First chat with Denny...

Let's set this up by saying that every now and again there comes a person who you can count on to be straight with you and tell it like it is. This person will go above and beyond the call of duty to help you out no matter the circumstance, and try to help you accomplish what you need to do. I've been talking to Denny Wolfe for about a full year now through E-mail. He's been everything helpful and very truthful, without talking down. I remember calling him Mr. Wolfe in the first e-mail, to which he replied "Never say that again, I'm only in my 30's..." Since then Denny has been a really good source for what the world of sports is like away from Westminster. Actually, he's made me realize that anchoring/reporting may not actually be the route I want to take. I'm a huge fan of NFL Countdown, and I love their features (not because it's Denny's job) for their creativity, and freedom that they give the producers to create a story. Other networks all look the same, 2-3 minutes of what I like to call A-B-C coverage...meaning that they tell the basics, Who the subject is, what the subject has done, and what he/she is doing. With ESPN's coverage, they have 3-4 minutes of a story...why a person is doing what he's doing, background, they also let the subject tell the story, giving it a sense of reality, as oppose to a reporter sounding their 2 cents.
So why give up my dreams of being an anchor? Money? Easier? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I feel that story telling is one of my best qualities. I also like being creative, and having the option of how to tell the story. What angle to take, and how to go about getting that angle. Also, who doesn't like being the boss. I like having fame, but that comes with a price, I'm sure Chris Berman can't go anywhere without having grown men interrupt what he is setting out to do! I don't think I'd be as polite as some when it came to interruptions during dinner. This way I can be like that professional wrestler who wears the mask, you never know what he looks like, but you appreciate what he does! (At least I do.) Denny told me how much time goes into his week...80+ hours to be exact, that would scare alot of people away from the job, but it actually makes me want it more, anybody who knows me understands that I love challenges, and the fact that I bust my hump to put the best work on the air. Having a persona like Denny's to live up to and to guide me through this process would be nothing but helpful. Westminster BC majors have a tendancy to be creative, but I feel like Denny and I are more alike than many. He's pretty outgoing, and everybody knows I am, he's a straight-shooter, as am I, and he's got the never-quit attitude, and if you're familiar with me at all, I'll be damned if anybody outshines/outworks me to take what I want. In this case, I have to start from the bottom, I have come to the conclusion I will try to be a P.A. and hopefully become a producer for ESPN somewhere. I will make it, it's just a matter of time! So Denny, if you're reading, thanks for everything so far, the best is yet to come! Thats all for now, until next time...I'm DJ Yokley

P.S. Yeah, that's Denny with Boomer and Ben Roethlisberger!