Long Live The A-Team

 

2022 Greenwich Old Timers Awards Dinner

OK, so I've hinted at something and I can finally announce it.

The A-Team is breaking up.

No, Chris Erway and I are not in a steel cage, chair-throwing wrestling match in which we'll write diss tracks like John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Instead of acrimony, it's just that life takes different paths. Chris, his wife Genna, and their daughters are moving to North Carolina.

With everything now official, I can write this post, opening the door for an opportunity for someone to join me in the Greenwich football both for 2024 and beyond.

(Assuming I'm coming back to the Greenwich booth, of course)

I will say up front that there are a couple of people that I've spoken to already but nothing is written in stone yet.

The person to join me would preferably be available for all games. Just as importantly, they might need to fill in for me on play-by-play if my schedule takes me elsewhere, such as in San Francisco in October.

While football playing experience isn't necessary, I want you to know football. What I expect is that you can explain what's going on in the game to the audience. Break down the play of the line. Break down the routes. Catch the nuances that the play-by-play doesn't mention.

Be prepared (in your own style) and open-minded to learning about Greenwich football as well as FCIAC and Connecticut football. 

Chemistry is important. Chris and I sounded like we invited you in to chat with us. At least that was our goal. We could sit at a bar and call a game with a certain level of comfort. That's what we aimed for. 

We knew each other's cadence and rarely stepped on each other. It was generally easy and comfortable.

But, regardless of our entertainment value, we always knew how to call the game and how to focus especially in the high-leverage portions of the game.

I was always proud of the waning moments of the Greenwich/Maloney game last year that ended with a field goal as time expired. If you know you know.

You'll help me by getting officials' names and pronunciations and perhaps getting us booth space in visiting press boxes and other items.

It's possible you could be sent to the field for an interview, or serve as the anchor if I'm handling an interview.

Most of all, be ready to present a broadcast that is viewed as professional but fun. And prepare to laugh.

We'll need to stay in format by covering all commercials plays and reads if necessary as well as creating promos. Most, if not all of that, is on me but on occasion, it might be you to do that -- especially if you're filling in for me.

If by any chance, you do any selling or have any suggested advertisers, that's a large advantage since revenue drives things. And, yes, you will be compensated, though I don't have the definitive 2024 numbers yet.

Obviously, these are the basics of the gig. In football, if you've listened to any one of the top analysts then you might have a good idea of what I expect in the booth.

Then again, if you've ever listened to Chris and me, then you really know that deal.

But Chris and I were like brothers. We argued, we kidded and worked hard for well over a decade. You need to be you. You don't need to be Chris.

As I said, I have a few people in mind but I'm into opening this up to see who is interested.

Once upon a time, we were a team of upwards of six, with me, Sean Kilkelly, Chris Erway, Chris Kaelin, Ryan Demaria, and Nick Fox. Or we had Nick Angotto or someone else. We also had a studio operator back at WGCH.

Eventually, we did away with the crowded booth and the sideline reporters. I'm not saying that will never come back but we simply reached a point where we just kept it simple. Part of that simplicity was that setup and breakdown became very quick for us, which was a great relief to me in terms of time being spent and equipment needed to be transported. It also reduced that amount of space we took up.

So, at least at first, it's likely anyone stepping into the booth with me will be part of a small team. 

But, hopefully, a good team. Even a great team.

Reach out if interested. Nothing is guaranteed.

As for The A-Team, we'll live on in the archives and we've already talked about ways to do a game in his new hometown. Don't be surprised if we occasionally put the team back together.

We'll live on.

What's There to Say?

 

This could be another one of those "Rob had a long day" posts.

You know -- out early, to the Renegades game, sat through a brief rain delay, and then did the public address announcing for the game.

Then I moved on, ate lunch in Mahopac, and wasted time before heading to Mount Kisco for "The Clubhouse."

Now, I'm back home with more running around scheduled for tomorrow through Sunday.

All of that is true. Every word of it.

It was cool to be at Heritage Financial Park as the stadium welcomed the largest crowd in its history with 5,619 people passing through and sitting for a game that featured a pretty steady rain.

It was Education Day at the stadium so the schoolkids were fired up for music, food, laughs, and baseball.

Sean and I grabbed a late lunch near Mahopac after it was over. After that, Sean headed for home and I had time before "The Clubhouse." So I elected to drive through my old hometown, walk around the Ocean State Job Lot store (aka the old Caldor), and grab a cup of coffee at the Dunkin (Donuts).

That sounds lame and mundane but I enjoyed the peace of it all.

I'm sure a few people have wondered if I would just move back to Mahopac. While I have considered it, I don't think it's likely because I haven't seen many apartments offered there. Certainly, I do enough in the Hudson Valley that would justify it but it would also open me back up to a longer commute to things in Fairfield County.

In short, it's not that ideal.

But, sure, I do miss "the Pac."

That being said, going back simply could never be the same. Maybe you understand but I just think that's the way it is.

My boyhood home is no longer available obviously and time simply moves on. I'm not ruling returning to Mahopac out but it doesn't feel realistic.

Besides, Greenwich has become our home and we're trying to stay here.

I made it to Mount Kisco and Hotel MTK in plenty of time for "The Clubhouse." Tonight's show featured Bruce Beck, the outstanding sports anchor from WNBC (Channel 4) in New York. Honestly, I don't know a single person that has anything bad to say about the man. He's just that nice.

We also had Mike Eruzione on. Of course, Mike was the captain of the 1980 "Miracle" Olympic Hockey Team. I asked him if he ever gets tired of talking about that and, in short, his answer was "no." 

