Swimming With the Shark Part 2

Part 2 of my conversation with Club Trillion co-founder and writer, Mark Titus. In case you missed yesterday’s first part, the link is here

Attic Fan: It must have been pretty cool as well for a sportswriter of Simmons' stature to want to talk to you on his podcast. He is probably one of the biggest influences in sportswriting today, and that is evident in columns that we wrote in August (I wrote a 10 Levels of Being Athlete column on August 25, and you had written a 10 Levels of Fame column on August 19th. Swear to God, I hadn't read your column up until that time. I actually thought you had stolen the idea from me until A) I realized that it looks like that I was the one who stole the idea and B) Even if the column you had written was written after me, there was a 0.0001% chance that you had ever seen/heard of my column. Anyway, we both saw his 13 Levels of Losing column).

To have one your biggest influences continually ask you on his podcast must be a pretty big deal, am I wrong? What has it been like to rub elbows with guys on ESPN, especially since it sounds like this was unimaginable at the beginning of your blog?

Mark Titus:Yeah it's definitely crazy to think about. I came to Ohio State to study math, go to med school, and not play basketball, and by the end of my four years, some people suggested that I was the most popular guy on our team even though we had the POY. I disagree that I was the most popular, but the fact that it was even suggested is pretty nuts. As things have progressed, I've kinda learned to just take things in stride because when I get too excited about stuff, I usually end up making a fool out of myself. By now, I'm pretty much used to everything, but when I take a step back and realize how I got to where I am, it's pretty unbelievable, especially considering that doing these kinds of things (national interviews, "rubbing elbows" with celebrities, etc) was never my intention when I started the blog.

AF:Going back to the whole "rubbing elbows" deal, what is it like to now (within the last week really) be writing college basketball columns for ESPN? Other than the insider cost I am too cheap to pay, your fans must be ecstatic with the news that are now writing for probably the most well-known sports media organization in the world. When did you know that you would be contributing to ESPN, and is this the way that you see the "Club Trillion" blog evolving in the future?

MT: It's obviously a lot different from writing my blog because I don't have the freedom I usually have, but the general idea of writing for ESPN is pretty awesome. They approached me this summer about contributing some stuff during the basketball season, and I agreed I'd do it, mostly because it's ESPN, but also because it gives me a chance to try something different. Most of the fans were pretty excited about it, because it's not just that I'm writing for ESPN - it's that a benchwarmer managed to turn a negative into a positive and ultimately ended up writing for the worldwide leader in sports. It's not so much a win for me as it is a win for benchwarmers in general, and that's probably the coolest part of it all. Just being an example that benchwarmers are usually the coolest guys on basketball teams is rewarding enough for me.
As for the future, I still plan to keep my blog going but I'm trying to make it more about the walk-ons around the country rather than about myself. There are tons of guys who have similar stories as me and I think it would be cool to give them a chance to tell some of their stories. I'll still write most of the material on the blog, but hopefully I can open it up a little bit and give fans some different perspectives.

AF: I like the idea of adding the other walk-ons to the site, because you are definitely going to get more perspectives. You could get guys who maybe are frustrated with their role as a walk-on, and give them a chance to air their grievances. You could also get guys who are maybe even legitimately contributing to their team's basketball success, the way Lee Melchione did for those mid-2000 Duke teams. That is probably the best way for your blog to go, since the core idea of Club Trillion should still stay relevant even as you are out of college. That is the perspective of the walk-on or the 13th man.

Switching gears here, I am offering you a rare opportunity. Here at the Attic Fan we, (meaning me) are hugh LOST fans. You are too. I want you to give your take on the series finale, something you have not gotten to do on your blog. Odds are, ESPN would not be too pumped about you giving your take on a series that ended 4 months ago. Where would you place LOST in the illustrious "Greatest TV Shows of All-Time" list. Did it annoy you the way it did myself, when people would ask you what LOST is about? Because I always sounded like a mentally insane person when I tried. "Uh, there's like time travel and a guy who is 500 years old who keeps coming in visions to a big fat guy. Also there is a now a magic river where humanity's goodness comes from".

MT: Yeah, I'd feel more comfortable explaining the electoral college to 7-year-olds than explaining LOST to anybody. Even though it's confusing as crap, I still think it's gotta be one of the top 5-10 dramas ever. The only reason I can't give it #1 is because it didn't answer enough questions for me. I'm all for leaving some questions unanswered and leaving the audience to interpret things, but they didn't tie up enough loose ends for me. Every time I think I've got a solution to what LOST was about, somebody brings up something that contradicts my theory. Oh, and the other reason I can't give it #1 is because Kate was labeled as the babe of the show, even though Juliet was clearly much more attractive. That's inexcusable.

