A View from the WGCH Press Box

Here's the latest from the WGCH Press Box, online at the Greenwich Post website.

Happy Halloween to all (and hopefully many of you can still trick-or-treat).

Me...on CKNW and Sandy

Greenwich, CT - October 30, 2012 (RA Photo)

The past 36 hours (and some more) have been pretty wild.  I guess I can say that I served as the anchor for WGCH's live Hurricane/Tropical Storm Sandy coverage, manning the controls for nearly eight hours until power wiped us out at 10:30 last night.

Just after I got to the station, our true News Anchor (and News Director) Tony Savino took a phone call from a Canadian-based radio station, looking for an interview regarding the storm.  Tony asked if I would like to do it and I was pleased.  I enjoy doing such things, and would step away from the WGCH microphone at 3:35 (our time) to take the call.

From what Tony heard on the phone, I would be appearing on CKLW, a legendary 50,000-watt station based in Windsor, Ontario, and booming into Detroit.  I thought of perhaps talking about the Tigers' loss in the World Series.  Excitedly I posted the information on Facebook.

Then I took the call and heard a traffic report discussing CKNW (980 AM), not CKLW (800 AM).  OK, so no Tigers talk!  Still, the thought of going on a highly-rated (and regarded) station in Vancouver sounded pretty cool to me.

I spoke with Simi Sara, who peppered me with questions in a professional, yet breezy way that allowed me to stay loose and still be a reporter. 

I must have done something right, because Simi suggested that they might call on me again.

After I tried to catch up on some sleep this morning, I checked my phone to discover that I missed three phone calls from a strange number.  Sure enough, Simi's producer, Claire Allen, had called to ask if I could appear on the show again.

You probably know I don't take these things lightly.  I truly consider them a privilege.  I made sure to charge my phone up enough so that I had power to do the interview when they called again.

If they ever need me again, I'm there.  Maybe next time we can really talk sports.  We could discuss the NHL and, as ace "Exit 55" reader Harold said, "tell them the Canucks are a bunch of divers!"

I found out that Simi does podcasts of her shows and, indeed, the past two days are online.  So if you want to hear how I sounded, you can check them out for yourself (look for the shows of 10/29/12 and 10/30/12).

Home Sweet Home.  I had no other choice!

As for our WGCH experience, well, it was, um, an experience.  The wind was incredible and the storm surge intense.  Despite our best-intentioned plans, it wound up being "The Rob and Jim Show", with Jim Fischer and I making it up as we went along, with an assist from Darby, hosting her one-hour show.  Otherwise, it was Jim and I.  We talked about the weather.  We talked about the news.  We interviewed a few guests.  We handled roughly two hours of phone calls from listeners about the power and the storm.  We even took a few sports phone calls.  The "Press Box Playmakers", Chris Kaelin and Chris Erway called in to give us the perspective from their towns and talked just a little sports.  Online, Kato, CJ, and Ryan DeMaria kept me laughing with our ongoing conversation.

Tony Savino and Bob Small also worked extraordinarily hard from multiple angles, with Tony stationed at Police Headquarters (before returning in the storm to the studio) and Bob trying to engineer and problem-solve.

Greenwich.

The night reminded me of why I love radio so much.  People needed us.  People were listening.  People were responding.  It was awesome.

After the power went out, we were faced with the inevitable: sleeping at the station.  No problem, though, as I brought my trusty air mattress, "Brenda" (yes, it has a name - long story).  But...I didn't inflate it when we still had electricity and my battery-powered air pump didn't work.  So I jumped into my sleeping bag on the floor and made the best of it as the wind howled.

The corner of Lewis and Mason Streets in Greenwich - October 30, 2012 (RA Photo)

After a largely restless night, Jim, Tony and I (joined eventually by Bob, who had gone home) gathered in the studio and talked for a bit before I decided to try to venture home.  The drive, to be honest, was largely uneventful.  I returned home to a powerless house.  We had no flooding or down trees (a few limbs and branches).  Being without power was a small price to pay.

