to go.

This post was originally sent on Thursday, August 21, 2008.

Auction Winners Arrive

I’m not a celebrity. In fact, I would argue that I’m the furthest thing from it. I actually cover the exploits of celebrities but for one reason or another I was asked to play in the Rautins-House Celebrity Charity Classic in Ottawa last month. I invited MMA fighter Daniel Puder, Playboy model Amanda Evans and Survivor finalist Alexis Jones to join me for the trip out to Canada to play in the golf tournament and visit the CHEO children’s hospital of Eastern Ontario where we handed out toys and kept the kids company. I decided to take it a step further by putting together an auction item with Puder where we would team up to bring four people out to Los Angeles for the weekend for a trip to USC for the annual Salute to Troy and then to the Playboy Mansion for a party the next night. The item got $12,000 and the winning quartet arrived in Hollywood today. I’ll be meeting them up at the Roosevelt Hotel later for dinner at Yamashiro’s followed by a private party at Teddy’s.

This post was originally sent on Thursday, August 21, 2008.

Hangin With Marisa

So I’m here at Air Hollywood in Pacoima, Calif. for an NFL commercial shoot with Marisa Miller. You probably haven’t heard of Air Hollywood but you’ve certain seen it. It’s where Hollywood comes to shoot basically any scene involving an airport or a plane, ranging from Entourage to Kill Bill. Marisa is here shooting a spot for NFL.com where she sits next to some schlub so preoccupied with checking out the football site that he completely ignores Marisa. “That’s a first,” Marissa told me in between takes. “But I’m actually a big football fan so I don’t blame him.” The spots are supposed to debut during the NFL’s first regular season game, two weeks from tonight on NBC when the Redskins play the Giants.

This post was originally sent on Thursday, August 21, 2008.

Lost in Cyberspace

Lose Yourself

With my Detroit trip still fresh in my mind, today's song is Eminem's Lose Yourself from the film Eight Mile. There's been some issues with Blogger since Thursday, which is the reason it has been lacking posts and updates. I'll explain later today and fill you in on what I've been up to since last week.

Gino

This isn't a great song, but I thought it was funny because the Celtics' good luck charm, Gino, looks exactly like my dad.

Detroit Rock City

Despite working for Gene Simmons' short-lived magazine, Tongue, back in college, I'm not a big Kiss fan. But in honor of my trip to Detroit, here's Kiss' Detroit Rock City.

Steppin' Out

My cousin, Amir, will often call me and leave me message with nothing more than him humming a song. I think Joe Jackson’s Steppin’ Out was the first song he serenaded me with. We first heard it in when we were kids during a video montage put together by Cottontail Ranch camp (not to be confused with the Cottontail Ranch brothel in Nevada).

Seven Days

Today's song is 7 Days by Craig David. My cousin, Amir, introduced me to Craig David back in 2000 and I've been hooked on his music ever since. This was his first hit off his debut album, Born To Do It.

Tainted

Today’s “Song of the Day” is Tainted by Slum Village. I remember when this song came out in the summer of 2002. I tried for weeks to find out who was singing it before I finally saw it on Mike Bibby’s television when I was at his Phoenix home doing a story on him for KING magazine. I literally had to stop the interview to see who was singing. Thankfully he liked the song too.

Hard Knocks Cameo

After spending a week at Dallas Cowboys training camp in Oxnard I finally made a cameo appearance on Hard Knocks. It came about halfway into the third episode as Dave Campo is talking to a group of reporters. I’m the one waiting to chat with Campo behind my main man Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The timing couldn’t have been better as my story about Hard Knocks was linked on the front page of SI.com as the episode aired.

Get Involved

I’m starting a “Song of the Day” feature on the blog and today’s track is Get Involved by Raphael Saadiq and Q-Tip. I can’t believe this song is almost a decade old. I heard it for the first time at the good old Great Western Forum before a Lakers-Rockets game during that strike shortened 1999 season. I actually got up out of my seat and walked up to the DJ booth under the retired jerseys to find out who sang it. It still amazes me that the track, along with a few other hits, was originally on the The P.J.’s soundtrack.

