Labar: Answering Your Questions from Social Media

By Abby Labar
Sportmoney Columnist

Social media … we love to love it and love to hate it at the same time. As we approach October, it’s been a pretty exciting place lately. I don’t know about you guys, but my timeline has been filled with NHL training camps, media days, MLB playoff berth celebrations, and of course all the football news and updates. How many times do I have to say I love this time of year? 

Anywho, it’s also a great place to connect with you guys. I love when there is an opportunity to converse with you all directly (the haters can disregard anything I just said). I’ll give credit where credit is due: My editor had this fantastic idea to take to social media and do a mailbag to have you all ask the hard-hitting questions, because let’s be honest, I’m doing this for you guys anyways. 

I was flooded with questions on Twitter and Instagram, so I first want to thank everyone for contributing. I wish I could have answered them all BUT good news is that you all showed me this won’t be the last mailbag we do. So save your best ones and we will try to consistently do these in the coming months. 

Let’s get started with one of the most controversial ones of them all….

Pineapple on a pizza? Yes or no?

Okay I have to be transparent here. I’ve never given it a shot. And honestly, I kind of like weird things. My favorite pizza in Raleigh, NC, used to be this Thai Chili Pizza (arrest me I know). I also love honey on pizza. I have cravings for sweet and savory items like chicken and waffles or onion jam on a burger. I’ll try it and report back next time. 

Do any football fans have it worse than NC State + Panthers fans at the moment? Both dealing with brand new quarterbacks this early in the season. Are we cooked?

My favorite part about living in NYC is that the professional sports scene is full of so much passion and history. And that includes a history of winning. It’s funny when people ask me “who is your team?” My answer is normally something along the lines of “it’s technically the Carolina Panthers and the Charlotte Hornets but I really don’t claim fandom to them because they always let me down throughout my 26 years of living in North Carolina.” 

So as far as the NFL goes right now, I don’t think anyone has it worse than the Panthers, especially considering that finding solutions has been such a mess for this organization. Even now, nobody seems to feel confident in the decision making with the new head coach, new GM and an owner that...I’d rather keep my comments to myself about. How could you with the track record? And forget us, how can the players even buy into this culture? Remember all those coaches that turned down wanting to work for Carolina because the situation was so brutal? Coming into the season was anything but optimistic. 

But for NC State? My optimism has always been much higher for my Wolfpack, and college sports are simply a different type of ballgame. Don’t sleep on CJ Bailey. Sure there were high expectations for McCall and the Pack, but what I love about college football is the most unexpected heroes emerge during these types of circumstances – especially QBs that teams don’t have a ton of film on. Not to mention the surrounding cast both on the field and off the field, the veteran talent as well as an experienced and trusted coaching staff, provide us with the ability to look toward the future with optimism. Also hello, it’s early in the season y'all. 

How did you get your start in sports media?

When I started at NC State I knew this was what I wanted to do and succeed in for a living, so I immediately hit the ground running trying to find hands-on opportunities, internships and ways to network. For a freshman at a university, formal internships aren’t usually available, so when I was told “you aren’t able to apply for this or do this role yet,” I decided to simply create my own opportunities and make my own roles.

I pitched ideas to the NC State Athletics department, talked to the right people that took a chance on me, and I started working with NC State Basketball and NC State Baseball where trial and error was a daily activity for me. Eventually each one of those experiences led to new ones. Don’t ever let anyone tell you no, and give yourself grace when you fail. 

How come everyone is high on Paul Skenes for RoY? I mean he is most excellent, but there are 2 Jacksons that play everyday that should be getting more love... 140 games plus vs. 23 or 24 starts for Skenes.

From the conversations I’ve heard and seen, nobody is disregarding the Jacksons or throwing them out of the Rookie of the Year conversation. The position player vs. pitcher is an interesting one. But I genuinely think it further supports how unreal Skenes has been this year that he is the experts’ favorite despite the Jackons seeing more time. 

For context, per our MLB Network research department, the last time we saw a starting pitcher win Rookie of the Year (not counting two-way Shohei) was 2016 when Michael Fulmer won AL Rookie of the Year. He won in a year where there wasn’t a lot of competition (catcher Gary Sanchez finished 2nd and only played 53 games). We’re talking about a guy in Skenes who is not only the best rookie pitcher but one of the best pitchers in the game this year – and one of the best rookie pitchers we’ve ever seen in the game. 

Also think quantity over quality. Sure the Jacksons play a ton and have to consistently keep up the production, but the way Skenes (and starting pitchers in general) can truly be as impactful to the outcome of a game is something to really be recognized and focused in on with this debating. 

