The FAA Championship Broadcast

 

(Brunswick social media)

It was a "Storm-y" night.

Oy. That's the best lead I've got.

St. Luke's -- the Storm -- won the FAA Championship today at Brunswick, defeating the Bruins. A game of runs, the Storm won 47-39.

I think this was the third FAA Championship game I've called (two baseball and now one basketball) so I only have another 51 to call to reach my FCIAC total.

Still, the story was the same. I felt enormous pride and responsibility in handling the call and was (and still am) completely exhausted when it was over. Despite being associated with Brunswick, I worked hard to make sure that I had no true dog in the fight on the air. 

I gave it all I had. I fed off the crowd. I fed off the players who aren't far from my broadcasting position. 

I loved it all and was sorry to see it end.

Oh, there's still plenty ahead. I'm on the call of the Section One hockey championships tomorrow (I'm still waiting on one roster sadly) and FCIAC boys basketball and hopefully Brunswick hockey and FCIAC hockey and maybe more wrestling and then...

The CHSGHA girls hockey championship follows.

Then a break. Briefly.

Then? Brunswick baseball and Brunswick lacrosse and maybe (hopefully) some Mahopac baseball and Greenwich baseball and FCIAC and...

And, let's face it, I love it. I love all of it.

Today was even a little extra special because Sean came along and he was in a surprisingly complementary mood. He enjoys jabbing me about my age, especially as I pointed out the number of players I covered who are now coaches or any other so-called "six degrees of Sean's father" type stuff.

"Jokes about your age aside," Sean said, "I am impressed by you."

Whoa.

Then, as we were getting dinner, we stood waiting to order sandwiches as the adrenaline just drained out of me.

"I gave it my all," I said out loud.

"I'm always amazed by that," he said. "There were times last year where you looked read to collapse and yet you'd somehow find the energy. There were nights at the stadium when I was falling asleep and yet there you were, still excited."

"I love what I do," I said, somewhat shocked at the overflowing kind words.

You have to be a little crazy to do this. It can make you insane. There are rules to follow and certain ways to do things. One shouldn't just show up or help themselves to tables or space without having done the things to cultivate the relationships.

We're broadcasters. We're way down on the pecking list yet some still have the arrogance to act like they own a place.

I've worked hard to build relationships at Brunswick and everywhere else. I stay out of the way. I try to never ask for much. I didn't have a table for basketball all year. I grabbed two extra chairs and used that as my table for every game.

Simple, basic courtesy and respect for the school and teams. It's not difficult.

On Tuesday, at Wilton, I'll sit where they want me to sit and mostly keep to myself.

Then I'll leave it all out on the air for Wilton/Westhill and Ridgefield/Warde. And, I'm thrilled to say, people actually request my voice be on these broadcasts.

It means more than you'll ever know.

Back to prepping for hockey tomorrow.

Basketball Tuesday...