AF: I kind of feel as if I re-watch the entire series, I would have a better understanding of what went on. But I do not have a the free time or brain cells available to watch all 6 season without committing some kind of confusion-caused homicide. I will freak out when I see the seasons that were committed to the Dharma Initiative, since in the end of the series, the Dharma Intiative serves no real purpose. I would probably end up throwing things at my TV. There is the Dharma Initiative, Walt, and the whole pregnant women subplot that would probably end up making me really angry, just because they are totally irrelevant to the story as a whole.

As far as Kate is concerned, what?! No matter how bad an actress Evangeline Lilly was, she at least had her looks. I like Juliet a lot, but I thought Kate had her beat pretty easily. I even thought Claire was in the running, until she went bats--t crazy in season 6 and began to look like a Rastafarian.

When you say LOST is in the 5-10 range for best drama, what do you think was the best drama? The best comedy? (Although I think I know the answer for best comedy).

MT: I'm sticking with my guns here. Juliet was smoking. Kate had her moments, but if I'm stuck on a deserted island that isn't quite as deserted as I originally thought and has some sort of weird magnetic properties, I'm making a play for Juliet.

As far as my favorite shows of all-time, I really think Jersey Shore might be both my favorite comedy and drama ever. But since most people don't consider it to be either of those, I'll have to go with something else I guess. The best comedy is definitely Seinfeld, not only because it was a huge commercial success, but also because it is easily the most rewatchable comedy series ever. That one's a no-brainer.

Drama, on the other hand, is tricky. I really don't watch a lot of dramas cause I enjoy laughing a lot more than trying to figure out why polar bears are on tropical islands or why all of the other doctors always think House is crazy when he diagnoses a disease, even though he's been right the last 243 times they have doubted him. With that being said, I think The Sopranos has to be considered the #1 drama, even though Mad Men and The Wire are making a strong case. Also, let the record show that I don't think VIP starring Pam Anderson gets the credit it deserves. I remember thinking that show was awesome when I was...just hitting puberty. Oh, well no wonder I loved it so much. Nevermind, forget I said anything.

AF: Seinfeld is one of the series that just really ages well for some reason, although all the plot lines probably could have been solved in a matter of minutes if they all had cell phones. People relate to it really well, but it is so exaggerated and over-the-top that it doesn't remind people of their dull lives too much, which is important. People want to see stuff they are familiar with but not too familiar with, if that makes any sense. It doesn't. I just got into Seinfeld pretty recently because they re-run it constantly, and me and one of my friends spend most of our English class talking and yelling like the Costanzas. It is still relevant today, and that is the only example I can provide.

As far as drama's go, it really is the case that you cannot have a successful network drama anymore. It just isn't possible because none of the major networks would ever take a chance on a show about an advertising agency, or a show about ghetto Baltimore. Instead, the public is stuck thinking that Glee is a great show (For my money, I have to take LOST just because I was so emotionally invested in it. And shows like The Sopranos and The Wire were just before my time. That is weird to say since they were early 2000's)

And VIP sounds great. Wikipedia's plot line for it was: Anderson stars as Vallery Irons, a woman who accidentally saves a celebrity and then is hired by a real bodyguard agency as a famous figurehead while the rest of the agency's professionals work to solve cases.

That sounds so ridiculous it looks great.

Moving towards another form of entertainment, you are working on a book about your career at Ohio State. How far along is that, and when should we see this in bookshelves? Will there be any shocking, Reggie Bush-esque revelations that you couldn't say on your blog in college because the NCAA would s--t a chicken?

MT: I wanted to put the book on hold for a little bit until I got a deal signed, so there hasn't been a lot written yet. However, I'm probably going to sign a contract within the next week or two, so I'll get to writing it relatively soon. I originally wanted it to come out this March, but my publisher wants to push it back a year and have it out next March. It's going to be awhile, I know, but that will hopefully give me a lot of time to put together the best book I possibly can. In other words, it will give me a lot of time to make sure I have all the juicy stories from my four years in the book. Rest assured, I won't leave out anything that's even remotely entertaining.

AF: Well, at least the book does sounds like it is going to come out eventually, which is always good. Do you have any final thoughts before we end this? Eastbound and Down? Greg Oden? Politics?

MT: Yes. I'm ready for these midterm elections to get over with. I can't even watch Oprah anymore without being bombarded with ridiculous political ads. Don't these people realize that it's her farewell season? She deserves better than this.

