Although I have told you a lot in two plus years here, there’s still some blank spots I can fill in. So here’s a personal interview with yours truly, with questions that I could think of to show you a little more about me.
Q: What is your favorite song? And why?
A: I’ve done some looks into my favorite songs and favorite music before, but never have explained much about why I enjoy certain songs. And of course I love all kinds of different types of music, as I explain in my bio on the right side of this page. With a satellite radio in my car, I’ve been surrounded by many different types of music and I’ve come to enjoy everything from rap to country and pop music to oldies.
But if I had to pick a favorite song at this moment in time, I’m not sure it’d be the same song as I pick next month or the same song I would have picked one month ago. Last year, (http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-music-wednesdays-my-faves.html) I mentioned that my favorite song of all time was Lifehouse’s hit “You and Me”.
Over a year later, I’m not sold on it being my favorite song of all time, but I can’t think of a better song than that one right now. As Kenny Chesney sings, “I go back,” memories of fun times in years past pop up. Too many memories to re-count at this moment, but without a doubt, memories of fun nights with friends in high school are at the forefront when I hear this song.
Q: Can you pick a favorite food? And why is this food better than any other?
A: Well, when I went to Italy in 2005, I ate pizza every day for lunch, and not pizza like I ate for lunch today, real pizza, Italian pizza. It’s tough to find a replica for that pizza here in the states and although I’ve found some close reproductions, nothing compares to the pizzas I ate while in Italy.
That being said, I also enjoy a chicken casserole that my mom makes for my birthday. I guess you just have to try it in order to know about it.
Q: Can you pick a favorite place on the map that you’ve visited? Why is this place so special?
A: For those of you who put your money down on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for this question, you lose. I love heading to Indy every year, as I stated last week, but if I was given a million bucks and said, go ahead, have the time of your life on vacation, I wouldn’t go to IMS.
Instead, you’d see me back in Italy, or even back in Hawaii, both places I have visited, and would go back to in a heartbeat.
For me, two weeks in Italy in 2005 was the best time I’ve ever had in my life to this point. As I said, it was pizza every day for lunch in the various cities we visited. Milan, Florence, Venice, Assisi and Rome—I’m sure I’m missing a city or two—were all amazing cities, full of history, tradition and so much more. It’s almost indescribable to tell you the fun we had while visiting Italy. Two weeks with the Elder Glee Club traveling across the great country that my mom’s side of the family called home at one point was a fantastic experience. If you gave me an opportunity to go back, I’d be all in faster than those guys that play poker on ESPN.
And many of you frequent blog visitors know that the UC football team visited Hawaii in early December of 2008. Although we were only there four days, they were some of the best times I’ve had while traveling with football. Pearl Harbor was a solemn experience, a trip that you’d know about if you’ve been there. It was also great to wear shorts and be in the sun while the rest of my friends and family were shoveling snow here in Cincinnati.
So anytime anyone wants to go to Italy or to Hawaii, just let me know. I’m ready to go back!Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
A: I only have about 40 or 50 pet peeves, so to pick one would be unfair. But stupid people really tick me off, especially when they’re behind the wheel of a car. Bill Engvall’s idea about making stupid people wear signs is genius.
That being said, people who are late annoy the living heck out of me, and people who have no sense of urgency as well. Let’s get it done folks, and get it done on time. Is that too tough?
Q: If you could pick a life changing moment, what would it be?
A: I’d pick not so much a life changing moment as a life changing experience if I was forced to choose a moment. Going on a retreat in high school my junior year changed a lot of things about how I live. For one, I’m taking things a little more light-hearted than I used to, and I’m trying to have more fun.
Learning about myself and some friends—even those I had literally known almost my entire life—was eye-opening to say the least. And the friendships I made while there, and even some friendships I made immediately after, have been some of the greatest things I’ve accomplished in my personal life to date.
Q: What is the ultimate life goal in your life? What is your ultimate career goal?
A: If I had a dollar for every time that I was asked that, I wouldn’t have to have a career goal; the question would pay for the rest of my life. Family parties, functions where I run into family friends, and everywhere in between, I am asked what my plan is after I graduate. The answer: “We’ll see, we’ll see.”
My ultimate career goal might be two-fold at this point in my life. People who know what I’ve been up to the past two years know that I have enjoyed my time with the two TV stations I have worked for and I would love to procure a job in local sports on TV. But I always tell people my first love is football, and if someone here at UC would pay me to work with this football team for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t object.
After all, how else do I plan to fly around the country (get paid for it!) and watch football for a living?
And the ultimate life goal still hasn’t much changed for me. Family, football, friends—it doesn’t get too much better than that. And any way I can accomplish that is a good way to live life.
Q: If that does or doesn’t work out, do you have a dream job?
A: If someone told me I could host Sportscenter, well, I think that’d be cool for a few days, but not much longer than that. Sure I’d love to work for ESPN or SPEED Channel and travel the country getting paid to watch NASCAR races, but people who know me know that I’d love to one day coach a high school football team.
Greg Schiano, the current Rutgers head coach, told a reporter last year that when he retires from the collegiate ranks he’d love to go coach a high school team and run the triple option offense similar to the one that Navy and Army run. I could concur.
Ever since I began working for football teams back about six years ago, I’ve come to learn the intricacies of every detail of the game. Offense, defense and special teams are the three things that fans see each game, but many can’t nitpick a play like I can. Of course I still learn each day I stand around and listen to coaches, but if I’m ever given the chance to coach, you know I’ll hop on it.
People ask me, ‘Why not coach a college team?’ My simple answer would be that it takes too much time. Ultimately, as I stated above, it’d be nice to have a family, and it’s tough to have a family and get to spend quality time with them when you are a college coach. Trust me, my family doesn’t see much of me from August to January (and now beyond that). As a high school coach there’s more of an offseason and more of a chance to spend quality time with your kids.
That’s—as Martha Stewart would say—a good thing.
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