Maintaining Energy

Game 1: Girls Youth Basketball

Today featured two very different games to broadcast.

At just after nine this morning, I was on the air broadcasting Boomslang Basketball. The young girls worked hard and played ferociously, gutting out a 15-11 win. 

As I called the game, one of the officials passed my broadcast position. To clarify, my feet were literally on the edge of the sideline. A loose ball bounced into my arms while I was on the air.

But, back to the official. She looked at me as went back up the floor.

"Are you working?" she asked. I smiled, said I was and continued the broadcast.

As I was leaving, she walked next to me.

"We were talking about you," she said, laughing. "That's hard work that you're doing."

OK, granted, it was one hour alone calling a game featuring 26 total points. But, compared to a game official? Not even close.

I just talk about what I see on the court in front of me and I try to have fun doing it.

I was soon back in the car.

I had six hours between games so I came home and rested up before going back out.

Sean joined me and we went to Brunswick where I called the Bruins' 4-2 win over Hill. He loves visiting Brunswick and seeing the rink. Plus I told him we'd get dinner.

As I stood on the Balkind Balcony in the Hartong Rink, I took in the scene. My setup was complete (it takes maybe 10 minutes tops now) so I can consider the music on the public address system.

It was country. Not Johnny Cash. Not Hank Williams. It was more modern stuff like Eric Church and so on. Softer tempo songs that, were I an athlete, would not be motivating me.

This is not meant to be the criticism that it probably sounds like. It's more curiosity for me. 

I understand we've come a long way in the world of sports music. What played in an arena used to be marching bands and organists. While that hasn't completely gone away, the pregame sounds are almost all pre-recorded pump up songs. It's often played at ear-splitting levels. Oh, the songs have changed over, say, 35 years or so, but the concept hasn't.

Pump up the athletes.

Pump up the crowd.

They almost all have a frenetic beat be it pop, metal, hip-hop, house, electronic, R&B, etc.

It's certainly not "yacht rock."

But, country? What is it with the subset of athletes (and it tends to be baseball players that I notice it with the most) that find motivation and inspiration from the pick one from any column topics as heard in modern country music?

Pick-up trucks. Daisy Dukes denim shorts, Budweiser, and you get the idea. 

I realize I'm joking and stereotyping a bit. Yes, I'm having a bit of fun with this but I'm also being honest when I say that there are a lot of other songs that get me in the right state of mind as opposed to, respectfully, Florida Georgia Line.

Taylor Swift pop? Sure. Taylor Swift country? Not so much.

I realize it is a mindset for an athlete. They're going to play whatever gets them going. As a broadcaster, I have my own choices to get fired up but, more often than not, I'm listening to what is playing in the facility.

Inevitably, we tend to hear most of the same songs. Chris Erway and I would laugh at hearing "Jumpman" basically every week. Then we'd start repeating the lyrics. 

Well, he would. I just knew the "Jumpman Jumpman" part. Barely.

Oh, and I've been a DJ for a couple of sporting events. Look, if you're making me choose the tunes, I'm going to hit the rock and roll tunes. There are plenty of Beatles songs that fire me up personally but music is, of course, subjective.

The hockey game itself was a good one and, in truth, when the teams hit the ice the music stepped up the energy.

The energy transferred to the game where the two teams authored a very good evening. Brunswick saw a two-goal lead evaporate before grabbing the lead back and netting a goal later in the third period to seal the game.

Oh, and Sean and I each grabbed wings at Wegmans. We came home to eat and I put football on.

So ends a random Saturday in January.