It Wasn't Supposed to End This Way

Construction? On a Friday afternoon in summer? Really?

The 2018-2019 school sports year pretty much ended today.

Champions were crowned in baseball, softball, and boys and girls lacrosse.

Spring football games were played in other places, like Greenwich.

I was home.

I helped debut TEN (the Trumbull Eagles Network) last night in Trumbull, working with Paul Silverfarb and TEN founder Jeff Alterman.

I'm guessing this gets me a co-founder credit or something. It's only the third broadcasting outlet I've helped create (or something like that).

The trip from Mahopac to Trumbull took three hours. It should take one.

Who plans construction on Friday afternoon during rush hour in the summer? Apparently, that's OK in Danbury, CT.

After sitting through that mess, and more Friday commuter hijinks, I left Interstate 84 at Exit 9 (CT route 25) when I heard a loud bang.

A rock, I hoped.

Nah. A blowout.

I quickly pulled over, cleared every piece of radio equipment from both Robcasting and WGCH that was in my trunk, and got to work.

I texted Paul and Jeff and told them I was out.

But ... I had the spare on some 35 minutes later. Not my fastest work, but those jacks you get with a car aren't the best.

Figuring I was still 20 minutes or so from Trumbull and knew I could probably use some laughs, and since I'm ... well ... nuts, I made my way to McDougall Stadium.

Keeping in mind this was the debut of TEN, and the new equipment hadn't been taken out of the box, I did what I could to keep the broadcast as clear as possible. We did fine, but it was raw, and we'll try again.

I drove home with the donut (it was National Donut Day, after all) and jumped up ready to figure out the tire situation.

I thought about a junkyard. They didn't have the tire.

I'll try BJ's! My mom has a membership there. I only need ONE TIRE. Nope. Strike two, as the guy there said something about treads and so on.

He sent me roughly a block away to a garage on the US 202/NY 35 combo. Bingo.

It wasn't cheap (it never is) but at least I got the tire. The guys were great, and they have my recommendation.

But it also took a while, and the thought of going to Greenwich for their Red and White game was fading.

As I sat there, I noticed that Local Live was going to broadcast the Red and White. That's when it hit me: I'm not needed in Greenwich.

I gave it some thought and felt like the tire/football/broadcasting gods were telling me to stay home. Don't add further wear and tear to the car.

There's no access to the press box in Greenwich. Someone is already covering it. I've been running around for a tire. Plus the traffic around Greenwich/Stamford was a mess. It all just seemed to add up.

Local Live aired the game without a broadcaster and I watched it from home.

It felt like the right call, but it was weird and awkward and I missed it. Truth be known, if I was needed, I would have been there in a snap.

Anyway, that's how the 2018-2019 school year sort of maybe ended or me.

There were 115 game broadcasts (not off the charts but I exhausted myself with each one) and a bunch of Doubleheader/Clubhouse shows.

Babe Ruth and Little League Baseball both await in the summer. We'll see what else.

If the fates allow, I'll be back on September 14 at Cardinal Stadium as Big Red opens their state title defense against Danbury. The pregame should be at 3:50 p.m.

A lot can happen between now and then.

But that's the plan.