Love: Karen Travers & John Anderson

Hello there

On a Sunday in 2007, Karen and friends went to their favorite Washington sports bar to watch football. Though she had stayed in D.C. to work for ABC News after graduating from Georgetown University, Blue Bell-born Karen had remained a citizen of Eagles Nation.

John says it was her gorgeous red hair that drew him away from his friends and next to Karen at the bar. Her dark-green jersey quickly led to a lively Eagles-vs.-Redskins debate.

That was not their only topic of conversation. John, who works in international development and has traveled extensively, learned that Karen had been "to significantly more countries than I had." He took this as a very good sign. And Karen noted that John paid almost as much attention to political happenings as she did.

After more than an hour, John's friend Charles appeared. "This is Karen," John told him. "She's an Eagles fan." John and Karen's connection was immediately obvious to Charles. So was John's failure to secure a future date with her.

Karen and John settled their football debate by betting on a coming Eagles-Redskins matchup, Charles said. He wrote John's phone number on a napkin and handed it to Karen.

The Redskins won. John did not gloat. Karen paid for drinks.

They saw each other nearly every Sunday at the bar where they met. John, who is now 30, and Karen, now 33, also went on a few dates. But to John's dismay, their relationship did not progress.

Karen, now a correspondent with NewsOne - the ABC department that provides political coverage for affiliates, including 6ABC in Philadelphia - had just become deputy political director. "I liked hanging out with him, but I didn't know if I liked him that way," Karen said. She was so busy covering the 2008 presidential campaign that finding out was not a priority.

In December, Karen's good friend Emily had a blunt conversation with her. "You're crazy," she said. "He's great." He is, Karen had to agree.

John, now an investment policy analyst for the International Finance Corp. of the World Bank, headed to Illinois to spend Christmas with his family, and Karen came home to Pennsylvania.

"I didn't see him for two weeks, between Christmas and the New Hampshire primaries," Karen said. "I really missed him."