Power returned about 90 minutes ago.  I hope for everyone else to get theirs back soon, and feel for those who have suffered and lost so much.

It was a remarkable stretch.  Another story in my radio life that I won't soon forget.

My Article in the Greenwich Post

A writer, and three broadcasters at Cardinal Stadium.  Me, Ryan DeMaria, and Chris Erway,

Paul Silverfarb - you know, the MAN (who happens to also be the Sports Editor at the Greenwich Post) needed a weekend off with the family, and he made the call to the bullpen.

Everyone else was unavailable, so he asked me.  It was like calling the Notre Dame bench and finding out only Rudy is there.

My game story on the Greenwich/Brigeport Central homecoming game is online (and at newsstands across Greenwich).

I'm known as "Post Special Correspondent."  Sadly, "Super Genius" has already been taken.

Yankees YouTube Finds

I'm always seeing new goodies on YouTube, related to all kinds of various things.

A few Yankees goodies.

1) Ed Figueroa became the fist Puerto Rican to win 20 games in MLB history.  He won his 20th against the Indians to close out the 1978 season.  NBC covered it as the Game of the Week, with Joe Garagiola calling the play-by-play.  This is the ninth inning of that game.

The Yankees would lose the next day, setting up the "Bucky Dent" (American League Division Playoff) game.

2) Here's a promo from WPIX (Channel 11) in that same 1978 season.  Eleven Alive!


3) From 1985, the Bombers top the Twins, 9-8.  Spencer Ross and Bill White had the call on WPIX.  Good seats still available.  This was during the years that it was considered "dangerous" to go to Yankees games.

This happened not longer after the firing of Yogi Berra as Yankees manager.  Billy Martin (who else?) replaced Yogi, and Berra would not return to the Bronx until 1999.  And for you young fans, Ron Davis (who surrendered the home run) is the father of current Met Ike Davis.

A Walk on a Beautiful Sunday

Last Sunday was possibly the last nice weather day that we will see in 2012.  Of course, if cold weather and so on is your taste, then you're the wrong person for this post.  For Lisa and I, it was about as nice as it can get.  Sunny, 60's, and the fall colors near their peak.

We planned to make it a leisurely type of day, but we were absolutely going to walk somewhere.  Lisa's initial intention was to go to Val-Kill, the cottage and grounds that Eleanor Roosevelt owned until the end of her life in 1962.  That plan seemed to be scuttled when we decided to grab a small breakfast (Robbie needs his coffee) and head on over to a different trail.

We drove to Quiet Cove, a small park off US 9, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie.  I took the above shot of the Walkway over the Hudson and the Mid-Hudson Bridge from there.  There is a house on the site that seems to be rented out for meetings and such, but it's the deck looking out onto the Hudson that is the winner.  It's a sweet little park, but it didn't have the trail that we intended to take, so we drove up the road into Hyde Park, where we found the beginning of the next trail that we wanted to take.  The bonus to this was parking at the old Hyde Park train station.

But as we started walking, something just didn't seem right about this trail.  For Lisa, it was a touch too familiar.  I think she wanted something new, and I had no objections, so after checking out this awesome waterfall on the edge of the Vanderbilt Mansion property, we went back to plan A.

We drove around the Vanderbilt property, where I got this great shot.

From there, it was on to Val Kill.  We did the walk to Top Cottage, FDR's "retreat.", built around 1938.  The guide we met there told us that the President only went there 98 times before his death in 1945, and never slept there.  Of course, Lisa and I were curious how one defines "sleep" in this case.

Giggity giggity goo.

Still, I had to laugh at the thought of Franklin Roosevelt, who had a beautiful house just about three miles away on the Hudson River, needing to go to a "retreat."  Ah, wealth.  So obnoxious.

