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And not to be forgotten, the 2001 Army-Navy game, just three months after 9/11. I had the opportunity to interview President George W. Bush, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf and Heisman winner Glenn Davis all in one day. It was inexplicably emotional. What a thrill and an honor.

What are your three favorite cities to watch a game? – Mark Mitchell
Ooh. Tough one, Mark. I’d have to say for the NFL (even though standing on the sidelines during a January game is BRUTAL!!), Green Bay is one of my top choices. Amazing, loyal fans who live and die by the success of their Packers. Plus, so much history has taken place on the "frozen tundra of Lambeau Field", it’s tough not to feel nostalgic when you’re there.

Final Four city? San Antonio. Cool, fun town…great atmosphere…everything’s centrally located…good food! So psyched we’re back there in 2004!

Ballpark? Wrigley. I love so much of the history of the place… how, back in the day (before high-rises) they would raise the "W" or "L" flag so all the folks around town knew if the Cubs won or lost. I love how it’s right in the middle of the neighborhood… how, if you sit out on your porch, you can hear the fans go crazy when Sammy hits one out, almost as if you’re in the stands. It’s just a really neat place to watch a game.

A couple of regrets… that I never got to see the Celtics play at the Boston Garden, or the Bulls at Chicago Stadium.

One of the articles I read said you like to play golf. How’s your game? –Art Shiral, Kent, WA
Well, let’s just say I’m… OK. How’s that for ambiguous, Art?!! Seriously, I love to play and shoot in the low 100’s. Unfortunately, many of my rounds are scrambles in charity tournaments, so I haven’t really gotten a grip on my true handicap. I’ve found, though, that golf is not only a wonderful way to spend time with friends, but an amazing networking tool that has allowed me to get to know coaches and players in an informal, relaxed setting.

When you’re not busy reporting, what do you like doing with your free time? –Sean Opalenik, Cleveland, OH
Once the NFL and college hoops are over, I really like to get caught up with what’s going on in the rest of the world. Sometimes I get so consumed keeping up-to-date with those sports during their respective seasons, I fall more out of touch than I’d like with current events. So, I love being able to spend a few hours delving into the New York Times, getting in a great workout, and catching up with friends and family. Golf is a fun hobby, and there are always plenty of renovation projects for my home!

Is radio more challenging than television? –Rob Layton
I would have to say, when it comes to sideline reporting, Rob, yes. I have found that reporters play a much larger role in radio broadcasts than in TV and interact more frequently with the announcers up in the booth…so you always have to be on your toes. For example, I work Monday Night Football games several times a year with Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason, and I never know when Boomer’s going to ask me something out of the blue! So while I’m trying to keep an eye on things down on the field and pitching story ideas to the producer, I also have to listen very closely to our broadcast, so I can react to what the guys are saying.

Were you a "tomboy" growing up? –Sam Brian, Smithers, WV
Totally, Sam!! If the boys on the block were playing kickball, I was always right there (and believe it or not, when we were choosing sides, I wasn’t always the last one picked because I was the girl!) I’ve loved sports for as long as I can remember, in large part, because both of my parents are avid sports fans and encouraged and supported my involvement with athletics. I played soccer when I was little, started dance and acrobatics when I was 4, then gymnastics at age 7. In high school, I got involved with track and field, running hurdles and the 4x400 relay and throwing javelin and shot put (I know, me… throwing shot put… good visual, right?) So along with my passion for writing, you can see how my love for sports made the pursuit of my career a no-brainer!

What was your best event as a gymnast? How tall are you? – Larry H.
Well, I’m 5’4" (yep, kinda tall for a gymnast, but we’re not all tiny). My best event, Larry, really depends on when you’re talking about. In club gymnastics as a kid, I would have to say uneven bars. But as my dance evolved during my college years, and we had more freedom to choose music and style of choreography, I gravitated more toward floor exercise. My senior year, for example, I used a mix of Madonna’s "Vogue" for my music and it was a blast.

I wondered whether being a television reporter for sports is what you always wanted to do when you were growing up? –Peter Jones, England
I have to say, Peter, I’m pretty lucky in that I’ve known what I’ve wanted to do since I was in third grade or so. I realized early on I could never sit still long enough to hold down a 9-to-5 desk job, and since I loved writing and sports… voila! Put ‘em together and get paid! Initially, I must admit, I set my sights on writing for Sports Illustrated or one of the top-notch sports publications… but when several journalism students at the University of Maryland kept lauding the broadcast professors, I figured I’d check it out. And, there, you have, as Paul Harvey says, "… the rest of the story."