The Director of Junior Golf for the Metropolitan PGA, Dan Frankel, rounded out the impressive list of guests on tonight's show.

Out next show is sadly in June.

But, thankfully, I'm home for tonight, with another day ahead of me tomorrow.

So, yeah, I guess this was another "Rob had a long day post."

Sorry.

Carry on.

No Championship For Me

 

Brunswick beat St. Luke's today in the FAA baseball semifinals.

The Bruins won 2-0 over the Storm in a game that featured fantastic pitching.

Four times, the Storm had a runner in scoring position with less than two out, and each time the Bruins found a way to escape. Full credit to Teddy Bancroft for keeping those runs from scoring, as he pitched six solid innings to get the win.. The righthander came up with big strikeouts and the defense behind him made every play.

The Bruins only had five base hits of their own but came up with the ones that counted.

It's the kind of game that is a joy to watch.

It's also a joy to do a scorecard.

And, most of all, it's a joy to broadcast.

But, as these things go, it also meant it was the end of my season with Brunswick baseball. I don't call road baseball games for the Bruins with rare exceptions. So that means I won't be at the conference championship game for the second year in a row as the Bruins head to Hamden Hall on Thursday.

It would be a great story for the Bruins, as the Hornets have beaten them twice this year.

But I'll be elsewhere.

A broadcaster always wants the big calls. 

I've made it clear I want every call. I like to work.

Instead, I'll head to Cosby Field this weekend to call the prestigious Prep National lacrosse tournament. I get to call the semis on Friday and the third annual championship on Sunday. I'm proud to say I've been the only play-by-play announcer in the brief history of the tournament.

Next week, I'll handle the FCIAC baseball semis and championship. It will be the seventh time I've had the honor of calling the baseball title. 

After that, it will get tricky for a bit. I'm told I will be heading to New Jersey for some games and there's always a chance I could pick up something else.

Maybe there will be some local playoff games that I can grab. Someone might want me.

Plus the Babe Ruth tourney season is on the way though is there any way we could ever match the journey of 2023 that led me to Rhode Island and Virginia? Maybe but I'd like to find out.

Of course, the Renegades will keep me jumping as well.

Did you notice what state I didn't mention?

I'm probably heading off to New Jersey. You never know if a New York opportunity will pop up.

How about Connecticut?

Let's just say I've heard from a few people who are disgruntled with the state (see what I did there?) of broadcasting at the state level in Connecticut. For the record, I currently have no role whatsoever in that decision-making.

So I'll leave that right there.

I'll find other ways to be busy but there's no question I want to be doing the big games on my home turf.

But it's not meant to be for the Bruins in their FAA baseball championship game on Thursday.

So I'll teach. I'll get ready for two conferences over a little more than a month. I'll do other things.

And I'll find some local playoff games, perhaps with Greenwich or Trumbull or Ludlowe. Or someone else. Or I won't.

I can't bemoan what I can't change and I can't change this at the moment.

So when the game ended today, I wrapped up, packed up, took a picture of the scoreboard, went to my car, and went home.

Lacrosse is next.

Playmakers Reunite

 

Thanks to Chris Erway, we got football jerseys for Christmas.
From left, Ryan Demaria, Chris Erway, Terry Bradshaw, Chris Kaelin

My phone lit up a few minutes ago as the Rangers were about to lose in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series.

We have a group chat with me, Chris Erway, Chris Kaelin, and Ryan Demaria.

Once upon a time, the four of us made up "The Playmakers," hosting "The Press Box" on WGCH. 

We did the show for roughly four years, logging an incredible amount of great guests with newsmakers from all around the northeast and beyond.

Basically, if it interested us, we had them on.

They ranged from high school and youth athletes to so many others that I can't remember them all. I recall we were actually close to having Mark Teixeira of the Yankees on at one point but we just couldn't work out the timing.

I specifically remember Steve Somers of WFAN being a particular highlight for us, as well as a night with Dave Rothenberg of ESPN, as he's a friend of mine.

Greenwich's own Steve Young was also a big highlight (thanks to Chris Hunt).

We also fought. We debated like crazy. It was a brotherhood and that was a strength. We argued. Fiercely.

Within seconds of going to break, we'd laugh.

Each one of us brought our personalities every night. The beauty of it was that we weren't all alike, save for our love of sports.

Ryan and I were Yankees fans. Kato was a Mets fan. Erway -- ErJuan to us -- a Dodgers fan.

Ryan and Kato were Giants football fans. ErJuan loves the Cowboys. I'm the Steelers.

And so on.

But the interviews were all on point. The debates were sharp and fair. They were fierce but I never felt they were vicious.

And it was all hysterical. 

We always said the best parts of the show were what wasn't on the air. We also believed in having an internet feed though we never could make it happen. But that's basically how the Facebook feed for "Doubleheader" eventually came to be.

We sat in the production studio one night to create a commercial promo for the night Steve Somers was scheduled to be on. I have the outtakes of what was probably 10 minutes of pure laughter.

It can never air. Take my word for it.

But it was also a labor of love. It was something we lost money doing every Monday night. Eventually, kids, marriage, and jobs all came to be too much.

We tried to keep it going. Oh, how we tried.

When I took the job with the Wilton Bulletin at Hersam Acorn, I was initially told that I could get to Greenwich every Monday night. Within the first few hours of my first day that Bulletin, that was rescinded by my editor.

She wanted me to cover the Board of Selectman.

So, I set up a recorder and stepped to the lobby of Wilton Town Hall, and called the show, where the boys were on the air. I'd pace the hallway, listen in where I could, and make sure the recording was still going on.

Then, I'd review the recording in full and write my story. I also made friends in the right places.

