The Friday night newscast anchor for Cronkite News on Arizona PBS. Reporter covering the Arizona Coyotes and college athletics. Editing, shooting, writing, and producing my own content to air on Cronkite News shows on Arizona PBS.
MULTIMEDIA WORK
Written, shot and produced by Nikki Pica.
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WRITING SAMPLES
Manogue star Drew Bradeson honors dad by following in father's footsteps (with a twist)
By: Nikki Pica
Growing up, Drew Bradeson learned to value the time he got with his father, Mike, who lived the busy life of a college football coach.
"He would always be leaving for recruiting trips or he'd always be busy during football season," said the younger Bradeson, a recent graduate of Bishop Manogue High. "But when he came home, we'd always watch football, we'd play football games, we would go out boating. We were super close, so breaking that off at 13 years old, it's not something that's easy."
Six years ago, Drew's time with his dad came to an abrupt end. On June 11, 2019, Mike Bradeson — one of the most beloved coaches in Silver State history — passed at age 60 after a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer. It was a loss that resonated with the region as they mourned the loss of a beloved coach.
April Bradeson, his wife, was suddenly a single parent as Drew dealt with the death of his dad.
"What hurts me the most is that when he did pass away, it was at an age where Drew was starting to understand what his job was and how cool his job was and how great his dad was," April said. "We had numerous conversations that it didn't define who Drew is and it was a part of Drew's story, but it is not his story.”
Given the family link to football, Drew always envisioned that to be a big part of his post-high school future. Mike Bradeson was a star player himself, a member of Boise State's only national championship team in 1980 before a decades-long coaching career that included 13 years at Nevada and 14 at UNLV.
"It was kind of the end goal because football is everything at this household," Drew said of playing in college. "If you asked me a year ago, I would 100 percent say I'm going D-II or JuCo for football just because it's what I love doing. I loved playing the sport."
But Drew's future will both divert and diverge with his father's past. After graduating from Bishop Manogue in June, Drew will attend his father's alma mater, Boise State. Only he'll do so as a scholarship track and field athlete after a conversation with his track coach, Rob Spodobalski, changed his athletic path.
"I sat down, thought hard about it and decided to end up quitting football to run cross country senior season," Drew said. "It's probably the best decision I could have made because I'm here where I am now."
Spodobalski added: "I have a lot of respect for Drew because he gave up a lot. The background with his family and football, his father. My head coach at the time and I had a conversation with April and Drew, that if he wants to hit the times that he needs to hit, he's got to come out for cross country and he's gotta give up his love of the game, love of football."
While he's technically an only child, Drew grew up with a band of brothers, his family expanding as Mike's former players rallied around him and April in honor of the man dubbed "Coach Brad."
"He loved his football players as if they were his own kids," April said. "We always had players at the house. He would make sure that they were getting to their classes, getting their homework done. They were here often. They would play baseball with Drew in the yard. They would play basketball with Drew."
Among the hundreds of Wolf Pack pupils Mike developed into men was Brock Marion, who starred for Nevada in the late 1980s and early 1990s before a long NFL career that includes two Super Bowl wins and three Pro Bowl berths. Marion was a wayward kid coming out of high school in Southern California who found structure and support in Bradeson. And now Marion is paying it forward as a coach himself.
"If I can tap into the personal side and see what you're thinking and help you become a better person, that’s gonna make you a better football player," Marion said. "And I think that's what Coach Bradeson did not just for me but for everybody that he touched."
And those in Northern Nevada have stepped up for Drew as he dealt with his dad's loss. Among those are Jeff Horton, the former Nevada and UNLV head coach who the elder Bradeson worked under as an assistant coach, as well as Spodbodlski, Drew's track coach at Manogue who has doubled as a father figure.
"I can picture him as my son," Spodbodlski said. "It's kind of heartbreaking because I wish his real father was here. My parents passed away real early, so I get it. I get losing a parent early on, and I wish Mike was here to see this. He looks down and he's watching.”
Also keeping tabs on the Bradesons has been legendary Nevada football coach Chris Ault, who hired Bradeson to coach for the Wolf Pack in 1986 and again in 2010. When Mike Bradeson passed, he did so knowing the Wolf Pack would continue to take care of his family.
"She's part of the Ault family, whether she likes it or not," Ault said. "And Drew, we were just very proud of him how he grew up. It was unique. Mike was taken way too early. And April really has done a wonderful job and he's a terrific young man."