Flo Rida

I’m not a particularly big fan of this picture. In fact, I don’t really care for most pictures I’m in, but my friend Jacqueline Uram (she’s the one sneaking up behind me) sent this to me and has been asking for a shout out in the blog since it began. Well, as you can tell it’s hard to say no to someone who recently moved to Florida and ends every phone call with, “I love you and I miss you.”

Delayed At USC

I've been standing in the lobby of Heritage Hall for nearly two hours now after USC football practice waiting for Brian Cushing to show up for an interview we had scheduled. I'm here to do a feature on the All-American linebacker, who has sort of flown under the radar a bit. Apparently he likes it that way. I just told my friend Adam Maya at the Orange County Register that I feel like I’m waiting at the airport for someone whose flight got delayed. In Cushing’s case I don’t think he ever made it on the plane. Anyway, while I was waiting here I noticed the national championship trophy the Trojans won in 2004 and it dawned on me that outside of Jeff Byers and Josh Pinkard, who redshirted last season, no one else on this team played in that Orange Bowl win over Oklahoma and knows what its like to win a national championship. Odd when you consider that this team has gone to six consecutive BCS Bowl games.

The Real Entourage

I'm walking around the backyard of a Beverly Hills mansion as Kevin
Garnett rehearses lines for a commercial he is shooting for the upcoming
game, NBA 2K9, which features him on the cover. Garnett stars in the
commercial with his five high school buddies, known as the OBF or
Official Block Family. The crew, which acts a lot like the gang from
Entourage, even features a couple friends named E and Vince although its
clear early on who the Vincent Chase of this operation is. "Go get me a
grape soda," Garnett tells E after he flashes him a Carlos Boozer jersey
he has hidden under his green letterman jacket. "And make me a tuna
sandwich too while you're at it. Extra mayo."

Dodgers Throw A Strike

With their first day off in two weeks and their last one for two more, it would be understandable to think that Dodgers players would want to get away from each other for one night but that wasn't the case as they gathered at Lucky Strike Hollywood for their fourth annual Bowling Extravaganza benefitting the Dodgers Dream Foundation. Dodger players such as Juan Pierre (pictured above) played alongside celebrities like Larry King, Jonathan Silverman, James Van Der Beek and Doug Savant. Eliza Dushku did not bowl but was there with her boyfriend Brad Penny, who was the honorary host of the event along with James Loney. During the event televisions in the background began to report that Greg Maddux was coming to the Dodgers. It was news that brought a smile to Russell Martin's face. "I don't know if its a done deal but if it happens that would be huge," he said. "He's the type of player that makes everyone around him better."

De La Hoya Hits The Links

I'm here at the Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank where Oscar De La Hoya is
hosting his ninth annual celebrity golf classic. I chatted with De La
Hoya and his friend George Lopez (pictured above) about the event and
also about De La Hoya's next and possibly last fight which is supposed to take
place December 6th against an opponent yet to be named. "We'll find out
by next week," De La Hoya told me. "I want to have it done by next week.
We'll see." The smart money is still on De La Hoya taking on Manny
Pacquiao. I wrote as much in my SI.com story which got posted as the top news story on the front page.

LA Times Photo Gallery

Here are some pictures from the Dodgers’ dramatic 7-5 win over the Brewers today taken by Los Angeles Times photographer Anne Cusak. Check out the entire gallery here.


Wondering, like most in the press box I'm sure, what I'm doing on the field getting announced to the crowd at Dodgers Stadium before the game.


Linda throwing the ceremonial first pitch in her Dodger blue and white. I know I'm biased, but I think her form was much better than Pam Anderson or Posh Spice and certainly better than Mariah Carey.


Andre Ethier capping off a perfect day at the ballpark as he gets held up by his teammates at home plate after hitting a game-winning home run.


I thought it was interesting that the main picture above the Times' game story afterwards was of Linda and us on the field before the game. I'm not sure why they didn't use the great shot of Ethier being lifted up by his teammates, but click on the game story or the photo gallery and there we are.

