Last Friday night, honorary ITB news anchor Penn Holderness sent me the following tweet.
@WNFIV warning; I am probably referencing you tonight on the news. I am hosting the Friday football show. pic.twitter.com/r6bvpded6n
— Penn Holderness (@pennholderness) September 28, 2013
Upon seeing this, I began to hyperventilate. I was going to be referenced on the news?! Did a mansion catch on fire? Had police found my elaborate plans to implode Gelwood South by digging underground tunnels from Broughton? After looking at the picture, I was relieved to see that Penn Holderness was simply planning on referencing me during a football highlight.
It didn’t matter why I was going to be on the news. The only thing I cared about was that Dad was watching when it happened. I immediately sent him a text saying, “!!!! Emergency!!! I’m going to be on the news!!! Set your DVR for NBC-17 at 11:00”. As always, he didn’t answer right away. He was probably overwhelmed with emotion and trying to think of the best way to express himself. Fortunately, I recorded the clip on my phone in case Dad was having trouble with his DVR.
That’s right, Penn Holderness said, “Broughton versus Wake Forest, or as my buddy William Needham Finley would call it, ITB versus OTB.” Let that sink in. A local news anchor said my name and the words “ITB versus OTB” on the news in front of millions of people.
First, give this guy some credit for having the journalistic integrity to pull a stunt like this. If he keeps this up, Penn just might find himself the recipient of an ITB Peabody award.
