Archiving and Reviving

I'm powerless to stop him

I'm not much for writing a post tonight.

I've got reasons, including it being 10 p.m.

I'm also in the middle of a lot of work which, obviously, is a good thing.

But it's a lot of overnight work. It could have been four overnights in a row but I have hockey tomorrow so I'll get to sleep.

I've also got basketball Saturday.

I'm currently listening to Greenwich/Xavier football from 2000. The Cardinals shut out the Falcons that night to advance to the Class LL championship game. Dan Orlovsky and Shelton awaited. The UConn-bound Orlovsky, who played in the NFL and is now a legit star at ESPN, threw two touchdown passes as Shelton beat Big Red, 22-8.

Among the cassettes that I converted tonight was Staples beating Greenwich at Cardinal Stadium. The victory was a turning point for the Wreckers' program and they have matched wits with the Cardinals ever since.

But on that day, the Wreckers held on for a 14-8 play after a Hail Mary play fell through the arms of the receiver and went incomplete. Game over.

Then came the magnificent FCIAC Championship Game between Greenwich and New Canaan. The Rams took the lead and the Cardinals fought back, including a blocked punt TD that cut the deficit to one. Greenwich missed the extra point and an eventual game-winning field goal. New Canaan won 21-20.

I didn't really grasp what this championship game meant until I got there that night. Sure there was a buildup but it was all new to me. What I discovered were an insane crowd and a wonderful stadium.

I fell in love with Stamford's Boyle Stadium. The concrete bleachers and basic facilities that screamed early 20th Century.

The press box that hovered over the field and felt like it was built in the 50s.

There was an aura to the facility and to the game itself.

I enjoyed all of it but it was exhausting.

I still remember interviewing captain Michael Salvatore after the loss through his helmet and watching tears run down his cheeks. I should add he was the kicker for the Cardinals.

I will never forget the after Sean Kilkelly, Bob Small, and I packed up. I was on I-95 when I realized I had literally zero energy.

Every last ounce of adrenaline had run out of me.

Back then, we took the equipment back to the station, and, sometimes, I had to cut up highlights or do a write-up to leave for Jim Thompson to read in the morning. The point is, I still had to drive back to Mahopac from Greenwich after leaving Stamford.

I discovered what it was to feel completely spent after calling a game. It was somewhat intoxicating.

I've learned to manage that but it also speaks to why I've stood in many a parking lot or sat somewhere after a broadcast. This is why I look dazed sometimes. This is part of why I just pack up the equipment myself (that and I know where everything goes).

I learned it that night.

It was my honor to call 11 of those football championships and I can't say with enough clarity how much I miss them.

What a blast. 

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By the way, does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep #TheCat from jumping on the equipment?

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I'll be up for several hours (it's roughly 10:20 p.m. as I get ready to hit publish).