For the record, I was in on starting what became the HAN Network a few months later and was off the Bulletin in roughly a year.

In fact, Ryan, Chris, and Kato each made their way to HAN in one way or another.

But, as I said, time moved on and the show ended.

There was still a bond, initially beginning with a raucous Facebook message group that carried the name "The World's Greatest Facebook Group" or something like that. Admittedly, we'd each get fired up in there also.

In fact, those guys were essential in getting through the awful day of the horror at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It was that Facebook group that first alerted me to the news and stayed in close touch all day. A few days later, we did a very somber edition of "The Press Box" and discussed what happened.

Like the show, the Facebook group eventually shut down.

So we text each other occasionally and, admittedly, we haven't all been together in some time.

With Chris Erway's time in Connecticut coming to a close, who knows when we'll all see each other again?

Like so many other things in life, we get to laugh at the memories and I suppose that has to be sufficient.

The four of us, in fact, made for one heck of a broadcast team, whether it was "The Press Box" or game broadcasts. 

We all had nicknames, besides "ErJuan." Kato had several, with "Tox" and "Tako" ultimately sticking. Ryan was "Kid" or "Demer." I was "Captain" and "Ron" for some reason.

Lives get busy but they're still brothers to me.

As always, all good things must come to an end but the memories are solid.

A Quiet Mother's Day

Mother's Day, 2010: a chilly day at the beach

 

It's Mother's Day.

It's not a day about me, of course. I'm a dad, with a son and a cat, and then whatever collection of people there are who might see me in a fatherly light (I'm not sure any do).

But it's different to sit at home and do stuff. Honestly, I washed the floors, am doing laundry, etc.

Mother's Day -- for one mom or another -- normally meant keeping the calendar open for some event that I'd go to.

Of course, when Mom was still with us, we'd come up with something to do that would make her and the other moms in the family happy.

Later in her life, we started going to Fairfield, where my sister lived and would get us to a beach, regardless of weather. Mom just wanted to be at the beach.

Sometimes, it would be warm enough to put your hands and feet in the Sound. 

Other times, it was cold and we bundled up.

But there was always food -- likely sandwiches that we had picked up -- and the laughter of family. Especially the kids.

With Mom the queen of the gathering as always.

During the pandemic, my sister had us over to her place where we stayed in her yard to (sort of) visit with family, including my great-nephew Carson when he was a newborn.

Today, there's none of that and I'm not complaining. It's just different.

Sean went up to the Hudson Valley to see his mother and he'll be back later.

I'm apartment searching, watching the Yankees, waiting for the Knicks*, and doing house stuff.

And apartment hunting.

There's not really any sadness in any of this. I suppose I'm just babbling.

Happy Mother's Day.

*So, yeah, about the Knicks, yikes. But at least the Yankees won.

All is Forgiven

 

A period-appropriate look for the 1938 Santa Claus

Tomorrow is another one of those days.

Holidays, in almost any form, can be dicey business emotionally, especially for those who have lost someone.

Thus, Mother's Day isn't always the happy-slappy day one might think it is.

It can also hurt.

It's a day -- whether one is a mother or not -- to remember Mom. This will be my fourth without Nancy, for instance.

But, if I may, it is Susan's first without her mother Jane. I'm thinking of her.

For some of us, we don't have a mother to celebrate with.

So keep that in mind as you proceed with your day tomorrow. It's worth noting.

As I think of Nancy Adams, not every story is peaches and cream. Or, in her case, spaghetti and meatballs.

The year was 1994. It might have been in the fall. I was still living with Mom, getting ready to move out in early '95.

I came home in the evening but I don't remember if I was just coming home from work or had a class that night.

Either way, something was up at the house and she was upset.

She had been on the phone with ... well let's say it was another family member.

And, apparently, the conversation had turned tense.

I could tell you the details -- somehow, I was involved only remotely -- but Shakespeare taught us that discretion is the better part of valor.

I can tell you, because it matters, that the conversation went south. Bad.

I walked out of my room and Mom was seething.

"Mom, what's going on?

And she exploded, flying down the hallway.

Within minutes, she went to her car, with me running after her.

Now, she was screaming.

And she was gone.

I walked back into the house, utterly dumbfounded.

I called the person she fought with and all I learned was that the conversation turned profane. That led to phones getting slammed down.

She came home a short time later and I can tell you with certainty that this was extreme. She had snapped but calmed down

I let it go and elected to just avoid her and the topic. She had made herself clear that she didn't want to talk.

Sometime later, a box showed up for me.

The Cat sniffs the Santa Claus figurine, featuring a 
number 5 in the McAuliffe font used in 1938

Inside was a statue of Santa Claus, dressed as a member of the 1938 New York Yankees. It was part of a series with the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies and the 1923 New York Giants.

It was, in effect, an apology. A peace offering for my taking shrapnel in the crossfire of the dustup.

While touched, I felt awkward and even a little embarrassed. She said she wanted to do it but I said it wasn't necessary.

Of course, I still have it and think of her every time I see it. In fact, I packed it up today in preparation for the move.

But back tin 1994, the whole thing was so unusual.

Oh, it wouldn't be the first or last time, but this was different. As I said, it was extreme.

I've never tried to tell you that Mom was perfect. I don't know any mother that was or is. They -- like all people -- are flawed.

But they're also pretty damn great. They're also rock stars for bringing us into the world, raising us, nurturing us, and generally putting up with us.

While our relationship got especially complicated later on, especially during her final years, I was always proud to be her son.

Happy (early) Mother's Day to the moms of all types. Thank you.

And know that we're missing the ones that aren't with us.