It's a nice little place, and worth a fast visit.  The view (before the trees grew) must have been fantastic.

The walk from Val-Kill to Top Cottage was decent.  Nothing strenuous about it.  If anything, it reminded me of walks I used to take on the many trails in the woods surrounding my boyhood home (now mostly gone).

Back at Val-Kill, we decided to visit the cottage of one of the 20th Century's most important women.  But...the tour wouldn't start for 90 minutes and we were hungry.  Yet the tour would be free, so we went and grabbed some lunch at the Hyde Park Brewing Company.

Housed in an old Howard Johnson's (my mom and I ate there a few times when we visited the FDR estate 30 years ago), I snapped a picture of Simple Simon and Pieman (the old HoJo logo) that still exists on the floor in Hyde Park.

After we nibbled on our pretzel (goes great with beer and football), pizza, and pasta (all outstanding), we bounced back to Val-Kill for the quick tour of the grounds.  Eleanor Roosevelt (not to be confused with Eleanor Rigby) lived quite simply in this cottage housed in the former home of Val-Kill Industries.  Her two good friends who lived in a house right next to the industrial-looking cottage.

Eleanor Roosevelt's living room.  Of particular interest to me was her radio (of course).  Amazing to think she entertained JFK here, among others.

We finished our tour, giggling at times like school kids over silly things like big fat leaves and such.  That's the bond that only two people so close can share, and the contents will make no sense to anyone else.  We finished our day on that note.

I hope the weather gives us more moments like this, but it was pretty good regardless.

Here's a sign picture for you to finish up.  I'm happy to give.  It's the kind of guy I am.  A good way to "end" things.

The Latest From The Press Box

My latest edition of "A View From the WGCH Press Box" is online at the Greenwich Post.  Plus, if you grab a copy of the latest edition (hot off the press!) you will find the game article for last week's Greenwich/Bridgeport Central game, written by me.

In fact, I have to get a copy for myself!

Early Departure

Tappan Zee Bridge, January 11, 2012, 4:54 AM

I decided to get an early start on my day this morning, and was on the road around 5:30.

And I loved it.

This is one of the ways I love to travel.  I have a system (patent pending) for my trips to the south, for instance.  I know that if I'm on the road by 5:30 AM, I can pretty much avoid the New York rush hour.  I'll be around Philadelphia (either on I-295 or the NJ Turnpike) between, say, 7:30-8:00.  Dicey, to be sure, but if I take the right roads then there is no problem.  The right road is the Turnpike, but I've grown annoyed at paying tolls.  After that, I'm into Delaware by 8:30...Baltimore by 9:30...and crossing the Wilson Bridge into Virginia at 10:30.  My only traffic concern is construction (of which there is much in the Washington area on I-95), but if I'm heading towards Richmond or beyond, I'm strolling into town by 12:30 (and that's WITH stops).

That was a huge digression, but it felt oh-so-good to type.

Plus, and let me be clear about this, I love it when it is dark.  I want to watch the sun come up, not leave as it's coming up.  Big difference.  One more thing about traveling far south is, back in the day of the family trip to Florida, we could be getting into the car wearing winter coats, and getting out without them.

Early morning travel is not great for a road enthusiast who loves to take pictures (exhibit A is above).  Here's another one...

Approaching the Pennsylvania/Delaware border at approximately 7:00 AM.  Cool effect, I guess.

And as the sun comes up, well, I guess it's visually interesting but not quite right.

Glasgow, DE.  Approximately 7:45 AM.  We road enthusiasts are kind of fond of this intersection.

Yet, I'll take this over anything.  I've told Lisa, and I'll stand by it, that my favorite part of the trip I took to Charleston back in January, was the drive (which these pictures are from).  That's no offense to anyone, or anyplace.  I just loved getting out and on the road at four in the morning.  Loved keeping little notes for mileage and time (I found that if I had made no stops that day, I would have made it to Charleston in about 13 and a half hours).  Loved visiting Richmond - not long enough.  Loved the freedom, and only wanted company with the right person.  Sean is a very good companion, for the most part.  I'm looking forward to a big drive with Lisa one day.

