The Broadcast Brings Peace

 

In the booth at Brunswick. Any booth is my sanctuary.

Let's start with the good news.

Today's broadcast went much better. Working solo isn't easy but I find it works for me. Oh, I'm probably best with a partner, but it has to be a good partner. Obviously, Dan Murphy and I have that chemistry, for instance.

I felt like I saw the action better today at Cosby Field for Brunswick's home game against Phillips Exeter Academy. That's not easy to do as the press box there is set lower, making the field somewhat tougher to see to the right.

So despite feeling exhausted, I felt a bit better about the broadcast. As always, the booth is my comfort zone and I can generally leave any troubles behind there.

Oh, and before the game, I walked into Cosby Field and took note of the assembled families as they waited for the Senior Day ceremony to begin. As I walked, I noticed a certain feeling in the air before I heard someone say "Oh!"

My gut took note and wondered. Sure enough, as I said hello entering the booth, I was asked if I could be the announcer for the ceremony. In other words, I became the host, introducing each senior player and interpreting the notes that I was handed literally before I began the ceremony.

I've hosted several of these ceremonies so I know the drill. Enunciate. Allow each player to have their moment. Keep it moving.

As far as I know, it went off without a hitch and I'm happy. The ceremony is really for the parents as coaches and players are anxious to get to game time and play.

With that all said, on the downside, the Bruins lost 36-27.

As I've often said, I can't allow myself to be emotionally involved too much. I'll always feel for players and coaches and families but I have to withdraw from that. It's not about me. If anything, in a loss, the words are even more magnified on the air than usual, in that criticism can be difficult for the audience to accept. Tensions are frayed.

I came home after the final whistle, leaving quietly, other than chatting briefly with someone I know who got me a copy of Brunswick's hockey schedule. I'm not looking to get to winter sports yet but it's nice to be thought of.

Not everyone thinks so kindly of me and I'm pretty bummed about that. I wrote not too long ago about being exhausted playing the bad guy.

Or the perceived bad guy.

In truth, I think I'm fairly easy to get along with. I have my opinions -- oh, you bet -- but I also listen when spoken to and have a good respect for others. That doesn't mean I'm going to blankly agree with things. However, I might just politely nod and that will be the end of it. Yet if I truly respect you and the topic at play, I'll debate things.

But I also pick my battles, believe it or not.

However, not everyone feels that way and, in the process, I become persona non grata. 

But I'll never have patience for phonies. And enablers. Among other things.

I hate this kind of middle-school nonsense. That's the word. "Hate."

And I have a disdain for conflict.

I also don't like cutting people out of my life but it has become a necessity in recent times.

Thus, I simply have to move on.

And I am.

I know who my friends are and have to reduce the toxicity.

I'll get a break from Connecticut Junior High School after tomorrow when I head to California for a few days. That will maybe do some good. Hope they have fun in study hall back here. Maybe they can pass notes to each other.

Bennie Rose will be my guest on "Meet the Beatles" tomorrow morning at 9. Join us on WGCH and Robcasting.

Maybe Not My Best

 

In any part of life, regardless of the circumstances, we all have a day in which we just feel off.

I called a fascinating and weird game between Greenwich and Wilton last night at Cardinal Stadium. I came home and watched the Yankees/Cleveland game and crashed into bed after it was over.

Dan Murphy was along for the entire evening and, at one point, we talked about calling a game when we just don't have "it."

Well, that was me today.

I called Brunswick's homecoming matchup against Andover today. The circumstances were joyous. Jovial. Fun.

And yet I felt I was sort of just OK on the air.

As I sit here tonight, I look back and think about what could have been off, if anything.

Lack of sleep? No, I don't think so. By my standards, I had a decent night.

In the morning, I had breakfast, including a cup of coffee. I eventually cleaned a bit, sweeping and vacuuming before reviewing notes and making sure I had everything I needed.

I stopped at a deli to grab a small sandwich just in case there was food at Brunswick. We sometimes get offered things and I wanted to be ready either way. The sandwich would suffice otherwise.

I parked at Brunswick and got to work on setting up. It was mostly nothing unusual, except for having to climb to the roof of the press box a few times to thread an audio cable.

The only other factor was that I began to feel a little bit of sinus pain last night. Nothing too bad though I did take something for it before I went to bed. It did not linger through the Brunswick game.

At game time, I set about doing my opening and getting down to business.

And from there, I was fine. That's it. Just fine.

I'm hoping to the listener there was nothing unusual to take note of and that it was just in my head. That, overall, it didn't sit to my high standards but so what?

Look, the fact that Brunswick won 42-7 doesn't help things though I contend that a broadcaster should be at their best in those moments. Most of the time, I handle this with ease. 

The truth is, I laid out a bit more today. I wasn't quite as glib.

In this business, you generally have to fight through whatever it is that's going on. Sometimes those things are tangible. Sometimes they're not. But, unless something makes it physically impossible, I do whatever I need to do to make it work.

Maybe, ultimately, the sinus thing bothered me more than I let on. Maybe I was just overtired. Maybe I'm run down. Maybe it was Friday night's game that sapped me.

Who knows?

The goal is to not have the audience be aware of it. From what I gathered, nobody noticed.

So, I have to do "Meet the Beatles" tomorrow, with guests Sun Kings: A Beatles Tribute.

I can chill out after that and enjoy sports on TV.

A full week awaits before games next Friday and Saturday.

As always, I'll be ready.

No Suffering in Suffield

 

The assignment was to call Brunswick football at South Windsor but I'd also been told that the setup wasn't necessarily "broadcast friendly."

Well, the people were friendly.

Let's start by cutting to the chase. It took me three hours to get from Greenwich to Suffield, CT. In no world should that happen but this is Connecticut after all. In fact, my Waze app told me to go up I-684 in New York and come back to Connecticut.

That, to be clear, was the better option.

I was slowed up in Brewster. Danbury. Newtown. Waterbury. Southington. I lost track after a while.

But I made it with some time to spare. I parked and ran into Gus, our trusty videographer. He suggested I speak with the man who let him into the press box.

OK, now that was a nice discovery: that there was a press box at all. However, the many turned out to be the athletic director and, while he was great to work with, he didn't have great news.