Help! They Need Somebody

 

Vin Scully, right, with his mentor Red Barber, left. 
Connie Desmond is bookended by the legends

I just finished watching a broadcast online.

I tuned in to see the score.

Now, as much as I try to avoid hearing other broadcasters, I was curious if there were any voices on the call.

So I unmuted. And there were broadcasters.

Yes, there were.

They referred to the visiting team by numbers only. 

One broadcaster was too far off the mic.

The two talked over each other.

They referred to the home team as "we" and cheered their exploits (OK, so they're homers).

They were openly critical of the opposing team's fans.

They were also critical of the players.

And, at one point, they referred to the score as low score/high score.

Would it shock you if I said they were students? Kids?

No. Of course, it wouldn't.

What's needed is guidance.

Something I've offered to several schools, for what it's worth.

Anyone can start a broadcast these days. It takes some equipment and a place to host the broadcast online but, overall, it can be done at a reasonable price.

But there still needs to be a critique as the rough edges are smoothed out.

"They're kids" is always the response and yes, that is often the case. That doesn't mean they're immune to criticism.

But Chris Kaelin and Chris Erway and Dan Murphy and countless others were grown adults who just needed a little smoothing out to become solid broadcasters. 

Even now, Mike Hirn and I will each discuss the nuances of our own work.

OK, Erway never needed that. How can one do anything with perfection?

The first thing I will always stress is to remember that, while they're your classmates and friends, you should eliminate the use of "we" regarding your school. Yes, there are exceptions but it always sounds best to refer to the school by the name.

For me, it's "Brunswick" or "Bruins." I'll even use "Wick" or on rare occasions things like "Bears" or "B's." Even the team colors are correct to say.

For Greenwich, besides calling them the Cardinals, "Big Red" is always an appropriate name.

You can say this is my own hangup, but there are certain standards that I believe in.

And while emotion and reactions are good, they must be controlled to an extent. Simply yelling doesn't accomplish anything. Raising the level to meet the moment is my approach. It amplifies the event.

As for criticism, especially in younger sports, it has to be tempered and can not be personal. I often describe a shot that isn't good as "off the mark" or "wild." It serves the purpose.

The words and the tone all matter.

Oh, and for the love of Scully, say the higher score first unless we're talking about tennis.

Incidentally, our man Vin Scully needed a mentor as well, and it was Red Barber, of course. Red was a taskmaster who helped guide Vin to be even better than Red himself was.

There's a lot more, and going through a broadcast to break it down is the right way.

Find the highlights and praise them but also address what doesn't go as well.

From there, it's a matter of practice and work.

It's a wonderful craft that I adore. Obviously, I have a style that I believe in.

But, overall, I think there's a baseline that should be met.

Let's help them get there.

Thursday Things

 

Not these things (Dr. Seuss)

I did a thing today.

It's not a thing I can expand upon at the moment but it was a thing. It could be a good thing. A very good thing. A game-changing thing.

But, like everything in life, it's best to not put the cart before the horse, so there's nothing to talk about now. It's a dare-to-dream type of thing if all goes right.

Or it all falls apart, we simply move on.

But it's a thing that brings hope so let's go with that.

And I can't talk about it.

Yet.

*****

'Tis the season to have the proper air circulation as the days and nights get warmer.

Sean and I went to Costco in Port Chester for dinner. Don't mock, it's cheap.

But I spied a Vornado fan, ahem, whole room air circulator.

It had an instant rebate and was quite affordable.

I have a Vornado that is probably 20 years old. Lately, it has been taking a few minutes to begin circulating. I knew that was a bad sign.

"You might have dust in the motor," said Sean Adams, noted expert on such things.

I gave it some thought and figured it was best to take advantage of this opportunity to buy a new fan as opposed to setting my home on fire with a faulty one.

Done.

Oh, and dinner was good also.

*****

George and Nancy Chelwick, left, in this group photo on
the pier in Naples, FL in 2007. The late Cynthia Hahn is in the
center. Ignore the guy on the far right.

The day began with sad news as Nancy Chelwick, long a dear friend from covering Greenwich football, called to tell me her husband George had died.

George and Nancy were at every Greenwich game long before I started in 1999. In fact, the duo filmed games for the coaches from 1971 to 2012. I'd run into them at film sessions and games we became quite close.

In fact, one Thanksgiving George needed a ride to the Thanksgiving game at Staples High School in Westport. Thus, I became his driver for the day.

Somewhere along the line, he told me that I didn't need to be so polite and to tell him to be quiet as he regaled me with stories.

No chance, I told him. I loved the stories. A person who has lived that kind of life has tales to tell.

I loved seeing him and Nancy whenever possible. George continued to be a loyal listener as time went on. Sadly, it started to be too much to come to the stadium. So he would stay home and listen. Nancy might come over and say hello before heading back home. Their house was within walking distance of GHS.

However, he did come back to Cardinal Stadium in 2023 and was brought up via the elevator to sit in one of the booths. 

As always, Nancy stopped by to see Chris Erway and me and dropped off Kit Kat Bars for us.

With that, we stepped out to have a chance to visit with George. Nancy told me he might not recognize me but he certainly did, giving us each warm hugs and a big smile.

I'm burying the lead of George's life though, which was exemplary. He graduated from Greenwich High School in 1943 and served in World War II.

He was a hero. Full stop. He saved lives in the Phillippines.

Back here in the US, George spent many years as a banker before retiring.

George was inducted into the Greenwich High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. He was sad to not film the games anymore but remained loyal to the team.

But, despite the myriad items I can note regarding George, it was his family that stands out the most.

He married Nancy in 1949 and they raised three sons.

George was Greenwich, and Greenwich football. He was everything that is good about both of those things.

