I first met my best friend Shannon on a blind date set up by her mother and my aunt when I moved to Spokane at age 12. I was a grumpy tomboy, outfitted in a uniform of multicolored Saucony sneakers, basketball shorts, and oversized shirts. She, on the other hand, was clad in Abercrombie and had a comfortability and confidence with herself that I had never seen in a pre-teen girl. We were destined to be friends, although you wouldn't know it from that first frappucino-meeting in Starbucks, which we should write and pitch to SNL. We had nothing in common, and the weeks that followed proved further hilarity as our mothers forced us to become closer, whether it be at school lunches when Shannon begrudgingly invited me to her table, or when she came to my house after school to swim.
Even then, as we slowly developed a friendship that will last forevahhh, she was a sports fan. I was the tomboy, but she was the one who could spit out the stats of the Gonzaga basketball team, and knew more coaching tactics and strategy about football then any boy in our middle school or their fathers for that matter. And to my male-dominated sports family who worships baseball above all else (advice from my father was always baseball-related, like 'the game is 90% mental' -- I mean, I am a Brett), Shannon was a welcome addition to the family. My uncles and I have always said that she had the spunk, the looks, and the knowledge to have her own show on ESPN. Hell -- who wouldn't watch that?
10+ years later, Shannon is still chasing sports and giving insights like a domino. Her blog, Now Break it Down for Me, teaches girls how to watch and enjoy sports -- and her latest post features an interview with my uncle George covering the World Series (read it here). Why am I writing this? I just wanted to give Shanny a shout out for being awesome and a shout out to her mom and my aunt for setting us up -- thanks a million. And if anyone from ESPN is reading this by some miracle, give the girl a show already!