Mike's legacy will continue to live on in Drew while April makes sure his only son understands how loved his father was and how loved he is.
"One of the most special things that happened were the handwritten letters that we received from players after he passed away that I've saved for Drew," April said. "The letters were about the influence Mike had on their lives. I think all of those are special, that people would actually take the time to sit down and write that letter for us."
As his world collides with that of his father, Drew is excited to continue his academic and athletic career at the next level.
"It’s just super special to run where my dad played football," Drew said. "It's definitely a full circle moment for me."
Kicks and cartoons: Drey Jameson sports custom cleats, dives deeper into passion
By: Nikki Pica
Drey Jameson stands out among professional pitchers, sporting pops of color on his feet while pitching for the Reno Aces and Arizona Diamondbacks.
“I was always into cartoons growing up and I just thought it'd be cool to start doing cartoon themes on my cleats," said Jameson, who has done exactly that.
After receiving a pair of green turfs from his sponsor, New Balance baseball, Jameson wanted to put a creative spin on the shoes, dipping into his childhood to do so.
“I was, like, 'What if I just got them painted?'" Jameson said. "So, I sent them off and I did Rick and Morty on them and they came back. They were pretty sweet. Then they released the ban on cleats and what you could do on field, so that's when I started.”
Jameson sent his cleats to New York-based designer Anthony De Lucia, quickly adding to his growing collection.
"This was five, six years ago," the 27-year-old Jameson said. "And now the kid's grown and he's blown up pretty big.”
De Lucia, founder of Lucia Footwear Co., has seen his custom cleats flourish and boasts a Major League Baseball clientele that includes two-time AL MVP Aaron Judge. But Jameson was one of the first baseball players to use his services and has helped his relationships in the game grow.
"He was definitely one of the first guys that I worked with that actually reached the major leagues," De Lucia said. "And then he continued working with us while he's been on that journey. He has trusted me with every single idea he's had since he made his major-league debut. I'm just super grateful for that, and I'm super thankful for not just our relationship and work, but also he's kind of like a friend, someone who's recommended me to a bunch of his teammates and friends throughout the league, so he's helped grow the business more than most of the guys I'll ever work with."
Lucia Footwear Co. designed Drey Jameson's turfs, inspired by Rick and Morty. (LuciaFootwearCo/Instagram)
Jameson has long been a sneakerhead. In seventh grade, his mom used his back-to-school allowance for a pair of LeBron James' signature shoes. Not long after, the Greenfield, Ind., native made the trip to Indianapolis to trade them for two pairs of sneakers, which ignited a greater desire.
"It kind of started rolling a little bit to where I was kind of making money doing it," Jameson said. "And this was in high school, and then when I got into college (at Ball State) I took it to another step and I started really buying shoes and the passion grew. I like something new. I have the same thing with cars. I can't keep a car to save my life, so, for me, it was just kind of like the thrill, the adrenaline of trying to get that next good deal."
At the end of 2023 season, Jameson injured his pitching arm and needed Tommy John surgery to repair the UCL tendon in his throwing elbow. The surgery led to more than a year-long recovery and rehab and allowed him to feed even further into his show hobby.
"Having 15, 16, 17 months off of baseball, I was going into the field early and I was done by noon," Jameson said. "And it was just more of, 'What can I do to keep me occupied?'"
He discovered an app called "Whatnot," a place to auction rare and exciting collectables ranging from Pokemon cards and luxury purses.
“I had like 450 pairs of shoes," Jameson said. "I was watching the guys on the app for a solid month before I started selling. And I was, like, 'My collection is insanely over what these guys are selling,' and so I was, like, 'I'll just dabble in it.'"
Dabbling turned into 13 hours per week on the app, which he compared to 13 hours of homework. It paid off as Jameson's side hustle netted him more than $150,000.
“It kind of blew up," Jameson said. "At first, no one knew who I was on the app and then it started getting out on the app of what I did for an actual living. So, I think that kind of helped in a sense that I was selling shoes that should have sold for $50 bucks and I was selling them for $200. But I also gave back a lot in that community, so I was always in other people's streams. I would spend $2,000 or $3,000 in someone's stream and not take one item and just basically tell them to keep it.”