Sure, there was a press box but, in his view, there was no room for me. Suffield Academy runs its own broadcast so a student would be in the booth calling the game. Plus an official would be sitting in there to run the scoreboard.

In hindsight, there was actually plenty of room but there would have been the problem of two broadcasters talking out loud close to one another. I've done it. Many times. But it's not ideal.

I volunteered to take the landing outside of the press box. There was more than enough room for what I needed to do.

In the end, the Suffield Academy AD had no idea I was even coming and, in his view, "This is a first. Opposing teams normally don't bring a broadcaster." That, friends, is an issue to me.

I've covered Greenwich High football for 26 years now on WGCH, Robcasting, HAN, and so on. Especially on WGCH, every game was covered, home and away.

It should be expected in my opinion.

It's not some lavish thing that Brunswick does. I'm there to bring their audience a familiar voice and knowledge of their team.

One of my goals over my time with Brunswick was to reach a point where other schools began to expect to see someone broadcast their game. That someone hopefully being me.

We still have work to do there.

Nevertheless, the night went flawlessly. Sure, there were Suffield Academy parents nearby doing their thing and sometimes glancing back at me but there was no harm. I had a job to do and I did it, even if I did talk in a bit of a softer register due to the circumstances. But there's no way I'm staying quiet on big plays. The kids deserve that, regardless of the team.

In the long run, the Bruins won 35-7. Everyone seemed to depart with a smile on their face. The Bruins are 5-0 and have their Homecoming game next Saturday at 3.

I'll be there and happy to do so.

I think a few people know who I am there.

The drive home was far less eventful, taking roughly 90 minutes.

But, again, I was five minutes from the Massachusetts state line and roughly an hour from Vermont.

A state I haven't called games in.

That seems like a goal.

Four Games

 

Don't worry.

The post is here.

You're not worried. I can tell.

But, in the process of preparing for four games -- Danbury/Greenwich, Avon Old Farms/Brunswick, Elmira Impact/Rockets Hockey Club, Providence Capitals/Connecticut Roughriders -- I simply didn't get this on social media.

I suppose, to some, this breaks the streak but if a post fails to post and nobody notices, does it really matter?

So, yes, I'm here. Thanks for asking.

Thursday was (indeed) a day of preparing for four games. That, after recording and editing a new "Hanratty's Huddle" in the morning. We did the podcast from Norwalk Community College, ahem, except it's not NCC anymore.

it's CT State Norwalk. Marketing, I suppose.

But that meant Terry Hanratty, Dave Torromeo, and I got to sit in a nice podcast lab, working with shiny equipment.

And, for a moment, I thought we might not have any of the 38 minutes we recorded. My computer -- for some reason -- recorded roughly seven minutes and stopped on two different recording programs.

Fortunately, the internal SD drive of the RØDECaster Pro II saved it and, with a little figuring out of the process to get the audio on my computer, the day was saved.

One thing I often really like about most of the podcasts that I do is that there isn't much editing. What I mean by that is I work in a "live to tape" style. We do the show as if we're live. If I wanted to go to another level, I could have the theme music play as well, but I normally add that in the post-production process.

On rare occasions do I actually need to edit anything out. In those cases, it's usually someone has coughed or an audio level is too low or some other minor edit. On "Talent Talks," which I do for Hunt Scanlon, occasionally a client nitpicks a bit more and I have to see if I can work some magic. In that case, the option becomes that we leave it alone or we do it over.

When it comes to "Talent Talks" I always explain that I want the client to be happy with what they've said. Any big stumbles of mine can be fixed after the fact by me, and I've done that also, rereading statements and questions that I wasn't happy with.

But, in this case, "Hanratty's Huddle" was done without incident, despite my slightly raised blood pressure. It's posted online and can be found wherever you get your podcasts. Like anything I do, we would very much appreciate a little love. Spread the word as we're still trying to grow.

And many thanks to CT State Norwalk for having us in as we try to build a relationship with them.

Oh, but back to the four games. It's standard operating procedure at first, by creating a scoresheet for four games (two football, two hockey) with relevant information (records, last game, next game, etc) and then searching for rosters.

Four games means eight rosters. Two I have at my disposal (Greenwich and Brunswick). Five were found without too much headache.

And then there's one. I'll let you figure out which one it is.

Finding them is one thing. 

Making them look the way I want is another. I don't go crazy on the appearance but I do often copy and paste into an Excel spreadsheet. In the case of some, the copying doesn't go as planned, so there needs to be some manipulation.

I did plenty of that for games that will take place on Saturday, Sunday, and next Wednesday.

As always, I'll be ready. I'll have stats, storylines, and other items as game time approaches.

I'm calling three of these games solo, with Dan Murphy on Greenwich/Danbury joining me. He might, in fact, wind up calling part of that one but that's a different story. Lots of hurdles to jump.

And blog posts will likely follow.

A W For Wick

 

I mean, this view. From a football field.

It's not a short commitment to go to Salisbury, CT.

If you've never been, the northwest corner of the state is truly nice. There are towns straight out of New England central casting with some breathtaking views. The Taconic Mountains come into view, especially from the hilltop at Salisbury School.

There are plenty of charming restaurants, cafes, antique shops, and other treats. It's always a pleasure.

I was in Salisbury to call my first Brunswick contest since I did lacrosse in May. Final score: Brunswick 34, Salisbury 14. It frankly wasn't that close.

I saw a few familiar faces and said hello but, otherwise, I was on my own. I made the drive up from Norwalk along U.S. 7, stopping a few times for things like gas and a new charge cable for my phone to use in the car.

I even stopped in Gaylordsville to see the "spite house" Atlas Obscura has more about this curiosity.

The Gaylordsville, CT "spite house"

Eventually, I came into Canaan, where Routes 7 and 44 converge, and grabbed a cup of coffee. A few minutes later, because I'm me, I drove up 7 into Massachusetts.

Then I turned around and came back to Connecticut.

Why did I do that? Because I could. 

I'm weird, I suppose, and I accept that. But it also made me smile.

It was to make the point that this was a long day but still indicative of how reachable things are.

