January 2008 Archives

I love news. I have to have my daily feed of what's going on. But the one thing that will make me turn the channel (or in today's Internet culture, "click") faster than anything is political "flack."

So yes, I am steering clear of all mudslinging political news as Super Tuesday continues to make its creeping presence known.

However, I can still be an informed citizen and make political decisions even if I avoid the feeding frenzy. My answer? My good friend Marc Langston's Facebook page.

Of course Marc's Facebook page is full of bias. But what else can you expect from the president of the college Democrats and one of the state's leading forces behind the Obama campaign? However, I trust him. He's never steered me wrong.

Marc uses Facebook to weigh the latest news on Obama. He also plans rallies, nationally and locally, and comes up with ways to contribute to the campaign.

Marc is not alone. He is among nearly 300 thousand supporters in Obama's Facebook network.

Nearly one year ago, shortly after Obama announced his plans to seek the presidency, a Facebook group organized rally at George Mason University. The rally, created solely by the social networking site, drew an estimated 3,000 students, and greatly resembled a party convention.

But early in the campaign, many political analysts questioned whether Obama's social networking friends could turn into votes.

Howard Dean didn't capitalize in 2004. The former Vermont governor raised millions of dollars on the web that generated buzz among online communities. Dean fell on his face early, finishing third in the Iowa caucus.

The "Facebook rally" at George Mason proved that the youth behind the Obama campaign is more than a bunch of kids who clicked a button. The key point is that the support for the candidates is not being driven by campaigns themselves. It's a new generation of political activism by social networking influence that breathed life into the dormancy of young American voters.

The first rule of the Gray family, don't talk about politics. Being the only gay, liberal branch of the family tree, my opinions on politics are outnumbered by Midwestern ideology. I am the cheese, I stand alone.

For instance, I am a personal fan of Barack Obama, or as my grandmother refers to him, "That heathen, jihad mongering, dirty Muslim." Of course I could share my thoughts and opinions with my friends but I have maybe one friend who cares about politics and she's stoned most of the time.

It's rough having opinions and no one to share them with. I'd like to think there are others like me, and after logging into my Facebook and Youtube accounts in the past few months, I feel a sense of triumph. I'm not the cheese; I don't stand alone.

Millions are logging on to Youtube to "Face the Candidates." Barack Obama and Ron Paul lead the e-politics gambit, each with millions of profile views and hundreds of thousands of video views.

Not to be outdone, Facebook has been whoring out to its new friend ABC News, and their web application "US Politics." This feed will give you a day-to-day look at how the candidates are doing, what they're saying, their bowel movements, menstrual cycles, and every daily sin.

Blah, blah, blah! What makes this techno-crap so vital is that for once you can post your comments, debate with people about your views, leave YOUR thumb print on the presidential race.

If it seems hard to see the real life effect these sites have, Facebook fans of Ron Paul raised over one million dollars in one day for his campaign. To date he has raised over three million dollars and a good portion of that is from online sites like Facebook.

The question isn't if we are involved now. That's evidently true. The question now, for all of us, is will it get us to the polls. We are a lazy generation and getting us off our fat asses is a difficult task. Step away from the computer come November. No one wants to be the cheese.

There's no denying that the Internet has taken its toll on the boob tube. Scanty television viewership shows no sign of improvement; instead, people are going online for their video news fix.

Few news stations have taken advantage of the Web 2.0 philosophy as much as they've exploited the technology of sites like YouTube. Instead of merely slapping content to video-hosting sites, why don't networks encourage more user-created content?

For an example, let's look at my dad: his video news fix is primarily satisfied by a hefty cable package and three big screen televisions (a healthy contribution to the 300 million or so TVs in America). However, he further engages with his news by working part-time for the local newscast as a videographer.

My dad's no web-savvy dude, but his news contribution is exactly the type of thing Web 2.0 encourages: interaction, not merely ingestion. Way to go, Dad.

Instead of television networks based solely on "reliable" reporters with "credible" information, news networks should encourage users to create blog-like videos with humanized editorial content.

Current TV, co-founded by Al Gore in 2005, is one media company that relies on user-created material from news to ads. Videos are uploaded through their Web site and aired at the discretion of editors.

Organizations that create a dynamic and interactive atmosphere also create loyal users who will both visit their Web site and watch their television station. ‘Course, this gives those pesky, lie-filled bloggers a shot at cable TV.

