The Dress Code

Chris and I looking fly in 2015

Shawn Sailer was laughing with me earlier.

Or, maybe he was laughing at me.

Either way, he was enjoying how certain headlines and items were just teeing me up.

The latest was on Awful Announcing this morning. It was like the ball was just waiting for me on a short par-3 and I've been handed a 9 iron with a direct line to the hole.

It seems the Marquee Network (the new Chicago Cubs vanity channel) insists that their broadcasters wear suits in obnoxious heat.

I always had my own take on a dress code for sports broadcasters: it's unnecessary.

Whenever I'm asked, I always stress common sense. In my case, I carry, crouch, crawl, and crane my way through every broadcast. I'm on the floor plugging things in. I'm sweating profusely carrying cases to and from the booth.

I try to stay neat but that's about all I can promise.

More often than not, the booth isn't air conditioned (or heated, for that matter).

Now you want me to wear a suit for all of that? Are you going to pick up the tab on dry cleaning and buying new suits?

Does that mean I didn't do as I was told? Of course I did, but I disagreed with it, and was powerless to stop it when it happened. So I gritted my teeth, sometimes dripping in sweat, and did my job. It sure as heck didn't make me a better broadcaster.

There was one time, while at HAN, I was sweating so badly that, during a break, I went to my car, opened the hatch, and changed for a bit. I was, frankly, overheating. But I was actually able to cool down a bit while sitting in the open hatch of my Nissan Versa as opposed to being in a suit in the booth at Brien McMahon High School.

At WGCH, I ask for common sense. I wear jeans or shorts or khakis (at the suggestion of Jake...from State Farm), a polo or nice shirt, appropriate footwear (no dirty sneakers) and, as far as I know, it's always neat and clean.

I think I've chided one person in 20 years as sports director.

It's 2020. Clothes don't necessarily "make the (wo)man." I do my job just as well, and normally better, when I'm comfortable.

Still, I'll follow the rule, which at the level where I'm lugging equipment around, isn't necessary.

*****
Did you know it's National Naysayers Day? Huzzah!

I'm well aware of the COVID-19 situation with the Miami Marlins, and the postponement (don't say "cancellation" or be cursed and damned!) of their game with the Orioles tonight, as well as the same with the Yankees/Phillies game. The immediate overreaction is to say...

"Baseball is done!"

"Football is done!"

"We're ALL done!"

I can't make this clear enough: IT IS A BUSINESS. THEY WILL DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR COLLECTIVE POWERS TO PLAY.

Let me further add that, while we all do it, stop speculating. How many times do I have to say it? You don't have the answers. Neither do it. I don't have a crystal ball.

Stop.

Speculating.

*****
Lastly, the GOAT is 80 today.

Not Vin -- that's a whole different GOAT. Plus, he's 92.

No, we're talking about a guy who was well ahead of his time.

A guy who was all about inclusion before it became the thing it should have always been.

A guy who made us laugh so much cried.

A guy who perfected the art of eating carrots.

A guy...who is a rabbit.

Happy birthday to the truest king. The greatest of them all.

Happy birthday, Bugs Bunny.