First Pitch

Here's a better video of Linda throwing out the first pitch. If she
seems a bit nervous its because she had to follow Homer Simpson, who
somehow threw a perfect fastball just before her as the rest of The
Simpsons family looked on. The Simpsons (or their oversized mascots)
were on the field because everyone in attendance was given a free ticket
to Universal Studios Hollywood to try out the new Simpsons ride.

In Blue Heaven

I've been to Dodger Stadium countless times over the years as a fan and
a reporter but today was easily the highlight. Before the Dodgers played
the Brewers in a Sunday afternoon game, I took the field with Linda
McCoy-Murray, the widow of Pulitzer Prize winning sportswriter Jim
Murray and the founder of the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation along with
fellow JMMF Board Members Bill McCoy and Helne Cohen. We were all
announced to the crowd as we stood on the first base line in a pre-game
ceremony honoring the tenth anniversary of Jim's passing and shown on
the Jumbotron in centerfield.

I was named a Murray Scholar six years ago while I was at USC and last
year had the honor of becoming the first scholarship recipient to be
named on the board. Anyway, I was lucky enough to get a nice pop from my
friends in the press box when my name was announced before Linda threw
out the first pitch. My old buddy Kato Kaelin, who is a huge Brewers
fan, was also there and at least had something to cheer about before his
Brew Crew got shelled in the first inning by the Dodgers.

On The Rail

USC Scrimmage

I'm here at the USC scrimmage at the closed off Coliseum where they are
piping in crowd noise and hip-hop music to get the team fired up as they
go through practice in front of friends, family and a handful of media,
including my friends Adam Maya and Michael Lev of the OC Register. Check
out their blog at usc.freedomblogging.com.

Dodgers Appearance

I get about a dozen press releases a day about various events in Los Angeles but I've never actually been included in one of them. That is until today.

**MEDIA ADVISORY**

DODGERS TO HONOR THE LATE LOS ANGELES TIMES SPORTS WRITER JIM MURRAY ON TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS PASSING

WHAT: The late Los Angeles Times and Hall of Fame sportswriter Jim Murray will be honored in a pre-game ceremony prior to Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers at 1:10pm. Linda McCoy-Murray, Jim's widow and President and Founder of the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation, will throw the ceremonial first pitch. JMMF Board members Bill McCoy, Helene Cohen, and Arash Markazi, a 2002 USC Murray Scholar and now a writer for Sports Illustrated, will join Linda on the field to be introduced, along with Mr. & Mrs. Peter O'Malley, former owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

WHEN: Sunday, August 17, 2008
Approx. 12:50pm

WHERE: Dodger Stadium, On the first base line

Signe Hilton
Supervisor, Public Relations & Broadcasting
Los Angeles Dodgers
1000 Elysian Park Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(323) 224-1562

Apple Pan

Everyone always talks about going to In-N-Out when they come to Los
Angeles but locals know the best burger in town is housed in this tiny
brick-laced building on Pico called Apple Pan. I used to come here often
when I was a kid but haven't been back in some time. Yet as I waited to
do an interview on the Westside today I couldn't think of a better place to
grab lunch than at the 60-year-old restaurant that looks like a typical
home from the era it opened in with white clapboards, plaid wallpaper
and wood paneling.

Sneaker Head

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a big sneaker head. Not as big as
others in my family, but a head no less. The newest addition the
collection is this special, limited edition version of the Pro Leather
1976 Converse shoe that honors the 1972 USA Men's Basketball Team. The
shoe uses material similar to what would have been on the feet of the
players at the time with graphics inspired by the 1972 Games. The back
of the shoe features gold imprints to rightfully honor the '72 team with
the gold that was stollen from them by the Russians and and the score
keepers. To this day the 12 silver medals the team feels it doesn't
deserve sit in a vault in Switzerland, unclaimed.

Back In Burbank

Powerful Chairs

Bowling For Classes

So Rudy Carpenter graduated last semester but will be Arizona State's
starting quarterback this season after he enrolls in a class for the
fall semester, making him an eligible student-athlete. So what class
will he take? "Bowling or golf," he said. "But I'm leaning towards
bowling." Judging from the outside temperatures on the courses in
September, not to mention the football practice field, I'd say that
would be a wise choice.