YouTube isn't the demise of television news; it's just another media evolution that television will undergo if they want their demographic to be more than that of the AARP. News networks shouldn't be fearful of the Internet – they should just exploit its users as much as possible. Is that so much to ask?

People use YouTube to be entertained by drugged-out spiders, George Washington and Canadian safety ads featuring horrific, though preventable, accidents.

Search "news" on YouTube and you will pull up Al Jazeera English followed by news bloopers and the usual hodgepodge of, well, everything video. YouTube's user-generated flea market is not news-centered. People go there for entertainment.

Is YouTube killing TV news? No. Why would it? People might switch from late-night Cinemax softcore to watch video-sharing sleeper hold fetishists, and might switch off entertainment TV for YouTube's comedy channel. But newshounds are not going to turn off 60 Minutes in favor of non-existent YouTube news.

So why is TV news in a slump? Well, because news consumption in general is down. According to a PBS FRONTLINE study of overall audience trends, there were 10 percent fewer news consumers in 2007 than in 1994. All the traditional news mediums are loosing out, except for the Internet.

But is TV news for old people? Smart PEW researchers say no. Demographic statistics from their 2006 report on news consumption held that 49 percent of 18-29 year-olds watch TV news, while those 65 and older watch only twenty percent more. TV news can't be too unsavory to the next generation if half that generation consumes it.

All the same, TV newsies would prefer a growing audience to one shrinking from apathy and the Internet's seductive call. So whaddya say? Turn off YouTube and turn on the BoobTube!

"Dude! Come here. You have to see this You Tube video!"

"Is it Lindsay Lohan?"

"No."

"Is it the latest hit by Soulja Boy?"

"No. It's news from Bangladesh!"

Yeah. Right.

Out of all the videos my friends deemed I "had to see", the news*
never seemed to be one of the topics of interest. Of course, my friends are guys that are 21 going on 12, but not even if they were a more mature and worldly audience would they get their news from You Tube (unless they lived in Venezuela.)

Granted, more and more viewers are turning off televisions and turning on their computers, but does this mean that they are using You Tube to get their news?

That's like saying the kids are going to the candy store to get their daily supply of nutrients. It's just not true.

If cable television beats out network TV by one thousand, then the internet beats out cable by one billion. With movies and entire seasons of shows available for download, with the news networks racing to amp up their websites and, of course, with You Tube filling our constant craving for "reality TV", it's true that television might soon go the way of the news reel and the silent film.

The internet will absorb everything that is available on television and amplify it.

Journalistic types will bite their nails and wonder where it's all going.

But my friends on You Tube will still be more fascinated with Lindsay showing her "Britney" than with the presidential race. And when they come to me demanding to know where this lady president came from, I will direct them to the world of "inter"network news.

*"News" is used to mean things that you might read in the New York Times or see on CNN, not things you might read in US magazine or see on E!.

My 21-year-old roommate refuses to watch television news. She claims the news is "too depressing" and angers her. A recent Northwestern University study found that many people in my generation agree with my roommate. Teens and college students would rather talk about events that interest them rather than what's really happening in the world.

Websites such as YouTube may be largely responsible for the growing trend of gathering news online rather than from your TV. Sure, there are plenty of YouTube videos posted for the sole purpose of embarrassing one's best friend, but there are also an increasing amount of videos uploaded by human rights groups who want to inform our generation of the horrors of the world.

Television news executives know that YouTube and Yahoo! Videos are a threat to the TV news that our parents grew up watching. And while some may say that the Internet is killing TV news, I believe it's doing exactly the opposite.

Want video of excited students after KU wins in the Elite Eight? Check out YouTube. Or how about video of two news helicopters colliding midair in Phoenix during a car chase? Just type it in the search bar on YouTube.

TV news isn't oblivious to the fact that citizen journalism is becoming a reliable source of news. Many stations air footage from YouTube simply because a citizen was there when the TV cameras weren't. And even though YouTube is becoming more popular every month, I can't see how local TV news will ever be replaced by "Leave Britney Alone!"

YouTube will never replace the evening newscast.

Back when MTV was born in 1981, record labels were convinced that video would kill the radio star. Now that YouTube and other similar Web sites have come to dominate the time of the younger generation, television news outlets are convinced that
YouTube will eventually kill the evening newscast.