Swimming With the Shark

I have been reading for some time now this sports blog called Club Trillion. Co-founded and written by former Ohio State basketball player Mark “The Shark” Titus, Club Trillion chronicles the life that is a walk-on Division 1 player. I have been a huge fan of this guy, and cannot say enough nice things about him since he took a chance and decided to let me “interview” him. In case you haven’t noticed, I have about 35 fans (and growing!) so this is a huge deal. Imagine my surprise when I got a response back from an email I sent to him, inquiring about doing some kind of column. His response:

Let's do it. I've actually got a lot on my plate this weekend/upcoming week as I'm trying to finish up a bunch of freelance things I'm working on, but if you email me next weekend/Friday, we can make it happen.

-Mark

In the midst of a Yankee October collapse, this was a bright spot. A chance to talk with one of the biggest names in sports blogging today is an opportunity I couldn’t miss. In Part I, me and Mark talk about Jersey Shore, Evan Turner, and becoming a national celebrity. Yes, I thought of the title myself.

The Attic Fan: I am going to start off with a pretty big first question. Just from reading your column, I know you reference Jersey Shore a lot and are a pretty big fan, so I have to get your opinions on a few things:
1) Your thoughts on Thursday's season finale.

2) Where do you think the show goes from here.

3) How dominant you think JWOWW is going to be as a professional wrestler: JWOWW Wrestling Debut. I mean apparently she won her first match, but do you think she just takes the sport of professional wrestling by storm? You have been a huge pro wrestling fan your entire life, so do you think this is good or bad for the sport? Or did pro wrestling jump the shark 25 years ago, and the fact that a wrestling league named TNA has signed JWOWW (a 2nd-tier Jersey Shore character), does not really matter in the whole spectrum of civilized life?

Mark Titus: 1) The finale was a pretty fitting conclusion to the season in that it featured a Ronnie and Sammi fight as well as a fight among the other cast members that made no sense to me. I rarely ever had any idea what the cast was fighting about during the entire season and this episode was no different. Plus, the finale reinforced the fact that Pauly and Vinny went soft by falling in love all season. By the end of the finale, I was left confused and hating myself for watching the show, which is pretty much a standard reaction for me after every episode, so I thought it was perfect.

2) I really don't know where the show can go from here. If I were running the show, my first move would be to get rid of Ronnie and Sammi ASAP and throw as much money as I can at Angelina to get her to come back. Ron and Sam have always been annoying, but they were at least entertaining in the past. Now they are just annoying, so I'd get rid of them. Angelina makes the show infinitely more entertaining to me. She's the scum of the house, which is amplified when you consider that the people in the house are the scum of society. So this makes her quite possibly the most worthless human being on the planet. In other words, she might be the greatest reality show star ever.

3) No, this doesn't matter one bit in the spectrum of civilized life, but if you watch Jersey Shore and professional wrestling you can't really consider yourself a part of civilized life anyway. I actually think she might struggle in pro wrestling, because I can't see her ever cooperating and being willing to lose. She's more suited for MMA or something that will let her just beat the snot out of other girls. Ya know, something like a reality show on MTV.

AF: Yeah, I would have to agree with the Angelina comment. Once she left the house, it really seemed like the producers were reaching into their Big Bag O' Plot Lines, and had to start revisiting the whole Ron & Sam issue, which started to get old after episode one. I think she just burned way too many bridges when she left the house. The only thing I wished the producers had touched on in the finale is why The Situation's face started to look like a catcher's mitt. When that random girl called him an "Old Man", I was almost taken by surprise, since no other cast members (especially Angelina) ever touched on this. Sitch is a almost 30 years old and hanging with kids who should be in their senior year of college.

As far as next season is considered, I think Jersey Shore has just had its "Cousin Oliver" moment, since they decided to sign (or however they get these people) Snooki's best friend onto the show. I think the show just goes off the deep end next year. I am from Jersey and I have friends who have seen the castmates at clubs and around Seaside. It is insane. They are not only being hounded by MTV cameras, but also the "fans". There is no sense of reality with this show, since they are, as much as this pains me to say it, celebrities.

And I can easily see JWOWW give Brock Lesnar a run for his money. Okay, not really, but she would go five rounds.

Speaking of highly-talked about prospects who have fallen on their face as of late, how much joy are you getting out of the fact that Evan "The Villain" Turner is already being called a "bust" by some NBA insiders?

MT: The character version of me that's portrayed on my blog is obviously loving that The Villain might have to go through a benchwarming phase because he spent three years at Ohio State talking down to benchwarmers. But the real me thinks that the "bust" label is a little premature. The Villain has never been very good at adapting to change, which is why him and I got into scuffles in practice so often during his freshman year. He goes into new surroundings with a chip on his shoulder and it takes him awhile to settle in. My guess is that he'll struggle a little bit this year (kinda like his freshman year), will play much better next year and start to come into his own, and then will have a huge breakout year where he becomes the face of the 76ers in his third year. Then again, that might not happen at all. What do I know? I'm just basing this pattern solely on the fact that a similar thing happened with his three years at Ohio State.

