Q&A With Jaymee Sire

I had a feeling I would like Jaymee Sire if we ever got the chance to meet, but I had no idea just how down-to-earth, funny and downright AWESOME this chick would be! Jaymee and I  talked sports, food and much more. Hope you enjoy getting to know your favorite SportsCenter anchor just as much as I did!

The Sports Brat: As a fellow PAC 12 fan, tell me, what was your favorite part about game day at Washington State?

Jaymee Sire: My favorite part about Washington State is how passionate everyone is. For the most part, we’re really bad.  So to have the camaraderie that we do, even as the underdog, is pretty special.

This last weekend Game Day was deciding between Washington State and Temple and my co-anchor, Kevin Negandhi, went to temple. So we did a fun segment stating our case as to why our schools should host Game Day. My biggest argument is that in 2003 someone started a tradition of flying the Washington State flag at College Game Day, no matter what campus they were at. So currently, the Cougar flag has been flown in 172 straight broadcasts.

The whole point was to get Game Day’s attention so they would come to Pullman, but they still have yet to come. There is an actual arrangement where the flags (there are 2, a crimson and a gray one) will be sent to an alumni in whichever city Game Day is being hosted and these alumni will go early, get a great spot and wave the flags during the broadcast. The producer for Game Day has Washington State as a priority but there are so many worthy campuses, it’s tough for them to decide.

So long story short, Washington State is a special place for sports. I actually went there wanting to do news, but switched halfway through after I fell in love with their sports culture.

TSB: You’re a self-proclaimed foodie and even have a blog, E is for Eat, dedicated to yummy concoctions, what’s your ultimate tailgate recipe?

JS: Oh my gosh there are so many…ok I am going to give you my favorites:

Jalapeno Poppers on the grill with bacon — My dad makes them for every party and they’re always the first gone.

Inside out cheeseburgers — easy to prep ahead of ahead of time then cook up quickly when entertaining.

OK, I have an embarrassing amount of Jell-O Shot recipes, there’s actually an entire tab for them on my blog! But my favorite is the Ruby Red {Zone} Greyhound. They’re perfect for game day.

However, I have to point out that my most popular post ever is a Hop, Skip and Go Naked. There are at over 389,000 views on that post! It’s another classic for a tailgate.

TSB: Let’s say you have the day off and are enjoying the game as a fan, what would be your go to for stadium food?

JS: I would have to go with classic nachos with jalapenos. But I spent a lot of time at AT&T park covering the Giants, so there I would go with either the Cha Cha bowl from Orlando’s Caribbean BBQ (chicken, rice, hot sauce and beans) or Crazy Crab’z crab sandwich.

TSB: You’re used to being at sporting events but let’s say we bumped into you on your off day, what would you be wearing?

JS: If I were to head to a football game now, in the fall, it would be ripped jeans, booties, leather jacket, t-shirt and a scarf. If it were a day baseball game in the summer, I would wear a t-shirt, hat, Ray-Bans, ripped jeans or cutoffs if it’s really hot.

TSB: And what would you be drinking?

JS: I would take Champagne any time but it’s not always available so I guess it depends on the venue; I don’t discriminate with my alcohol. I can drink whatever.

TSB: Speaking of off days, what do you do when you finally have a day off from talking sports?

JS: It depends what day it is…I do watch sports, I like and enjoy them and I still need to keep up with them when I’m not working. But if I’m not watching a game, I enjoy a fun dinner or drinks with friends. I like the city life, there’s always something to do.   I’ll also work on my blog in my free time; it’s such a fun hobby.

TSB: What are your favorite sports to cover? Watch? Attend?

JS: To cover: Baseball. I really enjoy that they play every day. You get to know the players and the coaches a lot more because you see them every day.

To watch: Football. It’s just my favorite to watch hands down.

To attend in person: A summer day baseball game. I went to a Manchester United game in London recently and it was pretty amazing, but nothing beats a day baseball game in the sun.

TSB: And what teams do you root for? College? Pro?

JS: College: Washington State. Pro: SF Giants because I covered the team for a few years. I don’t have an NFL team so I always say I’m a free agent!

TSB: Ok now what would be your theme song if you were coming up to bat?

JS: I’ve actually thought about this before! It would be Bon Jovi “Livin’ on a Prayer.” I used to have a poster of him in 4^th grade, I was obsessed. But the start to the song is really great and since they only play the first 15 seconds it would be perfect. Plus, if I were walking up to bat, I would most likely be livin’ on a prayer trying to get a hit. Haha!

TSB: You’re such an inspiration for young women who want to work in sports, any advice you want to share?

JS: Don’t be afraid to go to a small market and put in your time. It’s not the most glamorous part of the job, but you learn so much and you learn to appreciate all of the people behind the scenes. When you’re doing everything, you are really grateful for all the help you’ll have when you get to a bigger market. Plus I think it’s good to put your time in and pay your dues.

 

Thank you so much Jaymee!  Make sure you all check her out on SportsCenter and definitely visit her blog E is for Eat!!