Sometimes, as a sports journalist, big games lift you to previously unknown heights.

Other times, you get knocked flat by Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.

The scene: Yankee Stadium, Game 3 of the World Series. I get there a few minutes early and, after entering through the press gate, I see my friends Jill Liederman, a producer for the Late Show with David Letterman, and Tom Ruprecht, a Letterman writer and sometime-contributor to The Jump section of The Magazine. They're in the Bronx with Biff Henderson, filming remotes for Dave, and I'm hanging with them in the concourse for a bit.

Dan Rather drops by, and he's chill, as is Tony Randall. Don't ask about the guy with World War II-era helmet and cape. He's a Yankees fan, I think, but he's got something going on that I don't want to know about.

Anyway, Jilly tells me she needs a couple of "hot chicks" for one of their pieces, and she asks me to scout for some. No problem. Eagle eye for talent that I have, I soon spot a killer blonde and brunette. I point them out to Jilly, who starts chatting them up.

The blonde is all excited, waves to Biff, and agrees to do the spot. The she walks over to me, all smiles, and starts to chat. I'm psyched: World Series, press credentials, sweet babe -- a big at-bat.

We start talking. I ask her name and she says Gena Lee Nolin. Doesn't register, inasmuch as I haven't picked up Playboy this month, but she's still friendly, touching my arm, focusing on me. I ask her what she does. She very sweetly says that she plays Sheena on TV.

Again, she's nice as can be, and I'm thinking that we've made a connection. Then she asks me if I work for Letterman. I say no, I work for ESPN. Big smile.

"Oh, that's so cool," Gena says, her hand on my arm again giving me hope. "Where's Dan Patrick!?"

Gary Belsky is a deputy editor at ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at gary.belsky@espnmag.com.