Anyway, there's something wonderful about the early morning road.  Especially when it is quiet.  A Sunday morning can be so serene.  I really enjoy that.  Just me - and the opportunity to count the number of other cars that I see.  Plus that little ol' wireless device.  You might have heard of it: a radio.  Specifically, an AM radio.

Back in the days when I used to fill-in doing the news on WGCH, my early morning drive to Greenwich could have me spinning the dial to listen to WSB in Atlanta, or KMOX in St. Louis.  Perhaps Chicago, Charlotte, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, or other far off points.  Of course, there's also Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and Boston.  They're quite easy to pick up.  This morning, it was Cincinnati on "The Big One", WLW (700).  Why them?  They were talking about their Bengals, who lost to...um...the Steelers last night.

So yeah, that made for happy listening.

This morning was a tease, just as it was in the recent times that I've been on the road early.  The road isn't long enough on these early trips.  The promise of heading out for...who knows where...is tantalizing.  That feeling of a clean car (clean windows!), having things set just right, and setting off with very few others on the road is a warm thought.

It will happen.

The Latest "View" in the Greenwich Post

Here's my new edition of "A View From the WGCH Press Box" on the Greenwich Post website.  I understand technical glitches happen, but they embarrass me.  In this case, it was fairly unacceptable, and I let it be known.

Joe Buck

A tip of the hat to Kenn Tomasch for pointing this one out.  Will Leitch, former Deadspin dude, defends Fox broadcaster Joe Buck, and says what I've been saying for a long time: frat boys get on Joe Buck for his lack of over-the-top hysterics (not a Buck trait).  But most of all, Buck is too omnipresent.

He is our generations Curt Gowdy.  Gowdy, older fans will recall, did baseball, football (NFL and college), college basketball, and the American Sportsman.  He.  Was.  Everywhere.

Buck is an outstanding play-by-play announcer.  Why do you need screaming?  An announcer is supposed to enlighten and entertain.  They are supposed to report.  Yes, they're allowed to get excited, but when does that fly way over the top (and you know whom I'm getting at)?

Yes, Joe comes off as smug, which I think is more about his sense of humor than his actual personality. 

Here's the big knock on his not getting excited.  The David Tyree play.


Oh please.  Exactly what do you think the great Vin Scully would have done with this play?  Or Al Michaels?

The moment doesn't often need screaming.  It needs to be nuanced.  It needs to be right.  Here's Al handling the James Harrison interception a year later.  Pretty brilliant.


And for a guy who doesn't get excited, Joe Buck sounds pretty good here.  I'm kind of fond of this one.


So stop.  If you're sick of Joe Buck, fine.  If he's not your style, that's good too.  But as for if he's a good play-by-play voice, he's more than fine.

He's working on a Ford Frick Award-winning career.

The Three Home Runs

It happened thirty-five years ago.  That seems almost impossible, but it is true.

The Yankees won the first World Series of my lifetime.

After coming close, and making the Series in 1976 (but getting destroyed by the Big Red Machine), 1977 was meant to be different.  Oh, that it was.  For starters, the Bombers added a big straw named Reggie Jackson.  Now, let's be quite clear.  Reggie did some good, even great things as a Yankee (including 35 years ago tonight).  But he also at times embarrassed his so-called beloved pinstripes.  His comments about Thurman Munson (the infamous "straw that stirs the drink" comment) got things off to a bad start.  He loafed at times (in a way more offensive than Robinson Cano is accused of today).  He famously fought with Billy Martin in plain view at Fenway Park.

To be honest, I didn't like Reggie.  In a lot of ways, I still don't.  I've seen him personally - rude, brash, arrogant.  I've heard more stories that back that up.  He essentially made a deal with the Yankees to get his number retired in exchange for putting an "NY" on his Hall of Fame plaque.  In that same deal he got a job as a "special assistant", or whatever he is.

