The Guest PA Announcer

I got called into public address announcing duty tonight as Carmel High School hosted White Plains High School in a hockey playoff match up.

I don't consider myself a big time PA announcer by any stretch. I'm likely quite boring both on the mic and with the tunes.

Since I don't have a budget, I don't own the latest hits to play for fans, so I make do with a collection of roughly 17,000 tracks on my MacBook.

I lean towards plenty of classic rock and pop hits. INXS meets The Beatles and Huey Lewis (duh and duh) along with Simple Minds, Rush and whatever grabbed me.

Some liked it and I saw them dancing.

A Spongebob Squarepants song here...a catchy hockey ditty there.

Some didn't like it.

So it goes.

My style, as I know I've written before, is very professional. I don't go high energy and screaming, in part because I share the scorers hut with two other men, both of whom would likely gladly toss me like an octopus to center ice were I to yell.

Let's just that's a fairly outspoken room and you have to be on your game.

My PA idol is Bob Sheppard (no surprise). Thus what they lack in energy and hyperbole they have plenty of enunciation.

As you'll hear, the best "flair" I offered was a hint of a "growl" on "Rrrrams goal!" when Carmel scored the game-winner in OT.

Exciting game as ⁦@carmel_hockey⁩ beat White Plains 7-6 in OT. This is how it looked and sounded from the PA booth. #hvpucks pic.twitter.com/A6mS25353b

— Rob Adams (@double5) February 23, 2020

I sort of like doing it and, sure, I'd love to get more creative with music and sounds. But this was a fill-in. It was a call to the bullpen, and I'm not sure when I'll get to do it again. So, in traditional Robcasting style, I overthink it, over-analyze it, and will put it in my back pocket for another day.

I know it would have been a blast to broadcast it, and of course that's where my mind goes.

The kindest thing was when the White Plains coach thanked me for doing the game.

"It's great for the kids," he said.

I agree.

Thanks to Stefanie Mount (guess who scored the winning goal...see the video above) and Carmel for asking me and best of luck the rest of the way. Thanks, as always, to Carmel head coach Mike Chiacchia for his assistance in getting me comfortable.

See? Even a Mahopac guy can show Carmel some love (please note I did live in Carmel for four years).