AF: I like the use of saying you have a "character" version of yourself. Kind of makes you sound like a basketball playing Stephen Colbert.

I would have to agree with you when you talk about Turner's inability to change immediately. When you heard reports from the Vegas Summer League and the beginning of the NBA Preseason, they were filled with things like "Turner is a step slow" and "Turner is turning the ball over profusely". I am not sure about the first one, but he was turning the ball over too much, and that seems like he is having a little trouble adapting to the NBA. Just the other day, he had a double-double, so maybe things are beginning to change. It is hard for me to see a guy who almost averaged a triple double in college struggling this mightly in the pros.

I also think Philly is using him wrong. Wouldn't Turner's size and knack for rebounding the ball have him better suited for a small forward? Instead, Philly is using him as a backup shooting guard to Andre Iguodala. Jason Kapono (6 teams in 7 years, 5.5 40 speed) is playing small forward. It just doesn't make sense.

When you speak of yourself as a benchwarmer in college, did you ever think to yourself, "Man, I should be out there", because in your blog, it seemed like playing basketball wasn't of an enormous deal to you. One just has to watch the Mr. Rainmaker video to see that you have some shooting props. You were a great high school player. Did you ever feel angry that you weren't getting playing time? You were getting great writing material out of not playing, but did the basketball player in you ever wish that wasn't the case?

MT: The Villain definitely needs the ball in his hands and with a 24 second shot clock in the league, if he's not playing PG, he's going to have a tendency to force things when he does get his touches. SF is probably his natural position, but after last season when he played PG and ran the show, I really think he's got his heart set on sticking with that and trying to take what he did last year in college and make a similar thing happen in the NBA.

As for the playing time thing, starting my blog was my way of kinda saying that I gave up on the dream. I busted my balls for two years to become as good of a player as I possibly could, and once I realized that there just wasn't any way I was going to get playing time, I decided to completely change my approach and just try to have as much fun as possible with my last two years. Don't get me wrong, I still tried hard in practice and wanted to be good at basketball, but I realized that Coach Matta isn't fond of playing walk-ons so instead of beating myself up over not being good enough, I decided to have fun with it because I was doing something that tons of people wish they had the opportunity to do. Once I figured that out, I felt like I owed it to myself to just enjoy the experience as much as possible because it would be selfish of me to get upset when I'm on one of the best college basketball teams in the country.

AF:That probably is the best thing that you could have done in your position. When I was in 5th grade, nothing frustrated me more than playing for one minute on my travel team. I would come in, drain a shot from the top of the key, then walk back to the bench. I went 1000% in practice, but I never seemed to have any fun from it. In retrospect, I wish that your blog was around 6 years ago, so I would have had more fun and not think that not playing in a game against Montgomery Township in a smelly middle school gym was the end of the world. I would have learned to love basketball and all it throws at players.

Speaking of your blog, what was the moment when you knew that it was going to be a huge success? What was your big breakthrough moment, the moment(s) that got you attention on a national level?

MT: I never really cared how many people read my blog or how much attention it got by the media. When I started doing it, it was just a way for me to tell my family and friends what was going on with the basketball team. But after Bill Simmons emailed me to come on his podcast, I knew things were about to blow up.

It's funny looking back because I actually didn't get all that much local media attention before I went on Simmons podcast. I think one writer in Columbus just mentioned in his blog that I had started a blog of my own and other than that, there was nothing. But after I went on the podcast, I got all sorts of interview requests from all over the country. I went from having something like 250 page hits per day to something like 45,000 page hits per day for about two weeks after going on Simmons' podcast. That was unquestionably the moment that I knew that my blog was something special and unique for college basketball fans.

Come Back for Part II tomorrow, where me and Mark talk about the future of Club Trillion, LOST and who was hotter on it: Kate or Juliet, Seinfeld, his possible book deal, and why Oprah is being treated unfairly.

Preview From Tomorrow:

From: Mark Titus mailto:clubtrillion@gmail.com
To: Brendan OHare mailto:bohare7@yahoo.com
Sent: Sun, October 24, 2010 6:32:29 PM
Subject: Re: Possible Column
I'm sticking with my guns here. Juliet was smoking. Kate had her moments, but if I'm stuck on a deserted island that isn't quite as deserted as I originally thought and has some sort of weird magnetic properties, I'm making a play for Juliet.