Leggo My Ego

 

I went shopping for a bit today. I was hoping to get a new white button-down shirt to wear to AJ and Victoria's wedding near Boston this weekend. Maybe even a new comfortable pair of dress shoes. Alas, I mostly struck out. I'll survive (as of now) on what's currently in my closet.

I digress.

The play-by-play business has several issues. COVID, of course, took gigs away and made many of us have to work remotely (which some are still doing). It made us look disposable.

There are issues with who is working in the booth and whether or not talent is enough (but that's just everything in life, isn't it?). 

Content is also a concern as ESPN lately has been leaning towards a talk show format with game descriptions sprinkled in. Plus too many of my brethren are so hellbent on reciting numbers and not telling stories while describing the game.

Then -- and here's the rub -- there are the narcissists. Those who think they ARE the game.

You know who many of them are. We've gone down that baseline before and I'd prefer to not do that. I keep hoping they'll have the "aha!" moment of recognizing the game is the star.

Look, we all have egos. We have to. We have to defend our turf to a point. I have to fight for gigs.

I fight with myself about self-promotion all the time. I cringe every time -- seriously -- that I say "Robcasting."

I yell at myself -- sometimes mid-broadcast -- about how I think I sound. Ask my friends. I'm brutal on my performance. Hell, ask my son, as he witnessed and heard the self-criticism all season.

I steadfastly refuse to promote my work in the Facebook play-by-play group that the post in that picture is talking about. Why -- under any circumstances -- would people in that group want to listen to me (or anyone else)? I'm going to listen to my friends. I listen to Mike Hirn a lot (and vice versa).

Dan Scott, lead broadcaster for the Greenville Drive, posts in the group about every single game. The Greenville Drive are in -- WAIT FOR IT -- High-A East North. That's the same league as the Hudson Valley Renegades.

I, on the other hand, didn't promote a single game in the group. I posted things on my personal Facebook page and my Twitter account and my Instagram page. So it's not like I didn't promote. But promote it on the play-by-play page? I just don't think anyone cares.

When I got the Gades job, I refused to post the news in the group so Mike Hirn took it upon himself to do it.

There's an extremely fine line for me over tooting my own horn. Oh, I'm grateful for every kind word and have retweeted a few and written about them here.

I realize we have to do so to an extent, especially when building a reputation (or, in my case the -- blech -- "brand").

But the big distinction here is that I know I'm not the star of the broadcast. I'm a conduit. I talk. The crew should get far more credit and that's why I push their names out every night. The players are the stars. So are the coaches and support staff and fans.

I'm a reporter. A journalist.

I'm just in a position where I get to project some of my personality but, again, there's a line. I don't believe most of the braggadocio stuff that emanates but I'm comfortable knowing that Chris Erway and I are a damn good broadcast duo for Greenwich football. I called us "The A-Team" years ago because I knew we were the top duo on the staff.

Still, there's a line. I see this insane narcissism all the time. Literally. 

I'm trying to stay on the high road here but a quick trip around any of the play-by-play world will be enough to show you what I mean.

So while I appreciate Mr. Wald's 40 years in the business, honestly, what difference does it make? It's a nice thing to hang your hat on but that's about it. I have 31 as a broadcaster and I'm profoundly proud and grateful but it's meaningless. Sure, reputation matters, but so does output. The quantity is nice but it will always be the quality that is important.

Those new to Greenwich football don't know me or Chris and we have to win them over every year. That same thing goes for me with Brunswick, the Renegades, and literally everywhere else.

Incidentally, Mr. Wald wasn't thrown out for anything other than rampant narcissism and badmouthing admins. There are four of us and it was the actual leader of the group who said he needed to go. I actually agree with him that I wish the Play-by-Play group would discuss "nuts and bolts."

Like I do here.

But his 40 YEARS are, well, lovely. Let's just say I've also listened to his work. That is all.

I'll take my 31 YEARS in which I've always attempted to remain grounded. 

I'm not writing this with any rancor. Mr. Beard neglected to mention in that picture that he's actually back in our play-by-play group. A friend took the screenshot and sent this to me so I could see it and I pondered ways to respond. I could confront, for instance.

But, no. I don't think that's necessary. If we're seen as the Target to their mom-and-pop store, then that's fine.

Hopefully, they have a white button-down shirt in my size.