The majority of the younger generation doesn't care much about the news anyway. They are tired of hearing the same stories about fires and murders and wars over and over again. They have better things to do with their time, like watching the Hills or hanging out on Myspace and Facebook. If they do watch the news, they are more likely to watch news that appeals to them, softer celebrity news like whether or not Brittany Spears is wearing panties.

The fact is that video didn't kill the radio star, iPods and mp3 players did. YouTube probably won't replace TV newscasts, but it will probably open the door to some other technology that will come close.

We are probably looking at the wrong target. While YouTube is gaining popularity with viral videos, there is most likely something else under the radar, ready to undermine the TV newscast.

It has happened throughout history, while we are looking in one direction trying to predict the future; something else comes up behind us and bites us in the ass.

Youtube has done a lot in the last half-decade but of its laundry list of achievements, my favorite is how it pays half my rent. After posting a video of himself singing the power ballad, "And I'm Telling You" from Dreamgirls, my roommate was discovered by Rosie O'Donnell, Akon, and hundreds of thousands of adoring fans and scathing critics.

Now my roommate has a recording deal, a manager, and an income. So just like the annoying bitch that set you up on a blind date with the love of your life, we sort of owe half the rent to Youtube. Make sense?

Weed your way through clips of a squirrel getting drunk, a man reliving the past century of dance in five minutes and thousands of peoples' reactions to "2 girls, 1 cup" (it's better experienced then explained), and it's easy to say that Youtube is filling a need our country has been thirsty to fill for a long time now. It entertains and provides so much that many feel we've neglected our TVs.

So, is Youtube the nail in television's coffin? Of course not, the writers' strike will swiftly kill TV before Youtube ever will. Think of Youtube as your crazy rich grandpa who has a lot of stories and hums to himself while he pees in the shower. Entertaining? Yes. Functional or sane? This remains to be seen.

In times of crisis people don't think, "Shit! Get to Youtube, all our questions will be answered there!" They dusted off their local and/or national news coverage they've been neglecting and hugged Diane Sawyer for answers like an alcoholic to a bottle of Jim Beam.

Television is the older and better adjusted brother of Youtube and will guide it through its awkward years, but unless television is involved in a hit-and-run, it's here to stay for decades to come.

Eight years ago Robert D. Putnam published a groundbreaking book, Bowling Alone, based on astonishing facts – we are becoming society disconnected from social capital. What has caused this decline? Putnam names a number of explanations, ranging from air-conditioning and indoor plumbing to suburbia and even the rise of television.

But here we are facing the dawn of the YouTube era. Wouldn't Mr. Putnam's opinion of viral video effects be interesting today?

Putnam would probably explain the YouTube phenomenon as such: The entertainment value that YouTube offers gives consumers a want, similar to that of eating a "sugary cereal" for breakfast. But news gives consumers what they need, intervening with a "healthy breakfast."

Young adults are especially prone to "Cap 'N Crunch YouTube" and avoiding "bran muffin news.' Author David Mindich said young Americans don't have any interest in news. Young people use the Internet primarily for satisfying personal wishes. Rarely, do they use it to satisfy the demands of good citizenry.

But this is what I don't understand: Mindich and Putnam agree there is a direct relationship with those who are not as socially involved and find news irrelevant in their lives.

So if YouTube fluff is keeping young adults from following the news, how can you explain the record number of young voters in the 2008 campaign? Maybe young adults are actually using YouTube to surf a candidate's channel or view past debates. Is it really a shame that internet video sites are changing American politics for the better?

The majority of YouTube videos may be mindless rubbish that occupy hours of our "valuable" time. However, more news corporations are reinventing themselves, posting newscasts to YouTube each day. At least now we have an option of what to watch, and how far we want to dive into the subject.

One of my first freshman-year memories is of a trip to Dollar Tree. One night while cruising down Iowa, my roommate and I noticed a green neon sign, beckoning us with the words "Everything's $1." They weren't lying. Cheap snack food, coloring books, fake flowers and even deodorant. There was so much to buy and the aisles of random knickknacks kept us entertained for most of the evening.

I had a similar experience the first time I visited YouTube. Before me was a plethora of silliness, and all I needed to do was search for it. I was horrified at how much time I wasted watching videos of funny commercials, hilarious dancing and even my favorite singers performing.

There seems to be a strong connection between YouTube and stores like Dollar Tree: quantity without the quality. You can find just about anything on YouTube, but when you search for ‘news and politics,' most videos consist of opinionated rants, TV bloopers or celebrity gossip. Just like hunting for anything of value in Dollar Tree, it takes awhile to discover videos with true news content. Sure, CBS has a channel. But why would you watch news clips when you can see Borat wrestling with a CBS anchorman?