I was soon at Salisbury's campus, where I was greeted warmly. I set up in the booth, strolled the field, set up my notes, and steadied myself to call the game.

I was eventually joined by a scoreboard/clock operator and two Salisbury fans. I realize I impeded on their territory but I do wish people would remember that my presence means there are microphones around. They talked, using "we" when referring to Salisbury but they also said a few things that caused me to mute the mics a few times. Nothing scandalous but I just prefer to keep conversations off the air.

They left as the clock was winding down. I packed up and chatted with Salisbury's media advisor, who was intrigued by the fact that I teach sports broadcasting, and took off.

I added a third state to the day as I crossed into New York to come down Route 22, the most direct way home.

The Cat was waiting when I walked in.

I needed a night like this. I'll take it.

Another game awaits tomorrow as Greenwich plays at Stamford.

I've got a similar road trip next week, as I'm heading to Kingston NY but we'll address that sometime before Friday.

Right now, the focus is on turning towards tomorrow.

On Hope and Losing

 

Cosby Field from the new Tailgating Pavillion

Game 7 of the Knicks/Pacers series just ended.

So let's recap. It was Game 7. Eastern Conference Semifinals. At Madison Square Garden. A home game. At the "Mecca."

Do we need any more buildup?

And yet? 

It was a big, fat, nothingburger.

Pacers 130, Knicks 109.

The Pacers had a historic day shooting the basketball and full credit to them for sure.

The Knicks dealt with a rash of injuries, including Jalen Brunson, who left this game with a fractured hand.

But I don't play the excuse game. 

And I also don't deal with the loser mentality of "it was a great season," which I saw before the game started.

No. Screw that, to be blunt.

Sure, marvel at the season eventually but, right now, no shot. The Knicks were the second seed in the Eastern Conference. You would be fine to have expected more.

Instead, it ends like this.

It's a shame.

I'm glad I don't have a show tomorrow because there would be fire.

I got a text from someone at WGCH about last Monday's show, when I eviscerated "phony" fans (you know, Town Hall types who disappear when their team stinks). He told me how "on fire" I was.

Well, I would have been off the charts tomorrow because this attitude makes me nuts.

I don't stand for it with any team that I support.

I want the Jeter stare, where you watch the other team celebrate and carry that feeling into the postseason.

I loved this Knicks team. 

I wish it didn't end this way.

*****

Once again, I'm here to stand up for having the ability adjust on the fly.

I struggled with a "Meet the Beatles" topic coming into this week. Something popped into my brain late yesterday but I just wasn't sure if I liked it.

I went with it. I decided to highlight some of the lads' contemporaries.

And I loved it.

But I completely slapped the whole thing together on the fly.

Broadcasting has to be spontaneous in spaces. In this case, it worked magnificently. 

I enjoyed every moment of it and was ready for another hour.

Next week, I'll be stumbling after the Greenwich Town Party.

I better start thinking of topics now.

*****

It was Lawerenceville's day again
(From the LocalLive broadcast)

The Prep Nationals Lacrosse Championship was today.

It wasn't meant to be for Brunswick, as Lawrenceville came out and cruised to a 14-5 win at Cosby Field.

The Big Red were nasty, putting bodies on the ball constantly. The pressure was intense and they cruised to the title.

They won the Prep Nationals for the second year in a row and will be the number one team in the land.

I loved calling it and working with a great crew including Dan Arestia, David Berry, and Josh Drebsky. Great pros.

Before I head into the wasteland that can be the summer, I'm shifting over to the FCIAC baseball semifinals tomorrow, featuring No. 5 Wilton vs. No. 1 Warde in the early game and No. 7 Staples vs. No. 3 Trumbull in the nightcap. The broadcast will begin at 3:55 p.m. with the "Your Business Name Could Be Here Pregame Show."

But I do want to pause and thank everyone at Brunswick for another wonderful year of game broadcasts. I'm blessed to have these people in my corner to get me to call as much as I do. Kevin Devaney Jr at LocalLive either just puts up with me or likes me. I probably drive Wayne MacGillicuddy at Brunswick nuts as well.

But I'm truly blessed to have Kevin, Wayne, Director of Athletics Cedric Jones, Associate Director of Athletics Ron Van Belle, Head of School Tom Phillip, and so many others supporting me. I get to work with amazing coaches in McGillicuddy, Mike Kennedy, Steve Juricek, and Connor Redahan closely.

Plus the parents and students have been remarkably supportive. The kind words, the occasional tweaks, and the food delivered to the press box all mean so much. A mom introduced herself to me today and said that I nearly made her cry talking about her son in a recent game. Others have said I'm the best part of the game or that it's not a game unless I'm broadcasting it.

It's humbling and I'm beyond grateful.

Thank you, Wick. 

See you in September.

*****

Dan Arestia hands the Prep Nationals trophy
to Lawrenceville

Hope is inspiring.

Hope can make you want to run through a wall.

Hope is also dangerous.

But I suppose it's something.

So I'm hopeful.

The Prep Nationals Semis

 

Thanks to the fates working my way, I have the honor of calling the Prep Nationals Championship again.

Brunswick is the number one team in the country and they host the tournament. Thus, I'm the broadcaster.

I will offer that if my work wasn't acceptable, I probably wouldn't be on the call. But I'm proud to say it seems to be pretty well-received. Plus I worked with an incredible crew tonight who made the games look stunning.

Tonight was the semifinal doubleheader with Lawrenceville beating Deerfield and Brunswick knocking off Salisbury.

Thus it will be the two best teams in the country for the title on Sunday. And I'll call it.

It just wasn't in the plan when I first started. I didn't think I'd become a lacrosse broadcaster or a soccer broadcaster or a wrestling broadcaster. 

Somehow I've done it.

I can still remember the first lacrosse game airing on WGCH roughly 20 years ago. I wasn't initially going to be the play-by-play announcer (it was a different time back then) but I volunteered to come down and do some sideline reporting (with a very little Sean keeping me company).

Then, the plan changed and I was asked to call the second half of the game.

So, how did I learn? I recognized that there was a bit of a similarity to hockey in terms of the description and that taught me to use a similar approach. It worked and I kept practicing, getting more reps during the days with HAN.

