Ten with Tan: An Interview with the Ojai Bracket Challenge Winner

  Before we start this interview, I would like to mention that I had the best bracket of the writers. Congratulations to me!  Seeing as an NE player won this competition and the I won the blogger competition, I can sleep easy knowing that the NE totally dominated this event! Let’s hope we can keep it going for Nationals.  Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to proudly present your Ojai Bracket-Challenge Champion, Mr. Brian Tan!

NE) So tell us, Brian, are you usually this good at bracket games, or was this sheer dumb luck?

Brian Tan) As a two time fantasy football champion, I was obviously able to predict who was going to do well at the Ojai tennis tournament.  But actually it wasn’t hard to pick 3 Stags to get through considering they barely even drop sets.

NE) Fair enough. Ok, let’s get a little more personal. Tell the readers something about this Tufts team that they don’t know.

BT) Given the choice between winning NESCACs and marrying Kevin Kelly, over half of the team would choose the latter for his soft hands, two-handed forehand and heart-melting grin.  Furthermore, with me at quarterback, we would beat any fellow D3 tennis team out there in a game of flag football.

NE) That’s a bold statement. For the record, the 4 writers comprise the best intramural curling team this side of Sweeden. Moving on, everybody loved the team music video, what prompted such an outburst?

Urlacher) We wanted to do it to a Call Me Maybe-esque song, and Dark Horse was the next best alternative.  Nick Cary literally knows the words to every top 40 song ever made, and as a team, we really just wanted to showcase our musical talents.  Everyone has thought the video was hilarious, except for apparently the Midd Twitter account.

NE) Yeah, those Midd Kids, but what can you do? If you haven’t seen the music video in question, check it out here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMIvnlPNpPk. Let’s move away from Tufts for a minute. Outside of your teammates, who are some of your favorite D3 players?

Scurry) Everyone on CMS, Troy Akin (1 dubs for Chapman), Conrad Olsen, Nick Ballou. On the flipside, can’t say I’m a huge fan of Gavel Dropping…

NE) Honestly, who doesn’t love Nick Ballou? Similarly, which in-region team (other than Tufts) is your favorite?

Adams) Wesleyan (thanks Cards)

NE) Of course referring to the fact that Wesleyan just got you into NESCACs with their win over Bates on Sunday. Bringing the focus back to you, what was the best match you’ve played this year?

Wilson) Wasn’t the best I’ve ever played but clinching 5-3 win against Denison this year 6-4 in the third was the most fun.  Besides that, I only reserve my absolute best for practice matches against Austin Blau.

NE) And who doesn’t love beating Austin Blau! What’s it like having a regional legend in Conrad Olsen as your assistant coach?

Tan the Man) The best part of having Conrad as an assistant coach is how he knows everything about D3 and ATP tennis. He really does live and breathe tennis, and everyone in the tennis circle knows who he is. He also frequently will casually describe certain D3 players by using multiple superlatives, such as saying a guy has the “best backhand ever” or “biggest forehand of all time”.

NE) It must be fun to learn from a guy like that. On the other hand, what is the worst part about working with Olsen on a daily basis? It must have something to do with fitness, they guy was a machine.

BTan93) Haha exactly. The worst part is how he comes up with random numbers, often too big, for sets and reps for our fitness without realizing how hard it actually is. Real talk, he does hold us to very high standards and expects a lot out of us, which is both encouraging and motivating.

NE) That’s good to hear, thanks for your “real talk”. Speaking of Conrad, he was a part of our recent Greatest of the Last Five Years (or GOLFY) discussion. Where do you think this year’s CMS team ranks on that list?

Bri Bri) If they win, then yes, the greatest of all time. How does an ITA winner play 7/8? Otherwise, my money would be on Conrad’s 2010 Midd team because I know he would be sad if I said otherwise. He’s a sensitive soul, though he seems thick skinned.

NE) Smart answer. Finally, what has been your favorite thing from the blog this year?

TANning Salon) Finding out from our Spring Break preview that Austin Blau would be the reason for both why we would and would not go undefeated during the week.  And making ridiculous claims in the comment section for our team season preview was hilarious.

We at the blog would like to once again congratulate Brian on a wonderful Ojai, and a great season in Medford. We’ll next see his smiling face on Friday when the Jumbos take on the defending champion Williams Ephs in the NESCAC quarterfinals.