I'm Partial to the Fugue

 

The second football weekend for us is over.

I'm home. Sean is home from work also and we're just doing what we do.

For me, it's the blog, college football, baseball, and catching up on updating the Robcasting archives on Mixcloud and archive.org.

Of course, earlier it was The Hun School and Brunswick. Chris Erway and I gave it our all once again, trying to do what we always do but, still, it's worth noting that today was only the second Wick broadcast for Chris. Subtle as it is, he's still getting used to the differences between covering football in the FCIAC/CIAC and the NEPSAC.

Another thing for us is player access. Oh, sure, we can talk to coaches but I've always wanted to hand a basic questionnaire to players to fill out. I've done that with Babe Ruth and Little League baseball players to learn little nuggets about them.

In a perfect world, we'd get time with the captains to learn some more stuff about them and the team. 

Right now, we have none of that. It's a work in progress. Every year, Chris and I ask about having a meeting with the captain's parents also.

That does not happen.

This is not only about Brunswick but Greenwich and, literally, anything else we cover.

Again, this is a selling point of ours. We're both comfortable going into things with literally only limited (at best) research from the internet and still making a broadcast work. I think back to what we did with the wrestling championships we did in New Jersey and I smile.

Those who think this stuff is easy would be shocked.

I don't know how Chris's night is (he's at a Mets game) but I usually feel drained of adrenaline after every game. Literally.

Oh, about the Mets game. I was initially invited to go -- one of Chris's daughters performed with a dance group before the game -- but the ticket ultimately was picked up by someone else. Laugh all you want, and I get why you would. Yes, the thought of me at a Mets game is funny but, if you know me, then you know baseball is baseball to me.

I'm happy watching the game at any level. 

And no, I would not have worn any Yankees stuff. Now, I can't say I wouldn't wear Renegades stuff -- thus, Yankees -- but I don't look for trouble. I intended to be sports neutral had I gone but, ultimately, I didn't.

So, yes, I'd go to Mets games. I like baseball. That's it.

*****

From Twitter

The brilliant TV show "M*A*S*H" debuted on this day in 1972. While there was a good book and a very good movie, it's the TV show that seemed to surpass all of it. The writing, directing, and acting of a great ensemble cast helped place in among the greatest TV shows ever.

Its last episode -- the 2.5-hour "Goodbye, Farewell, Amen" -- is still among the most-watched TV landmarks ever. Yes, I was among the 121 million who watched it on Feb 28, 1983. By that point, the show had evolved from a "dark comedy" to a "dramedy."

In its earlier seasons, the show had a heavy amount of comedy to go along with the nature of trying to base a TV show around the Korean War. It would change, especially as characters came and went.

But we still loved it, even as Trapper John departed and BJ arrived. Or Frank Burns became Charles Emerson Winchester III.

And, of course, Lt. Col. Henry Blake -- shot down over the Sea of Japan -- was replaced by Col. Sherman T. Potter.

But we stayed. It was a staple in my house -- first in the original episodes, then as it shifted into syndication. The standard was "M*A*S*H" and "All in the Family" back-to-back on channel 5 in New York.

It remains so strong in my brain that we nostalgically talk about the show quite frequently among my friends on "The Clubhouse."

Dave Torromeo, Mark Jeffers, and I are quite likely to say "Ah, Bach!" to each other. The quick line is a reference to the first season episode "Love Story" in which Radar falls head over heels for a new nurse. Somehow, that's been stuck in our minds ever since.

Tonight's post title is another quote from that same episode.

The whole series is currently available on Hulu and I'm going to watch the Pilot episode now, given it aired 50 years ago tonight.