Graydon Gordian, Patch Staff

<b>Email: </b>graydon.gordian&#64;patch.com

<b>Phone:</b> 917-270-5526

<b>Hometown: </b>Austin, Texas

<b>Birthday:</b> 11/27/84

<b>Bio: </b>Graydon Gordian was born in New York, but his family moved to Texas when he was less than a year old. After graduating high school in Austin, he attended Vassar College, where he received his B.A. in Political Science. After working as a boxing trainer and then in politics, Graydon went to Northwestern University to receive his masters in journalism. He has written for ESPN.com, ESPN Rise, the Sacramento Bee, the Miami Herald, AOL&#39;s Politics Daily, and the Awl. In 2008 he founded 48 Minutes of Hell, an ESPN-affiliate blog that covers the San Antonio Spurs.

<b>Your Beliefs</b><br><i>At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.</i><br><br><b>Politics</b><br><i>How would you describe your political beliefs? </i>

I was raised in a Republican household. I have worked for candidates of both major parties, including Barack Obama&#39;s 2008 presidential campaign for which I was a field organizer in Detroit&#39;s northern suburbs. Nowadays, my beliefs tend to be a mixture of economic progressivism and civil libertarianism.

<i>Are you registered with a certain party? </i>

I am not currently a member of either party.<br><br><b>Religion</b><br><i>How religious would you consider yourself? </i>

I was raised Catholic. I feel culturally connected to the Catholic Church, but I no longer consider myself religious.<br><br><b>Local Hot-Button Issues</b><br><i><br>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?</i>

The Atlantic Yards development, controversies surrounding the use of eminent domain during its planning, and concerns about how a professional sports arena will affect the community are the most important issues facing the neighborhood.<br><i><br>Where do you stand on each of these issues?</i><br><br>I am a big NBA fan, so the idea of having a team here in Brooklyn is enticing. However, I&#39;ve long been a fierce opponent of the employment of eminent domain if the property is being seized for private corporate development, as was the case with Atlantic Yards. I also share the concerns of many Prospect Heights residents that the presence of a professional sports arena has the potential to erode quality of life in the neighborhood. At this stage, my hope is that the neighborhood remains warm and charming and the Nets bring a title to Brooklyn.