Okay I kind of exaggerated in the headline, so sue me (please don’t), but I did get the great opportunity to cover two days of a pre-ESPYS event hosted by ESPN The Magazine at the W Hotel in Hollywood. I was there representing two sports sites I write for (YouBeenBlinded.com & TwoMiddlesUp.com) and got to meet and interview some great stars and sports figures like Ray Allen, Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd, Tyson Chandler, Michael Wilbon and many more. You can watch a few of my interviews below, and check the rest out here, here, here and here.

The 3-day event mostly consisted of stars being given a ton of free stuff by everyone from HP and Xbox to Skull Candy and expensive suits, all the while being escorted through the gifting suites by beautiful women and catered to with delicious free food and drinks.

Ah, the life of a celebrity must be sweet. Since I was only covering the event and I’m not famous, I was relegated to observing it all, which wasn’t the least bit bad. I got to shake hands with and talk sports with several people I admire and the atmosphere was a joy.

You never quite realize how big some athletes are until you see them in person (Dirk Nowitzki looked like a giant, as did Tyson Chandler) and how small some others are (I’m looking at you Danica Patrick and Justin Bieber).

It was also refreshing to get positive vibes from big names like Erin Andrews and Jason Kidd, who were both gracious in their interactions with me. It wasn’t quite as fun to get brushed off by others, but there’s no hard feelings, it’s all part of the game we take part in.

Much like Beadle in this photo, I had my fingers crossed I'd get to meet her.

The whole experience was a great one, but the highlight had to be finally getting to meet ESPN’s Michelle Beadle, who is most well known for being one of the hosts of SportsNation. Her down to earth personality, sports knowledge and blunt honesty are big reasons why she’s so popular and it was great to see that she’s even more fun in person. I ran into her in the hallway of the gifting suite and when I finally got past my nerves and had the courage to say “Beadle!” she was nice as can be. She was hanging out with fellow sports reporter hottie Hannah Storm and took a picture with me, all while jokingly poking fun at my nervousness. In other words, it was awesome and exactly what you’d expect from Beadle.

When it was all said and done, it was a priceless experience for a young journalist and sports fan like me, giving me another cool chapter to add to my “Cherch Life.”

-Will.