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| They are the champions |
I was handling public address duties tonight for the Renegades.
Unless you're new around here, you know my first desire is always to be in a booth.
Any booth.
With a headset on calling the play-by-play of a game.
And I could have been in a couple today, but I was committed to the Gades so I worked there.
Roughly 575 miles away, the Hudson Valley Vipers hockey team played in their ultimate game.
After winning the Eastern Conference title last week in Niagara Falls, the Vipers traveled to Toledo, Ohio tonight to play the Mobsters for the APHL championship.
I always want the big call. I would have preferred to be in Niagara Falls last week and would have loved to be in Toledo tonight. However, doing road games was never in the cards so it wasn't something I pursued.
Keep in mind, had I attempted to do it, we would have been driving and needing a place to stay. All on our own dime.
So given the many balls in the air right now, along with my commitments back here, it just wasn't in the cards to do it.
But I always want to complete the job. I was, basically, the Vipers' play-by-play announcer in 2024 having called most of their home games.
That's how I feel about Brunswick, Greenwich, and any other team I get attached to. While I don't like the term "Voice of the (insert team name here)" I do understand that there's a connection that the broadcaster represents the team to an extent.
The Renegades didn't broadcast road games in 2021, so I had to push to get the one road game that I wanted to call at Brooklyn.
But I have called championship games many times, of course, including Greenwich's titles in football at both the conference and state level, as well as FCIAC championship wins in baseball and boys ice hockey.
With Brunswick, I've called their football bowl game wins and FAA conference titles in baseball and basketball. I've also called their lacrosse Prep Nationals title in 2022 and I'll call their attempt to win another one tomorrow. If they win that, they'll likely wrap up being the top lacrosse team in the country.
Those are just a few examples.
But, tonight, I had to watch the Vipers on my phone via the YouTube stream provided by the Toledo Mobsters.
With no announcers.
Broadcast aside, it was a happy night in the Hudson Valley. The Vipers beat the Mobsters 7-4 to win the APHL Championship in the league's first year. It's a wonderful accomplishment for the team and everyone associated with it. I texted with team president Pat Manning to congratulate him.
In the meantime, we talked it over at Heritage Financial Park and decided to make an announcement to congratulate the Vipers.
I had the honor of announcing the result to the assembled crowd of over 3,000 who reacted with a loud ovation.
A championship has come to the Hudson Valley and it deserves to be noted.
So, in some small way, I feel pride in being the broadcaster for the Vipers. But, as always, we are the smallest of parts of the story. We're the storytellers and it's not about us.
To that end, regardless of how many titles I've called for teams, I don't get a ring or a jacket or any of the spoils of winning. Generally, it doesn't work like that, at least not for me. It's a higher-level thing and I get asked about it often. In fact, someone told me that I should get a ring tonight.
I take pride in doing an honorable, professional broadcast. I don't think my place belongs in the domain of the players.
But I was very proud of what the Vipers achieved tonight.
*****
Sean and I went to the memorial service for our friend George Chelwick today. It was an honor to be there to support George's family. The speeches from his sons were a reminder of what a remarkable man he was.
The family was extremely touched that Greenwich football head coach Tony Morello and the 2024 Cardinals captains were in attendance at the church. I thought that was pretty great.
That's the love of the community that is well deserved for someone like George, who gave so much in his lifetime.
I don't have any particular reason to explain this to you but I wanted to honor George, Nancy, and their family one last time.
Let it serve to remind us how good people are located everywhere.
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