The Setup (or How I Spent My Halloween)

 

Whammy! Maybe this should be my costume

It's Halloween and, well, I've got nothing.

OK, not nothing, but really not Halloweenesque.

Sadly, my life doesn't lend itself to going out for Halloween. So it goes. 

I'm watching the World Series instead.

That's not exactly scintillating tonight.

But while going through my memories this morning on Timehop, I came across the picture at the top of the post.

It was taken on Oct 31, 2011 at Cardinal Stadium.

The details are memorable. Halloween that year was a Monday and why would the Cardinals be playing on a Monday?

I'm glad you asked. The game was originally supposed to be played on Saturday. In fact, it was homecoming as Greenwich was scheduled to host Westhill.

However, Mother Nature reared her head, preparing to bless us with a nor'easter.

But, as of that Saturday morning, the game was still on as scheduled. I think the powers-that-be thought there was a window to get the game in.

Sean -- then just nine -- drove with me to the game. Knowing what we were driving into, I packed sleeping bags, air mattresses, and anything I could think of. You know me: always prepared.

There was actually a soccer game at the stadium that day so we set up and watched as they played.

In the snow. Because it began to dump and accumulate.

With game time getting closer, Greenwich Athletics' master of everything, Brian Kennedy, caught my eye at the bottom of the bleachers. He then pulled his finger across his throat.

No game today. He would eventually explain that it was -- you guessed it -- rescheduled for Monday. I called Bob Small at WGCH, who put me on the air via cell phone and I explained the situation to the audience. 

Chris Kaelin, there to work the sideline for us, offered to let us come crash at his place. That's probably what I should have done.  

I even gave a semi-thought to just staying in the press box since there was a heater but I knew that wasn't realistic. Lastly, I thought we would just go to the station. After all, I had spent the night there before and I would do it again.

But, leaving Cardinal Stadium, the roads seemed OK. I decided to make a run for it to see if we could get home. It would probably take us a little longer than our usual 45 minutes.

Oh, we got home. 

Three hours later.

We nearly crashed on the Taconic State Parkway near Millwood and then got stuck just north of Jefferson Valley. A stranger appeared out of nowhere and pushed us out after an hour and asked for nothing. He disappeared just as quickly as he showed up.

We then slid down Secor Road and, with an even bigger hill in front of us, I pulled into an empty lot and walked the final stretch home.

We dug it all out the next day, I worked on Monday morning and went back to Cardinal Stadium. Needless to say, Sean wasn't with me. Nor were Sean Kilkelly, Chris Erway, or Ryan Demaria. Chris Kaelin and I called the game with Paul Silverfarb. Greenwich won 41-7.

But what really inspired me to write this post was the booth setup. Let's go back to that Halloween broadcast in 2011.

There's so much going on there, besides my pack of Bachman pretzel rods (still my favorite). There are three headsets, featuring two Telex monsters that date back to at least the early 90s (and likely earlier). I got them when WREF closed in 1996.

I can see the wireless microphone and its receiver. I also see the Behringer mixer that we used and would eventually replace (twice).

A desk lamp I bought from Target for $7 is there along with a small clock/thermometer from LL Bean.

Also, I spy my small digital radio in the window to the right. For the record, that's how we got the audio return from WGCH. Yes, that's correct. We listened to the radio. In this setup, with an antenna on the roof of the press box, and a MARTI unit behind me, we had no direct contact with the studio other than cellphone.

Besides the electronics are notebooks and my trusty binder, along with rosters.

There's not a lot of room to spread out, is there? So guess how and why I learned to be self-sufficient in terms of preparation.

This would eventually change drastically. That Telex headset on the right had a broken mic arm on it that was held together by tape. Sometimes, I'd have to hold it by hand. Eventually, I was able to afford a real headset. Not one I inherited from a radio station. I bought my first Audio-Technica headset not long after this picture was taken.

Let's move forward to opening day, 2023. Obviously, the booth has changed. More specifically, it was rebuilt and we have a ton of room.

Now there's a computer and a different, more sophisticated mixer (Zoom PodTrak P8) for the space at Cardinal Stadium. A separate headphone amplifier isn't necessary (I forgot to note that in the 2011 picture) and we go via the internet to have direct contact with the station.

I run a cable to and from the public address booth to give them our audio for their video broadcast on Hudl and to get audio from public address announcer Nick Fesko.

What took me an hour to set up back then is done within 20 minutes now.

Let me post a picture that I put on here from St. Joseph last Saturday to show you our smallest footprint.

Now, the mixer is replaced by my Zoom PodTrak P4, which I could hold in the palm of my hand. My headset goes into that, as does the crowd mic that is sticking out the window. A USB cable connects to my MacBook. I use a cellphone -- either mine or WGCH's -- for data to have contact with the station.

This same setup will be back with us on Saturday at Westhill High School, except I'll need a second headset for Chris Erway. However, no connection with the public address announcer will be necessary.

But, again, this setup is done within 20 minutes.

I thought this might give everyone an idea of just what goes into putting our broadcasts on the air -- whether it's on WGCH, the Brunswick setup on LocalLive, or the plain Robcasting audio-only setup. The pieces change a little but, overall, we've refined things so much.

Perhaps this gives you insight into why we do things the way we do. We work in very limited spaces so we're thrilled to have backed way down on the amount of equipment and setup time. Thus, while we've thought about bringing a wireless microphone back into our kit, we have a hint of hesitancy. It's just another thing to lug and I've gotten good at carrying things myself.

So, happy Halloween, all. Clearly, I'm trying to be a radio sports director this year.

Boo.

Sgt. Pepper's Overrated Joshua Destruction

 

(Photo: Reddit)

I found myself in a music conversation today.

Which normally means I wind up in trouble.

Look, I have strong takes on what I think is good and what is not (and what is overplayed). That doesn't mean I'm correct.

The topic got going today because I saw a tweet asking about the most overrated album ever.

The answer I saw the most was actually the answer I agreed with. 

U2's The Joshua Tree.

Before you assume I hate U2, I don't I own most of their music and would gladly listen to any of the early 80s work or Achtung Baby.

Again, I own The Joshua Tree. I even like songs on it ("With or Without You," "Where the Streets Have No Name") while if I never heard "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" again, I'd be good.

That's literally the only song that has ever caused me to walk out of a concert, as I used that to go to the men's room at Madison Square Garden years ago.

OK, that was also arguably the worst concert I've ever been to but so it goes. I thought the setlist wasn't great but I digress.

However, plenty of responders to the overrated tweet took umbrage with The Beatles, especially Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

I get it and I don't. Not everyone understands it. Sgt Pepper is, to be honest, much like the movie Citizen Kane. People don't love the story nor do they understand what the fuss is about.

While Sgt. Pepper will never be my favorite Beatles album I quite understand how it changed rock and roll. I also don't think it's the best Beatles album, preferring Revolver and Rubber Soul and probably even Abbey Road. In fact, I think Revolver is the greatest album ever.

But back to Sgt. Pepper. I can rave with the best of them about the true hits -- even if nothing was released as a single. The title track, "With a Little Help From My Friends," and "A Day in the Life" remain truly great works. 