Then Brunswick wanted me to call their games and I picked that up.

I try to not overthink it and just describe it.

Apparently, it has worked.

So I suppose I've earned the right to be the Prep Nationals broadcaster again. Or maybe I'd like to think so.

Sunday will, in fact, be my last Brunswick broadcast for the school year. Thus ends the eighth year as Brunswick's lead (and, often, only) broadcaster. It happened because Brunswick wanted a professional approach and I'm thrilled that it was me who got the chance. My relationship with Brunswick goes back a lot further than that but I'm just about the only person who remembers that.

Sunday will also serve as the beginning of the end of my 26th year broadcasting sports though there are still more to come. 

Anyway, I'm just writing and babbling here.

Lacrosse happened tonight. Brunswick and Lawrenceville have punched their ticket to the Prep Nationals Championship Game.

Dan Arestia and I will have the call Sunday at 2 p.m.

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.

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.

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.

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.

What Could Be

 

Donte DiVincenzo reacts after hitting a three-pointer to put the
Knicks ahead (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

The lacrosse game ended and I was ready to go home.

Thanks to the kindness of a Brunswick parent, I'd already had dinner, as she picked up a chicken quesadilla from the food truck at the game.

So I just needed to come home and enjoy some hockey.

It has the chance to be a really fun spring around New York sports. The Rangers are playing in Game 2 of their first round playoff series with the Washington Capitals. As I'm typing, the Rangers lead 4-3 so there will be some nervous time.

Last night was about as epic a night of basketball as this area has seen in years. The Knicks found themselves down late but scored six points to take the lead in a blistering pace during the last minute of play.

They hit free throws and held on for the win.

Donte DiVincenzo's three-pointer off a mad scramble brought about a rare double "BANG!" from the great Mike Breen, calling the game on MSG. 

Breen is the best basketball announcer and I won't hear otherwise (though you're certainly entitled to your opinion).

But I'll admit I yelled "BANG!" as DiVincenzo's shot went through the net.

It was an intense win and the Knicks lead 2-0. 

The Garden was rocking. I sometimes roll my eyes at the marketing of "The World's Most Famous Arena" but it's truly a special place at times like last night. The level of insanity will only grow as the Knicks and Rangers win games this spring.

Oh, it reminds me so much of 1994, which was a truly treasured time around here. The Knicks got to Game 7 of a gutwrenching NBA Finals series that they lost to Houston. There are still so many "ifs" that fans torture themselves with. After O.J. Simpson's famous van ride during Game 5 of the series, the Knicks needed just one win and it was nowhere to be found.

On the other hand, the Rangers also went to a Game 7 after a thrilling series. All anyone has to say is Mike Richter/Pavel Bure and we know the image, as Richter stopped Bure's penalty shot in Game 4.

We all gnawed away at our fingernails the night of Game 7, hoping the Rangers could erase the demons of 54 years. The euphoria at the end of the night was unforgettable.

New York is a big event town. We love the World Series and the Stanley Cup Finals and will go nuts if an NBA Finals comes here for the first time in 25 years.

The Knicks haven't won a title since 1973 so there's a hunger. Beyond that, New York hasn't had a professional championship in the four major sports since the Giants won Super Bowl Super Bowl XLVI in 2012.

So, yeah, it would be fun to have that feeling of 1994 again, especially if the two Garden teams can win. There was another team that was threatening to win a title that year but lost out due to a player's strike.

The Yankees would get back on top of the world in 1996 but they were close in '94. It would have made for an epic year in New York.

We could feel that this year. I'm not saying we will but it would be fun.

*****

A quick side note about lacrosse. Brunswick won the game after initially being in a tight battle with The Hill Academy from Canada. It was a great team effort as the Bruins continue to be the best team in the country.

However, a couple of students popped in the booth at one point for the weirdest of reasons: me.

They. Wanted. To. See. Me.

They both kind of stammered, called me "the man," shook my hand, then realized I was working and they left.

I was astounded and a bit overwhelmed. It was humbling.

I'd actually like to talk more with them if only to thank them.

I'm not deserving of the attention.

Perfection

 

A memorable pitching line

The time was 6:18 p.m. on Tuesday night, April 16, 2024.

Brunswick right-handed pitcher Calder Glassman was set to throw his 91st pitch of the day. The Bruins led St. Luke's 4-0.

Up until 6:18 p.m., Glassman had struck out 12 Storm hitters.

He had walked no one.

He had allowed no hits.

In fact, nobody had reached base against the Notre Dame commit.

He was a strike away from a perfect game.

He was working effortlessly. Efficiently.

And now he was on the verge of something extraordinary.

According to my scorecard, he had thrown 90 pitches.

"Dare I say," I offered, trying to craft words delicately, "you want the ninety-first pitch to be perfect."

It was, except, hold on.

Glassman flirted with a no-hitter last week before allowing an infield single with one out in the sixth inning.

Today, I watched his stuff and, honestly, after an inning, I thought he looked nasty. The Bruins were handling any ball hit their way and Glassman was racking up the strikeouts.

But these things don't happen without drama. At one point, with the bases empty, he got called for an illegal pitch. Even after the game, nobody could quite explain what the umpires were thinking.

Still, in the sixth, Glassman went to a three-ball count, which he only did three times in the game. But, in this case, the pitch was ball four.

Except...

The first base umpire saw a checked swing that went too far. Strike two. Full count. Glassman finished the hitter off seconds later on a liner to short.

Around the field, some fans knew what was going on. Others didn't.

But I watched the outs pile up. On the air, I don't get into the no-hitter/perfect game talk until after six innings. In high school baseball, that only leaves the seventh inning.

I mentioned Calder had retired eighteen straight after six. The score was only 1-0. The drama was magnificent.

Except...

The Bruins scored three in the bottom of the sixth to feel more confident about the game. The tension changed from win and loss to Glassman's perfecto.

It was so tempting to echo Vin Scully in the moment and for sure there were tips of the microphone to the maestro. As Glassman took the mound, I mentioned "the toughest walk of his life," a reference to what Vin said as Sandy Koufax walked to the hill in 1965.

