Praise for North star

Every day when Rhys Priestland awakes he thanks the Lord he's Welsh. There's a very good reason for this. "It means I don't have to tackle George North," he says. Four days on from the win against Ireland and, apart from the spear-tackling ban of Bradley Davies, all anyone wants to talk about in Wales is the teenager with the torso of Jonah Lomu and the hands of Barry John. As an international team-mate, and a fellow Scarlet, Priestland is happy to croon about the boy he calls "The Freak".

"I remember the first time I met George. It was when he started training with Scarlets at the start of last season," Priestland says. "I'd heard of him, he'd been playing for Llandovery and the word was he was good. But I had no idea how old he was. Well, there we were, doing gym testing, and this guy was just so much stronger than anyone else in the squad. We were like, 'Wow'.

"I chatted to him afterwards and asked if he'd done much with his time off during the summer. He said he'd had exams, and I said, 'University exams?' And he said, 'No, A levels!' I've played in the same team with him since and he still doesn't stop surprising me."

Take Sunday at the Aviva Stadium, with the home side on top and the Blarney Army sounding the call to arms. From nowhere, the wing, 6ft 4in and 16st, barges through the defence before providing Jonathan Davies with the sweetest back-of-the-hand pass. It was like watching the Incredible Hulk take a second to perfect a Rubik's cube.

"I was standing right behind George when he gave that offload. And I had to stop," Priestland says. "I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. He's already a superstar – and he's only 19."

North makes the game simpler for a playmaker like Priestland who doesn't have to don the traditional wizard's cape of the Welsh No 10 and perform all the magic himself. "You'd be lucky to have one player like George on your team, because a player like him does not come around very often," Priestland says. "But we've also got Jonathan, Jamie [Roberts] and other big lads who are fast. I wouldn't fancy them lot running at me all day. So part of my job is unleashing this back line."

Since emerging at last year's World Cup as the rank outsider of three to win the race for the fly-half jersey, Priestland has exuded the sort of intelligent control for which his coach, Warren Gatland, was so desperate. In Priestland's words, "It's about me playing with my head up and weighing up the options". The Welsh game plan focuses on making their defence as much a virtue as their attack. With this in mind, Priestland, 25, often applies boot to leather. He is a tremendous kicker out of hand and has always had the reputation at being just as adept off kicking tee. Until last weekend.

Priestland took three kicks at goal and missed them all. Two hit the post and the other fell miserably short. Early in the second half, Leigh Halfpenny assumed the duty and it was the full-back's penalty in the last minute which secured the comeback win. Nobody was more relieved than Priestland.

"Let's just say it helped that we won," says Priestland, who dismissed the notion he was rusty after a two-week break through injury. "I spoke to some of the coaches and I told them it felt bitter-sweet to me. I was disappointed with the way I kicked, but I was over the moon with the way we played and, of course, that we got a win against such a strong Irish team. Over time I've learnt that you can't keep dwelling on things.

"A few years ago, that would have affected me. I'd worry what people thought. But I spoke a lot to [Scarlets coach] Nigel Davies about it back then and he said, 'The people who criticise you couldn't do it, so keep your head down and keep believing in yourself.' It did take a while to convince myself that's the best way to handle it and it's still a work in progress."

The progress is evident, both in his game and his maturity. It was his decision to chuck the kicking tee to Halfpenny, and Priestland understands he must prove himself to see it chucked back. "Yeah, I'd like to kick against Scotland," he says. "But the way Leigh has kicked it's going to be hard for me to get it back off him. I just have to forget what happened last weekend and if I do get another opportunity I have to take it. If not I'll just try to concentrate on every other aspect of the game."

There's plenty of "other aspects" at No 10, a position which only seems to grow in influence with every passing season. This week witnessed Dan Parks' retirement from international rugby and Priestland can sympathise with the Scot concerning the levels of abuse he received from disgruntled fans. But he is determined to never become a victim of the boo brigade.

