My Thankful Day

 

Two pods and a lot of rain

It's been a while.

A little over a month ago, I stopped the madness of posting every day as I headed to San Francisco for a conference.

The most recent post came after I returned from California.

Then? I stopped.

Oh, I thought about writing it but I gave myself a break.

November tends to be a busy month of work and I was somewhat occupied with another conference, a few cases in the deposition world, and a bunch of games.

If I'm being honest, I'm not working enough and it's frankly not sustainable. That causes me some sleepless nights.

Last night, however, I tossed and turned and thought about the annual Thanksgiving broadcast of high school football between Greenwich and Staples.

If the game had been at Cardinal Stadium, my concerns would have been minimal. I'd be there within five minutes. We'd have our own booth. We'd have heat and power and internet and we would be dry.

Today's game was not at Cardinal Stadium. It was at Staples where I have worked maybe three games in their press box. Ever.

Today was not one of those days. So I knew we would be out on the landing just outside of the press box door.

And it was going to rain. I had hoped the forecast would change but it did not. The chance of rain sat at 98%.

So I worried about getting internet and having working equipment. And keeping it dry.

I was up early, out the door, and on the Staples campus at 7:30. The game was scheduled to kick off at 10.

I surveyed the setup, reviewed the size of our space, and pondered what to set up.

Dan Murphy arrived a few minutes after I did and we got to work.

I opted to go with the pods that I have. One is larger than the other and I thought that was the best one to use as an anchor for our equipment. I told Dan he could use the other one.

Keeping in mind the day would be windy, we had to be mindful of anchoring the pods.

For the record, I had a canopy in my trunk that belongs to WGCH but I think it would have been too big for our space.

I ran the power from the booth. We strung the internet cable from the WWPT Radio booth. Then I promptly dropped it. So we did it again.

All was well. Until it wasn't.

The rain picked up and soaked the old MacBook that I was using. The computer began to act weird and, eventually, stopped charging.

Uh oh.

If only I was prepared. You know, like with another computer.

Like the one I'm currently typing on.

A quick text to Bob Small to make sure we could connect via a different website (yes) and we were in business.

I won't tell you it was perfect. In fact, it wasn't. We had a problem with Dan's microphone initially but he worked diligently to get that under control.

But, overall, today's game wasn't great (final: Staples 27, Greenwich 0) but the broadcast was a standout. I'm very proud of it.

Look, I stood in the rain for hours. I did everything I could to keep notes dry. At times, I just kept them tucked in my jacket. I never wrote out a scorecard because it would have been laughable.

Dan kept some stats from inside of the other pod. For the record, we never saw each other during the broadcast as we reacted to what each other said.

Dan never panicked. It's easy to overreact in these circumstances but Dan was a seasoned pro and didn't budge. He made the situation work for him and adapted as necessary. He knew we had been blessed with great weather since mid-September so, eventually, this was bound to happen.

And it did. Oh, did it ever.

Even the famous tailgate was sadly a no-go today, as the rain scuttled those plans. Starving, Dan left to go get something to eat. He tried calling me at one point and I couldn't answer it because the phone and my hand were both soaked.

The point of all of this is we made it work. It had a chance to be a disaster for the ages and, instead, the broadcast was a triumph.

Broadcasts like that make a team grow closer, especially when you rally and don't let it ruin the effort. I think that happened today.

I warned Dan that we've experienced so many things on Thanksgiving Day. We nearly fought with a TV crew, dealt with cold weather, light snow, and bad communication that impacted the broadcast. We've had classics, tension, and a few ho-hum games. 

That led to today. Even as the forecast looked awful, Dan remained consistently excited for his first Thanksgiving call. For the record, today was my 23rd, only missing 2020 since I started working on turkey day in 2001.

It has made Thanksgiving Day almost my favorite holiday. Of course, now I wish we could just fast-forward to January, but that's a different story.

But seeing it through Dan's eyes -- and his enthusiasm -- gave me a boost, especially as my blood pressure was spiking during setup.

It took some time, but I made my way home to a very quiet afternoon. While I spent the day with only The Cat, I thank those who did invite me to spend the day with them. In truth, I was shot. 

I came home, cleaned myself up, and put all of the soaking clothes in the laundry. Then I made a turkey sandwich and watched TV. Football, of course.

And, eventually, I fell asleep.

I also discovered we accidentally put a bag of equipment in Staples High School in my car and I have to arrange to return that.

