The Real Fireworks
Fourth of July weekend is meant to be spent licking barbecue off your fingertips, lying on the beach lost in a good book or stuffing yourself with homemade goodies until you burst like a Roman candle. But it rained in New York City this weekend. And I didn’t feel like going far from home. Thank…
Read MoreEric’s Eats: Step Away From the Shack
In this, the second installment of Eric Adelson’s wildly popular column, our favorite foodie offers his devoted readers a heartfelt warning. Eric’s so selfless. He’s always looking out for his fans … Sometimes it falls upon us at the Alyssa blog (TAB, for short) to give a negative review. And alas, it is my duty…
Read MoreGoooo … Gators!
Disclaimer: The following is a Facebook-inspired blog entry … In 1994, the year I was applying to college, the University of Florida was voted the number-one party school in the country. I had my mind pretty well set on UF, so I only applied to a few other schools (Penn State, because I was a…
Read MoreCheat Sheet: Gymnastics Trials
It’s Olympic Trials time. So for all you gymnastics fans who will be glued to the tube this weekend, here’s a preview of some of the top men and women to watch. The story’s up now on ESPN.com, but since it won’t be for long, check out the women’s preview HERE and the men’s HERE.…
Read MoreIt Ain’t Over and Over and …
I spent last weekend in South Lake Tahoe reporting a story on Jamie Anderson, a 17-year-old professional snowboarder who’s just about unbeatable in a slopestyle contest. She is number five in a family of eight children and invited me out to spend a few days experiencing what it’s like to grow up in such a…
Read MoreA Record Truly Meant to be Broken
Reporting From … The Red Bull K-Rob Experiment Records are meant to be broken. In most sports, records are also meant to be revered, discussed at length and argued about heatedly after one too many beers at the corner pub. A record is not, however, meant to be humbly handed over out of respect for…
Read MoreYellow (and black) Fever
This weekend, I went to my first Stanley Cup playoff game. It was part of my season-long, self-imposed program centered around becoming a more well-rounded Pittsburgh fan. And a more educated hockey fan. Man, I picked the right season. Detroit may be more experienced, but I don’t think there’s a more fun team to watch…
Read MoreAbout A Blog
I blog about my experiences every week. But rarely does someone else blog about me, so when it happens (once, and counting), it’s a reason to link. In his most recent blog on espnthemag.com, our Editor-in-Chief Gary Belsky writes about my discovery of The Madden Jinx and its affect on the NFL zeitgeist. Cool. To…
Read More34th and Madison, Part 2
[Alyssa’s note: Below, I refer to Usain Bolt as one of the fastest men alive. Well, at the Reebok Grand Prix, he one-upped that title by running a 9.72 in the 100m, breaking the current world record and becoming the fastest man alive. But just when you think there can’t be a cooler name-sport combo…
Read MoreEverybody’s Somebody
Last week, I was in Napa, California (I know. Rough assignment.) to meet up with Olympic BMX hopeful Donny Robinson. Donny grew up in Napa and lives at home when he’s not traveling to races. Although he’s well known in BMX circles, he’s virtually unknown to the mainstream sports world. For that reason, no fewer…
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