June 28, 2008

June 11, 2007
Good news!  The film/TV rights to "Four Days to Glory" have been acquired by ESPN Original Entertainment, for development as a possible series or ESPN film.  The network has produced a number of high-quality original releases, including "3," the Dale Earnhardt story, and "Four Minutes," which revisits runner Roger Bannister's quest (thought impossible at the time) to break the four-minute mile barrier.
 
As anyone with Hollywood history knows, an option is but a first step toward actual production of a project.  But you gotta start somewhere.  We're thrilled to be associated with the folks at ESPN, who have been such good friends and professional allies to me over the years.  Thanks for all your thoughts on this -- I'll keep you posted.
 
 
June 2, 2007
I'm off to start another culture-immersion adventure.  My next book is an in-depth look at a community on the East Coast that seems to continually defy the odds by producing Little League champions.  Statistically, at least, what they're accomplishing in this town is hard to fathom, and there is a great story to tell in attempting to explain why they're able to do something at which so many other communities try so hard ... and yet fail.
 
The new book was purchased by David Hirshey at HarperCollins.  David and I worked together on "Four Days to Glory," and I was hoping we'd get the chance to do another project.  David is an extraordinarily talented editor who puts the story and the writing first, so we're a good match.  Harper made it easier for us by coming up with a pre-emptive bid that prevented the new project from ever reaching the open market, and their support of "Four Days" has been outstanding.  Good vibes all around.
 
I'll be spending much of the summer back East as this great tale of kids, parents, sports, community and pressure unfolds.  Look for the new release in bookstores in early July 2008.  And, as always, thanks for all your support.

March 12
Good news from the hazy world of publishing: Four Days to Glory recently went into its third printing, barely a month after publication.  We couldn't have done it without all your good wishes and your real support, by which of course I mean your cold, hard cash.  Seriously, thanks for everything.
 
I've been often asked lately about movie rights, and the answer is, not yet.  Hollywood is generally inscrutable on this sort of thing, so patience is advisable (I'll try to remember that).  A couple of book reviews mentioned that the rights had already been sold.  Wish it were true, but, alas, nope.  We're hopeful, though!
 
Kreidler Communications is lurching to life.  You can see me semi-regularly on ESPN's Cold Pizza discussing NBA stuff, and a feature article in ESPN The Magazine in April will update the story of our Iowa wrestlers, the guys featured in the book, who still haven't been allowed to wrestle collegiately.  (It's a long story, which is why the magazine is running it.)  Another book proposal goes out soon, and I'll tell you about that once we've sold it.
 
Ron Artest was back in the news in Sacramento last week for all the wrong reasons: a domestic violence charge. I wrote a piece about the situation for ESPN.com, and the Kings decided to bring Artest back to the active roster Sunday.  They still lost to Denver, yet at four games below .500 Sacramento still isn't out of the Western Conference playoff picture.  Nutty.
 
That's all for now.  Be in touch when you can.

January 27
The Big Step
So glad you stopped by for a minute after this rather remarkable week.  Let me catch you up and say a huge thank-you along the way.

First, we’re living a dream right now.  Thanks to you and some exquisitely timed press exposure (way to go, Claire), “Four Days to Glory” ranked as the No. 1-selling sports book in the country in the days following its release last Tuesday, according to both the Amazon and Barnes and Noble web sites.  Absolutely stunning, and it’s something I’ll always remember.  I’m humbled by the support.

As I type this, Colleen and I are flying back to California from New York, where we traveled so I could appear on the “CBS Early Show” with Harry Smith.  The segment, which aired live on Thursday, Jan. 25, was fun - Harry is not only a thoroughly charming man, but a Midwestern guy who really understood the point of “Four Days” - and it sent the book straight up the charts.

It also was the start of a nearly perfect weekend.  Colleen and I scored tickets to David Letterman’s 25th anniversary show (to air Feb. 1, first day of sweeps), thanks to our great friend Michael; met three of our all-time favorite couples for a friends’ reunion dinner in Manhattan; shopped Canal Street in 10-degree weather (ludicrous); and caught a performance of “The Drowsy Chaperone” on Broadway, which was one of the most enjoyable nights at the theater we’ve ever had.  What great writing in that show.  Makes me jealous.

Inside politics: As many of you know, I recently left my job at the Sacramento Bee after years of writing sports columns and features at that newspaper.  Long story short: The travel had dried up, the budgets were bare, and the business was becoming more brutal by the week.  We were doing less, our paper was shrinking in terms of page count, print circulation was down … papers are going to have to change their operational models substantially to gain back what they gave away to Internet competition over the past decade.  The talent that is collectively moving away from newspapers right now is staggering, and I don’t mean me.  Tons of great writing and great reporting are leaving, and they aren’t coming back.

Fortunately for us, timing is everything.  With “Four Days” just arriving in bookstores, our company, Kreidler Communications, launched immediately - and thanks to Million Monkeys we have this fantastic web site as a conduit and an easy way to stay in touch.  I’ve got a second book in the planning stage, and as for sports content, ESPN is becoming an increasingly important client for us.  Look for my columns at ESPN.com, my feature pieces in ESPN The Magazine and my semi-regular appearances on the “Cold Pizza” television program, where I discuss what’s going on around the NBA.

That’s it for now - other than to again say how much I appreciate your support as we head into a new phase of our professional lives.  Stay in touch and I’ll try to keep things updated here.

January 23
The book is available today! Heading to New York for the CBS Early Show on the 25th. Managed to get tickets to the Late Show with David Letterman taping Thursday.

January 21
The Sacramento Bee article annoucing the start of my new adventures and touching on some research contributing to Four Days to Glory.