Thanksgiving 2024 was one of challenges. But it's all in context. 

The weather, as bad as it was, could have been a lot worse. It could have been snow. I can see the silver lining.

I, too, can be positive, even if my positivity is dipped in reality.

John Nash caught me working under the umbrella

But I'm thankful. You bet I am.

I have friends who cared about where I spent my Thanksgiving. I have friends who were texting and making me laugh all day.

I have love. A roof over my head. The turkey sandwich.

And though he wasn't with me until just a few minutes ago, I have a son.

You bet I'm thankful.

And Greenwich has at least one more game as the Cardinals host New Britain on Tuesday night.

That means we'll be back at Cardinal Stadium.

Bad weather won't impact us.

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.

Here Are a Few Words About Tonight

 

One of us was great tonight. The other one is me.

I just got home from calling Greenwich/Trumbull football. 

I've spoken about my affection for both towns, with Greenwich obviously being my home base.

 But I'm home after a game that was interesting and a broadcast that was underwhelming.

It's me. I was OK at best. I made mistakes, blah blah blah.

Once again, I find myself wondering about if I'm not feeling well (I'm pretty much recovered from the cold earlier this week), overtired, or something else.

So it's a "shake it off" feeling as I look into calling Phillips Exeter/Brunswick tomorrow afternoon.

Dan was great. I'm sure the TEN Network's broadcast was great. 

I did my best but maybe I just didn't have my fastball tonight. I thought my descriptions were tight and detailed and my energy was good

Yes, I know I'll get told that I'm too hard at myself, but that's not going to change.

So, in lieu of saying anything more than I should here tonight, I'll leave this post right here as is.

The Night Before the Game

 

(Greenwich Football social media)

Tomorrow is game day for Greenwich Football.

If you don't know, the Cardinals lost last week to Wilton for the first time in nearly three decades. The 20-17 win for the Warriors was definitely a shock but also well-earned. Wilton did a solid job of slowing up Greenwich's running game and capitalizing on mistakes.

To be honest, I still very much expect the Cardinals to be right in the thick of the playoffs when Thanksgiving comes around. That's hardly a stretch to say.

The Cardinals play at Trumbull High School tomorrow night.

Trumbull. Huh. Where have I heard of them?

Yes, Trumbull has become an extended broadcasting home for me, covering baseball there every year for some time now. I've also picked up some basketball, ice hockey, football, and even rugby.

That began with being asked to cover the Babe Ruth New England Regional back in 2015. The idea was for us to come in and call the semifinals and championship game with the HAN Network.

However, that wasn't enough for me. I wanted to call every pitch. So I pushed for it and called all of it in what became the last days of HAN Radio.

That has basically continued in some form on an annual basis ever since, including the Babe Ruth State Tournament in July and Little League action in August in Rhode Island.

I've been so fortunate to meet and get to know the wonderful people of the town, led by Mike Buswell. On the Trumbull football/broadcasting side, Jeff Alterman has been my main contact and friend, and I've been proud to watch as the TEN Network has grown.

TEN, in fact, will be doing their own call of tomorrow night's game just a few feet over from where Dan Murphy and I will call the action on WGCH and Robcasting. The Trumbull booth isn't big enough for us so we'll enjoy a pleasant Friday night under the stars.

Both teams have playoff aspirations for good reason. My feeling, and I alluded to this once already, is that the Cardinals will get things straightened out and be a playoff team. That's not to say they'll win tomorrow night or to minimize Trumbull at all. The Eagles' coach, Marce Petroccio, is someone I'm proud to call a friend and I know he'll have his team ready.

Once upon a time, Marce brought a Staples High School team to Cardinal Stadium to play Big Bad Greenwich.

Final score in that 2000 game? Staples 14, Greenwich 8. Yes, the Cardinals almost won on a Hail Mary at the buzzer but it was not to be. It was, instead, the official arrival of Staples as a powerhouse and Marce as a top-level coach.

Now, 24 years later, he's a legendary coach.

So we give all of the props to Trumbull while knowing the Cardinals, led by coach Anthony Morello, likely had fierce practices this week. I can't see any way Big Red won't be ready by seven tomorrow night.

From a broadcast standpoint, I've poured through both rosters, including rebuilding Greenwich's, looked back at the history of the matchup, and have set up and broken down the equipment a few times to make sure things are working.