Back At Practice

I'm back at practice for my third day of interviews for my Rudy
Carpenter feature that should be on SI.com tomorrow. Its easily the
hottest its been during my three days here with temperatures reaching
121 degrees, according to my rental car. The picture above is of the
Universal Studios like trams the team takes from campus to the practice
field located less than a mile away. It seems like a short walk, but in
this kind of heat its a killer. I'm still not sure how they practice for
3 hours in this weather. Thankfully for the players, they'll be using
the indoor "Devil Dome" more often when the season begins.

Medizona

My favorite restaurant in America just so happens to be next my hotel as
well. I suppose that's another reason why I love the Mondrian. Medizona
won me over after it opened in Scottsdale in 2000 while I was a student
at Arizona State. It was a great place to take a date, but the food
would always end up being be more impressive than the girls I took
there. It wasn't their fault, the food was always amazing. I wasn't
surprised then when I read it was named "One of the Best New Restaurants
in America" by Esquire in 2000. Since then its won every accolade under
the desert sun, most recently being named as one of the 10 great places
for a down-to-Earth meal by USA Today last year. It's a unique place
with Mediterranean-inspired Southwestern cooking you can't get anywhere
else, featuring items such as rabbit baklava and prickly pear tiramisu
prepared by Konstantin, the chef, owner and all-around good guy.

Devil Dome

I'm inside Arizona State's new indoor practice facility that just opened
last week waiting for Rudy Carpenter to finish up some drills. The $8.6
million temperature controlled structure is being called "The Devil
Dome" by players although it doesn't officially have a name yet. Either
way, it beats practicing, or in my case, waiting, in the 120 degree heat
outside.

Poolside Transcription

There's nothing worse than transcribing interviews. Its easily the worst
part of my otherwise amazing job. So to make it a little less mundane
I've brought the old laptop out to the pool here at the Mondrian and my
friend, Ben, who works here was nice enough to hook me up with a cabana
and a mojito while I work. My other friend, Lauren, doesn't believe me
so I decided to provide some evidence of me taking a break from
transcribing and heading for the pool.

Grimaldi's In Scottsdale

I just finished attending the first of two practices at ASU today. I
chatted with Rudy Carpenter for about 30 minutes afterwards and will
talk to him again tonight for my feature on the Sun Devils senior
quarterback. He's a straight shooter who begins a lot of his answers
with, "I can't lie to you..." or "I'll be honest with you..." which is
great because I'd hate for him to lie or be dishonest with me. Anyway,
I'm taking a break by grabbing lunch at Grimaldi's, which as any New
Yorker knows is synonymous with pizza. Patsy Grimaldi's uncle Lancieri
trained with the man credited with opening the first pizzeria in America
in 1905 and he opened up his own pizzeria in East Harlem in 1931. I was
a fan of their famous coal-fired brick oven pizza when I lived in New
York and as luck would have it they've opened up a location outside of
New York across from my hotel. Now if I can just grab the 1 train back
to practice I'll feel like I'm back in the Big Apple.

Asia De Cuba

The Mondrian Scottsdale is very much like its sister location in
Hollywood, it has a swanky pool, Skybar and an Asia De Cuba. What it
lacks in the sprawling views of Hollywood and celebrities it certainly
makes up for in an enthusiastic staff and a clientele that isn't looking
for its next movie deal. Here is a local group called Reggaeton doing
their thing at Asia De Cuba while I grabbed a pre-dinner drink at the
bar.

Mondrian Welcome

It's Getting Hot In Here

Chuckbox Lunchbox

I'm supposed to meet up with ASU head coach Dennis Erickson in his
office at 2pm so I decided to grab lunch at the Chuckbox, the best
burger joint in Tempe and and an institution at ASU since it opened its
doors on July 1, 1972. They're famous for the The Big One burger, a 1/3
pound of goodness on a sesame sesame seed bun, cooked to order by their
famous "professor of broilology" Juan since the Box first opened its
wooden doors. I used to come here all the time when I went to ASU and
thankfully despite all the construction that's going on around campus
the place and the staff hasn't changed.

Rental Car Shuttle

Phoenix Bound

Trojans Invade Rose Bowl