I read in Raider Fan Magazine that you like playing piano in your downtime. What kind of music do you listen to? –Keith Pangilinan, Bakersfield, CA
My musical tastes really run the gamut, Keith. I have classical training on piano, but listen to everything... top 40, classical, jazz, broadway showtunes... you name it! Billy Joel and Elton John are two of my favorites because the piano has always been an integral component of their artistry. And as far as classical, Mozart is number one!

What does it feel like to be on the sideline of an NFL game? –Brian Pehl, Fredericksburg, TX
There's really no way to describe how exciting it is, Brian. The game is so unbelievably fast when you're watching it close-up... and for as big as some of those guys seem on TV... imagine what they look like when they're flying out of bounds at you!! Plus, I see so much in the bench area-- interaction between players and coaches, moments of elation and exasperation that never make air-- I kind of feel like the ultimate insider. Many have asked if I have aspirations of doing play-by-play, and I always say I don't, in part, because I'm not willing to give up the amazing vantage point I have!

What's been the toughest working conditions you've had to endure while covering a game? –Ken Ortiz, Daly City, CA
Without question, it was the Raiders-Seahawks game on December 16, 2000. It rained sooooo hard that day, I think Husky Stadium (the Hawks played their home games there while the new stadium was being built) was under water before we ever even kicked-off. So there I was, with my cute hat and my little umbrella, thinking I was gonna be dry as the desert in August, no matter how much it poured. Ken, within five minutes, I had busted two umbrellas and quickly realized aesthetics were being thrown to the wind-- literally. SHEETS of rain, 40 mile per hour wind gusts... it was crazy! At halftime, I went to the restroom, took off my hat, and a gallon of water had to dump off of the rim. Lemme tell you... After that day, I don't think there's anything Mom Nature can throw at me that I can't handle!

Do you have a favorite NFL team? –Michael Hedrick, Springfield, MO
Well, that's a tough one, Michael. Being from New Jersey, my family always pulled for the Giants, but after having worked the league for so long, I tend now to root more for individual players and coaches than I do teams. Realizing, for example, how passionate New York-area fans are about their sports, people would think I'm crazy for liking the Giants and the Jets... but you can't deny Vinny Testaverde, Kevin Mawae and Herm Edwards, just for starters, are great guys, so I have to pull for them. But, if it makes you feel better, it would probably be tough for me to ever really root for the Cowboys, no matter how much I respect Bill Parcells. That NFC East rivalry with Big Blue just runs a little too deep. :)

What do you do during halftime of football games? –Steve Hammer
Well, Steve, it's a lot of scrambling for 12 minutes! I usually lose the first two, because by the time I finish my halftime interview and get inside the tunnel, a couple of minutes have elapsed. Cold weather games are *really* challenging. Aside from doing the customary touch-up on hair and make-up, a quick trip to the ladies' room is complicated by having to untangle all of the audio equipment wires embedded within multiple layers of clothing (you do the math!). Then I have to change-out hand and foot warmers, look at first half statistics and figure out what I want to talk to the other coach about before the second half. I'll wait outside the locker room and do an off-camera interview with him while he walks back to the field. Then, I have to decipher my notes and prepare my report for the top of the third quarter. For me... it's the quickest 12 minutes in football!!

Is there one athlete that sticks out in your mind as a great interview? –Jeff Holmes, Houston, TX
Well, Jeff, I'm very fortunate to have had a ton of great interview subjects... but one who immediately comes to mind in the NFL is Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. I have known Peyton since his days as a college phenom at Tennessee, and will share one experience that truly defines the type of person he is: the Vols struggled against Florida during Peyton's career there and when they lost to the Gators his senior year, ESPN wanted a one-on-one interview with him after the game. Most players wouldn't have even entertained the notion; not only did Peyton do it, but he thanked *me* after we were done!

Peyton is gracious, articulate and incredibly insightful, and when we bring players in for our production meetings before games, he is one of the few who answers every single question thoroughly, without any pretenses, and will stay as long as you need him. If we could clone him, covering the NFL would be a much easier task!

And I'll tell you this-- one day (hopefully after he wins several Super Bowls), Peyton Manning will be one of the best TV analysts in the game!

