While everyone else was popping champagne, I was doing the work. You’re welcome.
Look, I get it. New Year’s Eve is supposed to be about parties and countdowns and kissing someone at midnight. That’s fine for regular people. But some of us have a job to do. Some of us take bowl games on New Year’s seriously. So while you were out there clinking glasses with your friends, I was at Newswax headquarters, alone, watching four games simultaneously on a laptop. That’s called dedication.
Here’s the thing: when I was playing, we didn’t take nights off. Not even holidays. I remember New Year’s Eve 2005—we had a playoff game January 2nd, and you know what I did? I stayed home. I watched film. I visualized. I was All-Conference Honorable Mention that year, by the way, so clearly the approach worked.
Bowl Games New Year’s Eve Means Commitment
You want to know what’s wrong with sports today? Nobody wants to grind anymore. I see these athletes at parties, posting on social media, living it up on New Year’s Eve like they don’t have games coming up. Meanwhile, I’m at headquarters—the actual Newswax office, where I work in person—taking notes, analyzing matchups, doing the job.
Was I invited to any parties? That’s not the point. The point is I chose to be here. I made a decision. I prioritized. My buddy Kyle had a thing, but I told him I had to work. He said “it’s New Year’s Eve, man.” I said “exactly.”
He didn’t get it. Most people don’t.
Midnight At Headquarters
At 11:58 PM, I paused the Sugar Bowl, walked to the main room, and watched the ball drop on my phone. The insurance office next door was dark. The nail salon was closed. It was just me, the hum of the fluorescent lights, and the faint smell of Pine-Sol that never quite goes away from my office. Some people might call that lonely.
I call it peaceful.
I called my mom at 12:01. She asked if I was “still at that storage room.” It’s not a storage room, Mom. It’s a private office. It has a door. I have a plaque on the wall. I told her I was working and she said “okay, honey” in that voice she uses.
The View From Here
By 2 AM, I’d watched three full games and taken eleven pages of notes. I ate leftover wings from a takeout container. I looked at my All-Conference Honorable Mention plaque and thought about how far I’ve come. From the field to the press—well, to sports commentary. From playing the game to covering it. Not everyone can say that.
I drove home at 2:30. The streets were empty. Everyone else was asleep or drunk or with someone. I was sober, focused, and ready to file my analysis first thing in the morning.
That’s the difference between me and these modern athletes. They’re at clubs. I’m at headquarters.
Some of us still have the work ethic.
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