News-Record.com

Hello, friends. I'm Tom Keller, your high school sports reporter for the News & Record. Welcome to The Locker Room, the newest addition to our blogosphere. (For those of you who don't know, "blog" is a Latin term that means "guy sitting in his underwear telling the world what he thinks.") This site will be my outlet to provide insight, answer questions and lead discussion on prep sports in the Triad. It's a cool complementary piece to our print edition, and you'll often see stuff we do here wind up in the actual paper.

To give you some idea of what has brought me to the News & Record, I granted an exclusive interview to the most talented, thought-provoking, tall, dark and handsome journalist I know – myself. Notice how I’m not afraid to ask the hard-hitting questions.

Tom, first of all, let me just say what an honor it is to be interviewing someone as accomplished as yourself. I mean, five-time recipient of both the Nobel Peace Prize AND People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive? Wow. Can you condense your background into 50 words or less?

Grew up outside Detroit, oldest of four. Attended Michigan State University. Covered the men's basketball team for the student newspaper. Interned with the News & Record two summers ago. After graduating in May, covered the Florida Marlins for MLB.com. My heart was still in Carolina. Thankfully, so was a job.

Did you play a sport in high school?

Only the big ones, like quiz bowl and debate. (Cut me some slack, I had a late puberty.) I do have eight years of Little League under my belt, and I regularly join the pick-up hoops crowd at Our Lady of Grace and the Bryan YMCA. I'm fortunate to have found a job that keeps me close to the games that have brought so much joy to my life.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever covered?

It was a lot of fun getting to follow Tom Izzo's program through the NCAA Tournament for two seasons. But the thing I'll be telling people about forever was covering the San Francisco Giants the night Barry Bonds hit his 760th home run. I can still smell the HGH.

If you were a Major League Baseball player, what would your at-bat song be?

Tough choice. I'd ask them to rotate it:

Bruce Springsteen - Murder Incorporated
The Living End - Carry Me Home
Kool & The Gang - Get Down On It
And anything by Hannah Montana

What’s your favorite meal?

Baby back ribs, a sweet potato and apple pie. I'm free for dinner, if you're offering.

What do you do when you're not winning Pulitzers?

I try to break a sweat every day, and I do some work at The Idiot Box comedy club downtown. I also polish my Pulitzers.

How can I tell you about something that's going on in my community?

Call me at (336) 373-7034. E-mail me at tom.keller@news-record.com. Comment at this blog. As much as I’d like to be everywhere at once (think how much I’d save on gas!), I will need your help to keep on top of the area’s most compelling stories.

Thanks for reading. Glad to have you on board.