I'd love to have been alive in 1967 to have put the record on the turntable and heard the crowd noise before the thumping opening notes kicked in.

But, as time has gone on, my appreciation for songs like "Getting Better," "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" and "She's Leaving Home" has grown. Admittedly I've never really loved George Harrison's "Within You Without You" but I do love the whimsy of Paul McCartney's "When I'm Sixty-Four."

Anyway, this wasn't meant to be a post about Sgt. Pepper but I guess I've made my case of why it's not overrated. Nor is the album that inspired it, Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys.

But, as this is always subjective, your mileage may vary.

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac and the catalogs of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin also received heat in the post on Twitter/X. Also, the Eagles are always an easy target and I will admit I understand why. Nevermind by Nirvana was also mentioned a lot.

I generally disagree with that entire paragraph. I can still listen, for instance, to The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and Houses of the Holy and enjoy them.

On the other hand, I'd say Appetite for Destruction is a bit overrated but I've explained numerous times I just wasn't in the right place to be dazzled by Guns 'n Roses.

Of course, I saw one person say "Anything by Bon Jovi" and I just smiled.

And, if I'm being honest, I'm not going all in and saying more.

The thing is that when something becomes popular, it immediately earns critics. As that popularity grows, so do the critics. When it becomes arguably iconic, well, here we are.

You've no doubt read my takes on the most overrated/overplayed songs in the past. I think there's a special place in hell for basically anything by John Mellencamp but most notably "Jack and Diane." 

So we all have our opinions. I suppose the thing that grinds my gears is when someone gets so entrenched in an opinion that they fail to recognize any other side.

Oh, wait, that sounds like politics.

The answers to this topic fascinated me and that's why I decided to bring it up today. I'd like to think we all have those things that we simply get sick of or don't understand the hype.

I suffered the indignity of seeing Nickelback on my TV last night performing "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" so I think I've dealt with enough and thus this exercise was enjoyable.

Oh, and Maroon 5 still sucks.

(Sorry, John. I had to) 

Trying To Say The Right Thing

It's National Cat Day so he gets the honor of this picture.
Otherwise, he has nothing to do with this post

 

Life, as we know, can be cruel.

A family friend's husband passed away this week as cancer reared its ugly head again. I feel for Debbie, whom I've known since birth. I didn't know her husband Carmine well but he seemed like a good man and was lost far too soon.

Thanks to Debbie's sister, Renee, for keeping us in the loop on this sad news. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get to Mahopac for the services.

Funny thing about that, and I'll always believe it. I'll always feel -- strongly -- that having loved ones before and/or after someone passes is more important than being around for the ceremony of the wake and funeral.

In a perfect world, we get to everything but, sometimes, life just doesn't allow us to be in that place. So I'd rather be a phone call or message away.

There were those who didn't show when Mom died in 2020 and, while it would have been a lovely gesture, their support after everything was over spoke more. It always will.

But that's a personal thing and a matter of opinion.

The circle of life reared its twisted mind with the announcement on social media of a new baby on the way to the brood as my niece is pregnant. We look forward to the addition to the family next year and only hope that the child doesn't follow her father's choice of sports teams.

I kid.

Sort of.

I've done well with Sean so I'll take my victory there. He and I are preparing for Pittsburgh on Thursday, despite the Steelers' putrid performance today against Jacksonville. Two key Steelers -- quarterback Kenny Pickett and free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick -- left today's home game with injuries. 

Obviously, when one is going to travel close to seven hours to see a football game, one hopes for certain players to be active. Yet one has no say in that matter so, while I was excited to see Pickett play in person, we'll see what impact his rib injury has.

These factors can't ruin the trip. The journey and the experience will have to rule.

Oh, and I haven't packed yet, though I have a fair idea of what I'm going to wear Thursday night, with temperatures dipping towards the 30s at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers that form the Ohio River.

You know. Three Rivers.

Layers will be needed. Lots.

But enough about that. My mind just keeps going back to the complexities of the circle of life and family. 

I hurt for my friends -- the ones I've told you about in the post but there are others who are dealing with the test of a life and such pain that they are almost numb at this point. It's their story to tell and I'm here for their support.

It's just horrible and will always test faith. I can't fathom some higher power allowing that kind of pain.

But from our perspective -- that of a supporter -- being there is really all we can do. We can't change things. We can't make anything go away. We're the shoulder to lean on and it can be such a helpless feeling.

Especially from a distance yet all we can do is our best.

Selfishly, I'll offer that it's frustrating and disheartening at times because you want to make the pain go away. But, on the other hand, see it as the honor of being their rock, if that's how they see you.

They've put their faith in you.

That matters.

You don't need to fix anything. You don't need to have all of the answers or any answers at all. You just need to listen.

Be patient.

Hug, if needed.

And once in a while, nudge them. Of course, do that gently because, even then, it might fail.

So here's the takeaway. Good or bad, I'm here. 

Always here.

A text away.

A call away.

With the very sad passing of Matthew Perry this weekend, I can only think of the line from the "Friends" theme song.

"I'll be there for you."

1989 (Rob's Version)

 

It probably goes without saying that this picture was
not taken in 1989.

Actually, nah, Taylor Swift can have 1989, given my 1989 was pretty terrible.

I turned 21 that November and you'd think that would be great.

But I had also lost my father that March and, as a result, sort of felt rudderless. Sure, I'd gotten a promotion that year but it led me into a job in corporate finance with General Foods (then Kraft General Foods and later just Kraft Foods).

I didn't belong in corporate finance, though the job actually worked to my strength of organization but, eventually, the company I worked for stopped paying for my education because they knew I wanted be in broadcasting.

The funny thing is I would have stayed there if the money was good and if I was happy.

But, in the long run, our department got laid off, my job was relocated to Chicago, and I was out of Kraft Foods by the end of 1996. It's safe to say that I've spent many more years in broadcasting.

I don't always look back on that job with the most fondness, mostly because I guess I was a fish out of water. I was a 20-something going to school part-time (and paid it all off myself with no student loans), who didn't have the college experience and my colleagues had a tendency to look down on that and more about me.

I suppose it helped toughen me up a bit. Or something.

Anyway, I initially thought I'd dabble in the (Taylor's version/Rob's version) of 1989 but, well, I didn't love that time in my life.

Like many things, there are still scars, I guess.

*****

Dalling Field (upper field)

Greenwich improved to 7-0 today with a 23-9 win over St. Joseph in Trumbull. 

I've only broadcast from St. Joseph High School a few times over the years. The first time I was there, we worked from the field at the top of the hill. Eventually, a a second football field was built down the hill, creating a sports complex with the baseball and softball fields. 

But the last time I did a game from the upper field it was 2002 and my partner was Dave Rothenberg, who is now a star on ESPN Radio in New York.

The upper field is now turf versus the grass field of the early 2000s. Otherwise, the scoreboard appears to be the same and the booth, well, it's the exact same.

It's a small booth made of wood with basically enough space for, maybe, five people comfortably at the window.

St. Joe's AD and the staff in the booth were welcoming on this hot Saturday in October.

This kind of atmosphere allows for the rest of the booth to hear everything you say and, while that was clearly the case, nobody tried to help me call the game. I appreciate that.

