Sam Farmer is the Los Angeles Times football writer. Before participating in a panel on professional football’s future in the city, he sat down in the green room to rap about his favorite margaritas, his fondness for Jimmy Buffett, and why he’s a lot like Ranch dressing: he can hang with anybody.
Q. What’s your favorite bar food?
A. I just love these-now it’s a drink-these jalapeño margaritas we just had at Border Grill. And chips and salsa.
Q. What’s the last habit you tried to kick?
A. Eating while I’m doing an interview, while I’m on the phone.
Q. What music do you dance to?
A. I took my daughter to a father-daughter dance last week, so I danced to Katy Perry and LMFAO there. I like Jimmy Buffett.
Q. What surprises you most about your life right now?
A. How year-round the NFL has become. People think that I’m like a teacher, and that after the Super Bowl my work stops. But really, there’s maybe a week or two of downtime. But the league keeps rolling after the season-with meetings, the draft, free agency, mini-camps, labor issues, and the question of the NFL in L.A. …
Q. What do you buy on the Internet?
A. I have a penchant for buying the latest and greatest electronic gimmick. Noise canceling headsets and the latest phone and the best ear buds and the best recorders-that kind of stuff.
Q. Who was your childhood hero?
A. I loved Magic Johnson. I grew up in L.A. in the 1980s, and Magic Johnson was definitely my sports hero.
Q. Besides sports, what do you watch on TV?
A. Can I plead the fifth on that? I watch The Amazing Race. I like The Middle and Modern Family-and Cake Boss, because my kids love it.
Q. What salad dressing best describes you?
A. Unfortunately, maybe the fattiest. [Laughs.] I’m a pretty easy-going guy, pretty low-key, so maybe like Ranch or something that’s not super spicy but solid and consistent. You can hang with anybody.
Q. What’s your favorite thing about Los Angeles sports fans?
A. There’s a sense of perspective with L.A. sports fans. It’s not their alpha and omega because they have lots of things in their lives to do beyond sports. In a lot of these cities where they live for their football team, if that team loses it really affects those people throughout the week.
Q. How do you react when you’re embarrassed?
A. My face gets red, I feel hot. It’s very easy for you to tell when I’m embarrassed because I blush very easily.
*Photo by Aaron Salcido.