Then I dropped in a few time checks and mentions of the date. At times, I gave a hint of extra detail, such as Glassman pulling at the brim of his cap. Those are lessons learned from Scully.

Beyond that, it had to be my call.

I've called no-hitters. But this was different and I knew anything that could be construed as "jinxing" Glassman would be held against me. But I still have a job to do, regardless of superstitions. I was cautious but still mentioned "perfect game" when I mentioned Koufax in the seventh.

I mentioned counting the outs and how close he was to something he would never forget.

He struck out the first two batters of the seventh. One to go.

But he battled with Nate Kesselmark, the number three hitter in the Storm lineup. Kesselmark struck out on a three-two pitch back in the first. He struck out again in the fourth.

Now, it was three and two and he fouled off a pitch.

One more time. Pitch number 91.

I could feel myself leaning over the fence in right field as I strained to get the best view possible.

The payoff pitch was served to second base. Jayden Montanez went to his right but, at least from my view, it looked like the ball had a little extra spin on it.

Was this going to be an error? The perfect game would be gone but a no-hitter would still be possible.

Except...

Montanez did what every player is ever taught: stay with the ball. He did.

He recovered, picked it up, and threw it to first where Michael Yeager was playing.

Kesselmark was flying down the line as the ball reached Yeager's glove. He ran past first, and threw his arms open, hoping for what he thought would be a safe call.

Except...

The first base umpire was right there and he had a different view.

Out.

It was a perfect game.

I wish I was a fountain of history for Brunswick. Was this the first perfect game in team history? Hard to say though I suspect it isn't.

Glassman knew what had happened. Clearly, his teammates did as well. They mobbed him off the mound, in a dogpile of euphoria that lasted only seconds before they had to go shake hands with the disappointed Storm. Sportsmanship should always prevail.

One thing I do know about this perfect game was that it was my first. I've never called one.

I can't say I'm happy with the final out call but does it matter? I did stumble as the ball got to Montanez. But did I report it accurately and give it excitement? Yes, and yes. 

I might have yelled too much. I'll let Mike Hirn be the judge.

Will Calder be happy with the call? Will his teammates enjoy it? Will families enjoy it? Did the viewers like it? I hope so.

"Calder Glassman has pitched a perfect game at 6:18 p.m. on Tuesday night, April the 16th, 2024. Bruins win 4-0," I said.

It will have to do.

The time check was a reminder from Vin Scully to put that on the call so that Calder would have it forever, just as he did for Sandy Koufax.

I went to find Calder after the game to congratulate him and tell him what a thrill it was. He said he couldn't wait to watch it. I also talked to a few of his teammates to congratulate him but they were focused on recognizing Calder. To that end, I congratulate all of the Bruins because it takes a team effort to complete a perfect game, with a special nod to catcher Jerry Guzman. Pitcher and catcher have to be on the same page.

They were.

Sports are great. They soothe the soul.

Thanks, Vin, for the lessons.

And thanks, Calder. Congratulations.

You were perfect.

A Pole (almost) Falls in Greenwich

 

All seemed quiet around the Presidential Suite* this morning.

* You know, father and son with the last name Adams? 

Then I heard a noise. Let's call it a crunch.

Crunches happen frequently outside our place for a variety of reasons so they're normally nothing to worry about.

Except this one had a visual element. The telephone/power pole outside the front window moved.

I'm not sure I need to explain this but it shouldn't do that.

For a moment, I wondered where the pole would land and what the impact would be. I watched with caution thinking there might be sparks. 

I yelled to Sean and we observed the situation.

The pole rested on top of the truck, which was an Enterprise rental box truck.

The driver got out and also observed.

According to what I was later told, he called the police. The jig was up. 

Sean and I knew that action was necessary before we lost power. We each pulled ourselves together and shifted into a standby mode, prepared to leave the apartment if needed.

By the time I stepped back towards the window maybe 10 minutes later, Sean told me the driver of the truck was being handcuffed. Indeed, I stood and watched as he was loaded into a cruiser. I'd later watch police talk further with him on the street.

According to people I talked with later, the truck was stolen. So, yeah.

Eventually, I walked to my car to make sure everything was OK with it (and it was). Otherwise, we were fine to go about our business. In fact, our road was never closed, except to trucks, as I watched a truck get tangled in the overhead wires at one point.

Sean and I were actually able to leave for lunch and come back.

Working quickly, a crew showed up in the afternoon with two trucks to pull the pole off the Enterprise truck. After moving that truck, they got to work on standing the pole back up and stabilizing it. 

Sometime after four -- a little over five hours after the truck hit it -- everything was cleaned up.

Pretty amazing.

Electrifying, I'd say.

*****

I had the great thrill of calling tonight's Brunswick/Darien lacrosse game. The game had been shifted between sites, times, and broadcasting outlets thanks to the weather impacting Brunswick's Cosby Field. Ultimately, the game was moved to Darien High School and would be broadcast on DAF Media.

And yes, they wanted the old dude (hi) to call it, with my friend Dan Arestia. Ryan Dahlquist, a Darien High student, rounded out the on-air team.

I have to tell you ... ready? ... I'm pretty proud of the broadcast tonight. It looked great and everyone said it sounded great. 

The game wasn't a classic. Brunswick built up a 4-0 lead and never trailed. They won 12-6.

It was a pleasure to work with the DAF Media team, led by Bruce Ferguson tonight, though Damian Andrew is normally at the front of it all.

It also had that feeling of the days of the HAN Network when we were a machine. While we weren't all student-run, we were largely a collection of people who didn't know much about broadcasting, especially at first. There were only a few of us that had any broadcasting experience.

There's still a book in all of that somewhere.

But, for tonight, it was a blast and I'd do it again.

"Canceled"

 

We have a perfect storm today.

Actually, yes, it's storming quite a bit, but the storm in question is, in part, metaphorical.

I was supposed to call Brunswick's game today against Putnam Science Academy but it's pouring and very windy here in the 203.

I checked the Brunswick website a few hours ago to confirm what I knew and, instead of seeing that the game had been postponed (and thus would be made up), the word was more definitive.

Canceled.