I had to call this one solo as nobody was available to join me. It was just as well, I suppose, given the space constraints. I know we would have made it work but in this case, we didn't have to.

When I work solo like that I can let the game breathe more, and that's exactly what I did. I didn't need to fill every second with commentary. Plus I was keeping an eye on my computer, which I moved away from the window because the sun had been so bright that it was shining on my computer and thus risking overheating.

It wasn't ideal but it worked out.

Not every booth is perfect. Even colleges don't always have the most heavenly places to call a game. 

In the St. Joseph booth today, some of the other people began talking about the best booths in the area. After years of having a serviceable place to work in Greenwich, I no longer hesitate to say that Cardinal Stadium's booth is a palace. It's the best -- by far.

But today, this was just fine. OK, except for the weak cell phone signal and lack of wifi. We survived (barely).

The game was tense before a late interception was returned for a touchdown to close out the Greenwich win. They play at Westhill next Saturday and Chris Erway reunites with me.

Oh, and fear not! The Jersey Mike's (greatest ever) Postgame Interview is ready to run on Monday.

Framed jersey to honor St. Joe's legend (and former 
Pittsburgh Steeler and current Buffalo Bill) Tyler Matakevich

It's World Series Time

(Photo: NBC5 DFW -- https://www.nbcdfw.com/)

 

It happens every October.

OK, except 1994, and I'm still bitter about it.

But the World Series is on my TV.

I've watched it as long as I can remember. I distinctly remember the 1975 Fall Classic between the Reds and Red Sox.

I'm sure I saw some of the action before 1975 as well.

Of course, I remember 1976 because the Yankees were in it for the first time in my life. Then again, given the result, I'd rather not remember it.

Oh, 1977. Understanding what it means to win a World Series. The same went for 1978.

Then came 1979 and the "We Are Family" Pirates. Man, I loved that team.

And the Phillies of 1980.

Then 1981. Yeah, that's not a happy memory. It would take until 1996 before all was right in the world again.

Then 1998 and 1999 and 2000 and 2009.

But I've watched them. All of them.

I'm a baseball fan. That's the important thing. So the teams playing are of little consequence. At least until those teams matter.

I think, immediately, of 1986, when hell would have been a better option, despite how great Red Sox/Mets was. 

Incidentally, 1991 -- Twins/Braves -- was the best series I've seen. It featured five one-run games, three extra-inning games, and a nailbiting Game 7 that ended with a walk-off hit in the 10th inning. Plus, Vin Scully called it on radio.

Oh yeah, the voices. I've spent many nights listening to them. Curt Gowdy, Joe Garagiola, Tony Kubek, Al Michaels, Keith Jackson, Dick Enberg, Scully, Tim McCarver, Bob Costas, Joe Morgan, Bob Uecker, Jack Buck, Sean McDonough, and others immediately spring to mind. Joe Davis and John Smoltz will keep me company for the next four to seven games.

For the record, I like Davis and Smoltz.

Those are just the TV broadcasters. We're not even getting to the radio voices though I will highlight Dan Shulman, who is my choice to win the 2024 Ford Frick Award from the Hall of Fame. His calls are always so smooth and effortless.

I also have to highlight John Sterling and Michael Kay for the numerous Yankees calls I listened to and collected.

The sad thing is the 2023 World Series needs me.

And you.

And many others.

Because let's be honest, this series isn't exactly tickling the fancy of the public. The Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks?

Yup.

There's no question I'm sorry the Yankees aren't in it because I miss that energy but that doesn't stop me from watching this series.

The game is bigger than any one team.

But the game is great. It's still great. 

So I'll keep watching the Fall Classic. Baseball needs advocates. Even an "older" guy like me.

So, play ball, Rangers and Diamondbacks.

Give us seven games.

Let's make this fall classic.

One More Time: Ladies and Gentlemen...

 

(Photo: The Beatles on Facebook)

I read the internet yesterday, oh boy.

The Beatles' social media feeds posted a picture of a cassette. From there, a link led to the lads' website, and the opportunity to sign up for emails from their account.

So, I bit and gave them my email. In return, I got a confirmation and a countdown to 9 a.m. today.

This morning produced exactly what I expected: the news of "the last Beatles song."

It's called "Now and Then" and it's been around for years. It started as one of John Lennon's unfinished songs that he recorded onto cassette in the 1970s. Initially, there were four songs that Yoko Ono gave to "The Threetles" (Paul, George, and Ringo) to do something with in time for the Anthology sessions of 1994: "Free as a Bird," "Real Love," "Grow Old With Me," and "Now and Then."

Both "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love" made the Anthology releases in the late 90s. Let's face it, despite whatever "overproduction" Jeff Lynne applied to it, fans were hungry for anything new from the Fab Four.

I don't love either of those songs but it was great to see and hear the remaining "Threetles" work together.

Then earlier this year, news broke of the last song being assembled. The problem with "Now and Then" was that it required more work than what technology in 1994 could handle. However, in 2023, with the blessing of Olivia Harrison and Sean Ono Lennon, Paul and Ringo went into the studio to work with Giles Martin to add instrumentation and some backing vocals.

Paul McCartney had made the mistake of attributing the new song to AI, which Giles Martin pointed out was ultimately not quite the case. These are The Beatles on the new song. They play and sing as a group.

Now, we wait for the single to hit.

This morning, at the appointed 9 a.m., social media and emails buzzed with a new link, leading users to find out how to pre-order "Now and Then."

To be fair, it's a money grab. If I accuse Taylor Swift of doing so then I have to be consistent. The Beatles could sell almost anything.

The classic greatest hits albums that were broken up into 1962-1966 (the Red Album) and 1967-1970 (the Blue Album) are being rereleased with songs added to them that weren't available in previous incarnations on record and CD.

Allen Klein -- the businessman who effectively helped to break the band up -- created the two two-record sets in 1973. To many, this was a huge introduction to The Beatles' music, even if the compilations were controversial. I remember my sister having the Red Album and, eventually, I got the CD versions in the 1990s.

Still, Klein must have had a dislike for George Harrison because many "Harrisongs" weren't included, such as "Taxman."

This new collection fixes that. Some songs have been cleaned up where they're supposed to sound better than ever.  That, of course, tempts me.

And, of course, on the Blue Album is, you guessed it, "Now and Then."

Personally, I always think compilation albums are a dicey lot. Sure, they're a great way to get many of an artist's hits and serve as an introduction to their music. But it's also just scraping the surface of their work and, often, they don't have everything. History is littered with examples.

Anyway, there are other avenues to get "Now and Then" when it is released next week. There are singles available on record and cassette, with "Love Me Do" included. Thus, the first and the last Beatles singles.

I'm happy to say I found a link on Apple Music to the single in digital form, and I jumped at ordering that.

So those songs will come together to my phone next week. 

Just not right now.

No, I can't help myself.

I feel like I have to own the new song, but I admit I go into this with trepidation. Oh, I know, it's The Beatles. But I also felt the same way when "Free as a Bird" came out.

Obviously, the legacy of the band is important and while they've made mistakes, one never wants to see it be a disaster.