Yes, we're as ready as we can be. We even get a small break with a later start, allowing us extra time to do the slog through Friday night traffic.

We'll be live from Trumbull tomorrow night at 6:50 p.m.

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.

No Football Tonight

 

Greenwich football has a bye week and, as a result, it's a quiet Friday night.

Brunswick plays tomorrow at Suffield Academy and I plan on being at that one. However, I'm told the setup is a little wonky. I'm going to see it for myself unless I'm told to not go.

I don't do well with byes. For whatever reason, other games are otherwise quiet with the exception of last night's Newburgh/Middletown game. Last year, I picked up a few games at Stepinac but, alas, that's not the case this year.

Instead, today was a day for "Doubleheader" and laundry.

Otherwise, I'm trying to just relax and watch baseball.

And write, of course.

Oh, and catch up on the very little TV/streaming I commit to.

There are other games going on around the region and a night like this reminds me of how I've thought about doing my own "Game of the Week" concept that would be a true one. 

The CIAC, working with WELI Radio and the NFHS Network, has a "Game" in name only. It goes to what appears to be the best option for the crew, which tends to keep everything centered around the New Haven area. This is fair enough, but for the state to have a "Game of the Week" then it needs to go everywhere.

Back in the HAN Network days, I crawled through all of the FCIAC schedules to make sure we were being fair to the entire region. I tried hard to schedule a game involving every FCIAC team because we were the "voice" of the FCIAC at that time. Some games would get postponed or canceled and the goal would be difficult to achieve but we tried hard. I realize we couldn't make everyone happy.

So, in a state like Connecticut, a true "Game of the Week" needs to go Norwich and Danbury and Torrington. It needs to move around. I suppose it could come to Greenwich as well, although GHS does get what I think is sufficient coverage for every game. I'm legally required to say that.

In fact, Greenwich has been on the CIAC "Game of the Week" just once, at Maloney in Meriden last year. That, of course, is in the regional "sweet spot" off I-91 not far from New Haven.

For the record, that was a true "game of the week" ending on a field goal as time expired. NFHS/WELI and WGCH/Robcasting each called it.

So, just saying, if the CIAC wants another "Game of the Week," I know a guy who is willing to drive.

Let's think about it, in fact. In the last 10 days alone I've called games in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York. Before the season is over I will likely call one in Massachusetts as well. Let's not forget working in Rhode Island back in August.

Oh, yes, I'll travel.

Since I'm on that path, I still want to call a game at my niece's high school in North Carolina. Plus Chris Erway and I have discussed the same in his new homeland of "New ErJuania."

Heck, I've even pondered a game in Florida.

As a road enthusiast, I think that would be pretty fun. It also supports my mantra of "Have headset, will travel."

Not everyone thinks that way.

But these are the random things that roll through my mind during a bye week on a (too) quiet Friday night while watching Padres/Dodgers.

Oh, hey, I'm not sure if you know but the Yankees are heading into the American League Championship Series. The past five appearances have not gone well for the Yankees, losing the ALCS in 2010, 2012, 2017, 2019, and 2022. I'm hoping it leads to a World Series appearance this time.

There are, of course, other teams that have that same dream.

But it's worth mentioning again that the Yankees -- considered bereft of humor, whimsy, and joy -- made the ALCS.

It's funny, I think the Yankees have all of that. 

Winning creates that.

*****

Last thing tonight. I saw a recent tweet asking about how long broadcasters take to prepare for a game. To me, there is no set answer. My first concern is rosters and a space to broadcast from. Then it's looking for stats as a way to identify key players and storylines. Then I try to find players who have committed or are being looked at.

It's fun detective work.

Of course, our friend Msgr. Toxic had to weigh in via his sanctimonious, heavy-handed away after he took a break from his obsession with hating Bob Costas. Pretty amazing, given his "positive" nonsense.

Anyway, another responder wrote: "Print up the rosters and let’s go. Preparation destroys improvisation. I would tell younglings to prepare way less and trust their ability to tell the story way more. We’re not broadcasters we’re narrators, we’re hosts. I strongly advise against it."

Read that again: "Preparation destroys improvisation." That's perhaps the most ridiculous thing I've read. Thus that's a broadcaster that's hard to take seriously.

Again, I have the ability to get rosters and go because sometimes it's all I can do, especially when the game comes to me at the last minute. Others can't do that.

I'll be prepared tomorrow. With notes and equipment. And I'll be thinking about it as I drive to Suffield.

