[latimes] Meng Wang knows how to cover Yao

He knows how to cover Yao

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By Steve Springer, Times Staff Writer
December 16, 2006


Few people in this country have heard of Meng Wang, but in China, they know him as the man with the dream job.

Meng is a 26-year-old sportswriter for Titan Sports, a publication with approximately one million subscribers. He is based in the U.S., specifically Houston. He covers the Rockets, specifically superstar center Yao Ming.

"He just keeps getting bigger and bigger in China," Meng said of Yao.

Meng is one of seven Chinese reporters who cover the Rockets in Houston, four or five of whom travel to some extent.

Meng produces a full page for the paper on Yao and two additional pages on the Rockets and other Yao-related material for each of the publication's three editions per week.

And Meng also finds the time to do a blog on, of course, Yao.

The response?

"So far this season, I have gotten 160,000 e-mails on my blog," Meng said. "They want to know everything. What kind of movies he likes, what kind of books he reads, where does he go to dinner, when will he get married?"

And the most unusual question?

"Someone wanted to know the size of Yao's underwear," Meng said.

With that exception, Meng responds to the fans with all things Yao except for two sensitive areas. "He doesn't like to talk about his girlfriend or his family," Meng said.

Yao also doesn't like to go out on the road much, although in this season, his fifth in the NBA, the 7-foot-6, 310-pounder has begun relaxing his routine a bit to go out with teammates.

"Usually, he just orders room service," Meng said, "plays video games or watches the Chinese national team on the Internet. He likes the simple life."

And what happens when Yao, who was born in Shanghai, tries to go out back home?

"There are so many people," Meng said, "he can't move."

When Meng's readers aren't obsessing about Yao, they e-mail him to question the strategy of Houston Coach Jeff Van Gundy.

Said Meng: "Every sports fan in China thinks they are the coach."

 

He's the guy who did a report on the story that was over a year old based on video he saw on the internet? Ouch.