"You have one off-day and they think someone else should be playing," says Priestland. "I had some stick a few years ago, but not on the same scale as Dan, as I was just playing for the Scarlets. It is hard but you just have to do your best not to take any notice.

"I recall once getting a bit annoyed. Someone shouted something and my mother got upset. But I told her it's part and parcel of her coming to watch me. If you don't want to hear what people have to say you shouldn't turn up for games. I'd say it's probably harder for the family who have to listen it."

Not that Priestland's family has heard anything but praise in the last six months. His elevation has been one of the crucial factors in Wales' rise and his attitude sums up a young squad in which professionalism reigns.

Sports photographer gains world of exposure

It was the fall of 1996 and Bob Sibilia was the sports editor at the Martinez News-Gazette. But this story isn’t about Sibilia; it is about Tod Fierner, who still currently works with the Martinez News-Gazette.

Fierner and Sibilia were at an Oakland Raiders game, there first year back from Los Angeles, when Fierner was talking to Sibilia’s girlfriend. She introduced Fierner to Sibilia, and asked Fierner if he wanted to do game coverage with photos. Fierner kindly accepted the offer even though he had no prior camera experience, or even a camera to take pictures with.

Fierner met with Sibilia the following week and told him to go to the game and shoot some pictures, with a camera that Sibilia had lent Fierner. If Sibilia liked the pictures Fierner would have a gig with the gazette, if not he would have had some exposure to the real world of sports photography.

Fierner went to the Raiders game the following week and snapped some shots, brought them back to the Gazette and Sibilia. Sibilia liked the photos Fierner had taken and took him on as his apprentice. “Bob was a wartime photo journalist, he didn’t want to do all the photos for sports, that’s where I came in,” said Tod Fierner.

Fierner worked with Sibilia for a year before he bought his first camera, and after another year Sibilia left the gazette, but Fierner stayed. “When Bob left I stayed, I kept shooting pictures for the gazette, whether it be professional sports or Alhambra or College Park, I was shooting sports,” said Fierner.

To this day Fierner has still never taken a photography class, or a journalism class. “It’s all trial and error, everything I’ve done,” said Fierner. The trial and error has worked in his favor.

Currently, Fierner is currently employed by, St. Mary’s college in Moraga. He is their photographer for all of their collegiate sports. “I expanded, marketed myself and my work and got in contact with St. Mary’s, to be where I am today,” said Fierner.

Fierner has been many places throughout his photographic career, including two super bowls, a Sweet 16 appearance with St. Mary’s, countless 49ers and Raiders games. College games from San Jose State, California Berkeley, Stanford, and Oregon. Fierner was also at an NFL Alumni golf tournament back in 2008 before the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, where he was the only photographer at the event. “It was cool, we had eight police escorts around the bus I was in,” said Fierner. “When I got out all the fans were like who is this?”

Fierner has been shooting NFL games since 1996 with the Oakland Raiders, and 2005 when he finally got in with the San Francisco 49ers. At the Raiders game Fierner also has special duties that include taking pictures of Ice Cube, a long time Raiders fan. “I’ve been shooting for Ice Cube for three years, every time he’s at the coliseum,” said Fierner. “Cube is a cool guy, he is not who you think he would be.”

Fierner has met a lot of famous people while working, “Magic Johnson was probably the coolest person, he is very personable, he asks about you, how your doing, he gets to know you,” said Fierner. Fierner met Johnson while working a Raiders game in 2010.

Fierner has also met athletes like Reggie Jackson, Mike Ditka, Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, Warren Sapp and Ladanian Tomlinson. All of whom asked to get their photo’s taken. “I met Tim at a Giants game, he was pitching and came into the dugout and saw me taking pictures, he asked if I had any good ones, which I thought was odd because pitchers are usually quiet when they are working that day, but I showed him some of the pictures and he told me to hook him up,” said Fierner.

