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| Carmel (in blue) celebrates their win over Shenendehowa |
So I wrote about a broadcast performance that wasn't up to my standards. I thought I wasn't sharp on Friday night and posted about it yesterday.
The reaction went, basically, as I expected.
The bigger thing that I wanted to note was that, despite what I thought was a subpar Friday, I wasn't rattled. I've had those days.
Those tend to be a bit dark.
It beats my confidence. Heck, I remember the six months or so when I wasn't sure that I even knew how to broadcast baseball anymore. Imagine that from me? But, yes, that happened.
Friday was just a dip. Yes, my standards are high and I was disappointed. But I didn't drive home depressed Friday night. I didn't doubt that I'd jump right back on the horse on Saturday. It was meant to be a reminder that, despite whatever standards we set, put it in the rearview mirror.
Move on. Simple enough.
And so I returned to Mahopac High School bright and early on Saturday morning for two more regional football games.
I decided to hit the road some four hours before kickoff to get to the Pac and relax.
To that end, I took a longer way to get there so I could come into town from a different angle. Moments later, I was at Crossroads Deli at the fork of U.S. 6 and NY 6N.
To many of us, that's the old Rodak's but I digress.
I grabbed my egg and cheese there and drove to the high school, parking again at the middle school.
I ate in the car before walking up to the booth that was already open.
The great thing was, despite no one knowing me, I was able to just walk in each day and set up with no questions asked.
OK, none until an O'Neill football assistant coach tried to throw me out of the booth. I was literally about to go on the air plus the jack I needed to send audio to LocalLive was in that room, so the answer was no.
He wasn't happy and apparently, he did the same last year to a news reporter in a different booth. In that case, he even closed the reporters' computer.
In this case, fortunately, he went to the roof and that was that.
In the end, his team beat Bronxville 17-7 and advanced to the semifinals.
In the nightcap, Carmel (playing on the turf of their hated rival) advanced to the semis with a 28-14 win over Shenendehowa from north of Albany.
I just sat in my (cold) booth, acting as a doorman for the myriad types who came up to a (locked) door and called the games.
I called both games with more comfort than I did on Friday. That doesn't mean I'm happy but I walked away feeling better about my performance.
On Friday, I felt like I needed a partner to settle me down.
On Saturday, I was back to feeling more like myself, despite working completely alone. Even Sean chose to stay home.
So we turn the page.
I packed up and headed out with a smile on my face as I strolled the grounds that I've walked so many times.
I drove away with my head held a bit higher.
Of the greatest relief to me, my voice survived everything. A head cold like the one I had can sometimes result in problems. My father used to get a horrible gravelly voice with certain colds, so thanks, Dad.
In this case, I was fine.
I have a few days before the next call, and it's a big one. Staples from Westport comes to Cardinal Stadium on Thursday morning. Always a big crowd and often a great game.
It's one of my favorite broadcasting days of the year.
The playoffs follow.
A day like Friday can serve a positive purpose. It helps me remain humble and hungry. It also helps me focus.
Then a day like Saturday happens and all is pretty well again.
I appreciate the support.
I just needed to vent, I guess.
*****
I'm now writing from a loveseat.
In my living room.
After nearly 18 months of only having my Ikea chair in the, my cousin Kourtney has given us a comfy loveseat.
She had put it online to sell it and when I expressed an interest, she told me it was mine.
We're overwhelmed by her kindness. Of course, her cousin (and, sadly, Danny*) delivered it here today.
A great reminder of family.
*OK, Danny, we're kidding. Sort of.
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