That likely means the two teams couldn't find another window to play the game, so that's that. The players lose a game.

Selfishly, so do I.

It's not what you want.

OK, obviously we can look at this on the bright side and say that I'm not standing outside battling the conditions and trying to keep the equipment dry.

Keep in mind -- and this is not a complaint -- that the audio equipment and computer are all mine. The camera is LocalLive's (and, by extension, Brunswick's).

So, yeah, there's a concern for keeping that all safe and working.

But it's also generally sort of miserable to battle the elements without cover while keeping a paper scorecard. Try keeping things covered, making sure it's all working, keeping the scorecard dry, and still call the game. It's a juggling act. Then again, it's better than not doing the game at all.

Regardless, this one isn't happening.

Obviously, I have weather stories galore when it comes to all sports. Snow, thunder and lightning, hail, hurricane threats, flooding, locusts, etc. Among baseball games, I recall the time Joe Early got a tent to put over us for a Brunswick game several years ago. OK, cool. 

Except the tent had a hole in it. Now, we knew the tent wasn't perfect but we thought we could mitigate the damage.

We did, to an extent. You know, you push the tent up to watch the water fall off the roof. But, ultimately, the puddling, er, ponding on top of the tent and the dripping coming inside was a bit much.

Still, I look back and laugh. We tried. And, for what it's worth, while I like the tent idea, try setting and breaking down a 10x10 tent alone. It's not easy. That's why I bought pods a few years ago. Those have been good but they're not very roomy.

So, with that, I'm home, watching the rain pour and listening to the wind howl. Thus, I'm writing early, just in case power and/or the internet go out.

And I have the Yankees on.

If only I had a radio show to do. I don't. "Doubleheader" gets the day off in favor of a Red Sox game. My only gripe there is I'd like a say as "sports director" but what do I know?

I'll not air my grievances, especially following a good conversation with my WGCH friends today. Lots to discuss there also.

Oh, and Cooperstown is getting closer to being a reality. The game between Stamford and McMahon is Monday, Apr 15 at 10 a.m. You will definitely be able to hear it on Robcasting. I'll add more details as we get closer.

And there's lacrosse tomorrow. Stay tuned. 

OK, I'll Call the Game

Own it.

 

Let's get this out of the way: it was my mistake.

I own it.

You know me and my schedule. I'm on top of this stuff. It's part of what I do. I'm diligent about putting everything on my spreadsheet and calendar.

So I knew, for instance, that I had to teach at CSB this morning.

A new class awaited. Most of the time we do radio before TV but it was flip-flopped today so it was a bit different and in that case, there's also someone to teach with me, mostly because he knows how to run the TV equipment better than I do, thus freeing me to critique the student's delivery of the sports news.

But it also has an impact on the class versus when I'm on my own. So it goes.

And students have questions. And different abilities.

So the plan was to head to the Hudson Valley after teaching to attend orientation for the 2024 Renegades season. 

After leaving CSB, I thought about driving towards the Hudson Valley and doing "Doubleheader" from my car.

Ultimately, I decided to head home, do the show, and hit the road as soon as it was over.

But, I glanced at Instagram and saw a story from Brunswick Baseball, promoting a game at 4:30 p.m. today.

Wait. What? 

I spent Saturday's broadcast promoting a game against Hamden Hall on Tuesday at 4:30.

I texted Wayne McGillicuddy. Was tomorrow's game moved because of impending rain?

Nope. 

So, yes, back to the beginning. I screwed up.

As such, I had to adjust my day. The drive to Wappingers Falls wouldn't happen. Sean would go to orientation and he could catch me up on any concerns. I emailed the team to tell them I couldn't make it.

I went home and got ready to call baseball.

But -- gasp! -- I didn't have hours to make charts and graphs and find my colored pens! Doesn't that mean I can't do the game?

Ha. Please.

My greater concern was ensuring I was prepared with proper layers for the weather. There was expectation of rain so I wanted to keep the equipment dry and myself warm.

I pulled everything together, got in the car, and headed to Brunswick. I grabbed the LocalLive camera and tripod and trudged to the right field corner.

I set the camera up, set my audio up, plugged it all in, and then set up my scorecard, pulling both lineups and rosters.

I was ready with time to spare.

And it was a better broadcast than Saturday's.

I felt the rhythm. I felt the flow. I felt the cadence. I liked the stories I was telling. I felt like my details were better than they had been.

Everyone prepares in their own way. I was hyper-prepared not just for the game details but for whatever the weather presented.

It got cold enough that I used all of the layers that I brought but never needed any of the stuff to keep things dry. We didn't see a drop of rain.

The thing about being prepared is trusting yourself. I have the notes. Even without a complete roster, I have my scoresheet from Saturday and that matters.

From there, trust the ability to tell the story of the game.

And tell the story of the game.

Saturday's broadcast just didn't feel right. It felt rusty but I was also tired. It's always hard to say exactly what it was.

Today felt right.

Even if I had to hustle to make it.

Because it was my mistake.

My Happiest Place

 

My view from right field

Despite the sunshine, today was a fairly chilly day with the temperature hovering in the mid-50s.

But baseball was being played and I was on the air.

Win. Win.

It was my first baseball broadcast since the "rogue" call of the Babe Ruth World Series in Fredericksburg, VA last August. 

It wasn't perfect. Oh, it never is.

I was just happy to be back to the very thing that I love to do.

Fellow broadcasters grumble when they see our setup at Brunswick.

"Why are you calling the game from beyond the right field fence (harrumph!)?" they ask.

If you know the setup of the field, it sort of makes sense, like it or not. We need power for the camera, and there's an outlet on the scoreboard. It also helps me power my computer for my mixer and the Robcasting feed.

Doing it near home plate tightens things up, including my standing in the visitor's on-deck circle and just outside their dugout. We've done it but it also means the camera is shooting through the backstop.

Again, it's not ideal.

We dare to dream about a press box one day and a permanently installed camera but for now it is what it is.

No, the view isn't perfect from right field. It's hard to pick up a variety of things but, as I said to Brunswick's athletic director, a competent announcer is needed to fill in the gaps.

"I hope you guys find one," I said, and we laughed.