Maybe Reggie is just fine.  Derek Jeter likes him.  Guess that says something.

Oh, and there's no way in the name of George Herman "Babe" Ruth that his number should have been retired.  I've done that debate before here.  My opinion hasn't changed.

But my god did he cement his legacy 35 years ago tonight.  Jackson homered off of Don Sutton in his last at bat of Game 5, as the Dodgers pounded New York, 10-4.  It was a Tuesday night and, given the chance that the Yankees could win the World Series that night, I was allowed to stay up past my bedtime.  Jackson walked and scored on a Chris Chambliss home run in the second.  Then the fireworks began.

He came up with the Yankees down 3-2 in the fourth and hit a two-run shot off of Burt Hooton to make it 4-3.

He hit a two-run shot in the fifth off of Elias Sosa.

Then, with the old building rocking, he launched a shot to "the black" in dead center field off Charlie Hough in the eighth.

(By the way, if I was Keith Jackson, calling the play-by play, I would have thrown both Tom Seaver and Howard Cosell out of the booth that night.  Never cut the play-by-play voice off.  Jackson barely got the word "high" out of his mouth.  Bad.)

Between Games 4 and 5, Jackson had homered four times...on four straight swings; each home run coming on the first pitch he saw.

The Dodgers added a run in the ninth before started Mike Torrez closed out the 8-4 win.  At home in Mahopac, eight-year-old Robbie began to jump before remembering that my father had already gone to bed (he always got up for work early).  It was the quietest jump in this history of celebrating.

In the Yankees locker room, Bill White interviewed the Champions for ABC.


Side note: I miss these days.  It's all too scripted now.

The Yankees would win again in '78, of course, before going into the silence of the 80's and early 90's.  Then we were blessed with '96, '98, '99, and 2000.  Then, with Sean sitting on my lap in 2009, we watched the Yankees wrap up that 27th Championship.

Sean quickly went back to sleep, but celebrated the next day.

Sadly, I don't think a corresponding photo exists of me from 1977, but you get the idea.

You never forget your first time.

October 17, 2009

This is us...now.

It was a Saturday. I was scheduled to call the Rye-Harrison game at Feeley Field in Harrison (a terrible place to broadcast a game from, unless you can find room in or near the press box).

Of course, we never found room to do a game in or near their press box, so, as usual, Sean Kilkelly, Nick Fox, Chris Erway and I went inside the Harrison Ave Elementary School and tried calling the game from the back of the auditorium - through a small window.  In fact, Sean sat in another part of the auditorium near a window, and I was a good 100 feet away.  Erway went down to the field, and when I couldn't see the action, I would just hand it off to him.  He called things from field level!

Harrison has finally moved to a new field.  I hope one day to do a game from there.

Ah, but back to Rye-Harrison '09.  Rye won "The Game" 21-7, winning their seventh in a row against the longtime rivals.  That's about all I remember about it.

The postgame is much more memorable.  I wanted us to wrap up and head out as soon as possible, because I needed to get all the way up to Poughkeepsie, NY.  I was set to meet my cousin Kris at a Starbucks near Marist College, but I needed to get there, and fast.  Time was a factor.

Kris was heading over to St. Francis Hospital to see his wife.  Well, that's not exactly true.  His wife, Lori, was there, but he was bringing me to see his wife.  Wait, no, that's wrong also.  Kris and Lori wanted me to meet somebody.

Lisa.

I knew very little about her, but it seemed like a good idea for us to meet.  So Kris and I met at Starbucks, where I was told that I was buying a Chai tea latte.  Lisa would like that.

We parked where the cops park - after all, Kris is, well, a cop.  We strolled right into the emergency area as if we worked there.  Damn, I expected to be caught and thrown out but Kris is Kris.  He knows where to go.  We made it back to where Lori was...and Lisa was supposed to be.

