You Can't Please Everyone

 

Total Mortgage Arena 
(Photo: Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau)

The calendar won.

For the myriad ways I try to arrange days like a game of Tetris, there are just some times when I can't split the atom(s).

Yes, I've used that joke before and it wasn't funny then either but it still beats a meme.

Tomorrow could have been something. 

Three games. Three sites.

Jeff Alterman asked me to join him for hockey at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport for Trumbull/Westhill-Stamford. I'm always up for merging his TEN Network with Robcasting.

The big appeal of broadcasting the game is the arena. It's special to call games in places like that -- see Sacred Heart and UConn -- and I haven't worked there in a few years. In the past, I've called high school basketball and hockey there along with Bridgeport Islanders (Sound Tigers then) hockey.

The game was supposed to start at Noon but has been moved back to 12:30.

The noon start didn't concern me but 12:30 is just late enough to make me clock watch a little since Brunswick is hosting Taft School at 3:30.

Now, there are provisions to all of this. First, Jeff will have someone else with him. He likes bringing people along to work with us. The advantage here is that if I have to leave early, I can leave the game in their hands.

I had to do this one other time when I drove to Shelton for hockey but had to fly to New Canaan for the FCIAC wrestling championships. In that case, I left Jeff on his own and it was like throwing him into the deep end of the pool.

In the case of Brunswick, cameraman Josh Drebsky will be in the rink so he can get things started if I get hung up. He also knows that I have a second game so he'll be ready for me.

Therefore we are prepared.

The bad part -- and yes, I buried the lead -- is that the Hudson Valley Vipers play tomorrow also.

The bad news is they're playing at 6 p.m.

Basically, anything after that would have worked given most high school games take roughly two hours. But in the case of the Vipers, it's still a solid hour's drive (and probably more) from Brunswick to Poughkeepsie.

So, obviously, a 3:30 game would be over in the area of 5:30. See what I mean? I could have made it to Poughkeepsie and even set up in time for a 7 p.m. start.

It bummed me out to admit defeat and text the Vipers to say I couldn't do the game. They were disappointed but understood given the terms of my calling their games in their first season.

Sadly, this will probably happen again but as a close friend reminded me, it's good to be wanted.

He's absolutely right.

The best scenario would be to have a roster of people who can be a part of the Robcasting family but we're not there. Oh, we used to be, but time marches on. People get different jobs, have kids, and life just gets more complicated. It happens.

And, of course, I don't just accept anyone in the family. I need to know I can trust the person in myriad ways, including with equipment and access to the website.

Of course, they also need to uphold certain standards.

I read an article today about the amazing Caitlin Clark, who set the NCAA record for most points in a women's basketball career.

In the middle of it was a broadcaster who made a statement about creative ways to describe a moment and how to make it unique.

In other words, how can this broadcaster make it about himself?

No thanks. That's not my kind of broadcaster. It's not about you.

If you've read this space long enough, you know that.

And I'll stop there before my head splits open.

Incidentally, I'm prepared for tomorrow.

I know who's reading.