A Day

 

How can I possibly assess today?

I can't.

Dickens wrote about the best of times and the worst of times. That might suffice.

The best? Two broadcasts that made me quite happy. 

First, it was hockey as the Connecticut Roughriders beat the Connecticut Chiefs 3-2 on a late goal. There was something that felt almost professional about the whole operation while the game was at an old favorite place of mine.

I've called many games at Terry Conners Rink dating back probably 23 years. So there's a feeling of nostalgia. The last time I was there it was enormously awkward (weird post-HAN days, don't ask) so it was nice to simply call a game with no drama.

Except, my phone was blowing up with stuff that made me wonder if I'd actually still be working for WGCH to call the second game.

I'm sort of proud of myself for settling down enough to actually call the hockey game without the other nonsense boiling over.

Yet, there I was several hours later, calling Greenwich's 28-14 heard-earned win over Stamford.

On WGCH. As I've done for a long time.

Me. With others. In basically the same format.

See, I'm not new to this. I sort of know what I'm doing.

WGCH went on the air 59 years ago today. I've been there for 26 of them. But what do I know about a sports broadcast?

And hours later, there still might be glimpses of smoke coming out of my ears.

Look, let me make this clear: don't disrespect me. That's the basic version right there. I literally don't care who you are.

There have been too many times over 54 years of life and 26 years at WGCH (or anywhere else for that matter) where it's simply been too easy to just sort of ignore me. 

Or dump on me.

"The nice guy" or whatever.

Well, the nice guy is literally still furious.

The nice guy cares about that radio station and that broadcast and that relationship and anything else.

But when the nice guy stops caring, that's when you should worry.

Today, the nice guy was trying to establish a new relationship with a new team when the phone rang.

Shame on me for taking the call because it was clear I had a bus running over my body. It was a complete attempt to go over my head.

And there's arguably no worse disrespect than that.

"Sports Director?" Hah.

But at the end of the day, everyone got what they wanted.

And I'm still steaming angry.

I'm hoping when I look back on today I'll simply focus on two very solid broadcasts.

And not the nagging, the insults, and the disrespect.

Chris Erway gets an assist for making me laugh and taking me out after it was all over.

Shawn Sailer gets a nod for caring enough to check on me.

Susan gets a nod because nobody cares more.

Oh, and I was dropped on social media by someone because I'm not an enabler.

What a day.

We'll just move on to tomorrow.