I waited.  I would come to find out that that is her standard operating procedure.

Finally, a very attractive blonde walked in.  No smile - at least not at first.  Maybe an awkward one..  Nervous, I thought, though she seemed pleased with the gift from Starbucks.  She was cautious - not too outgoing.  Maybe shy.

We made small talk for a few minutes - almost acting like neither one of us was standing there expecting to have met the other (though we both knew we were set up).

Kris and I left.  He invited me back to his house, and Lori would join us for some pizza, carrying an important document.

A scrap of paper with Lisa's phone number.

Two days later, after a long phone conversation, we met at a different Staburcks, further down US 9 (which runs from Laurel, DE to Champlain, NY) in Poughkeepsie.  We spent a few hours talking and getting to know each other (all while the Yankees were playing Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.  That's a huge compliment.).

We also shot a cell phone picture together, but I know her, and she would not want me to post it here.

She was funny and fun to talk to.  She was attractive.  She liked me, but didn't entirely want to be liked.  Not yet.  To be honest, she was detached and difficult to get close to.  It was like we were friends, at best.  Subsequent so-called "dates" were like pulling teeth.  It didn't make sense, but I figured it just wasn't meant to be.  Ultimately there were reasons for all of this, and we both went on with our lives before fate intervened again.

Trust me when I say that it could have been very different, but we went down different paths.  I think we're better for it.

It all started three years ago today.  And for that, I'm forever grateful.

To Ty

Ty Campbell was a adorable little kid who lived in Pawling, NY.  Sadly, he was, because cancer took him earlier today.  Ever the dutiful reporter, I watched as the first report hit online.  I waited for multiple sources.

The Journal News has confirmed it.  He was five.

His mother kept a blog of the whole story - a document to her son's life.  It is beyond sad.

It brought her and her family attention from many corners of the globe.  Hopefully that provided some kind of a smile.  A way to get through the day.

I only hope for their continued strength now that Ty has gone.

I'm a dad.  That makes this story hit a little closer for me.  But no matter what - father or simply a human being - this story is beyond sad.

Five.  He was five years old.

No matter how you look at it - it just isn't fair.

I'm going to have dinner with my son now, and hug him a little tighter tonight.

A New Greenwich Post Post (HA!)...and Other Writing News

This is my latest contribution to the Greenwich Post website.  Paying tribute to friends at Cardinal Stadium.

In a related story, it looks like I'm going to be a writer.  You know, as in, "professionally."  My friends at the Post (Ken Borsuk) were instrumental in putting me in touch with some folks at Brunswick School, the wonderful boys private school in Greenwich.  Of course, I've broadcast games around 'Wick for years, including hockey, football, basketball, baseball, and lacrosse.  Going forward, I will be the sports writer for their Times of Brunswick periodical.  My work will be found in their pages (which is published three times per year).

There are a few things that are really exciting about this:

1) Building a strong relationship with the school.  We're pretty solid with Greenwich High School, but not as solid with everyone else in town (there are various reasons for this - none bad on my part or the school's.  Just matters of time and such.).  This will give me more contact with their coaches and athletes.  If "The Press Box" soldiers on*, we can continue to grow.

* Yes, I said "if."  With that said, cultivating this relationship is networking at its finest, for me personally.

2) They told me to "have fun with it."  Nothing sounds better to me!

I'm also working on some things with Connecticut School of Broadcasting (you might recall that I attended the school and now teach there).  Hopefully more to come on that eventually.

Magical Mystery Tour Re-release

I know, I know.  Beatles...blah blah blah.  And now I'm going to try to sell you on their perhaps most painful-if-not-bizarre project, Magical Mystery Tour.  The TV movie shown on Boxing Day, 1967 has long received dreadful reviews for its lack of a script and purpose.

In short it's a psychedelic mess.

