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What I Like: Michelle Beadle, ESPN

PROFESSIONAL

What I Like …

Photo by: BLAKE LITTLE

An insight: Be yourself. It’s easier than trying to remember who you pretended to be yesterday.

An influential person in my career: Eddie Ray Rodriguez. My first cameraman, and the man who told me to “forget the cameras are there.”

A timeless idea: Be kind. Not the cheesy advice version. But the actual, “Don’t be a jerk to those around you” version. Makes life better for everyone.

A sports facility: AT&T Center. San Antonio, home of the five-time world champion Spurs.

A hire: Creative, hungry, inquisitive minds. Technology isn’t slowing down any time soon. Surround yourself with people in the know.

An innovation: Twitter. (Full disclosure: Sometimes I also dislike Twitter.)

Michelle Beadle
“SportsNation” host, ESPN

What I do: Host of “SportsNation.” ESPN2. I talk on television. Mostly about sports.
Where I’m from: I’m from Boerne, Texas, by way of Roma, Italy, through New York and now enjoying sunny California.
Where I went to school: University of Texas, both Austin and San Antonio.

My first job: Ticket taker at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. First paying TV gig: Interviewer for Professional Bull Riders.

An invention I wish I had thought of: Escalators. They give us the option to ascend stairs, but don’t judge us when we choose to just stand and enjoy the ride.

A fantasy job: Late-night talk show host. Think Jimmy Fallon and John Oliver have a baby. I’d like to be that baby.


What I Like About …

My job: Freedom to express my opinions but never take myself too seriously. And if I do, I’m surrounded by people who will be more than happy to let me know.

Sports: Drama. Mind-blowing athleticism. Competition. Stories. Excitement. Screams of joy. Groans of misery.

NBA champion San Antonio Spurs
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES

Sports media: The landscape is always changing. Women are louder than ever and growing in roles other than the once limited sideline role.

Competing: There is no better motivator than the gut-wrenching feeling of losing. And the oath we make to ourselves that it won’t happen again. I mean, it will. But not without one helluva fight.

The future of sports business: Social media combined with the “catch everything on camera” way of life that we’ve made for ourselves is leading us down an interesting yet potentially damaging road. While it may hold many accountable for their actions, as we’ve seen, it may also cause the downfalls of others, in an ever-growing politically correct environment.


What I Would Like To …

Change: No more East Coast start times that all

John Oliver
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
but prohibit most normal humans from actually watching the entire game.

See more of in sports: Accountability. Less excuse-making for behaviors that are abhorrent in all other factions of society. Be better.

See less of in sports: Bad merchandise. Let’s propose a color limit for all merchandise (think opposite of NASCAR merch). More is not always better.

See different: More diversity in coverage of seemingly “uncomfortable” topics.


What I Don’t Like …

Pet peeve: People who don’t know the rules of a sidewalk. Like driving, but less dangerous. Stick to the right and we’re all good. No “three across” chat parties. And absolutely no bikes.

About sports fans: The worst of them are allowed on social media. And they tend to be the loudest. All human decency goes out the window when dealing with some “superfans.”


PERSONAL

What I Like …

Richie Sambora
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES

People: Honest, intelligent and real people. And funny. Funny trumps so much.

That would surprise those that know me: I’m a huge Bon Jovi fan, specifically Richie Sambora.

Heroes: My mom. She gave birth to me. And for that, I’m eternally grateful.

Possession: My dogs. Although I could argue they own me.

Authors: Currently: The crop of funny women cranking out books. Ask me again in six months.

Magazines: Girly ones. I’m sure I shouldn’t admit this, but I feel like we’re in the circle of trust now.

Websites: Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Deadspin, Dlisted … this list could get long.

Music: Anything by Snow.

Memento: A picture I took with my brother and boyfriend at last year’s NBA Finals. Game 5. Spurs crushing the Heat to win championship No. 5. And us courtside with sad Heat players in the background.

Chores: I hate them all.


Hobbies: Running is the most boring hobby I could list. I apologize. Traveling. Reading. And I’d like to take this moment to recognize sleep as a hobby.

Trips: Every trip to Europe with my mom and brother in the summers of my childhood. And the time I went to Vegas with two girlfriends and watched Joe Pesci just Pesci up the roulette table.

Movies: “Goonies,” “Bull Durham,” anything with Al Pacino (except that awful Sandler thing) and “Young Einstein” starring Yahoo Serious. He’s like Australia’s Carrot Top.

Artist: My boyfriend.

Food: All foods, preferably in large quantities. I’ll never turn down sushi or a vat of guacamole.


Dessert: More guacamole.

Drink: Water. Wine if I’m feeling daring.

Scent: The smell of puppies and freshly cleaned sheets.

Vacation spots: My mom’s house in Italy. Quiet, isolated and with very poor cell service. Makes for a peaceful stay.

Cars: I partly hope that just by saying my favorite car,

Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
one will be presented to me by the universe. Ferrari 458.

Singer: Michael Bolton, and I will not be bullied into changing this answer.

Quote: “A lion does not worry about the opinion of sheep.”


You did not ask about my favorite …

Color: Black.

New Kid: Joey McIntyre.

Candy: Now and Laters (the old flavors).

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