The REAL Pros of the CCG

Ever wonder what it's like to cover a PGA golf tournament? Me neither, but you gotta check out the calvacade of images my co-worker Chris Weaver brought back from his first trip to the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro. Rather than focus solely on the overdressed out-of-towners, Weaver turned the lens on his fellow camera-schlubs working the circuit. In doing so, he captured the real pros of the C.C.G. For example...

TIMMM-EEEEE! Meet T. Wayne Hawks, a man who could easily be called the patron saint of Piedmont TV sports coverage. Be it a Nascar race, a Final Four game or a Superbowl, you'll find Timmy on the sidelines, peering through his baby and capturing all the action with exactitude and flair. Not only is he the most experienced and gifted sports shooter I know, but Timmy also possesses one of the sunniest dispositions I've ever encountered. Over the years I've tried to emulate this man's bright outlook on life, but my curmudgeonly tendencies always get in the way. So while I may never unearth the cosmic wonders that keep this cat so happy, I really respect his attitude, as well as his camera acumen. Others do too - of all the people I'm asked about while cruising around in a marked news car, Timy Hawks is at the top of the list.

Yo Wrenn-Dawg! Kevin? Yoo-Hoo! Okay, we'll let this seasoned pro finish his edit. While he has a few choice words with an ornery laptop, I'll tell you what I now about this wiry Siler City native. He is the ultimate sports fan, a fierce competitor who's attended every kind of athletic event there is. Twice. Like all sports shooters, Wrenn takes his craft just as seriously as those on the the field - if not more so. All of this makes Wrenn pound-for-pound the strongest shooter I know. He also knows his news, feeling just as at home at a drive-by shooting as he deos on the sidelines of an NFL grudge match. A few years ago, Kevin and I huddled together at the foot a windlashed fishing pier and giggled like school girls as Hurricane Isabel did her best to drive an entire sand dune up our collective nostrils. Good times...

But of course life behind the camera isn't all fun and games. There's also an awful lot of hurrying up and waiting. Here, Chris Weaver demonstrates the proper press room ettiquette, wolfing down a free lunch and dissing the freebies with the competition. Though I wasn't present, I'm fairly certain there was a good amount of idle gossip and half-true war stories being bandied about over the picnic table. In fact, it was just these types of impromptu gatherings that first inspired me to start writing a few of my favorite tall tales down, for nothing is more interesting than chewing the fat with a bunch of battle-hardened lenslingers who've been there and back - even if half the stories are steeped in lies and embellishment. But enough of my babbling, head over to TVPhotogBlog for the real deal...