BobHarris.com - Thanks, ESPN International

Books! Actual books!

"A rollicking ride of intellectual discovery and emotional growth... his comic timing never fails"

-- The Wall Street Journal

"Pulls you in like a good sports story"

-- The New York Times Book Review

"Endearingly frank... jubilant... lighthearted and fast-paced"

-- New York Newsday

"A surprisingly touching memoir"

-- Entertainment Weekly

"Snappy and informative"

-- Associated Press

"Effortlessly funny and informative... tender, human, and very wise... A must for anyone who loves Jeopardy!, or has ever seen it, or is breathing."

-- Joss Whedon, creator, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

"I haven't seen Jeopardy! since I was a kid, and yet I was charmed and amused by Bob Harris's fascinating and surprisingly suspenseful book. Through sheer force of personality, he takes this brainy TV show and makes it funny and easy to relate to."

-- Ira Glass, creator and host, This American Life

"A surprisingly intimate, entertaining book."

-- Orson Scott Card, 4-time Hugo Award winner, author of Ender's Game

"Funny, enlightening -- and just might help you win a million bucks on Jeopardy!"

-- A. J. Jacobs, author of The Know-It-All

"A masterful job of describing the feel of Jeopardy! in the heat of battle... I knew Bob was a great guy and a fantastic Jeopardy! player. Now I've found that he's also a wonderful writer. I think I'm starting to hate him."

-- Brad Rutter, top money-winner in Jeopardy! history

Books I'm Getting

Who Hates Whom:
Well-Armed Fanatics, Intractable Conflicts,
and Various Things Blowing Up —
A Woefully Incomplete Guide™

“Revelatory... Harris's sly wit and infectious curiosity make understanding world chaos fascinating... witty, horrific, and necessary.”

— Boston Globe

"Brave... irreverent... charges into the thick of the globe's myriad simmering wars... hilariously relaxed."

— New York Observer

"Only Bob could make a user’s guide to our increasingly hostile world this absorbing, this breezy, and—ultimately—this hopeful.”

— Ken Jennings, author of Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs

“Fascinating, enlightening, and surprisingly: NOT TOTALLY DEPRESSING. A gimlet-eyed look at the world we endure that’s also suitable for enjoying with a gimlet.”

— John Hodgman, author of The Areas of My Expertise
and correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

"All three [presidential] candidates should read all three of these [recommended] books, but McCain gets first crack at Bob Harris's "Who Hates Whom“... a lighthearted overview of the insurrections and civil wars in the world today."

— Steven Pinker, author of The Stuff of Thought, in the New York Times Book Review

Main

Riverbend

Thanks, ESPN International

Tag it now -

Tuesday, 17 July 2007

Some of you may recall that I spent the months of March and April bopping around the Caribbean, following the Cricket World Cup toward its inevitable conclusion with an Australian victory.

About a week after I arrived, I wound up sharing a flight between St. Vincent and Antigua with a couple of guys covering the tournament for ESPN International. Long story short, they were amused by the presence of an enthusiastic American cricket fan, so they more or less adopted me. The routine thereafter, basically: cricket, then drinks after work. Repeat.

By the time the tournament reached Grenada, I had been appointed as their "sound guy," suddenly finding myself admitted to the press box and practice facilities simply for carrying a fuzzy boom mic around and saying something useful at a rate of perhaps twice per day.

The Grenada Tourist Board even put on a free shipboard welcome dinner with a cash bar.
Somehow for these valiant men of international media, no event was too small to cover.

This was a total gas. I mostly used the opportunity to watch the finest cricket batsmen in the world from absurdly close range, deluding myself with the idea that I was picking up a few pointers.

Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting practicing in 95 degree heat and humidity for hours the day before the semi-final

Too often, friendships struck up while traveling can end with promises to get together that never really materialize, but that won't be the case here. Last week, while I was on the east coast, they invited me up to the ESPN corporate mothership for a behind-the-scenes visit.

Bristol, Connecticut, the most glamorous spot in the entertainment world

ESPN International turns out to have the coolest offices I may have ever set foot in: rugby and footy and cricket practically hang in the air, office mates babble a Babel of tongues making calls to sources all over the world, and the energy of impending deadlines gives the room an urgency not unlike the competitions they cover.

The folks couldn't have been nicer. After accepting a nice cup of Earl Grey from the anchorwoman who hosts ESPN Soccernet, I mostly wound up spending the day watching my buddies Trav and Dave rush together copy and then hanging out in the control room as they blasted through tapings of Sportscenter for Australia and around the world. Then we went out drinking. I believe the cricket vibe may last a good long while.

So, as long as I'm thanking the known universe for being super-friendly for last few months: thanks, ESPN International.