White: A View from the Inside

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By Jeff White
jwhite@virginia.edu

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Today brings another reminder — not that I needed one — of how much my professional life has changed since I left the newspaper business and started at VirginiaSports.com in late July.

After beginning the season with back-to-back games at Scott Stadium, UVa’s football team plays at Southern Mississippi tomorrow. I’ll be in hot, humid Hattiesburg for the game, but that in itself is not unusual.

In the nine seasons that I covered Virginia football for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, I didn’t miss a regular-season road game. I missed only one bowl game, and that was in Hawaii, on Christmas Eve 2000.

Those road trips, however, involved car rides or commercial flights (and the attendant frustrations and aggravations) and often I wouldn’t get home until the day after the game.

This trip will be different. I’m flying to Hattiesburg on the team charter, which is scheduled to leave the Charlottesville airport at 1:15 p.m. today.

We’re due back at the McCue Center a little after 11 tomorrow night, about the time UVa beat writers will be filing stories from the press box at Southern Miss’ Roberts Stadium.

Not a bad perk, huh?

In my position with VirginiaSports.com, I’ve had access to Al Groh and his team that I would not have been granted during my days at the T-D. (See this story, among others.)

I’ll get a perspective on this trip, though, that I haven’t had thus far, and, without disclosing any state secrets, I hope to share some of the experience with readers.

Check my blog throughout the weekend for glimpses of life on the road with the ‘Hoos. There will be stretches when I’m unable to post, such as when we’re in the air, but I’ll try to update the blog regularly.

Here’s to a successful trip.