Close Up: James Kruse

Position: Water polo color commentator for NBC during the Olympics. After that, “my carriage turns into a pumpkin, and I’ll go back to working for Schneider Commercial Real Estate” in Orange. Also a water polo commentator for

Prime Ticket on a free-lance basis.

Birth date: Nov. 24, 1952.

Residence: Los Angeles.

Education: Fullerton High, class of 1970; Fullerton College, class of 1972; bachelor of arts from UC Irvine in comparative culture and English in 1974, and a teaching credential from UCI in 1975.

Business philosophy: “Work hard and work as intelligently as you can, but always work hard. And it all goes toward the customer.”

Goals: “I want to be obscenely . . . secure. I also want to be balanced because I’m getting married in July before I go to the Olympics. And I want to continue building the good reputation we’ve got” at Schneider.

His wild side: “I’m a movie freak. I love movies. Absolutely love them. I’ve got some friends in the business, so I watch them being made. Oh, and I work out. But I love movies. I mean, I’ll even go to bad movies.”

What drives him crazy: “I hate when people cut me off on the freeway when I’m late.”

Fade to black: “I think my friends would say, ‘Good friend, and the best guy ever to invite to a barbecue.’ Forget about all the business stuff; who cares if your checkbook is balanced--if it’s not enjoyable, why do it?”