Hopefully, it doesn't destroy my improvisation. 

Because it never has.

It Was Just a Sandwich

 

I look at this with a sense of humor. As I do at most things.

I'm in Middletown, NY to call a football game -- the Middie Bears of the home team and the Newburgh Goldbacks.

I'm basically a stranger in a strange land here, though I've been to Middletown many times.

I pulled into the parking lot just under an hour ago, meaning I'm here in plenty of time for a 5:30 pregame and 6 p.m. kickoff. In fact, I've been in the region for a few hours, having stopped at Woodbury Commons to walk the outlets there.

No purchases were made but it was nice to walk around.

Before that, I made a quick detour into New Jersey -- maybe five minutes out of the way -- to a Wawa. A broadcaster has to eat and get fuel for the car.

So I grabbed lunch and added an extra sandwich to the order just in case I got hungry later.

Moving on, I came up to Middletown, stopping to grab two bottles of water. Always stay hydrated!

But that being said, staying hydrated also means having to use the restroom. So, before heading up to the booth at Faller Field, I stopped in the men's room.

I had my backpack over my shoulder, where I put my extra sandwich, along with the bottles of water. They sat in the outer pocket.

There were two guys in the restroom.

After completing what one does, including washing up, I walked upstairs. 

One of the guys left the room and I heard a giggle. Always thinking people are laughing at me, I got self-conscious.

Well, I'm now partially set up in the booth and, alas, one sandwich has gone missing. Could it have fallen out of my bag? Easily. No question about it.

Was it some prank? Possibly, even though I didn't know the guys. In fact, I know no one here.

Does it matter? No, not really. If the worst I've lost is a yummy Wawa turkey sandwich with cheddar, hot oil, and Old Bay? Not even close. Lunch is holding up just fine.

If it was taken from me then so it goes. If I dropped it then I'm an idiot. Either way, I probably didn't put it in the right place in my bag.

But the bigger point out of all of this is that the story is funny.

And it's a story. 

A story worth telling.

*****

I'm back home now and could have used the sandwich in question. But alas it was not to be.

Newburgh won the game 35-13 behind five touchdowns from Bruce Montgomery.

As I was working for another radio station, we weren't supposed to be using my equipment. Yet something told me to bring my stuff to the booth.

When Ethan McElroy, whom I was calling the game with, showed up with the equipment, we discovered a crucial piece wasn't working. 

Guess how this played out?

I used my equipment.

Preparation is a multifaceted concept.

My Kind of Saturday

 

That's Dan on the left. Not Chris Erway.

Oh, let them question my sanity.

As I type these words I'm sore and tired after calling two games today at two different sites.

I have a heavy schedule tomorrow.

But today, thankfully, went well.

Sure, it seems nuts to embrace the idea of running around like I did but I enjoy the challenge.

Heck, there was a moment as I drove across Greenwich and thought about why I do what I do.

But then I told myself I'd miss the rush of days like this if I wasn't doing it.

I left the apartment and went to Brunswick, where I went into a quiet press box to set up in the window that I've generally used for years. 

It's not that difficult. I set up my small Zoom mixer and one headset. I put a crowd mic in place and ran a cable upstairs for the videographer. 

Things were in place pretty quickly. 

I walked out, knowing I'd be back in a few hours.

Then came the drive across town, sitting at every traffic light and following every slow vehicle. But I had time.

I needed water. 

And food.

A quick stop at the nearby Stop & Shop meant I could grab some water.

Then, it was onto Cardinal Stadium where things were buzzing. A water polo tournament meant there was plenty of life in the parking lot.

I walked into the stadium, made my way upstairs, and, eventually, went into booth number 204. Dan Murphy and Sean came over a few minutes later. Sean was with us in case I needed to leave early to return to Brunswick, thus they would have to pack up the equipment. Sean would bring it home.

I showed Dan some of the intricacies of setting up and how to run things.

From there, it was food we needed and I think there was some time confusion because the usual array of food trucks were very timely in their arrival to the stadium. We each grabbed chicken nuggets and fries and headed back to the booth where we got on the air just a hair after 2:50 p.m.

Greenwich took care of business from there, blocking two punts for touchdowns and rolling to a 42-14 win.

My time to leave for Brunswick was 5 p.m. We were close to that as the third quarter ended and I thought I could finish the broadcast while still being a little bit late to leave.

