February 2012
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Michigan Lacrosse's Transition to the Big Time
My story on University of Michigan’s new men’s varsity lacrosse team, which began its inaugural Division I season on Sunday, ran over the weekend in The New York Times.
December 2011
1 post
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In Drought-Stricken Southwest, A War Against an...
I spent some time out on ranches in West Texas earlier this fall, exploring the region’s fight against the tamarisk tree (seen above). My video report on this controversial battle for water resources is up now at Yale Environment 360.
August 2011
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On a recent trip to Hanoi, Vietnam’s coffee-mad capital, a friend advised me to try a cup of ca phe cut chon (above), which she somewhat cryptically referred to as “weasel coffee.” I followed her advice, then wrote about the experience for Smithsonian Magazine’s website…
July 2011
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WatchTour de France mechanics are just like the guys behind the counter at your local bike shop — only with more talent and less attitude. My video on Geoff Brown and his crew at Garmin-Cervélo was published earlier this week by The New York Times.
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How Tour de France riders stay safe in the saddle
The first week of this year’s Tour de France was filled with harrowing scenes of twig-thin riders splayed out on the pavement, bleeding from the head or clutching broken limbs. Or in the case of Johnny Hoogerland (above), extracting themselves from barbed wire.
My story on how riders stay safe in the saddle, despite the omnipresent threat of crashes, ran in The New York Times on Monday.
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Cycling's prima donnas add melodrama to Tour de...
Sprinters are professional cycling’s prima donnas – riders with egos as big as their bulging quadriceps. In a sport known for its soap opera headlines, these easily maligned riders have a special penchant for melodramatics, on and off the bike.
My story on sprinters — and the art of a sprint finish — ran today in The Christian Science Monitor. Just in time for Mark Cavendish (above) to take...
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American cycling team fights doping, one Tour de...
In the post-Lance Armstrong era, Garmin-Cervélo is emerging as a new sort of American champion — one that can win at cycling’s marquee event without the cloud of doping doubts that has hovered over everyone from seven-time Tour de France victor Armstrong to this year’s favorite, Spaniard Alberto Contador.
My story about Jonathan Vaughters and his Garmin squad ran in The Christian...
May 2011
1 post
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Aquaculture efforts offer hope for Louisiana's...
Among the most serious environmental consequences of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the damage done to Louisiana’s oyster beds, one of the world’s last thriving wild oyster fisheries. My video on how farming could help recovery and create a more sustainable oyster fishery in Louisiana — and other coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico — is up now at Yale Environment 360.
April 2011
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In Texas, tea party adds a twist of social values
Tea partiers in Texas and a growing number of states are infusing the fiscal movement with a dose of social conservatism. My story on this phenomenon — and the ensuing struggle between libertarians and Christian conservatives for control of the tea party — appeared yesterday in The Christian Science Monitor.
March 2011
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http://nyti.ms/fh1CiR →
“Up close and alcohol-fumed, a video on Texas microdistilling the Garrison Brothers way: local ingredients, antique machinery and a smooth finish.”
— The New York Times’ Glenn Collins on my Smithsonian video about making bourbon here in TX.
February 2011
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WatchA primer on distilling whiskey with Texas bourbon maker Dan Garrison. From my Smithsonian Magazine story on micro-distilleries in the Lone Star state.
January 2011
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Electric vehicle charging network grows in Austin
As the first substantial wave of electric vehicles hit Austin streets, the city’s electric utility is launching a $28 million federally backed initiative to build an infrastructure to support electric cars. The plan touches on everything from devising optimum in-home-charging practices to setting up charge points citywide. My story appeared today in The Christian Science Monitor.
November 2010
1 post
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What does China want with south Texas?
China and other countries have invested nearly $5 billion this year in south Texas drilling projects. My story on this phenomenon ran on the Christian Science Monitor’s website and in their weekly mag.
July 2010
10 posts
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2010 Tour de France Daily Coverage Archive
After three long weeks, the 2010 Tour de France is finally over. Here’s an archive of my daily work for the Christian Science Monitor that didn’t go up on this website during the race:
Contador’s Tour de France caps off banner summer of sports for Spain — July 25, 2010
Tour de France 2010 delivers drama — without the doping — July 26, 2010
Stage 19: Alberto Contador poised to...
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Tour de France’s yellow jersey out of reach,...
The Tour de France, which ends Sunday, offers $2.6 million in prizes. Beyond battling for the yellow jersey, racers can collect points (like in Super Mario Bros.) for smaller awards.
My story on the green, polka dot and white jerseys ran in The Christian Science Monitor today.
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How are Tour de France towns picked? Incognito,...
Jean-Louis Pagès (above), a former geography professor, spends nearly half the year on the road scouting future Tour de France towns. My story on his selection process appeared in today’s Christian Science Monitor.
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Why Tour de France fans will camp out for days to...
My story on the atmosphere, the racing and the unleashed donkeys atop the Col d’Aubisque appeared in The Christian Science Monitor today.
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How the Tour de France's yellow jersey came to be...
My story on the history of the maillot jaune appeared today in The Christian Science Monitor.
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WatchIt’s been a busy two weeks here at the Tour de France, but I found time to take my camera on a couple of team buses last week and put this video together for The Washington Post.
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Locals love Tour de France, even without a French...
If French soccer supporters were frustrated with their team’s performance at the most recent World Cup, one can only imagine what the country’s die-hard cycling fans think about their homegrown talent – or lack thereof – in the Tour de France. It’s been more than two decades since a Frenchman won the Tour.
My story on the plight of French cycling appeared in today’s Christian Science...
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Tour de France stars ride hard during the day,...
“In the not so distant past, the Tour de France starting line was a simple affair. Riders arrived each day in the backs of cars and changed into spandex suits at local high schools, behind trees or even in plain view of spectators.