But...there's the little matter of the music.  Let's face it; The Beatles were all about the music.  As usual, the music is pretty much brilliant, from the opening bounce of the title track right on through.   The album, which was part soundtrack and part "LP", features another personal favorite of mine, "I Am The Walrus", along with classics that weren't a part of the soundtrack, like "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane", and "Hello Goodbye" (which was played over the closing credits of the movie).

This is the trailer for the new release of the movie in the various formats for your own pleasure.

In The Greenwich Post

A View From the WGCH Press Box has returned to the Greenwich Post this week, thanks to my friend Paul Silverfarb.  Give it a read.  I'm not giving up on a big turnout Friday night at Cardinal Stadium (pregame show at 6:40 PM on WGCH).  They can chant my name if they want.

PS, I'm quite happy (obviously), that the Yankees have won the AL East again.  I hope it is a big postseason for the Bombers.  I want to like this team, but I just haven't yet.  I also haven't had a lot of faith in this team.

But...despite what people said, I thought the Yankees would win the division all along.  I just didn't (and don't) have a strong belief that they're sticking around for long.  I hope I'm wrong.

Last night's "Clubhouse" show was hysterically fun.  The sponsor wants the show to return in 2013.  I hope it does.  I enjoyed it.

L-R: Rob Adams, Brian Crowell, Billy Condon, Mark Jeffers

October Begins and We're Off the Bench

Yes, October.  Time to shine in baseball.  I'm sure you saw MLB is using a guy named Springsteen for their postseason commercials?  Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.


Once again, the Yankees will be a part of the party.  Once again, they will go home without the big prize.  I'm not sure, but I feel like this is the first Yankees team that I just can't seem to embrace.  Of course I'm rooting, and rooting hard, but something is missing.  In the end, good pitching will shut down the Bombers' big bats.  Home runs are great during the regular season, but manufacturing runs offensively is a big part of winning in the postseason.  And...not doing everything by the book.

Thankfully the real refs are back in football.  Of course, within a few hours, we were all cursing them again.  Life as it should be.  I'll spare you my Roger Goodell rants, except to say that those who want to praise him for getting a deal done with the stripes should also criticize him for letting it go on too long.  Be consistent.

Jack White is a pretty brilliant musician.  That does not allow him to be an ass.  My friend Lisa Picc was at White's show - or lack thereof - the other night at Radio City Music Hall.  She filed this post.

Elsewhere...

The election is over, right?  No? DAMN!

Trouble with the Curve is a fine baseball movie, featuring decent performances from Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake.  Is it among the baseball movies ever?  No.  Is it basically that Clint's character from Gran Torino, Walt Kowalski, has come back to life as a baseball scout?  Yes!  It works.  Clint isn't entirely believable as a baseball scout, but I thought the movie was a nice way to spend a night out.  It's predictable, but that's OK with me.

I picked the Cowboys to beat the Bears last night.  I was wrong.  Oh well.  Sometimes you win when you lose.

Once again, I attended "The Big E" fair in West Springfield, MA.  I won't lie and say it was the best one I've ever been to.  Something seemed off about it, but as it has been for roughly 17 or 18 years (give or take), I intend to go back next year.  I like the tradition of it.  That's just me.

Anytime the hockey gods would like to get their heads out of their collective arses would be just fine with me.  The sports world is doing a collective yawn towards them and they better come back for the good of their game.

The Ryder Cup exhausted me.  Questionable placement of players and so on.  That one hurt.

My Twitter feed is there on the right.  Lately I have been going nuts on Twitter; enjoying doing the random posts and retweets and such.  Make sure to follow me.

Only one football broadcast this weekend: Friday at Cardinal Stadium for Trumbull at Greenwich.  Pregame coverage begins at 6:40.  We might finally have our full team with us - if Chris Kaelin can make it.  But there are also priorities to consider.

Amazing that it took to October to have the first home game.  But it is...you know..what it is.