FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Hello Fannation.

Hopefully you've all seen the recently-released Fannation Rankings compiled by NMI.  If not, they're located here:

http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/206456

As a group, NMI wants to make FN as much fun and as fair as possible for everybody.  But many users may not know much about who we are. That's why we're introducing Meet the NMI Members.  These interviews will introduce you to some great people who are very good at what they do on FN.

Here's Volume I:  http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/207577

In this volume we will be finding out more about one of the original members of NMI, Porkins

What made you want to join NMI?
I didn't even know what NMI before I joined. I was pretty new to the site, and I noticed some things that seemed unfair. There were some other users who had similar opinions.  One of them was rstowe. Before too long, he asked if I wanted to apply to NMI. I did and got in early on.

What do you like best about FN?
Well, Ghost offered me $10 to say him. But I'm going with Throwdowns. I love to talk sports and make good arguments. Debating is a lot of fun and can help keep your mind sharp.

What do you like least about FN?
Probably the way a lot of people vote. Those of us who throw down put a lot of work into it, and it's tough when someone votes without waiting to hear what you have to say.

Any members of Fannation help get you where you are today?
I definitely owe a lot to rstowe. He and I were like-minded about a lot of issues, and he pointed me to NMI. Since then, the site's been a blast. NCshvDavid has been a great resource too- dude knows a lot about the site and about to have fun using it. And of course, there are the yins to my yang - guys like Frank P. who have been great entertainment. I'm pretty sarcastic and love to rip on people in good fun- so thanks to everybody who has given me good material over the months.

What drew you to join FanNation?
I was bored and tired of playing computer solitaire. I stumbled across the Throwdown page after surfing CNN. I love to debate - I was hooked. Then I met guys like Ram and wanted to leave. But I stuck it out.

What do you (plan to) do for a living?
Social science research. It can be fun, but it can also be dull. The way my schedule works leaves me enough time for FN -Thankfully.

What are your goals in life?
If I had goals, I'd be out achieving them, not here on FN. But I guess I'd love to find a career that I'm really excited about. Failing that, I'll just continue to ignore my duties and TD instead.

If you could go to one sporting event before you die, what would that be and why?
Easy. OSU-Michigan at the Shoe. Preferably in a year when it decides the Big Ten title and possibly a national championship spot.

When did you first become a sports fan and what drew you in?
I was a sports fan as young as age 3 going to Reds and Bengals games in Cincinnati. At that time, the Reds were still enjoying the reputation built by the Big Red Machine, and no one who lived in the area could avoid the excitement over baseball. My father loved football, and the NFL is easy to get into. Then came soccer when I was old enough to play. Hockey, basketball, golf and other sports followed.

As I got older and we moved around a lot, I found that sports were a great way of holding onto something. I had adjust to new places, but fandom never changes. I rooted on teams in most of the places I lived such as the Boston Teams.

What was/is your favorite subject in school and why?
Lunch.

Ok...I liked History, but since I went into Psychology I'd better choose that one. Psych teaches you some extremely useful skills. It encourages you to be insightful and think analytically. It also teaches you a lot about why people are so damn crazy.

Who is your greatest sports idol?
I never had idols. But my favorites were Anthony Munoz and Johnny Bench. Then Griffey Junior much later (he went to my school system's rival high school in Cincinnati). I also loved Pete Rose and Dave Concepcion. But Munoz was the greatest lineman ever, and Bench was quite possibly the greatest catcher. I'll never forget the way those guys played.

   

Who is your greatest non-sports idol?
I'm not big into celebrity-worship. I think a lot of people have done a lot of amazing things though.

What was the first live sporting event you attended?
Either a Reds game or a Bengals game I guess. I've been to so a lot of stadiums and can't remember for sure.

What is your fondest sports memory?
Riverfront Stadium as a kid and Fenway Park years later were tons of fun. But the single coolest event was going to the NCAA Tournament. In 2002, I was at Rupp Arena in Lexington Kentucky watching Kent State upset Pitt and Indiana upset Duke. The atmosphere was ridiculous. If you ever get to go to the tourney, do it.

What do you do in your free time away from FanNation?
Are you implying that I have a life? I like to spend time with my wife and our puppy, go out to dinner, landscape, read, fish, ski, kayak, and yell at the TV.

What are your favorite teams and why?
Reds and Bengals- I was born in Cincy. I also love the Browns and Steelers because I grew up on (what was then) the AFC Central. Ohio State of course. Also the Red Sox and Pats because I lived in various parts of New England for almost 20 years, starting when both teams still sucked so don't accuse me of being bandwagon.

 

What would you like people to know about NMI?
NMI is not a bunch of arrogant smartasses trying to keep people out or control anything. We're just folks who like things to be done fairly and with real effort. We don't want anybody to feel intimidated or think that we vote as a group or anything.

What has FN taught you?
That there are a lot of great fans with a lot to say. And that if you give some of them a chance to say it, they never stop talking.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be and why.
I'd be 6'2", 220 with great quickness so I could play safety in the NFL. Or be a power-hitting left fielder. Short of that I've always envied people who have one driving interest. I like a lot of different things, but I think it would be neat to have one focus, especially work-wise.

What is your biggest regret?
I got into law school, but didn't go because I couldn't afford more grad school. I think if I had to do it all over again, I'd study something different.

If you could have done one thing differently in your time on FanNation, what would it be?
More blogs. I'm trying to get into blogging, but I wish I had started off sooner and had a more regular column.

Favorite movie, band, food?
Movie: The Star Wars series. The old ones. I was born in the 70s and was a kid when Episodes IV, V, and VI came out. In fact, The Empire Strikes Back was one of the first movies I ever saw in a theater. Nothing will ever overcome that childhood favorite.

So there you go....that's Porkins.  Hope you enjoyed learning about him and look forward to meeting the other NMI members in the coming weeks.