Drey Jameson throws a pitch during a Reno Aces game. (Nikki Pica/NSN)
While diving into this newfound sneaker-loving community, Jameson had to balance it with his Tommy John rehab, which can be brutal. After missing the entire 2024 season, Jameson has returned to action this year, pitching seven games for the Reno Aces and three for the Arizona Diamondbacks. On Monday, he was optioned from the big-league team to Reno, now fully recovered from elbow surgery.
"Early on, it was really tough just because you have to see the light at the end of the tunnel," Jameson said. "All I can do is stuff in the weight room and after a month of doing stuff in a weight room only, you start getting annoyed and bored of the weight room. That's the challenge I feel like within the injury, within the rehab process of being able to stay on top of your stuff. Even when it's boring, it's going to help you later on in your career."
Jameson has made 22 appearances with the Diamondbacks from 2002-25, pitching to a 6-2 record and 2.65 ERA over 68 innings. With his return to baseball, Jameson has slowed down his sneaker selling. But his love for kicks continues as he adds to his personal cleat collection.
"Phineas and Ferb are going to be my next ones," Jameson said of the Disney Channel cartoon, "and then I want to do like an old-school cartoon like Barney or the Teletubbies."
WHY NEW YORK YANKEES FANS NEED TO GET OFF THEIR HIGH HORSE
by: Nikki Pica
The New York Yankees are a team most people recognize. With 27 World Series titles, the Yankees have a large separation from the next most-successful MLB team.
The history of the Yankees goes beyond the surface level of the name and titles. The fans seem to like to avoid the present and hide behind the past.
Nearly every Yankees fan finds validation in using their past accomplishments to make up for their failures in the present-day world.
Of the 27 titles, only TWO came within the last 21 years. But don’t worry, I am sure you knew that after a Yankees fan reminded you for the second, third, fourth or even tenth time.
Although the Yankees have won the most World Series titles in all of Major League Baseball, it has not lived up to the expectation once crossing into the 21st century.
The Yankees have made 17 playoff appearances, winning two championships in 2000 and 2009. In the past 10 seasons, the Yankees have not had a title.
The Boston Red Sox have won four titles since the year 2000., The San Francisco Giants have three titles.
Bleacher Report writer Robert Demmett wrote an article, 10 Reasons Rooting for the Yankees Isn't Fun, from the Eyes of a Former Fan that included support about my stance on Yankees fans and their tendency to hide behind the past.
“(An arrogant Yankees fan will) also be the first to chant "Boston sucks" and bring up the fact that the Yankees have 27 championships even though he’s only been around for five. History’s nice, but what have you done for me lately is the real question.” Demmett said.
Although they may not be as annoying as Dallas Cowboy fans, Yankees fans are a close second. It would be understandable if the Yankees have done more in its last few seasons, but that has not happened.
The Yankees are one of the teams with the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball.
With over $231 million to spend on players, the Yankees have no excuse to get some of the best talent in baseball that is able to win titles. And those players are on its roster.
With players like Aaron Judge, who always ends up hurt for part of every season, Gerrit Cole, who is arguably one of the top pitchers in the MLB, Giancarlos Stanton, who either hits a home run or strikes out, the Yankees should be better.
New York has nine players with yearly salaries that sit over $10 million.
Stanton is the second highest paid player on the Yankees, sitting behind Cole, . In the years 2019 and 2020, Stanton only played in 41 games. In 2019, Stanton earned his full salary at $26 million. He played in 18 games, earning $1.4 million per game. He struck out 24 times in 59 at bats, with 17 hits and 13 RBIs. Doing the math on how much he got paid to strike out should make anyone feel uncomfortable.
Being a Red Sox fan outside of New England put an easy target on my back to receive ridiculous comments from Yankees fans. Going away to college in North Dakota got me in touch with many Midwesterners who follow the Yankees because the Minnesota Twins are just like every other Minnesota team, they choke when it comes down to making a playoff run.
Although the viewpoint of Yankees fans is probably unanimous among other clubs, it would be wrong to group all Yankees fans into being arrogant assholes. Most probably are, but there have to be a few who just like their dad’s favorite team, grew up in the area, or just wear Yankees hats to fit the trends.
If the Yankees want to bring back some credibility to the diehard fans that eat, sleep, throw history down the throats of innocent bystanders, and breathe Yankees baseball, winning a title would really help them out.