But, oh, baseball. The announcer's game. More to the point, the storyteller's game.

I can beat the proverbial dead horse to explain why the sport is so great but I'm not going to convince people (you know, the haters). Even in a game that ended 10-2 (Brunswick won) with 17 walks, two wild pitches, three hit batters, and eight strikeouts, lasting two-and-a-half hours, it was still mostly blissful.

Oh, and there was nearly a decapitated broadcaster. OK, that's extreme, but hear me out.

Remember, I said we were beyond the right field fence.

Loomis Chaffee's first baseman Gabriel Tirado launched a high fly ball to right.

Now, in the several years I've stood out there and called games, I've always been aware of the possibility of a ball getting to me. Obviously, my concern would be that the ball doesn't hit me, the camera, or my equipment.

And now I'm watching this skyscraper heading toward me.

Brunswick right fielder Reed Hyde drifted back to the fence, knowing he would likely run out of room. As the fence is movable, he'd possibly bump into me, the camera, or my equipment.

I continued to call the action. I watched the ball. I glanced at Hyde.

The ball went over my head and hit the scoreboard. A moment later, the ball rebounded to me and clipped off the back of my calf before rolling under the fence where Hyde picked it up.

Tirado also hit a second one later on and I thought for sure it was gone. It was foul. Oops.

A couple of Bruins players came out and got the equipment from me after the game and we laughed about the foul ball. You can laugh when you win. You can also laugh when the ball goes foul, especially since one of the players was the pitcher who gave it up.

The Bruins are 3-0 and I'll see them again this week.

And whatever was wrong with my call doesn't worry me. It's the first game. 

Baseball is back.

And it was also the 27th anniversary of the first time I walked into WGCH. What started as me being a rarely-used fill-in board operator turned into me being the board op of choice and co-hosting shows that I probably didn't belong on and doing anything the station asked me to do before beginning to work on football broadcasts and, yes, getting my chance to do play-by-play.

Now, I'll do play-by-play for basically anyone who asks. 

This game wasn't on WGCH. I've moaned about that enough times to fall on deaf ears.

Out of that came things like LocalLive and, yeah, Robcasting.

That's where I called baseball today and it made me happy.

End of the Season

 

Oscar Miranda drives the Zamboni after the game

There's a moment where, even as a broadcaster, you still can't believe it.

The team you cover is the higher seed and, as a result, "expected to win," but we know that's so often fool's gold.

But this team was simply gold.

Still, any given Wednesday, in this case.

The sixth-seeded Salisbury Crimson Knights ended the Brunswick Bruins hockey season with a 3-1 win this evening.

The Knights won the quarterfinal matchup and next play Kimball Union on Saturday in the semifinals.

It could have been the Bruins. But that's not how it works. Salisbury played a really smart game and earned the win.

It's tough watching the team you cover lose because you build relationships with the coaches, players, and families. But, at the end of the day, you have to pack up and head home.

Sure, I was looking forward to covering the Bruins wherever they wound up, which could have gone as far as Boston. I had already offered Robcasting to the Bruins, knowing that the championships would have some kind of video streaming and I wouldn't be on that call.

So I was willing to do an audio-only call for Bruins fans. Call it an alternative broadcast. 

I truly treasure the relationship I've built with the Bruins' families and they're incredibly kind to me. There are grandparents and aunts and uncles and alumni who are tuning in and I give them my best.

But, they also think I'm a good luck charm. Indeed, the last time Brunswick played Salisbury -- just two weeks ago -- they were down 2-0 as I called basketball in the Dann Gym.

I walked upstairs, jumped on the hockey broadcast, and Brunswick scored four times after I got there. They won 4-3.

Still, we have no influence whatsoever. If we could, we'd all be rich.

I don't influence no-hitters or free throw streaks or field goals or goalie saves.

I have zero impact. I talk. I describe. I report. 

And, within reason, I don't make it about me. Let's face it, as conduits to the game, our own personalities have to drip in a bit.

But the ride is over with Brunswick hockey and basketball. I have such great respect for all involved.

Now, I'll freelance a bit with the Hudson Valley Vipers and anything else I get thrown before heading off to Florida.

Lacrosse and baseball will be waiting when I get back.

Baseball. Huh. I'm sort of fond of that sport. 

*****

With the help of Mike Buswell, I hosted a preview of the FCIAC boys basketball championship game tonight. It ran on Robcasting and Facebook Live. We recorded the Zoom video and I uploaded it to YouTube.

We think it's pretty good and worth your time. There's nothing fancy about it. It's just good content. We were blessed to have Staples head coach Dave Goldshore, Trumbull assistant coach Colin Devine, and Ludlowe head coach John Dailey join us. Staples and Trumbull meet in the championship.

I'll have the call of the game tomorrow night at 7 on YouTube and Robcasting.

A Moment of Self-Reflection

 

As the lineups were introduced at Brunswick

Let me get this out of the way: Brunswick lost today.

Greenwich Country Day came to the Dann Gymnasium and took a large lead in the FAA Championship. A Bruins rally was too late and the Tigers stormed the floor to celebrate.

But let me go back to the beginning of the game.

The gym was full. I mean, it was packed. In fact, when I walked into the building, I needed the OK to go into the gym to set up. Security was keeping an eye on who stood on the side of the gym where I work.

I stand behind the scorer's table between the benches.

I finished my setup and walked out of the gym to sit in the lobby and eat my lunch.

Fans weren't allowed in the gym yet and a line was forming.

By the time the starting lineups were introduced, it was hard to hear anything.

But, prior to that, the National Anthem was played via saxophone.

And that's when it hit me.

Going back to the Colin Kaepernick brouhaha of several years ago, I spoke about what that moment -- when The Star-Spangled Banner sounds out at an event -- means to me.

I've felt this way for many years, in fact, going back to my youth. It grew as I got older.

It's a moment for me to pause and reflect, catching my breath before calling the game or even watching a game.

It's especially a time to honor my parents, both of whom taught me respect for that moment.

To that end, honoring my father, I don't resume until the last note is complete.

It's not some great jingoistic moment. 

To be honest, today in the Dann Gym, it was a moment of honor. I felt so blessed to be standing there in the raucous atmosphere where I got to deliver the play-by-play of this important game.

