Last month a whole (air)bus load of
ESPN writers, photographers, editors, and crew took over Houston to produce the One Day, One Game project, basically shrinking down everything the NFL is all about into a single game, the Houston Texans vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. The idea is so big and rare, a group project shot and reported in real time to be published in a single issue (Nov. 28, out now - *just FYI, that's not my cover), that I'm just super proud to have been a part of the experience, along with a bunch of other familiar photo names: DiPace, Finke, Mermelstein, Prior, Seale, Stangel, Suau, Tringali, Welch, and several others all helped along by on-site editing ninjas Stephanie Weed and Nick Galac. There was a team dinner but sadly no commemorative t-shirts.
Everyone had specific assignments and mine was primarily the locker room and equipment director Jay Brunetti the day before and early, early game day. My game day actually ended up in the 15 hr+ range, as post-game I joined Texans OT Eric Winston home to watch football with his friends and family (and newborn baby). But of course I also shot about a dozen other small bits and pieces - production meetings, game plans, day care, refs, half-time coaches, radio interviews, post-game locker room jube, as well as pickup features and game action. It was nuts, we photographers were running around like mad... and it was super exhausting and fucking great. A million thanks to PE stud Jim Surber for getting me involved.
Here are a whole bunch more images, most in diptych, shown in order from Sat. afternoon through to Sunday evening. Oh and the Texans won the game. Lastly, a huge thanks to one of the best PR teams I've ever had the pleasure of working with, led by Kevin Cooper of the Texans. What a huge difference it makes working with true professionals.
The deal is that if you send me to Kentucky on assignment, I will buy you (and myself) bourbon. (There are other deals in place for Napa, Mexico, Barbados/Jamaica/DR/Haiti/Cuba, Scotland, and Russia). Amazingly Men's Journal didn't really care about the bourbon, but they sent me to Kentucky anyway to photograph sportscaster and former Cincinnati Bengals star WR Cris Collinsworth. Cris had just flown back home from his Sunday night gig, and we met up with him at high school football practice where he is a assistant/receivers coach (his son Jack is on the team).
It was tough going early on (it's always hard to shoot coaching during an actual practice, unless its linebackers and the coach is right up in there) but eventually we got some beautiful light and Cris was great to be around despite being tired (he reminded me a lot of my Uncle Eric actually). I brought plenty of strobes not knowing what I would find, but of course we ended up barely using any of them, especially in a final portrait of Cris and his son up in the "home" section of the stands, which felt like a nice metaphor for how it might feel for Cris to return to his family after his constant traveling. You just don't mess with beautiful light when you've gifted it like that.
Afterwards we went back to the Collinsworth home and photographed Cris watching the weekend games and making notes (down in his "man cave" office) for his matchup the following week (can't remember exactly but it was the Vikings vs. someone). I was already a fan of Cris' analysis and I really like his distinctive voice, but I had no clue how much tape and research he puts in all year long. He told me he watches more tape now than he ever did as a player. And for those who are also fans of America's native spirit... my final tally was around $600, including 6 bottles of my absolute favorite: Vintage 17 year. 
