By JAY DIEFFENBACH
Arizona Republic

	NEWCOMER'S JOURNAL

As a convention newcomer, I experienced the sights and sounds of Philly '04 and lived to tell the tale.

In the time-honored, journalistic tradition of inventing someone else to speak aloud a writer's more controversial thoughts ... my pesky alter-ego — I'll call him Al — was able to clear his schedule and come along with me.

Here is my journal:

Tuesday

Left Phoenix for a non-stop flight to Philadelphia, a city I'd visited 20 years ago. "Your visit last time included three high points," Al smirked. "The Rocky statue, the Vet and the Spectrum — you're quite a historian."

While that was true, I planned to see some historic sights this time.

Wednesday

Gannett meeting: Talked with sports honchos from the "family" and decided that the Olympics are a challenge. Tennessean sports editor Bill Bradley was there.

Walk-about: Took a non-guided walking tour of the area from the Delaware River to the Liberty Bell. Coming from the diversity-challenged desert, I was pleased with the ethnic mix of this major, East Coast city. "I see Black people," Al whispered, doing his best impression of the, "I see dead people" kid from "The Sixth Sense." Fine observation.

AP discussion: Terry Taylor talked Olympics; and I thought my job was complicated.

Newcomers reception: It was a cozy gathering during which we newcomers were paired up with our "buddies," a few selected veterans of the APSE. Glenn Schwarz, the San Francisco Chronicle honcho — and my buddy — failed in his third attempt to duck me. He indulged me in a brief conversation, speaking highly of everyone he mentioned.

"Wait," Al said. "He called that LA Times guy 'myopic,' didn't he?"

No. He didn't.

The Tennessean's Bill Bradley was there.

Reception at the U.S. Constitution Center: See? A truly historic outing.

Not too much "Ye olde pieces of paper," either. One of my fellow newcomers hadn't yet found his buddy. Clearly he's lost.

Mark Leary of the Westchester, N.Y., Journal-News had two very bright kids with him. "Probably not his," Al said.

That's not funny. Besides, they called him, "Dad."

And Bill Bradley was there — with his family. He's a five-tool player.

Thursday

Coffee and juice for breakfast. "Wow," Al said caustically. "Nutritious. Now I see why everyone here is so fit."

Ground breakers and John Walsh sessions were very entertaining. I discovered that Denver Post SE Kevin Dale rides his bike too much.

Al said he "also found it fun to see how the etiquette-challenged dealt with a fork placed horizontally, just north of their dinner plates. Is that fork an adornment? Is it for the salad? The main course? Funny stuff."

Highlights of the breakout sessions included Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel AME/Sports Garry Howard's tailored jacket — and his considerable wit, of course, along with his honest hatred of everything Boston.

KC Star AME/Sports Mike Fannin and Howard put their personal touches on "Management Doctor," offering suggestions for problems all of us face. Also, the repartee between Jon Heyman and Phil Jasner at the beat writers panel proved there are no definitive answers about Internet competition, only colorful opinions.

Useful tips from the panel that I will put into practice:

Answer questions the fans want answered.

Don't rely too much on the GMs as a source.

Find others affiliated with the team, and with other teams.

After 9 p.m. ... the hospitality room: Was Bill Bradley there? Please.

Friday

Morning general session: Steroids are bad and Steve Courson's voice has been affected. "The good doctor from NYU (Gary Wadler), had good, strong vocal ability," Al said, "and some serious stamina."

Planning: Washington Post AME/Sports Editor Emilio Garcia-Ruiz's session was helpful (message: It's impossible to plan too far ahead). Especially useful were the handouts of planning materials used by some of the nation's bigger newspapers. A memorable tip: maintain access to your photographer(s) during the event. Very practical.

Roundtable: Dave Smith, George Solomon and Neil Amdur were outstanding. I could have listened all day. Their conversations about the "old days" were enlightening. Their story about the APSE's informal first meeting (around a swimming pool) was one for the books. Two other memorable bits of advice:

From Amdur: With the shared newspaper/TV/radio arrangements common at many papers, we're serving two masters. All you need to do is look at how many people on your staff are doing radio and TV when they should be developing stories or working on columns. They're giving you half a loaf.

From Smith: How many times do you read a column that's just an interview?

Saturday

Palm Beach Post AME Tim Burke is universally well-regarded and it's easy to see his talent and enthusiasm. His comprehensive presentation included a must-have compilation of memorable efforts by sections around the country.

Good ideas all.

The awards dinner and reception proved popular. Attendees included Bill Bradley, who wore a clever ensemble. "My wife doesn't like it," Bradley beamed.

"Bright woman," Al whispered.

"Not funny," I said. "Leave him alone. He's good people."

Epilogue

The convention was far from a holiday, but much more a learning experience

than I had expected.

I'd be happy to hit next year's gathering in Orlando.

Of course, Mark Faller and his family have never been to Orlando.