Because of the work Fierner does he has been requested to travel to other side of the country on occasion, “I went to Providence, Rhode Island with St. Mary’s basketball team for the 2010 NCAA tournament,” said Fierner.

Fierner has shot almost every sport from baseball to volleyball, “I went to Wrigley Field in Chicago to shoot a Cubs game that was cool,” said Fierner. “I never take my work for granted though, everyday is probably the coolest day when your watching sports.”

Cool indeed, but some sports are difficult, I asked Fierner which sport was the most difficult, “Volleyball,” said Fierner. “You never know where the ball is going.”

I asked Tod which guys he thought through his lens looked like they were going to be studs at the next level, “When Ryan Leaf was as Washington, I could have swore he was going to make it big,” said Fierner. “I also thought Kyle Boller was going to be something big when he was at Cal and Atari Kellen, I saw him in high school.”

I also asked Tod if there was ever a moment he got too close to the action, “In San Francisco, I was covering a 49ers game, I was on the sidelines and I got run over by the special teams unit,” said Fierner. “They blocked the punt, and I got run over.”

Fierner has also had some opportunities to shoot other things besides sports, “I was invited to the Play Boy Mansion once to shoot a party, but I cancelled because St. Mary’s was going to the WCC Tournament in Vegas,” said Fierner. “My wife doesn’t believe me that I ever had the chance, but I did.”

Fierner currently has four cameras, all Cannon and all digital, “It’s a long way from my first camera, which was a classic filmstrip Cannon,” said Fierner.

Some events or sports Fierner would like to do in the future are, a boxing match, UFC fights, a World Series and the Olympics.

Fierner’s work has even been seen on the other side of the world in Australia, “I’ve had some pictures in the Aussie newspapers because of the Australian guys on St. Mary’s,” said Tod Fierner. “Everything I do today would not be possible without the Gazette.”

Designer Toys

AS a designer of light fixtures that are sculptural and modern, David Weeks has long been a favorite of interior designers and architects. But when he recently began designing toys, many of his clients weren’t sure what to think.

 “I’ve been very proud of the lighting, but over the years I’ve tried to change the perception of the company and myself,” Mr. Weeks said.

“You can’t really break out,” he added. “Every time I tried to do something humorous, people would say, ‘What is that?’ ”

Still, he persisted, producing a line of playful wooden animals with movable joints for Areaware. His first piece, Hanno the Gorilla, was soon joined by Ursa the Bear, Hattie the Elephant, Simus the Rhino and Hugo the Wild Boar. He also designed the Cubebot, a sort of primitive wooden robot that folds down into a perfect cube.

“The toys come very much from playing with my son and his toys,” said Mr. Weeks, who has a 9-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter. As someone who “makes stuff,” he said, “you can’t help but analyze things as you play with them.”

But since the toys were introduced, a peculiar thing has happened: Mr. Weeks has discovered that they are as popular with adults as they are with children.

In search of other designer toys that would appeal to all ages — and look good on the credenza — he began at the Shop at the Cooper-Hewitt. It didn’t take him long to zero in on a set of three walnut spinning tops by KleinReid for Herman Miller. “The scale and girth is nice,” he said. “You could give them to your kids and not worry about them.”

He also liked the Sedici Animali Puzzle, designed by Enzo Mari in 1957 — a set of flat wooden figures that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. “I love that they’re cut out of a single board,” he said.
At the Museum of Modern Art Design Store in Midtown, he found another wooden toy set: Playshapes by Miller Goodman, which has pieces of various shapes and colors that can be used to create compositions. But “you’d have to play with your kid for a while for them to get the idea,” he said, worrying that it might be too complex.

For toys made from a different material, he stopped at My Plastic Heart on the Lower East Side, a shop with glass cases that display art toys and urban vinyl figures. One of his favorites was Gosho, a plump figure that was all white, so an owner could customize it with markers. Mr. Weeks said he “wouldn’t mess with it,” though.