I mean, have you ever seen the "Magical Mystery Tour" movie? I have. Once. I own the DVD. But once was probably enough.

For the next week (and beyond) "Apple Scruffs" (aka Beatles fans) like me will have time to debate the track list for the Red and Blue albums before we all break down the "new" song. Oh, we're also getting a 12-minute film to introduce the song, called Now and Then — The Last Beatles Song, as well as a music video, directed by Peter Jackson.

I'm guilty. Sign me up for all of it. If you're sick of The Beatles, you might want to look away.

It's even promising to be a bit of an emotional ride as it appears we're reaching the end of at least part of the journey. Look, any way that more money can be extracted will happen in the coming years. There will always be technology to enlighten the songs or some other item will emerge from a collection.

The Beatles will be a gift that keeps on giving forever. That's the truest power of music -- staying power. Nearly 60 years after the four moptops stepped off the plane at JFK, they continue to dazzle and reinvent themselves.

The music holds up.

The connection is still real. Think about just standing on Saville Row in London on a Saturday morning in Apr, 2022. The feeling that came over me, at the foot of the building that hosted "the rooftop concert" was profound. It was, perhaps, stronger than crossing the Abbey Road zebra stripes that adorned their 1969 album. 

That's the cultural connection that still rings.

Now, John, Paul, George, and Ringo are ready for another bow.

And in the end (if this is really the end) ...

Incidentally, the sonic creation called "Carnival of Light" has still not been released in any form. So there's that.

Regardless, we get "Now and Then" next week.

A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

*****

I have no words regarding Lewiston, ME. What happened was abhorrent and I'm as sick as anyone of the thoughts and prayers nonsense.

I hope Maine officials can find the person responsible. I hope the families can find the strength to deal with the intense sadness that is in the Pine Tree State.

I watched the news in horror.

Let's be better.

All you need is love.

Allow Me To Clear This Up

 

I attended the Greenwich High School Sports Hall of Fame a few weeks back.

A wonderful breakfast affair, I was asked to speak at the event, highlighting my relationship with Greenwich sports over my rather lengthy career.

After that, I inducted former Greenwich Cardinal John Sullivan into the Hall of Fame.

Later that night, I posted a picture of an appreciation certificate that the Hall of Fame gave me. Specifically, Hall of Fame chairman Pat Mediate presented me with it.

I posted the picture with a few other photos from the day and didn't think much about it.

Then the likes began. OK, cool.

Then the comments followed, with many congratulating me. I thought that was kind.

And then it hit me. It was time to clarify everything.

The certificate did not make me a Hall of Famer, nor would I want to misrepresent that. The Hall of Fame gave these certificates to people they wanted to thank, including me.

My certificate was in honor of my being a "featured" speaker, I suppose.

The Hall of Famers receive a different honor to mark their inclusion, as well as have their names added to plaques that hang at Cardinal Stadium.

In no way am I a Greenwich High School Sports Hall of Fame inductee.

I'm not a Hall of Famer in any way, shape, or form. I visit Halls of Fame but that's about it.

If anything, I'm hoping my attendance at the ceremony is the beginning of a regular thing and I'd enjoy being involved in understanding the inner workings of the Hall of Fame. 

So, to sum up, I was an attendee. I was a presenter.

I'm not in the Hall of Fame.

I'm grateful for the various comments I received in honor of the certificate and I hope I didn't misrepresent anything.

I treasure the certificate and it's currently sitting in my room. Sean thinks it should be framed.

But I don't want anyone to think I'm in the Hall of Fame. While it's a tremendous honor, it's not one I'm worthy of.

I was simply honored to be in attendance and asked to speak.

One More Roadtrip

 

This wonderful year of adventures has led me to see and do things I won't forget.

We've been to London and San Francisco. We've also been to Tampa, Buffalo, Providence, and myriad other cities large and small.

And states. From Massachusetts to close to Ohio and down through West Virginia to South Carolina. Then all up the East Coast. Plus Florida and California.

Yet there was one city that really seemed to make a large impact. I've always said how great it was but then Sean saw it for himself.

Pittsburgh, PA dazzled and Sean felt we should go back after having been to the Hall of Honor at Acrisure Stadium.

Sean loved all of it. He loved Primatni Bros. and the Pittsburgher sandwich. He loved the funicular known as the Duquesne Incline and the view from Mount Washington. He loved the explosive vistion coming into the city via the Fort Pitt Tunnel. 

"I think we need to come back for a Steelers game," he told me.

I didn't see how we could. I thought questions of time and money would win.

There are only eight home games and, if you don't know, NFL tickets are expensive. They're especially expensive when you're going to one of the most popular tickets in the sport.

Steelers fans love their team. It's a religion, much like Packers, Giants, and Chiefs fans, among others. But in Pittsburgh, it's truly part of their identity. Oh, they love the Pirates and the Penguins and the college teams and the high school teams.

But the Steelers? It's hard to explain. It's just different.

Much like "Renegade" by Styx, which has been the Steelers' anthem for over 20 years. It just sort of happened and, initially, the popularity couldn't quite be explained. But then you experience it, as I did 19 years ago at what was known as Heinz Field at the time. 

Then you get it.

That game -- against the Washington, ahem, Redskins -- was incredible. It had been years of rooting for a team that played roughly seven hours from my home. Being there felt like being among friends finally in a football sense.

Sean will soon get it. So will my cousin Kris. So will Kris's friend Danny.

The Pittsburgh Steelers -- proud owners of six Lombardi Trophies -- are hosting the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night, Nov 2.

We'll be there.

Chris Erway was probably the first to push me to do this, no matter how much I doubted it could happen. He encouraged me and it led me to look at each home game. That's when I found the Thursday night game. There were no conflicts to get in the way.

Then I looked at tickets. They're not cheap but, in an NFL sense, they're OK.

Sure, we'd have to get a room for a night because a day trip to Pittsburgh with a football game included just wasn't smart. But we could handle that.

Life is simply too short. My son -- Sean! -- wanted to do this. Maybe this was actually something we could pull off.

Around the same time I started thinking about it -- mid-September -- we also had a weekend planned in Washington, DC to go to a baseball game. Kris, Sean, Danny, and I were all set to go. However, a tropical storm wiped that trip out. I mentioned to Kris that we were thinking about a Steelers game and his reaction was immediate.

He was in.

Eventually, we added Danny to our party and, today, the pieces all came together. I bought the tickets and, while they're in the upper deck in the endzone at Acrisure Stadium, we're in the building.

That's always been our approach.

We booked a room, which became easier after I explained a Waffle House is on the same road as the hotel. Oh, and Sean needs some Steelers stuff to wear. No problem. A Steelers pro shop is in an outlet center near the hotel. Kris told me that today.

It helps to have fellow travelers who understand.

So, next Thursday, away we go.

Bring on the pierogis and Iron City (or IC Light). Bring on the Strip District and the Gateway Clipper Fleet. Bring on the Cathedral of Learning and Clemente Bridge. Bring on the ghosts and the memories of Franco, TB, Big Ben, Polamalu, the Steel Curtain, Chas. Noll and the Jaw. Swann and Stallworth and Hines.

And Heinz...er...Acrisure.

Yinz need to know we're going to see the Stillers in the Burgh, okel dokel?

