Rich_Murphy's Blog

Hey Sports Fans,

For a couple of weeks we have been doing a webcast Monday's at 1pm, FOX 5 Red Zone.

Hosted by Dave Ross with Mark Gray from the Sports Groove we break down the Redskins previous game and the one coming up. It is an opportunity for you to chat and ask questions about sports.

The FOX 5 Sports team weighs in and featured guests are Redskins Cheerleaders or Ambassadors.

Check out this week's show here and catch us live next Monday. 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH FOX 5 RED ZONE


This week Redskins Cheerleader Captain Heather was featured. Click on the link to see more of her photo gallery.

Walking to the Metro the other day, something caught my eye on the side of a Ride-On bus.
In a country where many people don't get involved, keep up with the news or vote who would go to the effort to do this on the side of a bus?  Stuff like this makes me wonder.

You would have to think about it, get one of those things that prints out labels and get close enough to the bus to put the sticker on.

What about the bus driver? Does no one check the bus or inspect? I have seen this particular bus, # 5561, on 2 different days and the sticker is still in place.

Game of the Week is returning Friday 8/22. 
You will be able to vote for your favorite match-up to be featured on Fox 5 News. 

Check our Sports tab and Alert bar starting Friday!

A story that has been simmering on the internet for weeks finally hits mainstream media.  Senator John Edwards admitted to repeatedly lying during his Presidential campaign about an extra-marital affair with Rielle Hunter.

The National Enquirer has the photographic proof from when they followed him to the hotel where Edwards met the woman.

Just one more hypocrite leading a secret life while they stump for the public's support. 

I think behavior like this says something about character and is a factor if you are running for or hold an elected office.  The standards are higher if you expect people to put their faith in you.

What do you think?

>>LINK: Edwards Admits to Affair, Denies Fathering Child

We are always looking for new ways to do gas prices stories. Today Sarah Simmons is working on a story about how some debit cards max out at $50 and it is making drivers reach their debit limit before their tank is full.

Has this happened to you? Let us know.

Or just let off some stream about how outrageous the amount we are shelling out for gas.

It now takes $60 to fill up my Explorer!  No $ left for the car wash discount!

I got to visit the new Nationals Stadium today to see the control room for the gynormous scoreboard. Very cool.
We were the guests of David Lundin, the Scoreboard Producer. Tons of wire everywhere, beautiful switcher, Final Cut pro editing computer. Lots of new toys to play with for techie TV types like me.


Check out more photos at this link:

http://media.myfoxdc.com/NatsControl/album/index.html<
/a>

Here in the newsroom we are deep into planning for Pope Benedict's visit to DC and the US in April. Big events planned at The National's new ball park, parade through DC and other secret stuff they can't tell us yet.

Back 13 years ago, I followed John Paul II on one of his US trips. A reporter, field producer and I trailed him from Newark to Giant's Stadium to Central Park to Camden Yards.  Raised a Catholic it was a moving experience for me to see the thousands of people related to this man, barely being able to understand what he was saying. 

It was aan amazing experinece and I wonder if the current Pope can even get close to the charisma of JP II.  I am planning on doing some field reporting for the web during his visit.  I'll have to see how 13 years later this outpouring of faith moves this fallen Catholic.

Giant's Stadium-I'm sure he is blessing me!

Outside Giant's Stadium before the downpour!

With field producer Christi Day.

Central Park Press Compound

So begins the crazed holiday travel rush!  Are you joining the masses on the roads and at the airports?

Or staying close to home?

Every year newsrooms struggle with ways to do the holiday travel story. Is there any real valuable information we can tell you that will help?  So much of it just seems to be common sense.

We have some links on our traffic page to help. And don't forget to look over our 450 traffic cams before you head out. Click here for MyDCTraffic.

Click here for Fox 5 Travel Guide

Got any holiday travel horror stories you want to share?