If anything, YouTube is replacing entertainment television. A quick look at YouTube's top videos in 2007 shows that viewers are definitely not tuning in for news, but rather to watch lions fighting with buffalo and boys crying about Britney Spears.

I feel the same way after wasting time on YouTube as I did when I spent too much at Dollar Tree: entertained yet unfulfilled. YouTube has an incredible inventory of videos, but as long as they continue to be of poor quality and minimal credibility, TV news has about as much competition from YouTube as Target does from Dollar Tree.

For a few hours yesterday I got a short glimpse into what it's like to be a college football player playing in a big-time bowl game. I came from Kansas and took the field, not to play Virginia Tech, but to run a camera along the sidelines.

We arrived at the stadium early, got the anticipation and build up of waiting for the game to start and looked around an empty stadium that would soon be filled with almost 74,000 people.

While admittedly running a camera isn't quite as strenuous as two-a-days, it was hard work, it was tiring, but most of all it was exhilarating.

The weather in Miami was surprisingly chilly. One Miami resident said it was the coldest weather he could remember in the 40 years he's lived here. Because of this I'm still not sure whether the goosebumps I got during the opening kickoff were from the weather or just the thrill of the moment.

As the game went on I moved around the stadium constantly trying to get as close to the action as I could. I went from sideline to sideline, end zone to end zone probably covering more ground than any player in the game.

Then as the game ended and Todd Reesing hurled the ball into the air I sprinted onto the field like a bull released from the gates in Pamplona looking for anyone in a red Kansas jersey.

Players danced around me, they shouted messages into my camera, threw oranges and put on their Orange Bowl champion hats and shirts. Third-string quarterback and fellow Shawnee Mission West graduate Tyler Lawrence walked up to me shook my hand and said, "Mr. Mertel, I'm glad you could be here."

After the players cleared the field their accomplishments finally seemed to set in during the post-game press conferences.

"We won the Orange Bowl fellas!" Aqib Talib shouted across the room. "Hey Mute, we won the Orange Bowl!" He shouted to teammate Marcus Henry.

"To finally be at this point, at the top, finishing 12-1, it's awesome. It's ecstasy." Todd Reesing said.

"Words can't describe what it feels like right now," Joe Mortensen said, "I, I just can't describe it."

Well Joe, I'm doing my best to do it for you.

I'll preface this blog post by saying that the 48-hours it logs have been the busiest hours I've spent as a student. Not procrastinating finals or rushing to cover a news shift or sports cast has been more demanding. But, this time has been the most fun I've had as a University of Kansas journalism student as well.

January 3, 2008

10:15 a.m. Alarms wake Kyle, Brad and I up from our good night's rest. The Orange Bowl media folks have promised a breakfast spread from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and we want to get in on the action. Unfortunately, it's the same old continental breakfast and only Kyle and I go.

1 p.m. After our morning showers and getting all of the Orange Bowl coverage gear packed up we load up the car and depart for the venue. Traffic is extremely light as we are seven hours early to game day.

2 p.m. Arrival at Dolphin Stadium! It is here that we realize our two zone media predicament isn't going to improve much. Brad is restricted to the field and the photographer's pit.

3 p.m. After an hour of talking to media relations officials and confirming that "KUKH" does not exist Kyle and I claim our seats in press box "C". Brad spent the time taking a well deserved rest in the lobby.

3:15 p.m. All three of us venture over to shoot the Budweiser Tailgate Party. The atmosphere at the tailgate was a little more festive than the Fan Fest only one day earlier.

4 p.m. The media relations folks redeemed themselves after a lackluster breakfast showing with the media dinner. The chicken was good and they had this awesome three layer chocolate cake, mmm...

5 p.m. Brad heads out to field to chat with the Rock Chalk video folks as Kyle and I set up the website for the game. During this time we meet our one and only media box roommate, a Fox Sports radio guy who didn't say much the whole time.

8 p.m. The Orange Bowl officially hits the airwaves. The next four hours of my life are a blur of typing, scribbling notes, and making graphics. Kyle also makes the scoreboard graphics and catches the stats I miss when I'm typing. Brad is down on the sidelines doing his thing.