George and Nancy were, in fact, Greenwich football royalty. To that end, they continued to come to the annual banquet and be deservedly recognized.

Tonight, I mourn the loss of my friend.

Error on the Author

 

"I enjoyed your post," came the note from a beloved reader, one who generally reads them all.

I was pleased to get that, and it sent me back to read the post again. I'm always curious if there was a particular passage or theme that was the cause for the feedback.

Within five seconds, I found a typo.

Then, I found another.

I quickly fixed them both, blood pressure elevating and sighs sighing.

I edit every post myself. I reread them but am often bleary-eyed as I do.

So I catch things often hours, days, months, and even years later.

And it drives me crazy.

Of course, it does given I lean towards being a perfectionist. Naturally, that's simply not possible.

It used to really make me insane but as I've learned over these nearly 18 years on "Exit 55," I'm not alone. There is a certain level of appreciation in knowing that.

I've discovered errors on "professional" sites. Plenty of them, in fact. I always assume those have editors checking every punctuation, dotted i, and crossed t.

I would be wrong.

So I've seen them all. I've seen them in emails and blog posts and stories and more.

Thus no matter how annoyed I get at myself, I take solace in the understanding that I'm human.

As is often said, editing oneself is difficult. Overall, I do a passable job at that, but things slip through for myriad reasons. 

There's exhaustion, distraction, time, and other reasons that really are just poor excuses.

Once upon a time, a fellow writer asked how I found the time to write blog posts. The funny thing is that this was said long before the "Project 365" era began.

Yes, like Ms. Swift, I have eras. No, I will not be going on a worldwide tour to perform them. She has talent. Me? Meh.

To me, sitting down to write for a few minutes is a habit, though there are nights that I'd love to not do it. But, commitment nut that I am, I don't find it difficult to carve out a few minutes. Also, I don't sleep a lot. Unless there is research involved, most posts can be assembled within an hour or less. In fact, most of the time drag for me can be...

Oh, look, a cookie!

(Sorry, that was a joke. I crack myself up.)

Now, where was I?

Oh yeah, the biggest time suck for me is 1) naming the damn posts (and my post names aren't good at all) and, more, 2) finding a suitable picture.

Thus begins the search for pictures that aren't copyrighted, are the right size, and correctly attributed.

For instance, I have no idea what picture I'll use on this post. To that point, I came up with an idea as I was typing just now but it's super-frustrating when a Google search doesn't find that shot.

Narrator: Rob did not find the image he wanted.

I suppose what I'm saying in all of this, beyond the inner frustrations of my own errors, is that I don't just sit down and write. I mean, I do, but like "Doubleheader" or game broadcasts, there is a level of preparation that does go into all of this.

It isn't like I'm lazy and unprepared. Nor would I accuse others of being so. Oh, sure, I can ad-lib a lot, but there's an effort into that.

So, much like "Where's Waldo," enjoy looking for my errors.

I'd say consider it a drinking game but that might be dangerous.

Winning Ugly Can Be a Good Thing

 

The game had just ended and two Brunswick players came out to right field to take the camera back to put it away.

"That was a tough one," I said.

"You say that every time," came the response. "But you're right."

The scoreboard said the Bruins won 4-3 over King School.

For me, it started with four trips to and from my car. So, follow along here.

1) Walking to my booth in right field with my backpack, equipment case, and table, as well as a cup of coffee.

2) Walking back with the camera in its rolling case and the tripod.

3) Realizing I needed a different audio cable from my mixer to the camera, I made a trip over for that. In the process, I stopped in the dugouts to get the lineups.

4) While fixing the snack table that I use, I dumped a large portion of the coffee*. So, I walked back one more time to get a towel.

* For the record, no equipment was damaged. In fact, only the grass and the table took a hit. I used the towel to mop it up.

Then I could finally write the lineups down and set my defensive alignments on my scorecard.

I then checked LocalLive to make sure we were on the air. The stream will often go live for a stretch long before the game. It's not uncommon to have a 20-minute head start, which allows me to tune in remotely and listen to my voice. I'll do some kind of a preview hello to hear if I'm too loud, soft, etc. Most importantly, it's to confirm we're on the air.

In this case, there was no picture. So, I called the office. I don't know how it ultimately got fixed but that crisis was averted. Otherwise, I was preparing for an audio-only call.

But with no return call from the office, I went on and called the game.

It was a warm day, with the sun glaring on all of us. After the multiple trips to and from the car, as well as the setup and stress of that, I was worn out.

Hopefully, the audience couldn't tell as I called the game. It became business as usual.

The game, however, was anything but normal.

In the King School first inning, the Bruins allowed three runs -- unearned, I might add -- on no hits with four walks, a wild pitch, three errors, and three strikeouts. Also, the Vikings left three on base.

The Bruins cut it to 3-2 on a Connor Jones double that looked like it was going over the wall for a grand slam. It would have given the Bruins a 4-2 lead but they had to settle for being down one.

So the game marched on. 

Both teams would miss chances to add to the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth. The Bruins already had two outs when the Vikings committed three errors in a span of four batters. The last error produced the tying and leading runs.

So, if you're keeping score, the Bruins scored two runs on no hits with three Vikings errors and three runners left on base.

When it was all over, the Bruins won 4-3. There were eight hits total in the game with eight errors and 21 runners left on base.

The Bruins had picked up their 12th win of the year and were secure as the two seed heading into next week's FAA conference playoffs.

I'm back at it with lacrosse and "The Clubhouse" tomorrow.

Games like today happen. They're ugly in nature but prove the mettle of a team when they can grind out a win. They build character and serve as a reminder that it's a team game.

