Friday Night Fright

 

Current view

We've hit one of those sad nights in my world.

It's a fall Friday night and I don't have a game. Greenwich plays tomorrow and Brunswick is on the road at Salisbury so I'll be with the Cardinals.

More specifically, I'll be with Chris Erway tomorrow at 2:20 at Cardinal Stadium on Local Live and Robcasting.

Wait, Cardinal Stadium, you say? Why yes, the new bleachers and press box will get their first workout tomorrow. I'm nervous and excited to see how it all goes. Plus the Cardinals are playing a really good Fairfield Prep team so I suggest you join us on Robcasting or Local Live (assuming everything works).

So here I sit, in my chair in the living room. Rascal is here also and he makes his presence known.

To almost any other person, it would be a great night to check out some high school football.

But...yeah...

I checked out a few broadcasts while I watched the Yankees. It didn't go well and I quickly stopped. The thing is if you can't say the name of one of the teams participating, well, that's a problem. I'll also always struggle with listening to other broadcasters. I'm wired to where I want to be calling a game so I'm better off not listening.

Yet even when I try to get away I get messages from others telling me to listen to various broadcasts for a variety of reasons -- mostly critical ones to get my reaction. Sometimes I listen. Tonight, I didn't. 

Inevitably the conversation turns to how I should be training broadcasters. Let's put it this way: I'd love to and I've offered help. I can only offer to lead the horses to water.

Even then I still see some influence and I appreciate that (I'm not blind).

Now, the truth is I could be calling a game somewhere but I decided to work today and my case didn't wind up until close to 6pm. That wouldn't have allowed me enough time to get anywhere tonight.

So here I sit. Oh, wait, doesn't that mean I should be doing eight hours of game prep (or whatever ridiculousness I read online today)?

Look, there's no formula. I created some rosters while I worked earlier and did some of my prep but each broadcaster is going to do what's best for themselves. I react and dig up nuggets as needed. To each their own.

Unless you're Mr. Scully, your reams of notes don't impress me.

What so many lack is the ability to react and tell stories. With the Renegades, I had a stat pack that had basics. From there I utilized MLB/MiLB's stats system to fill in any blanks. Then, if I had questions, I went to Google. I could discover a player's college bio page or something about their hometown or some other fact.

We overthink things and focus too much on stats. 

Or pithy one-liners and exaggeration.

So I wound up listening to Mike Hirn.

In Ohio.

With two teams I've never heard of and know nothing about.

Teams that he still wants me to drive out and call one day.

But, for now, I'm ready for Greenwich and Fairfield Prep at the refurbished Cardinal Stadium.

It's like Yankee Stadium, circa 1976.