Off the air, Dan said he was ready to call the action. That was enough for me, knowing it would allow me to be there for a few minutes, serving as a mentor if necessary.

Imagine that? I could help Dan as a broadcaster and I wouldn't charge him for it!

He took the balance of the game and did a good job. Eventually, we talked about a few things that I noticed but his evolution as a broadcaster has been a wonder to watch.

I shifted to doing analysis for the rest of the game. In the end, I never left early, but I found out that Dan could definitely serve as a backup for me.

From the 2024 Greenwich Football program

Earlier in the day, I was given a copy of the 2024 Greenwich Football program, a color book of pictures, ads, and other items. I have basically all of them back to 2000. A few years back, the team was kind to start including the broadcasters.

Except, it was long after the publication date when I realized they might not know that Dan is now in the booth.

So I flipped it open and, yeah, it wasn't Dan.

It was Chris Erway.

Oops. I apologized and realized we'd have to change that in 2025.

With the Greenwich game over, we packed in a few minutes and headed to the parking lot. Sean helped us get out to the car and he took off.

I was getting ready to go to Brunswick and Dan, it appeared had the broadcasting bug. He followed me over, volunteering to join me for that broadcast.

The lot at Cosby Field was overflowing but I found a space near the Hartong Rink and headed down to the booth. Dan joined a few minutes later.

Mission accomplished, we were on the air in time and called the Bruins 35-14 win.

Dan just wanted more reps and it was great. The audience wins in the long run.

I'm back home now and a few people have asked what I thought of the day. I want to say we crushed it but I'm sure it wasn't perfect.

Still, to have the day work out like that is great.

Now, it's onto tomorrow, where I have "Meet the Beatles" with guests at 9 a.m. and onto New Jersey for Rockets Hockey Club action at 3 p.m.

Oh, and the Yankees won tonight. They lead the Royals in their best of five, one game to none.

So yeah, it was a good day.

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.

The Adrenaline is Gone

 

From the booth at Cardinal Stadium

Some games just wear me out.

Today's Bishop Hendricken/Greenwich football game was outstanding.

That, simply put, can be exhausting.

That's the post right there.

I learned many years ago that a nail-biting game can drain adrenaline after it's over. That's how I feel tonight.

It's exhausting because it was a wonderful battle between two excellent programs.

Hendricken scored the first time they touched the ball, but Greenwich responded in kind.

It was 7-7 right through the end of the first half. Greenwich had the ball at the end of the second quarter and missed a field goal at the buzzer.

Again, each team put seven on the board in the third quarter to keep things tied at 14.

With three minutes to play in what had been mostly a defensive battle, a six-yard touchdown pass gave the Hawks from Warwick, RI a 20-14 lead.

But never take the extra point for granted. Greenwich's Richie McMurray blocked it and we were set for a fantastic finish.

The Cardinals had thrown the ball with some success but they went back to the run to work the clock down. They had all three time outs so destiny was mostly in their hands. They needed a touchdown to tie the game. The extra point would put them ahead.

In the booth, it's important to convey the drama without overselling it. It's also important to stay in control but feel the passion.

You live for calls like this. People remember calls like this.

But the words all matter. Don't exaggerate. Stay calm but let the emotion flow. Don't be a cheerleader. Remain professional. React but also watch the officials because it's their call that you can react to.

Next to me once again was Dan Murphy. Dan has understood every element of this position. To some color commentators, the instinct is to react, often stepping on the call of the game. That, as my guy Anthony Conover would say, "is not what you want."

Dan has exhibited excellent timing and a sense of humor as well as an understanding of the moment. For someone still so new he has meshed so well with me.

Greenwich, leaning on junior running back Hector Lopez and senior quarterback MJ D'Angelo, ran the ball up the field. D'Angelo scampered to the end zone to tie the game at 20 with 1:15 remaining.

It was now on the foot of Julian Ravina, and the senior didn't disappoint, tacking on the extra point to give the Cardinals a 21-20 lead.

The defense needed to do their thing against the Hawks offense.

They did.

A desperation heave was intercepted by Noah Steele and the Cardinals ran out the clock.

And so, you're reading the words of an exhausted broadcaster. 

Home games often mean being "on." The door opens with visitors and there are questions to answer and hellos to exchange.

Also, this was the first home game since last December and do I need to explain that? To that end, Cardinal Stadium now does not allow backpacks among other things. I don't like feeling that I was involved with anything like that. People bring it up to me jokingly and I mostly laugh about it.