Terrible Towels in hand.

Yoi.

Maybe double yoi.

Who knows? It might be the beginning of a new tradition and I'm all for that.

The Dude Was Right

 

"Yeah? Well, you know, that's just like uh, your opinion, man."
 -- The Dude, The Big Lebowski

Not much to say tonight.

Sure, I returned to the world today and even hosted a radio show. I mean, I had to run the Jersey Mike's postgame interview for the 13th time*.

* OK, not 13th, but we're overdoing it.

My voice still isn't great but it's not like I'm performing a concert.

The Texas Rangers are six outs away from going to the World Series as I write this, while the Phillies and Diamondbacks will need one more game.

Otherwise, it wasn't much of an exciting Monday and that's OK. Not every story needs to be told.

So I sit here, after 11 p.m., just sort of throwing words on the page.

One thing that grabbed me to mention was a kerfuffle last night in the Play-by-Play group on Facebook.

For whatever reason (ego, naturally) some members insist on posting their work. But, buyer beware.

Often, it is posted with the expectation of getting an "atta boy" and a pat on the back to satiate their desire for praise and acceptance.

But, in reality, critiques and criticism are fair play. The idea is supposed to be that, by posting the item in that group, you've opened yourself to comments.

In the case of the person who posted this play-by-play call last night, the reaction wasn't immediately full of praise. Oh sure, they got the fair share of "likes" but, well, there was criticism.

It was fair but blunt and the original poster took offense. He responded by saying that, basically, the world loved it.

I didn't offer my opinion publicly but I'll say that I offered one privately and it wasn't "atta boy."

I could see the train coming down the tracks. Another member defended the call. Not a surprise.

Eventually, as an admin, I wrote what I've basically written here. The words I used were, basically, "You posted it. Not everything is going to be rainbows and unicorns. Criticism is allowed."

Look, despite what this person said (and was recently said towards me), things aren't automatically "negative" because you disagree with it. Opinions are just that: an opinion. Calling someone a "prep snob" wasn't meant as some great offense, for instance. It wasn't meant to be an insult. It was meant as, essentially, a parody. 

If you disagree, then debate it. Discuss it. Resolve it.

Deal with it, basically.

I went to bed expecting to deal with more from the aggrieved poster this morning only to find that the post was gone.

Deleted.

As far as I could tell, the person who posted the play-by-play call removed it.

That's their opinion and so it goes.

The Texas Rangers just eliminated the Houston Astros. The Rangers are going to the World Series for the third time.

Huzzah.

Red Light Green Light

 

For the love of God, go!

As promised (not only written on the blog but to myself), I took it very easy today. Talking was minimal and I left the house once.

I went and got breakfast at the one deli I knew would be open and able to make me a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich.

With a hashbrown patty.

To get there (Firehouse Deli in Byram), one can go a few ways. Heading there, I went through Chickahominy to reach Byram. On the way back, I opted to jump on I-95 north for one exit.

Exit 3 -- Arch Street -- leads drivers to downtown Greenwich. The ramp ends right next to Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, where the Greenwich Town Party takes place.

The ramp splits at the bottom, with a traffic light controlling the movements. To the right, there is a stop line and a sign indicating "Stop Here on Red."

There is not, to be clear, a sign saying "No Turn on Red."

And yet I see cars just sit there, painfully, with no traffic coming from the left, forming a line, until that blasted light turns green.

It happened again as my ham, egg, cheese, and hashbrown patty breakfast sandwich sat in a brown paper bag in my car.

I'm openingly begging for a sign to be hung that says, quite clearly, "Right Turn on Red Permitted After Stop" or anything similar.

If it's testing my patience to the point that I've hit my horn -- yes, me! -- then you have an issue on your hands.

Honestly, in August, after hours of slogging from wherever I had been (Maryland? Virginia?), I'd had it. Sitting unnecessarily at a traffic light when we were clearly and legally make a right on red made me a bit impatient.

And thus I urge whoever gets to make this decision -- first selectman Fred Camillo, the Connecticut DOT, Gov Ned Lamont, President Biden, or Babe Ruth -- to do so.

Please. 

Pretty please. 

It's a small thing.

Otherwise, my day was one of rest. I let the equipment dry out from yesterday. I did laundry so that everything from yesterday could get cleaned up.

I also watched plenty of sports. I quite enjoyed the Steelers getting a win in Los Angeles against the Rams. I mean, it's like they decided to play some offense for a change.

As I write, I'm hoping the Rangers of Texas extend the ALCS to a seventh game tomorrow night.

There's no question I respect what the Houston Astros have done and, yeah, Jose Altuve is a special postseason player. But that doesn't mean one can't be sick of them. I mean, the rest of the world easily gets sick of the Yankees.

I'll continue to rest my voice until tomorrow. Of course, I can't miss out on "Doubleheader," featuring the postgame interview, can I?

The world will not hear of such a thing.

In fact, if my voice isn't up to it, maybe I'll just run the interview on a loop for the 46 minutes of airtime that I get. I'm sure the sponsor (Jersey Mike's) would be thrilled!

OK, enough snark. I'm going back to my campaign.

Turn right on red at Exit 3!

Soaked Again

Today's view

Remember the soccer game from roughly a month back? You know, the one where I was in a near-hurricane?

Keep that in mind.

I'm sure you will find it shocking but it rained again in New England on a weekend.

And I took a bus to Andover, MA.

I was told the bus was leaving the Edwards Campus of the Brunswick school at 7:45. So I got up this morning, pulled myself together, and hustled over to Wick with a coffee in my hand, which I had consumed by the time I parked the car.

Gus, the trusted videographer, was unloading his car and was also joining the fun.

I think my last Brunswick bus trip was, in fact, to Andover but that's not truly important right now.

Head coach Wayne McGillicuddy told us breakfast sandwiches awaited inside near the locker room and he promised that, as part of the traveling party, we'd be fed throughout the day.

That, my friends, is class.

We loaded onto Bus 2 and set off. It was cloudy but mostly dry as we left.

It didn't stay that way.

The rain hit and hit hard. As a passenger, I'll zone out and listen to things or play games on my phone but I'll also watch a bit of the drive. I could see the rain and it was heavy.

Leaving at 7:45 (in truth, we were on the road just after 7:50) means that, if things move well, we'll have time on our hands.

Inside Cawley Memorial Stadium, Lowell, MA

Wayne -- a Lowell High School guy -- made arrangements for the team to do a walk-through at Cawley Memorial Stadium. Built in 1937, the field has hosted numerous high school games as well as multiple levels up to and including the New England Patriots, who lost a preseason game in 1963 to the Houston Oilers there.

Wayne told me about the eight-overtime game he played in as a high school athlete at Cawley. Rivals Lowell and Andover played until Andover won 88-82. That, friends, is a football score.

We also used the stop as a break for lunch sandwiches.

From there, the rain picked up again as we headed to Phillips Academy Andover.

Their facility -- Phelps Stadium -- is nice. Turf field, concrete bleachers, etc. It's charming.

It also has no press box, except for the two-level tower with a spiral staircase hanging off the back of the concrete bleachers at midfield. You can see the tower in this picture from Andover Athletics.

