15 questions with... Michael Landau, a former DP Senior Sports Editor

Current sports editor Brandon Pride sat down with one of his predecessors, Michael "Landau" Landau, and asked him 15 questions about his time at The Daily Pennsylvanian, his time at Penn, and life overall. Here's what the senior had to say. 

1. Introduce yourself. 

My name is Michael Landau, I'm a senior in Wharton. I'm from Scarsdale, N.Y., and I've been in DP Sports for three and a half years now. I was a sports editor for a year, Senior Sports Editor for another year, and a sports reporter and associate before that. 

2. How did you decide to join DP sports?

I was looking for something else to do on campus and involve myself with. And I signed up for sports largely because I was interested in sports and wanted to see what sports reporting was like, but I also really liked the community when I came to the first few meetings and I liked the people. So that is really what encouraged me to stay. 

3. So you're known as the big golf fan within the DPOSTM [The DP's Only Section That Matters]. So how did you become such a golf person, and why do you like it so much?

I think when I was younger, I was sort of introduced [to] the game, it just, like, ended up on the TV in my house, my dad watched it a bit. And over the summer, it was sort of something that I ended up starting to play. And it was just, I really enjoyed it. And I want[ed] to play more or watch more. And I just got more and more interested in it over time, just, like, the strategy element of the game. And I just think it's a super unique sport. So yeah, that's why I love it. 

4. What was your favorite part about being a sports editor?

I mean, being able to lead the community that DPOSTM is is a really unique experience. I think that's what stood out to me the most throughout the time I was an editor there. It's just a really unique and great group of people, and being able to lead it is a tremendous privilege. That's why I really wanted to do it in the first place and why I wanted to do it for such a large part of my time at Penn. 

5. What's your favorite story you've written? 

I think the recap story I wrote for Penn versus Villanova my junior year was probably my favorite one. Not necessarily because of the story itself, but because of the atmosphere around it. Getting to cover a game at Villanova made me sort of feel like a professional sports reporter, and I was able to be in the press conference with Jay Wright, and it just made me feel very close to sort of the heart of college sports and college basketball, which I'm a big fan of. 

6. Who's been your favorite Penn athlete to cover in your time here?

AJ Brodeur, I mean, men's basketball is my favorite sport to cover, and he was definitely the best player throughout my time at Penn and one of the best men's basketball players ever. So he made the team much more interesting to cover and to watch.

7. What is at the top of your bucket list?

I think being able to, one, be able to travel, but also being able to play golf at lots of places around the world. There probably are a lot of golf courses on my bucket list both in and outside the U.S. That's probably its own bucket list. That's probably one of the biggest things on there.

8. What is the most underrated restaurant on or around campus?

TacoTaco, it's up at 44th Street. So I think that's why it's so underrated and people don't talk about it as much. I hadn't gone there until this fall, but it's really good. Probably the best tacos on campus. I think so. That's pretty underrated. 

9. What is your hot take of the day?

A very hot take is that Kyle Shanahan is a pretty overrated NFL coach who doesn't treat his players the way he should and doesn't talk about his players the way he should. I think, you know, the team has a pretty good roster, and I think any coach [could] do what he's doing, and, just, I think they're making a mess of what's a great team. 

10. What is the most overrated movie in your opinion?

Probably "Saving Private Ryan." Like, a lot of people think that's, like, one of the best movies of all time. And maybe it's just because I don't love more war movies, but I remember watching that and just being like, I do not get why people love this movie so much. I just did not like it. I found it really boring. 

11. What is your biggest regret from your time at Penn?

Probably not joining DPOSTM sooner. I missed a semester, my freshman fall, so yeah, having that back and being here longer would have been nice. 

12. Who's your favorite golfer and why? 

Jordan Spieth. He was really good, well, he started playing really well at [the] age when I was really getting interested in golf, which I think helped. And I just really like his playing style, it's a lot of fun to watch. And, you know, there's a little bit of excitement coming every round around [when] you watch him play. 

13. Historically speaking, what has been your most accurate hot take? 

For the March Madness Tournament this year, I said Oregon State over Tennessee in the first round was not only the biggest upset lock of the year, but also maybe the biggest 12 over 5 seed lock in history. And I obviously ended up being right there, so yeah. 

14. How do you want to be remembered within DPOSTM?

Just as a good leader and someone who was able to connect with as many people in [the] department as I could. And try to do my best to carry on the legacy that the people before me have made for the DPOSTM because we're a department that has a really long and pretty storied history within the DP. So just being able to carry that on, I guess. 

15. Do you have any plans for after graduation? 

Yeah, I'm working in investment banking in New York. So I'm looking forward to that.