I would be interested in learning what you consider to be the secret to achieving your success? –Mike Altobella, St. Louis, MO

I think it's hard to choose one defining factor, Mike. I still have so much growing to do in my profession, but I feel passion, perseverance and my belief in my abilities have helped me get to the level I've been fortunate enough to reach. Admittedly, there are so few network jobs out there --even less for women-- so you kinda have to embark upon the hunt with the proverbial blinders on, and accept there'll be a fair share of detractors hoping to inhibit your progress. But I love what I do so much and I've worked so hard to hone my skills, I could never imagine doing anything else. During times of frustration, I've never lost sight of that and use it as a source of strength.

Did you ever have a plan B if sports broadcasting didn't work out? –Brent Fisher, Bellaire, TX

Brent, for as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a sports journalist. Initially, I had dreams of writing for Sports Illustrated, until I went to college and realized how much I enjoyed broadcasting. But I knew there was a chance I might not ever make it into sports, and if that were the case, I would likely be doing TV news instead. I covered both news and sports in my first job out of college (in radio), and did news exclusively at my first TV job at WMDT in Salisbury, MD. In fact, my very first live shot was on top of the CNN building in Washington, DC, about politicians on the Eastern Shore trying to gerrymander the local voting districts!! I still have a passion for news, and may gravitate back toward it someday, but I will never (I hope!) completely get out of sports.

There are those who look to people like you for inspiration, because you knew your destiny at an early age. If you could say something to those who are paralyzed by the "fear of failure", what would it be? - Stuart Houchin, Louisville, KY

Wow, Stuart, what an intriguing question! I can definitely say I have a huge fear of failure, but fortunately, I have used it as a source of motivation, rather than a deterrent from pursuing my dreams. There will always be people who feel women have no business covering football... or that longevity in sportscasting would be challenging for a woman in a "man's world". If I gave in to the naysayers way back when, my life would have completely taken a different course! While I do believe there is a component of fate in everyone's life, I do feel we have a role in creating our own destiny, and if you let the "fear of failure" paralyze you, you relinquish your ability to do that. Personal gain can be achieved by facing your fears head on... so I guess I would encourage people to change their mental approach and channel their fear into positive energy that enables them to reach new heights!

How long does it take to prepare for each week's game? -- Joe Guidice, Old Bridge, NJ

I guess it really depends on the game, Joe. If it's a game like Patriots/Steelers... two teams I could cover in my sleep, it's not that tedious... I just basically read the newspaper clips and wire stories the week leading up to the game, conduct interviews with coaches and players, and consolidate those notes into pertinent storylines for Sunday. We're usually on site for our games on Fridays to watch the home team practice, then do off-camera interviews after that... and we'll set aside a conference room at the visiting team's hotel on Saturday for interviews when they arrive.

Comparatively speaking, when I'm covering a team I don't often see, like the Falcons (they're NFC and CBS is the AFC network), it's a *lot* more time consuming. I'd watch Atlanta's game from the prior week, just to familiarize myself with the players who don't get as much pub as the Vicks and Dunns of the world... and read not only game-related clips, but feature clips on the players as well. You'd be amazed at how copious my notes are for the limited amount of air-time I get, but it's all about being prepared for any situation that may arise during the game!

Truthfully, though, some of the most time-consuming work I do involves the daily research on what's going on around the league. I usually do several talk radio interviews throughout the week and you never know what they're gonna want to discuss. I always joke (well, only half-joke) we kill a forest a day at CBS with the size of the daily clip packets our research staff puts together!

Where did you get your education for TV? --Tom Kennedy, Bothell, WA

Tom, I take such pride in the broadcast degree I earned from the University of Maryland. The Merrill College of Journalism there is among the most renowned journalism schools in the nation, and because of its limited enrollment, it is extremely competitive to get into. Initially, I planned on print journalism as my area of emphasis (I always wanted to write for Sports Illustrated), but when a number of students raved about the broadcast professors there, I decided to give it a try. Guess everything worked out, huh?

Last spring I was elected to the J-School's Board of Directors, and as the youngest member of the Board, it's been a phenomenal experience being privy to many of the major decisions being made regarding the program's future... from the class curriculum to the construction of our new state-of-the-art building on campus!

You've mentioned print journalism as your initial aspiration. Would you consider gravitating toward that side of the business in the future? --Robert Torpey, Phila, PA

Robert, print is something I've always considered and I'm sure, at some point, I'll pursue it. Perhaps I would work for a magazine or newspaper, but I've also been approached by several people about writing a book. That's something I would love to do... the challenge is, figuring out what type of book I'd want to write. Ultimately, though, I'd always like to maintain a broadcast component in my career (whether it be TV or radio), since that's my area of expertise.