Oh, they're hell to keep a scorecard on but it's also a solid win when a team gets the "W."

I packed up and went home to watch hockey and get ready for the next one.

That grind I talk about never ends.

Career Advice

 

The road is filled with obstacles (and a beaver).
Florence, SC, Mar 2024

If I say that I don't feel like writing a post tonight, don't take it the wrong way.

I'm fine.

Right now, I'm in a good spot with everything though admittedly we need a few things to go right. One way or another, I'll likely write about those things soon.

But, for tonight, I'm just taking it easy. I'm watching the Knicks/Pacers game and preparing for the balance of the week.

Baseball is tomorrow. 

Lacrosse is Wednesday but so is "The Clubhouse."

The latter part of the week won't have as heavy of a game schedule so we'll see where those days take me.

*****

OK, I sort of have a topic to add to this post.

STAA -- Sportscasters Talent Agency of America -- tweeted this question:

"What advice would you give to this year's college graduates?"

I kept my answer simple and I'll stand by it.

"Stay authentic, work hard, grind, network, and avoid #toxicpositivity"

Look, it's true. Those are the things that have helped me. 

A simple look at my career has made that clear. 

I wish I could go back and tell my teenage self to network better but we can't rewrite history. 

Then again, there would be a bit to change but why do that? 

The people I like in this business do these things also. They're aggressive without overdoing it and that's also important. I've known aggressive people in this business who felt that nagging was the way to get in the business and, at least for me, that's not the right approach.

Nagging me doesn't work.

There will be an opening next to me that I will open up about soon and the person has to have chemistry and ability. Part of that might include stepping into my shoes to call a few games when I'm not available.

But I'm not 100% to the point where I can announce any of that.

Still, I'm making my point. People have tried to elbow their way into the booth and the hard sell doesn't work with me.

My other piece of advice would be about attitude. Don't act like you know it all. You don't. That has burned others with me. Plus, respect goes a long way.

To me, this advice can be applied to basically any career pursuit. 

I'll add more. Be flexible. Honestly. 

When I started at WGCH, I was a board operator. I kept things on the air and stayed out of the way. I contributed to radio shows as needed but, sometimes, wasn't on the air at all.

When the station would ask for things like an engineer, I only asked for training. Beyond that, I'd do it.

I tried to make sure I'd never put the station in a bad spot, so when they asked me to do Election Night, I suggested I wouldn't be right for it. I was quickly assured that I'd be fine. I've done Election Night nearly every year since then.

The same went for my first hockey broadcast. Now I've done hundreds.

Oh, but that's another thing. Confidence is fine. Arrogance is not.

Humblebrags are dangerous.

I see people talking about how many games they've done in a day and, trust me, I've written such posts. But, guess what? There's always someone -- always -- who will try to one-up.

It's just a bad game to get into.

I did 29 games over a two-week stretch last year.

Big deal.

Oh, I'm proud of it but nobody is putting me in the Hall of Fame for it.

Lastly, set your standards but wait before digging in with those. I wouldn't say no to a lot of gigs years ago. Now I can be a bit more picky.

So, yes, make friends. Be flexible. Grind. And most importantly, be yourself. Be authentic.

Don't be a fake.

And recognize that, unfortunately, your talent might not win out.

Take the bumps, bruises, rejections, highs, and lows with the appropriate grains of salt.

Lastly, don't forget where you came from, and don't forget those who have walked the path with you.

Good luck.

Respectfully, you'll need it.

Sunday, Pizza

 

I had an epiphany about "Meet the Beatles" this week.

After several episodes of different themes, I told myself to chill out.

"Stop thinking," I said.

This show, as I've said before, is supposed to be a labor of love, much like "Doubleheader." Oh, sure, there's still a business side to it all and it needs to be compelling radio, much as I try to make my "talk show/podcast."

And, for sure, I'll have guests on. In fact, we're at the point where I'm ready to do that.

I asked someone if they'd like to come on and the answer I got was, essentially, "Why?"

I'll get that guest to come on one morning but I didn't feel like pushing it today. His feeling was that he wouldn't be a compelling guest before I reminded him that his parents RAISED him on The Beatles and perhaps he'd like to talk about the songs he liked and what about them appealed to him.

I'd love to get family and friends to come on and talk about the lads and play their favorite songs. All of this will keep the show fresh.

Yet, once in a while, I need to play songs that make me happy.

So instead of overthinking, I decided to have a show that I called "Dealer's Choice." Thus, I'd play whatever I wanted to play.

I played "Magical Mystery Tour" and "I'm Down" and "Happiness is a Warm Gun" and "It Don't Come Easy" and "We Can Work It Out" because I could. 

Instead of worrying about what I was going to play next, or what fact I'd present, I simply sat back and enjoyed the music. Oh, I prepared for each song but I didn't worry about doing intros to each song.

The goal was to just enjoy the songs.

The only common theme was that I picked songs that were upbeat. They didn't have to be happy messages. They just needed to rock a bit.

The guests will happen. Then again, I'll also take a few shows off I suppose. 

But a show like this was a reminder that I could stay fresh by just enjoying it.

There have often been attempts to take the fun out of "Doubleheader" by those who simply don't understand. 

Well, this was my attempt to make "Meet the Beatles" low-stress, especially useful when tired and worn out on Sunday morning.

In that way, it was perhaps my favorite show yet.

I learned that I-95 had reopened completely in Norwalk while doing the show and thought it might be nice to go grab a later lunch/early dinner.

We had said we'd like to get Frank Pepe's pizza in Fairfield. We do this as a way of honoring Mom, who loved it. We couldn't get there for her birthday so opted to do it today as a late birthday/early Mother's Day gathering. Making it nicer was that my sister and niece could both join us, thus adding to the Mother's Day vibe. 

