Want Your Game on the Radio? Here's the Secret

As is my custom, I passed along to my superiors the details of Rye High Schools' post-season schedule. They begin their defense of their Class B title Friday night at Dietz Stadium in Kingston, NY against Highland from Section 9. If they win that game, they play at Dietz the following Saturday at 4:00 (on a certain someone's 40th birthday). Win that game and they play at 1:00 on Sunday, November 30th in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse for the whole shooting gallery.

My point?

The simple answer was that if we come up with sponsors, we'll probably air the games. I'm asked all the time what it takes to get games on the air. While I've never been given a specific number, what has to be taken into account are things like salaries, equipment costs, and even rights fees (for the state playoff games, that is). Again - THIS IS NOT THE NUMBER - but I've often felt if you could come up with oh, say, minimum $300, that might do it.

LET ME REPEAT THAT I AM NOT SPEAKING FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF WGCH. I could just see this blowing up in my face.

So there you have it. It's a matter of sponsors - pure and simple. Back in the day, we cover sports because it was good for the community. If it made money, then that was a bonus. Times have changed.

I say this as I am as worried about my future as anyone. Every year at this time I hope that we can get Greenwich basketball and hockey back on consistently. Once again, that won't happen this year, thanks to our coverage of Fairfield University basketball. Before you dismiss that, let me give you two words to make you listen: Sean...Kilkelly. The Killer is your halftime guy. Selfishly, if it isn't me, then I'm glad it's him.

So be that as it may, let's do everything in our power to line up those non-Fairfield moments with lots of local flava (yes Greenwich, but I'm also looking at you, Brunswick...and I wouldn't ignore Rye or Harrison or Port Chester if they wanted in the mix).

It breaks my heart, because WGCH Sports could be so much more. I, along with Sean, have bounced around ideas forever (more girls sports, etc). But we're in an era of businessmen. We need to make money; not just put games on for giggles.

After Thanksgiving, I'm sort-of a play-by-play free agent, unless we put a schedule together to do some games. And that will only happen if we have sponsors.