I walked up there during our last visit, in 2021, and felt my knees immediately buckle. Hell, no.

I didn't bother this time.

I set up at the bottom where there's sort of the makings of an area that has a scoreboard operator and a makeshift public address system that is setup and broken down for every game.

I stood near all of that.

And the rain continued.

Rain. Lots. Oh, and two Buc-ee's stickers

I set up as quickly as I could, using my hard-sided case to cover things.

I decided I would use my small Zoom Podtrak P4 mixer, one headset, no crowd microphone, and my computer.

Keep in mind, we were there around 1 p.m. and the game wasn't until 3 p.m. That's a lot of time for rain to cause any havoc.

Oh, and did I mention from the moment I woke up this morning I really didn't have much of a voice? I should probably add that.

I was as prepared as I could be under the circumstances, figuring I couldn't bring everything from my car.

But I didn't bring enough though I'm not sure it would have made much of a difference.

As I went to take a stab at putting the game on Robcasting, my computer screen went off. My gut feeling was the game would only air on LocalLive and that was correct. I might try to make an audio recording of the LocalLive feed later on. But, for now, don't look in my archive for this game.

Not long after the game had started, as my voice croaked and cracked, moisture must have gotten into something because humming began to be heard. I made adjustments that kept things sort of muffled but, according to Gus, people could hear me.

And this was just how we were going to survive. In the tower, Gus fought condensation while I fought the heavy downpours.

At halftime, I actually left the "booth" and went into the nearby ice rink to sit at a table and dry off.

There was more of the same in the second half.

Yet, somehow, we pulled it off as we almost always do. Oh, I would have liked to have used more of the notes I had and I had literally no way to keep a scorecard.

And, speaking of the score, I had to keep that in my brain because the scoreboard didn't work!

In what truly matters most, Brunswick led 7-0 on a Bryce Davis touchdown run but Andover scored twice to get the lead to 12-7. Oliver Reynolds booted a field goal in the second half to get the game to 12-10 and Andover lost their starting quarterback. In fact, they wound up playing three different quarterbacks, turning the ball over four times in the second half. The Bruins got another TD to go up 17-12 before Reynolds kicked a 42-yard FG. 

Final score: Brunswick 20-Andover 12. A good gut-check win for the Bruins.

The game ended and I basically said, "thanks for watching. Bye."

I threw stuff in cases and bags, waited a few minutes for Gus (who had to break down a couple of cameras), and began the walk back to the bus.

One thing I will always say about student-athletes: they are kind and respectful to me. Matty Augustine, a highly recruited lineman, caught up with me as I headed towards the bus, and we chatted about the game. He was honest, open, and easy to talk to.

And these guys always call me "sir." Please, I beg of you, don't.

Receiver Matt Colella talked to me after I got on the bus (where boxes of Chick-fil-A awaited with sandwiches, chips, and a cookie) and said how much he enjoyed my work. Another player told me how much he enjoys my lacrosse play-by-play. Nowhere in life did I ever expect that to happen but I've heard that from a few people. It's surprising.

Finally, at 6 p.m., the buses began the trek back to Greenwich. A four-hour drive awaited through the rain before...it got dry.

However, I sat in my bus seat, soaked to my skin. It took forever to even get my hands dry.

This is the business we have chosen

We were back at 10 and I was home before 10:30. I'm thrilled and relieved to say that I'm writing this on my laptop which appears to have survived. The rest of the equipment is currently in the living room where I'm hoping it will dry out and also be OK.

Whatever tales I tell there are two bottom lines: 1) the game was played (Brunswick won) and overall, everyone is safe despite injuries and 2) the broadcast happened.

The rosters are smeared, wet messes but those can be reprinted.

The audio can be gathered from LocalLive.

But, as I suspected, today would be one for the memory bank.

It sure was.

With no voice, I will now go silent.

Back in Connecticut

 

Inside the tight quarters at Trumbull High School

The laundry is done.

It's folded and put away.

I walked in just after 10 p.m. and, while talking to work, got unpacked. Then things went into the washing machine. I stayed up long enough to move everything into the dryer.

Then I took something to help me sleep and hoooooo boy did I sleep?!

Heck, I was awake around 6:30, knowing I had to do my Friday morning appearance on WGCH at 7:50 but I was still exhausted. So I set an alarm with the Amazon Echo right next to my bed.

"Alexa, set an alarm for 7:30," I said.

I figured I'd have 20 minutes to get the cobwebs rearranged in my skull.

I put my head back down.

Then I woke up and looked at my phone.

It was 7:51.

I snapped our of it, called into the station, and did the interview, completely groggy and not exactly with the most full of voice.

As has become a tradition, I once again did not feel my best while traveling. So with two football games ahead of me, keeping my voice going will be fun.

I think, frankly, it's stress that makes me sick each time. Though I don't feel stressed, I'm sure some neuron somewhere is out of whack over flying and getting from "A" to "B." Plus there's the fear of forgetting something. Plus the concern of doing a good job for my coworkers. And so on.

This time, I did forget something. No pajamas. Loads of fun when sharing a room with someone else.

I thought I might find a few minutes to get to a store and buy something but nah. Plus, stores were all closed by 8 p.m. 

So, yes, I'm back home safe, sound, and extremely hungry. I mean, basically, you pay airlines for the point A to B thing. There's not a lot else.

Oh, you can have the headphones if you'd like, along with a complimentary snack of exactly two small bags of SunChips that wouldn't feed a squirrel. Plus a beverage or two.

Plus Delta was a bit high maintenance about bags. I think checking bags -- especially when you have to pay for them -- is the work of the devil. So I do my best to live a carry-on life.

In the case of both flights, Delta staffers were politely harassing passengers about the size of carry-on luggage. They were pulling people aside and telling them they had to check things.

Of course, there are two sides to every story, as people are also, well, often entitled.

So, yes, back to being home and not having to fly for some time.

Upon telling Sean that I have football tonight and tomorrow, his reaction was not shocking.

"You're nuts," he said.

Yes. Yes, I am. But who -- I ask you, WHO -- could possibly do the Jersey Mike's Postgame Interview? 

And then play it more times than "Living on a Prayer?"

OK, I'm not guilty of the playing. I run the interview in its entirety on "Doubleheader."

Actually, the broadcast would go off just fine without me but, nonetheless, I'll be in Trumbull tonight for a 7:00 kickoff as Greenwich meets the Eagles. Jeff Alterman will be next to me in the booth.

Listen to the game on WGCH, TEN, and Robcasting, and watch it on Trumbull Community TV.

Then, tomorrow, if all goes well, I'm jumping on a Brunswick team bus and going to Andover, MA for the Bruins' game against Phillips Academy. Game time there is 3 p.m. on LocalLive and Robcasting.

You know me, I'd drive it if I could but I think zoning out on a bus might be best.

On Sunday, I'll rest. I'll also plan the next adventure, coming soon.

*****

I'm back from Trumbull and Greenwich did their thing, winning 42-0. To be honest, and no disrespect to anyone, but it was sort of wrapped up at halftime.