Today’s scene is more like a rock concert than a bike race. Teams drive to the start in huge buses adorned with colorful designs and sponsor logos....
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Can Lance Armstrong keep his Teflon image?
As the Tour de France gets under way, defrocked 2006 winner Floyd Landis has put forward fresh, detailed doping allegations against Lance Armstrong. But Armstrong has become as famous for deflecting scandal as for leading the peloton. My story on Armstrong’s recent travails appeared in today’s Christian Science Monitor.
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WatchLast week at Roland Garros, I was on one of the smaller courts watching American John Isner battle Swiss Marco Chiudinelli when the rain came. The skies opened and the grounds crew rushed on the court to pull green tarps quickly over the red terre battue. When the storm subsided, the crew returned with large mesh drags and towels to smooth over the surface and get it ready for play.
I started...
June 2010
2 posts
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At French Open, maintaining clay courts is a...
My profile of Gerard Tiquet, the head groundskeeper at Roland Garros, ran in today’s Washington Post.
May 2010
5 posts
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WatchBallboy racing at the French Open. I lost $200 betting No. 2 to win, but I should’ve known that he’s faster on grass…
This week I’m here at Roland Garros for the Washington Post. Was up early to shoot some video to accompany an upcoming story, then stuck around Court Philippe Chatrier for the beginning of Serena Williams’ third round match. That’s when the...
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Venus Williams breezes into third round of French...
“Venus Williams was all smiles Wednesday, fielding more post-match queries about her off-court action — a recent interview with President Clinton for her upcoming book, how she designs her eye-popping tennis dresses — than her clay-court skills.”
An excerpt from my French Open notebook, filed today for The Washington Post.
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WatchMy video primer on jeu de paume, shot in April for Smithsonian Magazine. (All was filmed at the Société Sportive de Jeu de Paume in Paris with the help of pro Rod McNaughtan and French amateur champ Mathieu Sarlangue.)
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(In the catwalks above the jeu de paume court at Château de Fontainebleau, April 2010.)
Is this a tennis court? Yes, but it’s not the tennis you’re thinking of. At all. Head over to Smithsonian Magazine to check out more photos and my article about jeu de paume, the ancestor of modern lawn tennis.
Jeu de Paume: Holding Court in Paris — Smithsonian Magazine
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March 2010
3 posts
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Bowling increases diversity at historically black...
Women’s collegiate bowling is helping to change what some historically black institutions in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference look like. As the conference’s best teams have cemented themselves in the national rankings, they’ve attracted many non-black bowlers and furthered diversity on campus. My story on how this phenomenon developed ran in today’s Washington Post.
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Millar bounces back at Paris-Nice
After a rough race in Portugal, Garmin-Transitions’ David Millar had a nice start to Paris-Nice in yesterday’s prologue. My story appeared today in Cycling News.
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Lars Boom nabs Paris-Nice prologue; Steegmans...
I was in Montfort L’Amaury today for the prologue of Paris-Nice. Rabobank’s Lars Boom put up a great performance in the windy conditions. My recap appeared in Cycling News today.
Also at the prologue: Radioshack’s Gert Steegmans crashed out.
December 2009
1 post
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2009 Washington Post Breaking News Archive
A collection of the breaking news stories I wrote for The Washington Post in 2009 that haven’t been previously posted:
Speedster Smith Enjoys a Breakout, Breakaway Game — September 12, 2009
Defending Champion Terps Blanked by UCLA in Season Opener — September 5, 2009
Contador makes it victory twice over — July 27, 2009
Final Stages of the Tour de France: A Chat — July 24, 2009
...
November 2009
1 post
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GW finds squash to be quite the racket
My story on how George Washington University is using squash to emboss their public image appeared during the fall of 2009 in The Washington Post.
October 2009
2 posts
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Fear these Turtles: Maryland field hockey has won...
In the fall of 2009, I spent some time with Maryland field hockey coach Missy Meharg and her national championship-winning squad. My story on their success — and relative anonymity on campus — ran in The Washington Post.
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Heavy Lifting: A profile of Notre Dame goalie...
The headline pretty much says it all. My October 2009 profile of Notre Dame senior lacrosse goalie Scott Rodgers appeared in Inside Lacrosse magazine.
September 2009
1 post
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Is Ted King The Next Big American Cyclist?
In the summer of 2009, I had the honor of spending a week with American cyclist (and my college friend) Ted King as he raced in the week-long Tour of Austria. Out of our experiences came this profile story for Middlebury Magazine’s Fall 2009 issue.
July 2009
2 posts
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In Tour de France, Individual Success is Product...
During the 2009 Tour de France, I spent a few days behind-the-scenes with Cervélo TestTeam. My story on their team chemistry appeared in The Washington Post.
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May 2009
2 posts
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March 2008
1 post
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ABC News' Bob Woodruff talks lacrosse
(My Q&A with ABC News’ Bob Woodruff about his lacrosse playing days at Colgate. Reprinted from InsideLacrosse.com)
You probably know that Bob Woodruff is one of the country’s premier journalists and that he made a miraculous recovery after suffering a traumatic brain injury while reporting from Iraq in 2006, but did you know that he was a lacrosse star at Colgate?
Woodruff, a 1983...
February 2008
1 post
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June 2007
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PBS Newshour Archive
Here’s an archive of selected works I completed while writing for PBS Newshour’s website in 2007:
Early Media Coverage Focuses on Horse Race — June 12, 2007
Uninsured in America: San Francisco Prepares All-Access Health Plan — April 6, 2007
Oil and Politics in Nigeria: Religious Demography and Diversity — April 5, 2007
Oil Remains Controversial Key to Rebuilding Iraq — March 19,...