Goodnight, Greenwich Football

The Greenwich High School football season is over. The defending champs are no more.

Once again, Big Red couldn't get past Darien. It's the third time in four years the Cardinals have had their season ended by the Blue Wave.

Tonight's final was 26-16.

When a team loses, they have to tip their helmets to the opposition. What it says "on paper" is irrelevant at that point, so all hail the Blue Wave, who are in fine shape to go win another CIAC Class LL title in about 10 days.

But this is about more than that.

It starts with "thank you."

First and foremost, thanks to the Greenwich coaches and players. You're the first reason I'm in the booth or wherever I am. You each worked hard and, while the result isn't desired, it was still a heck of a ride.

From my window, I watched you conduct yourself with class.

Thanks, of course, to the sponsors. You're the reason we're able to get on WGCH. I'd love to see you all back for winter sports. It's been a long time since we've had any significant number of hockey and basketball games on WGCH.

Then there are the listeners. You critique. You praise. You talk. You laugh. You text me. You feed me. You often become friends. "Thank you" isn't sufficient.

I've been involved in Greenwich football as a sideline reporter (1999), as a lead broadcaster (2000-2013), as a HAN Radio/Network broadcaster (2013-2016) and once again, as a lead broadcaster (2016-?).

That's 21 seasons overall, and 18 as the lead.

As I sit here tonight, I lick the wounds. Not about the wins and losses. Despite what anyone wants to think, I can't have a bias. I called tonight's game (solo) with heart and soul for both teams, committed to the craft of being a professional play-by-play announcer with integrity.

No, tonight is when the exhaustion hits and you question your sanity for jockeying for position in the booth (the Darien people were great, to be clear), for lugging equipment from the house to the car to the stadium back to the car and then back into the house.

You question your sanity for, essentially, talking to yourself for roughly three hours (again, I was solo).

But then someone -- a Drew McFadden or a Marc Ducret or someone else -- tells you how important you are to Greenwich or another town or the FCIAC, and it props you back up a bit.

But you also think about the drive and the long day. You think about the headaches of getting accurate rosters and are you "prepared" and all the other nonsense that weighs on you.

You think about juggling personalities and who's available to join you and the technical issues and the multitasking.

You think about the stress when the weather scuttles all plans and you scramble to make everything work with the conflicts you're handed.

You try to not care when the Darien Athletic Foundation/DAF Media students are asking about your audience size, and you brush off the answer as if you don't know, but you know damn well that, because you got shoved onto your little website, the audience was minimal.

You still broadcast as if the world is listening. You know better.

You even wonder if you did your best.

You think: is that enough?

And then you know, once you get some sleep, that you'll be right back at it.

You'll be right back at it for hockey and basketball and wrestling and whatever else they want you to call in the winter.

You'll beg and plead for broadcasts from Local Live and the Greenwich Athletic Foundation and anywhere else that wants your voice, even after your dignity has been kicked around (and it almost happens on a daily basis).

You hope Brunswick still wants you.

You want to do fewer games for free.

You want to stop seeing people stroll into town with a checkbook and elbow you out. "Johnny come lately. The new kid in town."

Because, at the end of the day, you still believe a little bit in your talent.

So you rev back up for hockey and hoops and whatever in the winter. You'll push to do the Greenwich Winter Classic hockey games because you like the atmosphere and you enjoy calling hockey.

The FCIAC (hopefully) will want you for the playoffs.

Then baseball and lacrosse in the spring will follow (and more FCIAC playoffs) and you'll hope that the World Selects Hockey Championship near Philadelphia wants you to come back, and you continue to be psyched for the Renegades.

Maybe you'll nudge some youth baseball in, and who knows what else?

And you'll look for more.

And then?

Year number 19 as the lead broadcaster of Greenwich football arrives.

"Voice of the Cardinals" or whatever I am.

But, for now, it's time to go to bed.

Thanks again, Greenwich.