The multicast of WGCH, Robcasting, TEN, and TCTV mostly went fine. I didn't have the mixer with me I initially wanted to use and Trumbull's booth felt like it was the size of a postage stamp and I'm at my wit's end with the rain but it all worked out.

I'm getting on the bus early tomorrow at Brunswick to head to Andover.

Weather (and my voice) will be a concern.

Tune in to see if I survive.

Lobby View

 

From the lobby of the Omni Hotel in San Francisco...

Some blah in-house music is pumping via the speakers overhead. It's not exactly John, Paul, George, Ringo, or Huey for that matter.

Incidentally, people, this is San-freaking-Francisco, home of Huey Lewis and the News. Considering all of the godawful Bon Jovi and other Jersey nonsense I hear on repeat making my ears bleed back in the New York tri-state, would one playing of "The Power of Love" be too much to ask?

I realize you're not going to play "Some of My Lies Are True (Sooner or Later)" because "their early work was a little too 'new wave' for some taste."

I'm coming off a not-so-great night of sleep, got dressed in the dark, and am sitting in the lobby before heading to the airport, so your mileage may vary with this diatribe.

Besides, it's not like anyone is reading it!

I'm ready to morph across the U.S. Where's Samantha Stephens ("Bewitched") to twitch her nose so that I could be back in my living room, biting into a slice of Grigg Street Pizza?

I know. I'm old and that's a reference that not many will get. I mean the Samantha Stephens part.

I'm not excited to be caged into the sardine can with a flight attendant who will give me enough hip checks on my shoulder to think that I suited up for the San Francisco 49ers.

Seriously, this one dude hit me no less than five times on the flight here. I honestly never thought of myself as broad-shouldered.

Oh, the conference (the reason I'm here) was fantastic. The speakers were very well received as were the topics. Questions were aplenty and I think attendees got what they came for. The feedback I heard was overwhelmingly positive.

And the moderator seemed to be well-received.

The thing people like about my style, according to what I was being told, is 1) my energy. I drop in an ad-lib or some other line to keep people on their toes. But my other big selling point is 2) my dogged determination to keep things on time.

There are a lot of things going on during the conference hours of  8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. So times will move around but I'll be damned if we're going past 4 p.m. because ballrooms and audio-visual companies cost money and attendees are frankly looking to either leaving or having a drink.

In yesterday's case, it was the latter, as I was able to sit back and watch it all while chatting.

Of course, there was that little issue of an earthquake that I mentioned in yesterday's post.

It happened during our second presentation of the day. The speaker had mentioned before the beginning of the day that she was somewhat nervous about her session. Yet she handled the moment with grace and charm.

Phone alarms buzzed in the room with the following message:

Emergency Alert

Earthquake detected! Drop, cover, hold on. Protect yourself. -USGS ShakeAlert

Nah. Nothing concerning about that.

West coasters are used to earthquakes. At least to the point where most in the room chuckled. The non-west coasters gasped.

I collected my thoughts, reached for my phone, began listening to KCBS radio, and checked Twitter. Ultimately, it was a 4.1 tremor felt out near Sacramento and Stockton. While some in San Francisco did feel it, we felt nothing.

Oh, it definitely sat in my mind all day, a mix of "did that really happen?" with "should I be concerned?"

In the end, it was a footnote as our speaker at the time did a magnificent job of brushing it all off.

Well, after a full day of a conference, a great dinner at an Italian restaurant in the North Beach section of the city, and a lousy night of sleep, a picket line breaking outside the hotel is the perfect way to wrap this up.

A cable car just pulled up and chimed his bell with the protestors on cue. 

Protestors want a contract. When do they want it? Why, now, of course.

Anyway...

While I might add a few words upon my return to Greenwich tonight, this will likely suffice for now.

Greenwich is at Trumbull tomorrow night at 7 (on WGCH, TEN, etc) and Brunswick is at Phillips Andover (Massachusetts) on Saturday (on LocalLive). I plan to call both and prepped for them yesterday.

I need breakfast. 

It's time to go home.

Julia Morgan Ballroom, 7 a.m.

 

Julia Morgan Ballroom

The audio/visual crew is testing the microphones out.

"Check, check, one, two," they say.

At one point, two crew members were standing on the stage wearing lavalier mics inside the Julia Morgan Ballroom inside the Merchant's Exchange Building in San Francisco.

"Can you guys talk?" someone at the control desk asked.

So they regaled us with stories of their day.

"I'm just looking forward to tomorrow when I get my check," one said.

Such is the life in the early morning hours of a ballroom before a Hunt Scanlon conference. Whether it's in New York, London, or here in San Francisco, the routine is mostly the same. The personalities are also mostly the same.

My priorities when I arrive include helping Erik, Walker, Bogdan, and Caleb set the room up with pamphlets and tent cards on the tables.

After that, a chair. For me.

Because it gets forgotten without fail.

In fact, there were initially two chairs to the side of the stage here with a table. I'd no sooner sat down when an A/V member booted me so he could put them on the stage.

I'm now planted in a standard-issue ballroom chair, several feet stage left.

I'm also fresh off a night of deep sleep that began at 9 p.m. Pacific (Midnight Eastern). Oh, don't get me wrong, I woke up a few times, including before the alarm went off but it's fine because I'm trying to remain close to the time at home.

And all is well at home. Sean is there and, yes, I've checked in on Rascal. He's as usual.

Branding in the elevator

Back here, the badges will get handed out as registration rolls along. Breakfast will be served and attendees will mingle as they begin to roll in.

Then the process of getting everyone seated and ready will commence.

What I love -- truly -- is the trust here. Erik and Walker are the leaders of this gig but they couldn't be more clear with me.

"You know what you're doing. Run the show."

I'm a firm believer in that, as a manager, I've hired people for a reason. Now I have to put my faith and trust in them to do what they do. Ask any broadcaster or, for that matter, any staff member that has ever worked with me and I'd like to believe they'd tell you that.

So I've got this. I know the routine. I've got the script. I know what to say.

"There are tables to the far side of the ballroom so if everyone would please take a seat."

Of course, audiences can be different wherever we go. In London, they snap to attention when I say that we're ready to start.

In New York, there are deals to make and it's just different.

Here, in the Julia Morgan Ballroom inside the Merchant's Exchange Building in San Francisco, CA, well, we'll find out when I step to the podium at 8:30.

That's 11:30 in New York.

I'll speak the first several pages of the script -- for me, always the most intensive of the day -- and then introduce the leadoff presentation.

Then I'll go to my seat near the A/V table.

And we'll be off.

The Merchants Exchange Building, across the street from our hotel

ADDED NOTE: So, this happened, and we're all fine. We felt nothing as a 4.1 earthquake hit between the Sacramento and Stockton areas. 

The San Francisco Treat

 

Outside SFO Airport

Hello from San Francisco.

Ah yes. Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, In-N-Out Burger, the Presidio, the Pacific Ocean, Lombard Street, Coit Tower, Alcatraz, Oracle Park, and so much more.

It's warm here and we had a great flight. I'm glad I wore shorts because I'm so comfortable.

This is the place to be as we get ready for tomorrow's conference.

I wish we had time to rent a car and drive over the Golden Gate to head to "The Deuce" -- formally known as The 2am Club -- where the cover of "Sports" was shot 40 years ago.

