Everyday Champ1on: Nick Lilja
Nick Lilja is an experienced columnist at The Daily Barometer. In the newspaper he continually excels at writing. Outside of the newspaper he balances his time between classes, and his job, and his other job, and his other job. He took time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions about life in and out of the newspaper.
So you are an everyday champ1on, how does it feel?
Great, but I’ve noticed that the everyday champion answers are always so corny. These athletes say things nobody has said since 1950. I’ve never once heard anyone, let alone, Brandon Powers used the word “instill” in a sentence. Sometimes I just wish that someone would answer the questions normally and with a sense of humor.
What is it like being the “senior” on staff?
My mama always said life is like a train wreck on the side of a highway. If you slow down to watch you’re going to get hit.
What?
What that means is if I slow down and acknowledge that question; I’m going to get hit. Probably by someone on the staff, like Adam Loghides. But that’s because he’s a Bears fan and I’m a Packers fan. There is a lot of bad blood and dark secrets behind the scenes. Sean McLean is a narcoleptic and Jenna Santelli is a Russian spy. Sami Redmond once choked out Casey Grogan during a game of “Sports Scene it” in the office. He didn’t press charges, though.
Anyway. You were a two sport athlete in college before transferring here, why didn’t you continue athletics?
I was too good. I had my own Rickey Henderson moment after a race in Oconomowoc, WI. I was handed a microphone after a race and said, “Today, I’m the greatest, of all time.” After that I quit. At UW-Parkside I was beating everyone by a full minute – in the 800m. I was ready to quit. I’m a quitter. It’s what I excel at. Quitting and pissing people off.
Speaking of that, who do you hate on campus the most these days?
The Webb twins on the men’s soccer team.
Any reason?
I don’t think they read the paper so I can get away with it. That and they are far too good-looking to be playing a Division I sport. They belong in a magazine not a soccer field. That and I can’t tell them apart. Can you? Can anyone? I swear the men’s soccer team’s game plan should be to just run those two at the opposition until they go cross-eyed. I should be the soccer coach.
What I one outstanding memory from your career here at OSU?
Watching Mike Hass. Not on the field, but around campus. That guy had more chicks following him around than Mother Goose. Then he had his own song. This town was Mike Hass’d out for about nine months. That guy was the God of Corvallis. Then he got drafted.
If you could go back and change one column, what would it be?
None. I’m perfect. I never make mistakes. Actually, that’s not true. I wrote one column that was a God-awful excuse for being a journalist. I couldn’t have been more wrong. “That’s tough” was a column I wrote about Joey Wong and his amazing ability on the baseball diamond. I was kissing the ground he walked on and still understated his awesomeness by a factor of a bazillion.
If you could switch spots with any student athlete at the school, who would it be?
I’ve always wanted to be able to dunk. So it would have to be Mercedes Fox-Griffin. I’ve seen her dunk. Twice. Mercedes was dunking on hoops when Lisa Leslie was still only dreaming about basketball.
What will you remember most about your time at OSU?
The rollercoaster ride that is the OSU cheerleading team. Are they cheerleaders? Are they a spirit squad? Are they worth watching? I give the cheerleaders a lot of guff, but I love ‘em. And not because the girls are attractive but because they just want the fans so cheer so damn bad. I respect that and really, I want the same thing. Because most of the time, our fans suck. Sometimes I think I was a cheerleader in a past life. God, Charley McGowan is going to love that.
What is it like to be recognized as a small town celebrity?
That’s an oxy-moron. People call me the Student Media Icon for the same reason. To be a small town student media celebrity is like being a homeless guy on the main drag in New York City, sure people can recognize you, but most of them think you are a pile of crap.
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