January 4, 2008

About 12 a.m. The game concludes and all three of us go onto the field with cameras to shoot the post-game celebration by both the players and the fans.

12:30 a.m. Mark Mangino takes the podium at the post-game press conference. Brad shoots this while Kyle is in a different room getting individual player interviews. I walk back and forth getting footage of these guys hard at work.

1 a.m. Pressers end and we head back up to press box "C" to settle in for the long haul. Brad and I take turns logging video for our packages while Kyle types up a text story recapping the game. We still think we might finish by 3 a.m.

4:45 a.m. After logging all of the necessary video and working as much as we can on our respective packages, Brad and I decide we need some rest to preserve our sanity. Kyle is done with his text story and equally as exhausted so we decide to head back to the hotel. I have a newfound appreciation for "high speed" internet as the connection at Dolphin Stadium reminded me of my old 56k modem that ran at a whopping 13kbps.

10 a.m. After four hours of sleep we wake up and pack everything to check out by noon. The morning was a bit of a scramble to get all three of us through our morning routines and to get everything into the same number of bags that we started with.

12 p.m. We grab a quick lunch at Quarterdeck's, a restaurant located near the beach in Fort Lauderdale. Kyle and Brad get different types of burgers while I order what I think will be a gigantic meatball sub sandwich, but it turns out to be only a giant meatball. Very disappointing.

2:30 p.m. We set foot in the airport terminal after returning our rental car and taking a shuttle. We immediately find the nearest workspace area and pick up editing where we left off less than 10 hours ago.

7:15 p.m. Our flight from Ft. Lauderdale leaves on time, so things are looking up. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel where everything is finished and we can finally get some much needed sleep.

7:46 p.m. Captain's log pen explodes all over my hands on the airplane. This is almost as bad as cutting my foot on what I think was the lighting stand tripod last night. Irony is awesome!

10:15 p.m. Last flight leaves Charlotte on time. Brad and I are finalizing his blog video over the duration of the flight as Kyle attacks a crossword puzzle. Amazing his brain can still function.

11:30 p.m. (CST) We arrive in Kansas City! Brad and Kyle wait for the luggage at baggage claim and I pick up the car from parking lot A2.

January 5, 2008

1:30 a.m. After stopping for food and fuel we arrive home at the Dole Center. Brad posts his blog video and Kyle and I replace all the equipment we took while booting up a computer to use to finalize the main story video.

5:08 a.m. At last, the video is posted and as soon as this log hits eHub Kyle and I are out-of-here. Brad was fading fast and took off at 2:30, I don't blame him; He was the smart one of the group. This entire experience has been a blast and has left me hoping for a deep run in the NCAA men's basketball tournament from Kansas come March!

Final Note

Thanks are in order for the William Allen White School of Journalism for sending us to cover the Orange Bowl. Kyle West and Brad Mertel are two of the hardest workers I've met, a big thanks to each of them as well.

The FedEx Orange Bowl presented on FOX is big time business. It's everything a sponsor could ever dream of. 100,000 lost tourists have descended onto the Miami area with every intention to spend as much money as they can. Except, when you're a member of the media, you're almost never allowed to spend any money.

The FedEx Orange Bowl presented by FOX provides the food. The FedEx Orange Bowl presented by FOX provides the drinks. When we first arrived the FedEx Orange Bowl presented by FOX provided us with a free raincoat.

Last night my esteemed colleague Justin O'Neal walked away from the media party with a brand new Bacardi Golf Bag, a bottle of Bacardi Rum and a FedEx Orange Bowl Shirt made by Cutter & Buck.

This afternoon we went to the AvMed Coaches Luncheon with supporting sponsors Wachovia, At&t and Gold Coast Beverage Servies followed by the WaMu Fan Fest to celebrate the FedEx Orange Bowl Presented by FOX.

During his press conference this morning Mark Mangino said that his job as Kansas Football coach was to get Kansas Football onto the national stage. When you think about it, that's what this event is for the sponsors as well.

KU football will use the exposure of the national broadcast to show themselves to the nation. The FedEx Orange Bowl presented by FOX will use two attractive football teams to get sponsors who can show themselves to the nation.

I am one of the biggest proponents of a college football playoff system that you will find. However, after being here I can see why the NCAA and the bowls are so hesitant to give all of this up. They can rake the money from sponsors, show off to fans and do it all under the purity of "student-athletes playing for the love of the game."