It was relaxing and it's nice when family time is like that.

It's also nice when traffic moves.

We were home in time to watch most of the Rangers game and were pretty pleased with the result.

A big week awaits.

Tackling Rugby

 

Who says I take broadcasting too seriously?

I've called play-by-play for myriad sports.

Field hockey and lacrosse and soccer and cheerleading and wrestling are just a few that I never thought I'd call. Yet I've not only called them but I've called championships in each of those sports. You don't get those calls if you're not doing something slightly OK.

I added a new sport today: rugby.

Jeff Alterman approached me with the idea several months ago and I figured it was worth trying. Greenwich has long been known for being a high school lacrosse powerhouse so we called Trumbull and the Cardinals today.

My knowledge of rugby is admittedly limited so I did what I did the first time I called field hockey.

I hit the internet.

I watched a video that explained the basics of field hockey years ago and then went out and called a game that afternoon.

I watched and read to prepare for rugby.

Finding information about high school rugby around here, however, was difficult. Both teams have websites and I utilized them but they were only helpful up to a point.

Of course, the first hiccup of the day was to get around Norwalk and the traffic nightmare that is there currently along I-95.

However, it wasn't a problem heading to Trumbull as I grabbed breakfast in Darien and dashed up through West Norwalk before connecting with the Merritt Parkway. No problems.

The game was not at McDougall Stadium, which has a press box and electricity. Instead, it was on Cork Field with no press box and no electricity.

But it was a beautiful, sunny day, so the weather wouldn't be a big deal.

In fact, we stood behind a set of bleachers and used the top row as a table which gave us just enough of a good place to set up and see the action.

As it was warm, I needed to utilize my hard-sided case to keep the sun off the computer.

But, without a doubt, Tim Cooke was the MVP of our broadcast. I can certainly call the play-by-play, giving just enough information to suffice. Tim broke it all down while presenting a class on rugby 101 while still allowing the room to call the game. Jeff chimed in with details and excellent questions for Tim.

Plus there were just enough hints of conversation and humor to create the atmosphere that I believe in on the air.

Look, I'm not going to tell you that I was even particularly good but given my expectations today, I feel pretty proud of what we did.

I might never call rugby again. I can't even slightly predict that. But I also wouldn't be surprised if the opportunity comes up again and we do maybe one rugby match per year.

The audience was good and receptive and I know where I can improve if the opportunity arises again.

Who am I to ever say never?

After the game, my luck with the traffic went south.

A drive that took me 45 minutes from Greenwich to Trumbull was doubled on the way back.

I get stuck in traffic on the Merritt Parkway near Westport before using some crazy side roads through Norwalk before finally making my way back to 95 in Darien.

Fortunately, I had plenty of time to get to Brunswick for a lacrosse game.

As I set up, ate a late lunch, and got ready for the game, someone stopped in the booth and asked me if I would be hosting the senior day ceremony.

Well, no one had asked, but ... ok. I didn't hesitate. Armed with a list of the names of the seniors, I had what I needed to give the players and their families a voice.

The ceremony went off without a hitch, the Bruins won the game, and we got free food. Even Sean got food since it was being provided by the great Neil's on Wheels food truck. Sean and I have visited the truck before and he couldn't resist driving over to the game.

With both games wrapped up, I came home to a peaceful night of watching hockey before what should be a pretty quiet Sunday, including "Meet the Beatles."

But today will be remembered for stepping out of my comfort zone and embracing a new sport to broadcast.

I think we did OK.

Toxic Positivity

 

I live rent-free in a few places. 

Sadly, it's not a two-bedroom that allows cats but it's the brains of some.

The reason for this is I'm not phony. On occasion, I will bruise an ego with an opinion, usually of a benign variety.

In one case, the person elected to not debate. They got insulted and instead went on a diatribe about what a mean, negative person I am and how they're positive and don't want with me. Before I could reply, I'd been blocked.

So bold. So brave.

I mean, fair enough. They're entitled to their opinion. I don't think I'm negative. I think I'm fair and honest. I'm realistic.

I'm also pretty loyal and was to that person, actually defending them for some time against criticism from others.

Also, I recognize the person had been good to me a few times over the years. I just didn't see any reason to not only block me but to delete all correspondence with me. 

Anyway, in general, my reputation seems to be OK with those around me, even if we have any skirmishes.

But most people are willing to agree to disagree with me and move on.

Anyway, our "friend" in this case is all about positivity, so the questions I have include...

1) Why put things online that are clearly meant to try to get a rise out of me, including promoting things from me that you've badmouthed? Why troll me?

2) More to the point, if you're so positive, why write such a negative thing? Also, why did you badmouth some of the people you did? To me?

I know people who are relentlessly positive. Nothing sickening. Nothing fake. Just truly positive. They won't speak ill of anyone. They'll laugh and brush off any kind of talk. 

So while chatting with someone today, they told me they'd seen some things and realized the person in question had toxic positivity.

Nobody wants that.

Often, I'm too forgiving. I won't spell that out entirely but I've been able to "suck it up" and "be the better person" more times than I can take. 

A nerve was finally hit a few years back and saying "Thank you, sir, may I have another" stopped being an option.

So, I just stopped talking to them. Simple. Effective.

And I'm always open to patching things up because I don't like such unresolved issues.

But I'm also content to have that kind of fraudulence out of my world.

However, when I can see it's obvious that you're doing things online in an effort to get under my skin, don't be surprised by my reaction.

Like this.

Packing a Reprieve

 

Some of the items taken off the wall today.