Of course, I visited it in 2019 on my own but it would be a lot more fun with the Hunt Scanlon crew riding along. The vibe of that place fits us.

Time will not allow for that and, as it is, I'm probably wasting more time than I should by writing this post.

OK, I'm full of it. I'm actually writing this post from home in Connecticut on Monday night. I figure that in case time is tight I'll have the foundation of a post that I can lean on.

It was on that trip in 2019 -- one of my favorite days ever -- that I didn't write the post until after midnight Eastern time. However, it was 10:38 p.m. Pacific time when I posted it and, as such, I cut myself some slack in that it was still the same day where I was.

You can read that post here to understand why it was so special. I kid you not -- those couple of hours of driving around were spectacular. The whole day -- as exhausting as it was -- stands among my favorite days ever.

Consider how close I was to not getting he rental car given I was sort of run down from the trip and I was panicking about the cost of the rental. But thanks to the hotel not being able to give me a room, I decided to walk down to the Enterprise rental office.

And a day that was basically perfect was the result.

As I alluded to, my only regret was being alone. Oh, I don't mind traveling on my own but it's best when it can be shared with people who understand.

One day, perhaps we'll do that again and more. I still have yet to go across the Bay Bridge to Oakland and I really want to go to Alcatraz.

Maybe one of those will happen.

Once I'm actually in San Francisco.

Which I'm currently not.

But I'm glad I wrote this anyway.

*****

The Golden Gate is surrounded by fog

I'm now in San Francisco (for real). I'm typing the rest of this post on my phone so keep your expectations low. 

Our flight was uneventful. I'm just always happy when we get where we're going. 

It's been a day of checking the venue, checking into the hotel, and hanging around the Fisherman's Wharf area. 

We're here. Also, I'm tired. 

I'll get sleep and head to the conference tomorrow. 

Monday Night Baseball

 

Bryce Harper

I'm watching baseball before I settle down.

The Rangers have just taken a two-games-to-none lead on the Astros in the ALCS while the Phillies have just slammed two home runs to take a 2-0 lead in game one of their NLCS bout with the Diamondbacks.

I have to admit, at this point, I'm liking the idea of a World Series featuring the Rangers and Phillies. I don't know that any Yankees fan -- heck, any baseball fan -- can root for the Astros. I know, everyone needs to get over the cheating of 2017 but add that to what is a dynasty, and the team becomes easy to dislike. 

Heck, that's part of why people hate the Yankees.

So, yeah, I'm just sick of the Astros.

As for the Diamondbacks, I guess I've never gotten over 2001 when they beat the Yankees in the post-Sep-11 World Series. That series bothers me more now than it ever did at that time.

I will say that while I do enjoy not having a serious rooting interest, I do miss the tension of the Yankees in the postseason.

Oh, those long nights of exhilaration and heartbreak. Of frustration and anger.

But the days of Jeter and Jorge and Mo and Andy are in the past. Tino and Paulie and Bernie and Brosius and Coney and Wells and Mr. T are all retired. No game was over with those guys.

By the way, Jeter is quite good on TV. I'd enjoy seeing him do more of it because his low-key, sarcastic attitude combined with his knowledge is a good fit. He plays well off of A-Rod and Big Papi.

*****

OK, a complete changeup here. A Twitter/X account called The Beatles Earth created the above bracket.

Look, I'm a sucker for these things. I'm also astounded at some of the seeds but so it goes. Still, "Lady Madonna" as a 16th seed?

Crazy.

Anyway, I dabbled in the bracket to see what I'd get for my final four. My guess is that my opinion might change but, as of tonight, I'd go with "A Day in the Life," "Day Tripper," "Yesterday," and "A Hard Day's Night."

My problem is I go with my heart but then common sense also steps in. Thus, my heart wins on "Day Tripper."

Then my final two would be "A Day in the Life" and "Yesterday." 

"A Day in the Life" might be the greatest creation in music history, considering the combination of efforts of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. 

Of course, "Yesterday" is the most covered song in history. It's pure poetry.

But, while it's not my favorite song, "A Day in the Life" is getting the nod.

It's a fun exercise as I begin to rest my brain.

****

I read the script today. We're ready.

We'll talk to you tomorrow from San Francisco.

Packed Again

 

The tickets were booked months ago. The same with the hotel.

The car service is all set also.

See you Tuesday at five. In the morning. Keep in mind that's 2 a.m. in California.

I won't enjoy tomorrow night and will likely not sleep well. But if I do need an alarm on Tuesday morning I won't love it. Then I'll soon get over it and pull myself together.

I don't mind getting up early. I just don't like the waking up process.

It's conference time in San Francisco. We'll fly Tuesday morning, do any necessary prep, and then enjoy whatever time we have.

Wednesday is the conference. We'll be up and working early. Then we'll let off steam after it's over.

Before you know it, I'll be back in New York on Thursday night.

Sean and Rascal will hold down the fort here. I won't worry about them or the apartment but I'll worry about other things as I focus on giving attendees my best at the conference.

So today was about laundry, packing, and football.

Of course, I'm a classic overpacker. I've packed for four days when I actually need three. But I've also downsized from a backpack to a smaller bag for my computer to fit in my duffel.  Yes, I'm also an overthinker.

It will be warm in San Francisco this week. In fact, they'll be in the 80s on Wednesday.

Traveling in shorts -- even in chilly New York temperatures on Tuesday, seems like a good idea to me. The key is to wear something comfortable and warm on top. I'll figure that out tomorrow night or as I get ready on Tuesday morning.

I've made it clear so many times that travel is something I love. It appeals to my organized mind. I don't love overthinking, overpacking, and flying.

The flights to and from London were better than the previous year due to the seats I had. I think these flights are going to be more standard sardine-style.

I'm considering taking something, putting headphones on, and sleeping. That might depend on the in-flight entertainment, I suppose.

The height doesn't bother me. Even turbulence doesn't overwhelm me. I put my faith in the people in the cockpit. I have to as I don't see any other choice.

Would I drive cross-country if Hunt Scanlon asked me to? Have we met?

Sure. I'll deliver supplies. I mean, I'd want to be able to book hotel rooms across the country (and drive a rental car), but I'd be very into that idea.

Google says it would take 43 hours so that would be quite a haul. It would be Interstate 80, literally, from end (in Teaneck, NJ) to end (San Francisco). Among the various things that would thrill me would be driving to states I've never visited before. Hello, Utah and Nebraska and Iowa and Indiana!

Then I'd have to figure out a way home.

But I know me. I'd need to switch it up on the drive home.

Anyway, that's all living in fantasy land. 

Before Tuesday there is a script to read and get comfortable with. We'll do that tomorrow morning. I will be reviewing it again right up until it's time to start talking on Wednesday morning at 8:30.

As I usually do, I'll get my mind adjusted to the time change.

And, once again, I wish there was a 24-hour deli around here to grab breakfast!

* Once again, we'll do our very best to keep this insane posting going on. I wish I had enough space to write on the plane as it would occupy my mind. Given that's a pipe dream I will come up with another plan to get posts lined up on Tuesday and Wednesday before likely writing from home on Thursday night.