Michael Tilka
Sports Anchor/MMJ
Rockford, IL
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WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED: Bettendorf, Iowa/Quad Cities
WHAT COLLEGE DID YOU ATTEND AND WHAT WAS YOUR MAJOR: Indiana University-Bloomington, Media Major
WHY DID YOU GET INTO THE NEWS (OR SPORTS) BUSINESS/BECOME A JOURNALIST: I always had a passion for sports, the numbers and people that drive them, and all the ways that they can break convention and affect our lives
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BEING A JOURNALIST: Getting to be the one to share the information with our audience (for instance: Miyah Brown is the first Girls Basketball player from Winnebago to ever go to a Division-I school, ain't that a fun fact!?)
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A JOURNALIST AND A TELEVISION STATION IN OUR COMMUNITY: To provide the necessary information our community needs and to offer info that folks can't get anywhere else
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE OF WORK: Go on walks, spend time with friends and family, play video games, and of course, watch sports
WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON/PEOPLE – OR ANIMAL - IN YOUR LIFE AND WHY: My family, I certainly wouldn't be where I am today without them
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW: I can't stand soup
WHO HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE AND WHY: My dad, he's always been there for me, I learned so much about work ethic, how to be kind, and so much more from him
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK: Yoohoo
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DINNER ENTREE: arroz con pollo
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DESSERT: Cotton candy ice cream
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY AND WHY: Christmas by far, everyone is sentimental, it's a time of reflection, the music and movies are great, it's just all-around a good time. Plus it's the only holiday where it's socially acceptable to chill in your pj's all day
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON AND WHY: Spring! The weather gets warmer, the NCAA tournament's going on, days get longer, you can finally leave the house for the first time in months, everything just rules
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT: college basketball, men's or women's really
NAME THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE MOVIES: Napoleon Dynamite, Parasyte, Knives Out
NAME YOUR FAVORITE BOOK/AUTHOR: Going Bovine
WHAT IS THE MOST DARING THING YOU’VE DONE: As a person afraid of heights, jumping off the 7M high dive