Varsity Spotlight: Contributor Andy Briseño

Who are you, what do you do, what’s your story?

I’m Andy Briseño, I write novels, short stories, etc. This week I’m moving to Natchitoches, Louisiana — a small town south of Shreveport — because my wife got a job there.

Tell us a little bit about where your sports interests lie. What sports/topics/teams/anything are you most looking forward to covering for ____ On Sports?

All of them I think. I cheer for the Dallas Mavericks (and I guess sort of the Pelicans now?), the Arkansas Razorbacks, and whichever team I happen to be gambling on at the moment. Also I’m a huge fan of watching professional disc golf. Shut up. Yes that’s a thing. I really like thinking (and hopefully writing) about the way sports makes culture. Forthcoming from me: A tour of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, High School Football Revisited, The World Disc Golf Championships live via YouTube.

What experience(s) most shaped your interest in sports? Do you have a specific sports-related memory that stands out in your mind?

I didn’t love sports as a kid, but I used to work as a bartender, and the bar had a rule — the tv had to be on sports at all times. Watching for hours on hours led me to realize that sports are just really long stories with truly unpredictable outcomes. I was hooked.

What are you currently reading / Netflixing / obsessing over?

David Foster Wallace is my homeboy, and also everyone should go read That’s When the Knives Come Down by Dolan Morgan. Also cats.

Anything else you want to share? Where else can readers find you on the interwebz?

I have a story coming out next month in Waxwing that I’m super proud of.