But it sits in the back of my mind.

To that end, I was glad to be back at Cardinal Stadium and have a great game to cherish and move on. I've only waited nine months for that moment.

The Cardinals are home next Saturday as I do the two-school shuffle, calling the Greenwich homecoming game before running to Brunswick to call their Saturday night affair.

But, at this point, I'm shutting down and shutting up.

I've had enough excitement.

We Need Stinking Badges

 

I used to have a media badge that I carried with me.

It was simple, carrying just the WGCH logo on it. I added a label with my name on it and that was enough. As Sean would go to games with me at that time, I made one for him as well. It made him feel official.

I stopped wearing it a while ago as it was outdated.

Flash forward to the beginning of this footblal season at West Haven.

At first, I walked into their stadium unnoticed, as security wasn't on site yet. Dan didn't have an issue when he arrived either but a guard near the gate noticed him walk back to his car.

"He's with me," I told the guard, though I'm not sure what that point would have been. But she recognized that we were both legit and both broadcasters, so it was OK.

I watched as some of the print media walked in, badges around their necks and it reminded me that maybe we should once again have such a thing.

Earlier today, for the fun of it, I looked online to see how expensive such a thing would be.

Finding the price to not be prohibitive, I went about selecting a style and designing credentials that would help Dan and I look a little more legit.

I found a picture that I liked of myself. Granted, it's dated, but it's a shot John Ferris Robben took of me at Brunswick a few years back. I've used it for other profile pictures and I still sort of look like that.

I also fudged a new logo. This badge will be used for games that I cover and I can't really dig up the logos of every job that I work at.

So, unless I decide to make a new one, I picked out WGCH and Robcasting and put them together. Nothing fancy, of course, and I have no idea how the finished product will look.

It's worth mentioning that it feels like I need a credential most of all at football games that I work. I generally have no problem with other sports, especially when covering Brunswick. Still, an official-looking badge won't hurt.

I realize it's not the work of the Official Internation Sportscasting Badge Design Association of Ottumwa, IA. It's meant to look like I belong and I suppose I can show my driver's license beyond that.

No. There is not an official organization for sportscasting badges. Also, I used Ottumwa, IA because it's such a great-sounding city name and Radar O'Reilly from M*A*S*H was from there.

It's supposed to be delivered in under two weeks which simply produced questions for me.

- Why does it take so long to create this?

- The second question is about shipping. After going through the creation process, I went to check out and saw that the shipping cost was nearly double the cost of the badge. So...why?

Dan and I placed our order together to help with the shipping cost a little but it's still essentially two-to-one.

It will be cool to get it when it arrives. I've got a few lanyards just from myriad Hunt Scanlon conferences alone.

If nothing else, it will be a fun curio to add to the box of credentials I've acquired over nearly three decades.

And maybe we'll look official.

A Roster on Monday

 

It's an active week but tonight is my lone quiet evening.

It's a perfect night for doing laundry and stuff around the house.

I realize that doesn't make for a compelling post, but sometimes we take what we have.

It's all we can do.

Oh, I'll be busy the rest of the week in a variety of ways before Greenwich hosts Bishop Hendricken on Friday afternoon.

The process of preparing for a high school game is generally the same. I go about securing space to work and getting team rosters before digging for other nuggets. Of course, I'm always monitoring weather conditions, equipment, and whatever adjustments I need to make regarding that.

Since Friday's game is at Cardinal Stadium, space is all set. Weather will only be an issue to get the equipment to and from my car. Otherwise, Dan and I will be indoors with air conditioning and heating as necessary.

I'm sure I've alluded to the process of securing rosters being often brutal. My email to a contact at Salisbury went unanswered last week but I was able to get their roster via Brunswick. Eventually, I discovered Salisbury had a program that they created with both team rosters and other information.

It was heavenly.

But, as you know, I've scuffled to get rosters in other situations, such as West Haven in week one of this season. As always, I eventually got it but it doesn't make for appropriate preparation.

And that happens. A lot. There were so many times I was told I could get a basketball roster "out of the scorebook" at the game site. Not ideal, of course.

I got a nice gift today when I was searching for information on Bishop Hendricken, who is frequently known just as "Hendricken."

I discovered that I didn't need to rely on MaxPreps (dangerous) or hope that someone at the school would respond to me.

A website maintained by the Rhode Island Interscholastic League had the roster on it.