Tonight I will surely have more things thrown my way just because I have a card hanging around my neck that has my picture and says 1-FOTO. The FedEx Orange Bowl presented by FOX will continue to give things away just to make sure I say nice things about them when I write stories and tell friends.

So, here you go guys… There is no company that I would trust to ship my packages more than WaMu… wait, or was it FedEx that does that? It's all just a blur of sponsors at this point.

I guess the title of today's log should be: KUJH, Improvise-Adapt-Overcome.

Day 2: January 2, 2008

6:15 a.m. Our alarm goes off to wake us for the second day and I shut it off hoping to snooze for a few more minutes before having to get to work.

6:46 a.m. After a few more minutes of rest I decide to get the day started. Kyle and Brad remain in bed as I start the shower rotation.

7:45 a.m. Everyone is awake and alert; ready for the final press conference before the Orange Bowl. The media relations folks have provided a continental breakfast that we eat while setting up for the 8:15 meeting.

8:29 a.m. Frank Beamer kicks off the press conference a whole 14 minutes later than scheduled. It's amazing that the coach can be provided a police escort and still not make it on time.

10:02 a.m. Mark Mangino's press conference ends. Brad begins working on his blog for the day, Kyle begins to edit the video, and I edit our photos from the event as wel as make the lower third graphics for today' video.

10:52 a.m. Our edit time is cut short as we find out that the luncheon is about a 45 minute drive away. We depart the hotel headed for Miami Beach.

11:20 a.m. We are stuck in traffic... Even the GPS navigator unit I brought down cant help us get through the maze of streets in Miami. Miami traffic is hands-down the worst traffic I've ever driven in. I would rather fight rush-hour in Chicago again like last year's NCAA tournament trip.

11:50 a.m. We arrive at the hotel to find that not only are we late but there's no parking in the garage available to us and the rest of the media scrambling to make it across town. Fortunately, Jim Marchiony, Kansas' Associate Athletics Director, is also late. We aren't quite sure how he fixed the situation for us but they let us turn around and park.

1:11 p.m. We finish shooting the luncheon. Media access turned out to be very limited and we could only get a little bit of b-roll for the event.

2:00 p.m. We decide to stop for lunch before heading to Fan Fest. We find a cafe and order some sandwiches. It was ran by a nice lady with an Italian accent. If you're ever in Miami you should look up the 18th Street Café, it was pretty tasty food for a decent price.

2:34 p.m. Brad, Kyle and I arrive at the WaMu Fan Fest. The attendance was pretty sparse and was primarily an older crowd with children. It had a state fair feel.

4:45 p.m. We arrive back at the hotel and notice a spot on our lens from our previous round of stand ups. So we set up on the porch of our hotel and re-shoot. Technology slide for the day begins now.

9:13 p.m. We are still working on finishing our material for the day. Our pizza arrives and we work through dinner. It's really not that bad trying to get this material for the day finished but the internet is a total joke at the hotel for some reason tonight. Video doesn't want to upload and we only have a few power outlets to work with in the room so we have to share the DV deck.

10:35 p.m. Steve and Alex from KUJH arrive at our hotel. They are in town as fans and invite everyone out to the bars for the evening. I decide to hang around and finish posting but after awhile it becomes obvious that I'm going to need some help if I'm to finish by morning.

11:20 p.m. Kyle returns to the hotel and we continue to work on the stories for the day. Still the internet is not cooperating, we have no idea how Brad was able to post his blog, must've been lucky.

1:01 a.m. (Thursday) Kyle and I give up on the hotel's internet. We're headed for Kinkos per the advise of the lady working the counter of the hotel. Hopefully we can upload there so we can get some sleep tonight.

1:58 a.m. Kyle and I have uploaded the majority of the material onto tv.ku.edu at a local Kinkos. Finally the day's work is over! Luckily, we all will have some time in the morning to sleep in.

I'll spare you from all of the "If you told me in September that I would be here…" talk because I am still yet to meet that single person that goes around making promises like that.

Of course nobody thought this could happen. But this team is full of "nobody thought" type of players.

Nobody thought Todd Reesing was big enough.

Nobody thought Brandon McAnderson was fast enough.

Nobody thought Marcus Henry had hands that could catch touchdown after touchdown.

Nobody thought true freshman like Chris Harris could play cornerback in the Big 12.

Nobody thought a group of 2-star recruits could lead a team to this much success.