An audience is actually counting on me. There are people who are happy it's me calling the action.

That's what that moment meant to me. Patriotism? Sure. But it's a moment of peace.

Then it was time for me to deliver the details.

Unfortunately, the details were not to Brunswick's liking.

But I gave a fair and honest call, even having a moment of questioning the officials. I still don't quite agree with the technical foul on Jalen Pray for hanging on the rim but I respect the job of the officials.

So it's just a question because I couldn't understand but that's the way it goes, I guess.

I saw a thing on X/Twitter yesterday about "energy" as a broadcaster. That led to more preaching from the wings about NBA and NHL energy (when calling hockey) and how it's no longer 1954 and so on.

Er. OK.

I don't think it's my job to be an entertainer. Certainly, I hope my broadcasts are entertaining but it's honestly towards the bottom of things that I hope the audience is getting.

First and foremost, I want the audience to get the details of my reporting. You know, journalism.

So, Reporting.

Then I want you to pick up on the Information.

Then I want to Elaborate on that information while perhaps educating as needed.

Then, and only then, I want you to be Entertained.

R.I.E.E.

If we make you laugh, great. Or if we produce other emotions, well, OK.

But I'm not there to be a clown.

The bigger personalities in play-by-play have existed for years, going all the way back to Graham McNamee and Bill Stern and Ted Husing and Ty Tyson.

Then Rosey Rowswell and Dizzy Dean and even Bob Uecker and Phil Rizzuto.

Then Mike Lane and Gus Johnson to current "voices" who need witty phrases and screaming histrionics. To me, that's more about making it about them versus making it about the game.

Entertainers have always existed but most still reported.

It's to what extent you take the calls. The high-flying types are just never going to be my style. I'm not from the school of Gus Johnson but to each their own.

There are things I think that are just bad. But there's an audience for everyone and people get their jobs somehow. Damned if I know how because we know quality doesn't matter.

But I stick to doing my own thing. There are times I question if my energy is too high or if I get too loud.

But nobody will ever question my passion.

And so, after the emotions of the Brunswick/GCDS game, I headed over to the Westchester County Center to call the Woodlands/Westlake Class B semifinal game.

What a thrill. I've always wanted to be a part of the Section One tournament. While I love calling championship games, I was still pretty hyped up to call this one.

And Woodlands, from Hartsdale (where my dad was born), won this one.

Two more hockey games tomorrow.

Two more championships.

Live from Brewster.

But first, we'll honor George Harrison for his 81st birthday on "Meet the Beatles."

Join me on WGCH for that.

Thursday's Broadcasting Story

That's where the audio was supposed to plug in. Honest.

 

I realize I write so often about my travels and travails in sports broadcasting.

To that end, I'm doing it again.

Dateline: Today, Bridgewater, NJ.

I was there for the first game of the day, between the Rockets Hockey Club and the Brooklyn Aviators.

Coming into the game, the Aviators had one win and 39 losses. Oh, they also had an overtime loss. They had been outscored 338-48.

So I knew I had to be on my game and prepared to fill in where necessary. One thing I don't do -- and won't do -- is mock a team for futility. It's disrespectful so I would do my best to tell the story based on how I saw it but would not demean them.

I was there in plenty of time with a coffee in hand as I got to work setting it up. I followed the exact directions that had been left for me and had everything set within minutes.

As game time approaches, we're told to call an operations number at FloHockey -- the streaming broadcast outlet -- to do a sound check.

Per the person on the phone, they could hear everything just fine. They could hear me.

I was ready.

I started the broadcast, always quietly running Robcasting in the background to record the game and have an audio record.

I could sense the eyes of one of the few people in the stands looking at me as the game moved along.

It sears through me.

Sure enough, the woman nearby touched me and showed me a text on her phone.

"Tell the announcer if he's there that we can't hear him."

(bleep)

I nodded that I knew because, well, I had a feeling. I was also trying to remain calm.

Something didn't feel right when I plugged the audio in. Still, FloHockey said all was well.

I got to the end of the first period and I went into overdrive. I tried different cables and adaptors but as the second period went along, I felt another tap on my arm.

Another woman. Same topic.

I nodded.

Look, I appreciate the efforts to tell us things are wrong but they also embarrass me to where I wish I could disappear in that moment. I'd be happy to be swallowed up by the Zamboni.

Eventually, I stood there and realized I was basically broadcasting to just a few souls on Robcasting. I stayed with it because that's what I do. I call the game, even if that becomes an archival recording.

I stepped away and I called FloHockey back. In fact, I missed two goals in the process.

FloHockey's staff is very supportive and nice but, ultimately, weren't helpful. The person I spoke to mentioned equipment that we didn't have. I eventually touched base with Dave, the person who brought me aboard for these games, and he and I went through things.

Of note to anyone in this spot, remaining calm is a huge help. I apologized to Dave for the problems and that was the very first thing he said to me: "Don't apologize."

These things happen.

FloHockey emailed me pictures of what they thought things should look like and I sent them pictures of what things did look like.

For the record, it was exactly how Dave told me to do it and how I had done it in the past. 

Without issue.

Ever the completist, I carried the call to the end. Rockets 8, Aviators 2. The Aviators now have one win and forty losses.

If you find the audio online in my archive, you'll hear me actually try to troubleshoot on the air at one point.

The need to complete the job won out over packing up and leaving. I believe in that.

But I was really bummed after the fact. I emailed FloHockey back and suggested they reboot everything, as Dave had said, and I sense they never did that.

I never heard back from them.

I truly appreciate Dave's attitude and how this was just one of those things that happened. How it was out of my control.

But, yeah, I was bummed.

I drove to Brunswick and hoped for better results.

I think they were much better. The Bruins won in basketball and will play in the FAA Championship Game for the third straight year. They'll try to defend the title they won in 2023.

And I'll be on that call via LocalLive.

It will be a busy few days with hockey tomorrow, maybe two basketball games on Saturday, and two more hockey games on Sunday.

Hopefully without technical issues.

But maybe the Rockets game was best because nobody had to listen to me on the video.

That's a win.