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Blaine, you were recently on NBC’s Today Show and on the David Letterman show, right?
Yes, I was.

Why did you appear on the Today Show and what was that like?
It’s awesome to be on television in general. It’s especially cool to get to see people that are on national television everyday. Plus, I realize that this won’t last forever, so I try to make the most of my time in the media. I was on the Today Show to feature the Olympic apparel for the upcoming Games in Athens.

Did you get to meet any other Olympic athletes?
Yes, I met a couple of the softball players and some other athletes that I already knew from before.

Did the Letterman show air that night? What did he ask you?
Yes, the show aired that night. I was only on for about two seconds. I read the Top Ten with the other athletes.

What is it like to participate in these pre-Olympic media activities? What types of questions do they ask you?
Overall, I enjoy participating in media activities. Right now they are mostly asking me about my comeback from my recent injury. They also ask what it’s like to be in the Olympic Games and living in the Olympic Village with the other athletes.

Are the media activities fun? What’s the best part?
The best part for me is watching the reporters’ faces when I answer questions. A lot of them think that I am “quot;border-line" cocky, so their reactions to my answers are always interesting. I absolutely enjoy the media side of things. Without the media, no one would know who we are and they typically print quality things about us.

Do you enjoy being in front of the camera?
Yeah, I love it! I don’t have any problems with it. Like I said before, I know this attention isn’t going to last forever. It will be nice to look back on it and see what I did. It will also be fun for my daughter to see that her dad was in front of the camera on television.

Does media coverage ever interfere with your concentration?
They can interfere and they have in the past. Every competition the media puts expectations on me and if I live up to those expectations then it’s okay. With that being said, the amount of pressure I put on my self is a lot greater than what other people put on me.

Do you ever have to miss training for these media activities? If so, does it ever affect your preparation?
Sometimes we miss workouts, but only on very light training days. We never schedule media activities on heavy training days. It doesn’t really affect me for that reason.