I was working from home today and, whenever I had a break, I started taking things off the walls.

It means the personality comes down so there's a bit of a mental impact but I felt it was necessary to start.

I mean, time is ticking here and I tend to just act. In fact, I've been meaning to act for some time. I almost started packing the day we found out we had to move.

So down came the pictures of my parents and some artwork that I love and things like that. There's more but I need to get some boxes.

Mentally, it was a bit taxing because it was a bummer but it had to be done. I had to get started on moving forward.

So down came the personal effects in the kitchen.

Down came some of the road signs in the living room.

It was sad but it was also right.

It's a start and it will continue. But there was also a job to do and a job that I'm grateful for.

It was nice -- is that the word? -- to be sitting at the computer again for a deposition. It was positive to focus on that.

I can also do some other things from here at my desk that I need to catch up on and, of course, The Cat was a constant companion.

Food, on the other hand, wasn't present because we needed to go shopping.

However, I just ordered dinner and I'm treating us because we picked up some good news.

A "W" if you will.

Oh, the housing market remains stale (damn you that firmly don't accept cats) but we received word a short time ago that we have some extra time in our current home.

Now, before we start breaking out the happy snacks, note that Sean and I will remain aggressive in finding a new home. It's still the sooner, the better but at least we have a little breathing room.

We both feel thrilled to have more time but it doesn't diminish what is going on.

So if you see a place that would fit what we're looking for, don't hesitate. This just buys us a little more time and we're extremely grateful.

But the mission continues. So we'll keep looking and keep packing.

But, tonight, we can breathe a little.

Now, it's time for dinner.

Last Minute? No problem!

The camera sits in the right field corner at 6:55 p.m.

 I do love the grind.

The hustle of pulling things together and seeing if it can all happen. It's a challenge.

When the morning started, I had one game: baseball, between Brunswick and Hopkins.

I started gathering for that when my phone rang.

There was also lacrosse at Brunswick, but the Bruins wouldn't be playing. It was a neutral site game between Lawrenceville -- the number two team in the country -- and Deerfield.

Oh, by the way, Brunswick is number one in the country.

So, yeah, I was being asked to do that game also.

Thus -- baseball at 3:30 and lacrosse at 5:15. Both games would be on the same campus and I had access to set up whenever.

I quickly got a roster from Deerfield and went to work on setting that up for the broadcast.

No roster came along from Lawrenceville. OK, I'd finish prepping for baseball instead.

So I put the baseball scorecard together and updated my computer for a deposition tomorrow. It was nice to pick up some extra work.

I also went about setting up two cases of broadcast equipment to go to Brunswick with. 

In truth, I should have stopped at WGCH and borrowed their stuff but I didn't. That was a mistake but I knew it would be OK. 

Before I went to Brunswick, I needed something to eat so I made a quick deli stop and drove up King St. to the campus. It was a little after 2 p.m. when I walked into Cosby Field.

The booth was wide open, so I quickly set up in the first window, putting a mixer, headset, crowd mic, and cables in place. 

Then I drove to the baseball field, where I grabbed the LocalLive camera and huffed my way out to right field.

Again, I set up a mixer, headset, natural sound microphone, and cables, along with setting up the camera.

Then, it was lineup time. 

The game started at 3:36 and I ate my sandwich just before the first pitch.

We were off and running.

The Bruins played pretty quickly, building up an eventual 9-1 lead over the Hilltoppers. Still, I was running out of time. Josh Drebsky -- trusty videographer -- was down at Cosby Field waiting for the lacrosse game to start and curious if I'd be showing up.

I would, I assured him.

It was just about 5:00, so I knew I could break my baseball equipment down, jump in my car, and hustle down to lacrosse.

I stretched my baseball call to the very end of the sixth inning and broke down my audio. Then I drove to Cosby Field, finding the only available parking spot. I walked towards the field, spying the game clock counting down at 6:42.

Cool! I'd made it! I'd plug my computer in, say hi to Josh, and it would be game on.

Except...

1) Lawrenceville still had not sent a roster. Keep in mind that Brunswick was providing a broadcaster for the game (that's me) and we sent a request for a roster. This is the second year in a row that it happened, as they ignored my request in 2023 and then refused to give me one at the game site. But put a pin in that...

2) The 6:42 on the clock was the time left in the first quarter. For whatever reason, the game started at 5:00 and not the scheduled 5:15. So I hustled, plugged in, and went live. Josh was already sending a signal so it wasn't like we weren't on the air.

3) OK, back to the roster pin. I messaged Ty Xanders, an outstanding reporter in the lacrosse world whom I've known for a few years. He sent me a Lawrenceville roster last year and he sent me another one this year. I'd just read the roster off my computer!

So, we were ready. The game, initially competitive, turned into an easy win for Lawrenceville but I'll still need that roster anyway. We'll see them for the Prep National Championship in a few weeks.

It was heading past 6:45 when everything wrapped up. I packed my lacrosse set up and headed to the car. I turned right out of the campus and started down King Street towards home when I had a thought: what happened with the camera at the baseball game?

I turned around. Sure enough, it was still set up. So, I pulled back onto the campus, parked at the baseball field, packed up the camera, and put it away.

Then I drove home. Finally.

If I told you all of the nonsense that goes into broadcasting you would be astounded. Literally. It's like middle school.

Like the person who would have never taken this gig today because he wouldn't have enough time to prepare his notes, charts, graphs, and whatever else.

I'm comfortable knowing I can make it work with whatever I have, so long as there's a roster.

I'll do it because if I don't, someone else will. I've worked too hard and will continue to do so. 

This day didn't work perfectly but the job still got done and I feel pride in that.

And I'll do it again.