Favorite QP segment this season

Literally the one we did on Wednesday night. There are so many incredible ones we have done this season, and before Wednesday I would have struggled to pick one. But we tried some new things because why not empty the tank at the end of the season, and this was executed so well all around.

Do the Yankees have the pitching to go all the way?

Pitching for any team varies on so many factors. Health, who’s feeling confident and hot at the time, who’s not, who is the freshest this time of year. All of this points toward the answer to this question. Do they have the pitching as far as talent goes? Absolutely. But what is the current state of these players? Over the last 12 games entering Thursday, Yankees pitchers are 9-3 with a 2.11 ERA. Gerrit Cole was injured to start the year, but that means his arm could be fresher for the postseason. Carlos Rodon has always been an ebb and flow guy, and it seems he’s been riding more up than down as of late. And then there is the young and feisty and confident Luis Gil, having one of the best rookie seasons in Yanks’ history. He can ride that momentum wave into the excitement and adrenaline of the postseason. 

What this could also come down to is who pitches late in the games. Clay Holmes has been giving Yankees fans migraines (leads the majors with 13 blown saves). But Luke Weaver has been solid as of late. So who do they decide to use in late game situations? It’s all about game plan, strategy and execution for Aaron Boone and Co. 

What motivates you/inspires you the most?

First of all, I love this question. It’s actually a question that I keep in my back pocket for when I interview players. I always seem to get a unique response or special story out of it. I had never had to answer it myself until recently when I was on a panel for women empowerment. I think about my job a lot and how it’s making an impact. A lot of times I struggle to find the answer because, let’s face it, I’m in entertainment. 

So two things, one is that I am so lucky to get paid to do what I do. I’m not curing cancer or fighting wars, so when I’m having a tough day mentally and emotionally I change my perspective to the fact that somebody else out there is fighting for something much bigger and much harder than I am. So that motivates me to keep going and pull myself out of that dark mental state. The other part is when I meet fans. Whether it’s reading social media messages, fan mail or interacting with the fans at games, there is this level of excitement and passion that I can feel from the fans when they meet me. 

It’s not because it’s me, it’s because I can be that outlet for them to connect with their favorite team, athlete, coach etc. I can be the person and voice that bridges that direct connection and when I can share stories, experiences and bring my subjects to life for a fan. It truly does make them feel so special. In a world where we need outlets to escape, sports is one of the best ways to do that. I hope that I can be a part of the positive and uplifting experience for somebody who really needs it most.

Best race in the last couple weeks of the MLB season?

UGH SO MUCH INSANITY. SO MANY GOOD ONES. I can’t even pick a league WC race because they’ve been so fun to follow. So I’ll go specific with Mets-Braves bobbling back and forth between one being in and one being out. I live in New York and hear all the Mets fans screaming at the TVs on a daily basis, so naturally I've been getting into it. And then on social media, all my NC friends are adopted Braves fans, so of course there is drama from them too. 

What are your thoughts on the Canes upcoming season?

You Caniacs, I miss you guys. There I said it. I see all of you still commenting and reaching out. I just want to tell you all that I’m so grateful for each of you, and I very much enjoy following this organization and team. Just like everyone else, I honestly thought last year was the year. So it was time for a reset and a refresh. If I trust anyone to do that it’s Eric Tulsky. 

The Tulsky era has begun and I am so pumped. I have the absolute utmost respect for this man and cannot wait to see what magic he can (and already has) made happen with how intelligent and hardworking he is. It’s hard to make any true predictions with how they retooled this team in the offseason, and I know the loss of some really good players hurt the heads and hearts of fans. But this opens up opportunities for the younger guys to really step into big roles. 

Seth Jarvis fresh off a new contract has me pumped to see how he capitalizes. And there are players like Jack Drury and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, guys that I had the pleasure of covering that have really great talent and I don’t think they’ve scratched the surface yet. Goaltending seems to be the same song and dance, which I always have feelings about. But who knows? Kochetkov has still yet to get even close to his ceiling, and he has another year with more experience, so maybe this is the season he gets really comfortable and shows us what he’s made of. 

Anywho, at the end of the day I go back to the leadership, Rod Brind’Amour and Tulsky, and that in itself makes me feel very optimistic. With a lot of new faces and roster question marks still, I trust they know what they are doing from a decision making standpoint, and players want to play for Brind’Amour.

Will we see more of you on MLB Network this offseason? 

So I received several questions regarding “what’s next.”. What I can transparently tell you guys is that I am usually on rotation for networks as a sideline reporter for college football, so if a network needs me to cover a game, they will call me and assign me onea game. Only time will tell for that. Otherwise, I am going to be consistently working with MSG Networks again as a part of their betting coverage for the NHL. The rest…you’ll have to wait and see (: