My "Doubleheader" issue

 

"Doubleheader," the talk show I've hosted on WGCH, will turn five in July.

Big deal. As I've mentioned, I've done talk shows since 1999.

But I bring it up because we (starting with the team of Paul Silverfarb and me) planned to have interviews and debate topics and generally have fun with sports, pop culture, and even news.

We would also handle breaking news as needed.

We've done all of that. 

But, due to my crazy life, the interviews have dried up and that bothers me. We're better than that.

These days, "Doubleheader" is a 55-minute collection of thoughts from me, with input from a group of commenters on Facebook Live.

And that's fine. People seem to enjoy it. Yet, I still think it can be better.

So, let me cut to the chase. I'd like to start taping interviews and get "Doubleheader" back to being a very prominent voice in Connecticut and New York sports. And, of course, beyond.

As I sit at my desk most days, it would be easy enough to jump on Zoom or Microsoft Teams or Skype or even a cellphone or FaceTime call. Then they can be recorded and played whenever I next do the show.

They can be easily pushed into a podcast as well if doing it live isn't possible. I'm rethinking my whole part of podcast-land. I currently host two, as I've mentioned. 

Most interviews are over within 20 minutes but there are times they go over. That's why I have a basic Zoom plan that only goes to 40 minutes!

Does this mean I won't do a live interview? Not really, but my life is such where I almost never know if I'm doing a show from day to day.

Or, today, where something had crawled into the internet. We gave up on doing the show roughly eight minutes in.

I've been a big part of sports broadcasting in this area for over 20 years. I understand my role.

In some ways, I'm the voice of...something. I'm not sure what, but 20-plus years stands for something.

Yet, in many ways, I've frankly been lost for some time. I'm trying to dig myself out of that rut.

I still teach at CSB (and anywhere else -- HI!) because I enjoy mentoring people of all ages. I suppose it's not unfair to say I got turned off by a few things, but bad apples shouldn't ruin it. My passion to teach broadcasting (and news and journalism and being a radio DJ and whatever else) has never wavered.

With my truest passion being play-by-play. I don't need anyone to tell me how the Dodgers did a simulcast of the first three innings of any game Vin Scully was on (I saw someone lecturing about that on Twitter earlier today).

It's why I still listen to tapes and talk to broadcasters.

Again tonight, some guy in the play-by-play group on Facebook Live asked for "...someone who calls D1 (or higher) football or basketball to review some of my tape." This attitude is, sadly, pervasive in the business. It's elitism. 

There are a lot of people who have plenty of salient advice on assessing your broadcasting credentials.

For what it's worth, I have called D1. That doesn't make me anything special. 

But that's the attitude that I've encountered, and it began to wear me down.

So, for the rest of you who would like a friend in the business who will give you an honest assessment and be a cheerleader for you, reach out.

And for those of you who have a story to tell who would like to be on "Doubleheader," let me know. Let's make it happen again.

If not, I'll keep going as is.

But I think I have more to offer.