beg, borrow, & deal. the concept is simple, espn puts eight strangers together in new york city. the eight are divided into two teams of four and then let loose on a monthlong, cross-country version of a scavenger hunt. the challenge: be the first group to complete ten (out of forty) sports-related tasks and then get to alcatraz. they have no money, no transportation, no clothes, nothing. except the clothes they started out with on day one. the prize: each winning team member will earn two tickets apiece and all expenses paid trips to four sports championships next year.



how freaking cool is this? it's like jack kerouac on crack. to have three friends and you, trying to get cross country as fast as possible, with nothing but your wits and your charms as assets. this is the type of life defining trip that i would like to have but am probably too chicken shit to do. i mean, no clothes? no money? no showers? no anti-bacterial hand gel? what would i do? but in the spirit of imagination and adventurism (that's like tourism but cheaper), i would like to pretend that i could do it.



the dream team to go with (well, one dream team, any combination of four people would be cool as hell, and dreamy too). amit, because he knows damn near everybody in the states and having contacts can't hurt. plus we could use his talents to get us money. and having DDTs is pretty much a necessity on a big trip like this. lynnchen, because big eyes will get you everywhere and everything (including big ass tarzan movie posters as well as a bajillion free cell phone accessories). and the last spot......hum. i dunno. it would have to be a girl. it would probably have to be a michigan girl actually. as our oft-proved theory goes "michigan girls are cool." and useful. so yes. i'm not sure what the hell i would do on this trip but i want to go along dammit.



the winning team for the inaguaral season of beg, borrow, & deal completed their tasks and made it to alcatraz in twelve days. twelve days! cross country! on the free tip, after completing ten tasks. how amazing is that?