• by Kelly Samardak , March 20, 2009

EyeWonder March Adness, ESPN Zone, New York
March 19, 2009

When I tried out for the basketball team in 7th grade, the coaches told us that they were observing how well we could take direction. If they told us to shoot, dribble, or squat a certain way, that's what we should do. I was probably 4'9" or 4'10," and my upper-body strength was about as powerful as a butterfly lifting a buffalo, so foul shots really had me down. They told me to do it underhand (you know, arms out, shooting from below the knee). I didn't. I didn't make the team. In 8th grade I made the team because they didn't have enough kids trying out to make cuts without appearing cruel. I rode the pine a lot, but when I got to play (usually when we were down 85-2), I would gleefully squeak all over the court. I even got punched in the face once, which gave me the foul shot opportunity (which I whiffed on) Since then, I haven't really followed basketball -- but I like buffets, so I headed to the ESPN Zone last night for EyeWonder's March Adness party.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that in addition to OMMA and Media Magazine's John Capone and Gaetano Pollice, our hardworking photo editor Lorraine Wiegand was coming as well! We entered the ESPN Zone to find the party in full swing -- tables of beer-drinking bracket talkers munching on plates of what I like to call "Wedding Buffet food" were at a dull roar. I was sweating like a bovine -- all the bodies and heated chafing dishes must have greenhouse-effected the joint. Upon introducing ourselves as the MediaPost crew, we were happily encouraged to drop our business cards into the big raffle bucket. I didn't enter - I know people hate when press wins even though it's random, and I'll write what I want regardless of a lucrative prize.

I circled the room and met an odd twosome. Chauncey (name has been changed to protect the guilty) asked "should I make out with him?" They guffawed and back-slapped. What am I supposed to say to that? "If you want to, go for it," I said and snapped away. I should point out that only one in this twosome was socially awkward. The other seemed uncomfortable and in charge of the goat rodeo -- smiling apologetically like he was used to constantly forgiving his eccentric billionaire uncle for tinkling in the neighbors tulips just so he'd stay in the will.

I skittered off and ran into a neo-Ogilvy group headed up by Alex Rogers, Search Planner. They were familiar with being professional yet friendly in public. Around the corner at the drink table I saw the guffawing duo ahead of me. I asked the nonoffensive one to grab me a Bud so I didn't have to get my lens squashed. While waiting, I met James Fogarty, Analyst at Spear Street Capital. James is actually an intern there, not really an analyst, and suggested his title be switched to Internalist, which has strange medical connotations. They were nice guys, enjoying a small grouse-fest about the heat and clogged-up drink line, which could have been a lot worse given the amount of people swarming the place.

I walked through the real bar (not the white-tableclothed bar tables) area and heard "she has a camera," so of course I had to turn around and congratulate this observant fellow. That simple statement introduced me to the goofy, smiling Draftfcb crew, including Kris Pearson, Account Supervisor. Thurcia Taliaferro, Senior Planner at MEC Interaction was basking in the glow of flatscreens with MEC planners Brad LaMendola, Danny Englander, and Stephanie Ha.  Brad was being a little photo-resistant so Thurcia bossed him into the photo, relieving me of my photo bully duties, which I thanked her for.  As I was preparing to leave, I ran into the guffaw duo again. "Hey," I said "thanks for grabbing that beer for me." "Because he did that," boomed he of the personal foul, revving up to give me one of the most memorable statements of my career so far...

...wait for it...

"... You should go back to his place and take erotic pictures." This led me to believe he thought he was being an effective wingman. "Uh," was all I could say.

I backed away and into Steven Mougis, Account Executive Ad Sales at Ringleader Digital, and Brian Colbert, Director of Mobile Ad sales for ESPN. We debated when it's actually appropriate to say something like that. The only time seemed to be if I was an erotic photographer. This is where I get angry with the social side of media, marketing, and advertising. More often than not these alcohol-fueled parties give some male attendees a self-addressed carte blanche to do and say inappropriate things to other professionals (OK, me). This is not OK. And believe me, what I'm saying isn't "watch yourself; I'm the all powerful press." Joking around in your mom's basement with your sweaty friends doesn't translate into the professional world.

Let's move onto the good news! Raffle time! It turns out Lorraine's name was pulled out of the raffle bucket where names are chosen AT RANDOM -- AKA, you can't control who gets pulled from the bucket. As her name was pulled, sources tell me the emcee said "It's MediaPost... I don't know if we should give this to them..." The prize was a PS3. The audience booed (note the size of the audience). From my own experience, I can assume they were booing because they must have thought Lorraine was one of our writers. That certainly doesn't make it less rude, but I see where the tone set by Raffle Man didn't help. Lorraine was then asked publicly to give it back.

After the fun bit of public mortification, she was approached by Raffle Guy again, who said they were really hoping for my "agency types" in the crowd to win. I have a great idea for anyone throwing a party going forward: don't ask anyone other than "agency types" to enter and when a random raffle reveals a company name that you didn't want to win, publicly and with class turn over the award and discuss alternatives afterward in private. 

I can't end on a low note.  I had a great conversation about PR types' relationships with writers with Ryan Lawler (@ryanlawler) Senior Editor, Contentinople and Heather Eng, a freelance travel writer who might be the nicest girl on earth.  I very briefly met Ryan outside of our Twitter relationship at the MediaSummit NYC cocktail reception.  Good guy, that one. Also, the potato wedges were incredible and the dessert tray was quite possibly the greatest thing on earth.  We made faux mini burgers our of two caramel drizzled chocolate chip cookies and brownie. 

Send invitations to kelly@mediapost.com

And the crowd went wild!