Bronco Talk: One-on-One with Josh Griffin
By Josh Griffin
Josh Griffin is in the middle of his first and only year as the sports editor of The Santa Clara, after spending one year as a sports writer for the paper. He is responsible for overseeing weekly production of the sports section and writing a weekly column and story. Griffin is also responsible for the weekly one-on-one interview, which this week yielded no athletes from Santa Clara. So, in honor of Officer Charlie Baileygates and Hank Evans from "Me, Myself and Irene," Sports Editor Josh Griffin sat down and talked with Sports Editor Josh Griffin about his promising athletic career, his hobbies and his professional aspirations.
JG: So, what's the deal, Steve Nash wasn't available for the interview this week?
JG: Yeah, that's a good way to look at it. Steve and I played phone tag all week, but we never connected. Kurt Rambis can't stand me because of my loyalties to the Kings, and I can only interview baseball catcher Jim Wallace one time per year.
JG: What kind of an athlete are you? You are interviewing yourself in the sports section after all?
JG: To be perfectly honest, I haven't been much of an athlete in the past few years. I was a competent high school swimmer back in Colorado, and I hit approximately 24 home runs playing Little League baseball in third grade. I thought I had Major League potential, but my parents apparently felt differently, and sent me in pursuit of Mark Spitz's legacy. I made it all the way to the Olympics, the Beers Olympics that is.
JG: I'm sure you're real busy with your job as sports editor, but what do you do in your off time?
JG: I also work as the Intramural Sports Student Coordinator through the Pat Malley Fitness and Recreation Center. Other than that, I like to read about sports, watch sports, argue about sports, close down The Hut and take long walks on the beach.
JG: Who do you take these long walks on the beach with?
JG: At the moment, no one, but for more information on my dating status, check out the Special Olympics Auction on Friday night in the Sobrato Commons.
JG: Who are your journalistic influences?
JG: I read anything in Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine and online at ESPN.com. My favorites are Bill Simmons, who used to write three columns per week on Page 2 but left to write for Jimmy Kimmel Live for the six-month period that the show remains on the air. Woody Paige at the Denver Post is great, and I like to read some of the old guys like Peter Gammons, Hunter S. Thompson, Dick Schapp and Jim Murray.
JG: You're only four months away from your graduation, and I know that you've had a mini-crisis in dealing with the prospect of life after college. Give the reader an update on your post-graduation plans.
JG: The quarter life crisis that I was battling in September has absolutely not been cured. I have no definite plans to date, and very few leads for full time employment. However, I do know that my top five dream jobs of all time would include the following:
- Beat writer for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Tribune
- Sports columnist, ESPN.com Page 2
- Author of the next great American novel
- Guitarist of a rock band, preferably the sixth member of Radiohead
- General manager of the Chicago Cubs.
JG: Pretty high aspirations for an undergraduate with limited writing experience and absolutely no musical talent.
JG: What is it about Joe Millionaire that gets you to watch every week?
JG: I just can't get enough. It is possible that I was the last person in America to jump onto the reality TV bandwagon, however, I consider myself one of its most ardent supporters at this point. I just can't get enough of this Evan guy botching every situation that may reveal that he is a bankrupt bum, and these shallow women just throwing themselves at him. I have officially sent in my application to be Joe Millionaire II, so we'll see how that goes.