And that's what makes all of this so special. At the beginning of the year the only people that had faith in this team were the students who didn't know better and the old hippies like White Owl who were so baked out of their mind that they didn't know any better.

Need more proof that nobody saw this coming? Las Vegas set lines for each of KU's 11 wins this season and KU beat that line every time. The experts in Las Vegas continued to up their expectations for these Jayhawks and still KU exceeded those expectations and continued to win game after game.

I'm tired of all the "nobody thought this would happen" talk that surrounds this team. Sports are full of unseen heroes and underdog stories. KU is in the Orange Bowl and still people focus the expectations of this season while overlooking what KU has accomplished.

Leading up to this game stories around the country are saying, "KU has never played in a game with this much pressure." Well, KU has also never won this many road games. KU has never scored 76 points on Nebraska. KU has never thrown this many touchdown passes in this season.

This has been an extraordinary season and Thursday night KU will cap that off by playing in its first Orange Bowl since 1969. Experts and fans around the country are picking Virginia Tech, but let's be honest, nobody knows what's coming.

Throughout our 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl coverage for KUJH-TV I will be posting a daily "Captain's Log" detailing what goes into the coverage of a major BCS bowl game. This will include our activities of actually covering the event and media opportunities and what we do in our downtime.

Day 1: January 1, 2008

4 a.m. Kyle West and I arrive at the Dole Center to gather our equipment and go over the final schedule one last time.

4:30 a.m. Brad Mertel arrives right on time and we load up for KCI. Surprisingly, on New Year's Day, we are running 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

5:45 a.m. We arrive at KCI but take a wrong turn before we find the economy parking lot. That 15 minutes we gained earlier are lost. Furthermore we have to wait for the shuttle bus and it's freezing cold outside.

6:11 a.m. Miraculously, we all make it through security without holding up the line too much. We carried on five bags and Kyle took the tripod as his "personal item." All told, the equipment and clothing fit into 10 bags. Hopefully it meets us in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., unscathed.

7:14 a.m. All are aboard US Airways flight 1798 bound for Charlotte, North Carolina. There was some doubt as to whether or not we could get our Sony DV deck into the overhead compartment, it fit somehow.

9:54 a.m. EDT We arrive in Charlotte. We have about an hour to kill before we board our next flight so we decide to track down breakfast. Kyle and Brad opt for a tasty burger. Unfortunately, I chose a ham and cheese sandwich from a magazine store.

11:16 a.m. We board our flight for Fort Lauderdale, again the DV deck is our only problem. But Brad is able to figure out the proper angle to wedge it into the overhead compartment again.

1:48 p.m. KUJH-TV arrives in Florida. Unfortunately, the "Sunshine State" has decided to greet us with a mid-afternoon rain-shower.

2:32 p.m. As we board the bus for Alamo Rental Car a Woman in KU garb asks us quizzically if we are from the "UDK." Brad and I decide it will be worth keeping track of this question and how many people we are able to introduce to KUJH through our coverage.

3:09 p.m. Alamo delivers on our bowl transportation. A brand new, dark gray, 2008 Pontiac G6 is waiting for us in the lot.

3:32 p.m. We arrive at the Hyatt Pier 66 Resort and Spa. Since it is still raining, we decide that it would not be wise to attempt to make it over to cover Kansas' practice that is set to end in less than half an hour.

5:45 p.m. Finally we have totally moved into the hotel room and made our way through media check-in. In addition to our credentials and parking permit we are each given Orange Bowl rain jackets. These could have came in handy a couple of hours ago. We run into fellow KUJH staffer and Rivals.com contributor, Bryan Cisler, and the crew from the UDK.

6:00 p.m. We depart for Hollywood Ale House for dinner. It is supposedly a very good Floridian sports bar where we can watch football and get something to eat, finally. Kyle and I each have prime rib and Brad orders a Chinese Chicken Salad.

8:35 p.m. The Orange Bowl media hospitality folks have set up a media party for everyone covering the event. It is a chance for all the members of the media to meet up and enjoy some good time before the real work of covering a BCS Bowl game begins the next day.

10:52 p.m. The casino-themed media-party concludes with a raffle. I have managed to win a Bacardi golf bag, an Orange Bowl Cutter & Buck polo, and a bottle of Bacardi Gold.

11:30 p.m. Kyle, Brad, and I decide to call it an evening and get ready for the upcoming day. So far the Orange Bowl has been an enjoyable experience. I'm looking forward to doing some real work tomorrow.