The Connecticut Broadcasting Blues

(CIAC Sports)

 

I should have set an over/under.

Certain traditions never die and among those today are:

1) Questions about the Connecticut state football championship broadcasts and...

2) Complaints about the Connecticut state football championship broadcasts.

For the record, the first question arrived around 8:30 this morning. The first complaint was literally at 10:30, as the first game kicked off.

Also for the record, I have no control over any of it.

Furthermore, I lean towards not listening to any of them. The first reason is simple: as I cover high school sports sort of, you know, for a living, I don't like to pay to watch or attend games. So I resist that.

The other reason should be obvious: I don't want to hear the other broadcasters. Yet, due to my own curiosity, I checked with one outlet to see if they were covering any games today.

They were.

Trying to be fair, I listened. Briefly. I then sent the link of said broadcast to the first person who asked me about coverage today and turned the game off.

Then I went grocery shopping as my phone continued to vibrate. At that point, I can't help but think I should be on a board of FCIAC and Connecticut state sports broadcasters or something.

I wish every team well. Every athlete. Every coach. Every fan -- especially those passionate and, yes, well-behaved ones.

I thank every reporter who is tweeting/X'ing their hearts away using the #cthsfb hashtag.

I wish the announcers well.

I also wish Chris Erway and I had gone but we're going to watch Army/Navy instead.

Oh, and a pro tip: when calling football on the radio, details matter. While you might think people are tuning in for a show, they're tuning in for the game first and foremost. You are a conduit and not the star. The athletes are the stars. Your job is to set the scene and report it. Then inform and explain.

THEN you can entertain. But until you do everything else, no. At least not in my school.

The best (Vin, Doc Emrick, Dick Enberg, etc) know how to blend that perfectly.

Hell, even Phil Rizzuto knew how to do that.

The biggest thing today is to get the names right and, for the love of Scully, get the SCHOOL NAMES right.

You laugh, but I heard about the butchering of Carmel last week in the New York championship broadcasts. 

For the record it's CAR-mull. Not Car-MEL or some other pronunciation. It's also certainly NOT Care-uh-mel.

Calling these games isn't rocket science. It does require a certain level of training and understanding though.

Set the play: "first and ten at the Greenwich 25." If it's on the radio, then more details are needed, such as the hash mark and some of the formation.

"First and ten at the Greenwich 25, ball on the far (or left/right) hash. Two receivers nearside left: Gennarelli and Stefanowicz. Auguste is out to the right. Kim in the backfield to Grillo's right. Grillo takes the shotgun snap and flips it right on a screen to Auguste, who grabs it at the 27, dances around a defender, and is knocked out of bounds at the 29. It's a gain of four as linebacker Joe Jones made the stop."

Then the analyst can break it all down. A great one like Chris Erway or Tom Faggione out in Orange County makes it sound flawless.

Perhaps there's a moment for a mention of "Mom's spaghetti" or whatever other references can be made. But the game -- the athletes! -- is the star. Not you. Or me.

For those wondering, I'm enjoying the day. As I alluded to, I'm going to watch Army/Navy later and hopefully get updates from Sean, who is at the game.

As I wrote last night, I'll be back in action with basketball in a few days. We'll see what else the road has in store.

Some days, the grind gets to be too much and I think about pulling the bus into the station.

But then I start thinking about next year.

So, for now, I'll focus on today.

Congratulations to the players. 

You're the ones who matter.