Chapter 1

A Chapter by 46forum

As a sports writer, and beat columnist, I have always had opportunities to meet interesting people. When the journal gave me the assignment of going to Las Cruces New Mexico to interview up top flight amateur boxer Darius “Mr. Showtime” Parker, I knew I had a tough assignment. Parker’s reputation was that of a tough interview. He often had a shell of an individualist prim Dona. He was a young up and comer from Chicago with athletic talent that could not be matched or explained. His speed and strength combined brought much praise from sports writers. His persona though was not with good reputation at the time I was assigned to go meet and interview him.
            I packed a light duffle bag and a laptop computer. I made sure to have a tape recorder and a few pens to take notes. As a journalist, I wanted very much to get into his mind. I wanted to make him trust me and get a full story not only about his young career, but about his upbringing. I knew it would be an assignment that would take me far in the world of writers, if I could produce an exclusive interview. After a few calls to his agents and trainers, I was able to get a verbal commitment to have an exclusive. No issue was mentioned that we could not discuss. My mind was filled with ideas of questions I wanted to ask. Being a Hispanic from the southwest though, I was not entirely comfortable with interviewing a black superstar. I had heard and read that he had, unto this point in his career, only given exclusive interviews to black reporters. Rumors had it that he was a bit uncomfortable with white reporters. As a Hispanic, I could understand that. I may not have agreed morally to the notion, but I understood.
            The drive from Albuquerque to Las Cruces was a familiar one. The scenic dessert was gorgeous and hot. There is nothing like the spaces between cities to calm nerves or clear your head. I listened to the radio when it was available between mass stretches of nothing. When it went to static fuzz, I used my little voice recorder to ask questions I planned to ask him. Parker had just come back to the United States by way of a tournament win in Juarez Mexico. I imagined he would be a bit abrupt and culture shocked. His Chicago upbringing was an aspect of his life that I planned to dig into. As a Hispanic, I was interested in the value differences between blacks and Hispanics from different regions. As a student in college, I had written an article about his basketball days at Grambling. He was the type of athlete who was lucky and gifted in the ways he could move quickly and think on his feet. His decision making was unparalleled as a guard. His mentality was pass first, score when the game dictated the need. I remembered watching him and thinking he could have been the grittiest defender I had ever seen. He also played with a chip on his shoulder. He had a “F**k You mentality” to him that I as a non- athletic spectator could be a fan of and not have to worry about his anger or physicality ever having to be directed towards me.
            I planned on staying in a hotel in Las Cruces. I wanted to be in and out of the town as soon as possible. I seemed that every time I was there, it was about a hundred and five degrees. As I drove I-25, it was obvious that this trip was no different.