Euphoria.

This now leads me down the path of identifying their skill players, who are the names that I will call more than anyone else. Who is their quarterback, running backs, receivers, leading defenders, kicker, punter, and so on?

Oh, there's more, such as looking for statistics, and you need to know that not everyone makes those available. 

It's a lot of detective work.

Literally, everything begins with a roster and I know that, at worst, I can call a game with just that. That is not my preference of course, but sometimes it's all you have in the process or when time is an issue. From there, I have to trust my instinct and hopefully get online.

It happens a lot to me. Can I pull a rabbit out of my hat and do a game at the last minute? Sure, I can. That's part of the fun. Part of the challenge.

So, in the case of Bishop Henricken in Rhode Island, it's nice to see that I could download their roster and format it the way I like it four days before kickoff.

It shouldn't be a luxury. It should be an expectation.

Communication Matters

 

Schedules change all the time.

They get shifted around for various reasons and it's up to me to adjust as necessary.

We were on the air today calling Greenwich/Stamford at Boyle Stadium and I was promoting next week's broadcast.

The Cardinals -- according to my original schedule -- were scheduled to play Bishop Henricken from Rhode Island on Saturday at 1 p.m.

I continued calling the game when I saw my phone light up. An intrepid listener -- and friend -- messaged me to say the game was now Friday.

So I confirmed that the game is indeed next Friday at 4:45 p.m.

The good news is that I quickly alerted Dan Murphy and Sean Kilkelly because they were both nearby. I texted Bob Small to ensure it would be scheduled on the air.

So, we're set, right? Er, not entirely.

I was scheduled to call Middletown/Kingston on WALL Radio in New York next Friday. I had been looking forward to the trip to Dietz Stadium as I hadn't called a game there since 2004.

My heart sank, knowing I'd have to back out of that game. Oh, that gnaws at me because I'm such a believer in honoring commitments and being reliable.

I messaged my friend Kevin Halpenny and delivered him the news. Keep in mind I did this while I was on the air.

Kevin was also on the air, likely calling Middletown/Port Chester in the annual matchup for the Erie Bell.

We spoke later on and he could have been more gracious and understanding. It helped that he already had someone to take my place.

With that, I'm now looking into picking up Brunsiwck's game next Saturday in Massachusetts. It's possible that all's well that ends well.

Although I'm sensing it might not and I'm going to have next Saturday off (just in case anyone would like me to call something).

But of course, it's not the best feeling to find out about the change while on the air, also feel like I'm the last to know.

It's also the second time it's happened this week. Today's game was originally scheduled for 1 p.m. but was backed up to Noon. I got a note from another fan and friend this week to note that change. Again, Bob, Sean, and Dan all needed to know so that we could make the necessary adjustments. 

Again, no big deal but sort of a big deal. It's all part of the organization to keep our ducks in a row.

The overall point is how grateful I am to the Greenwich football community for having our back. We've had all kinds of hiccups over the years where I've driven to a game site to find out that the game I was there to cover had been postponed or canceled.

A little communication can go a very long way, so I'm grateful to those who messaged me.

This serves as a reminder to everyone that I cover that I'm happy to get on whatever form of communication that keeps me in the know. It also allows me to keep the audience informed.

A little communication truly goes a long way.

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.

Challenges Accepted

 

4:35pm: the booth is still locked

I was prepared.

Notes, one roster, equipment.

It was 1:30 p.m.

I stopped at WGCH and picked up their equipment. So I had more than I needed, deciding I'd rely on the radio stations things.

I was hungry, but I'd stop for food in Fairfield. I'd grab a cup of coffee also.

But traffic. For the love of Henry Ford.

I listened to the radio. I thought. I stayed calm.

Finally, I was in West Haven. I deviated off my path to a nearby CVS to get water and throat drops before heading to Ken Strong Stadium at West Haven High School. I left the apartment at 1:30 for a 6 p.m. game.

It was now just past 4:00.

Did I mention traffic? Stamford, Norwalk, Westport, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford, Orange, Milford. All slow.

But I was there. I parked, grabbed my backpack and the bag of WGCH's equipment, and strolled into Ken Strong Stadium. Greenwich had just arrived and were making their way to the field to get loose. I made my way to the press box.

Which was locked. Because of course, it was.

Oh, and have I mentioned that it was now under two hours to air time and I still didn't have a roster for West Haven? Again, how would those who need ten hours to prepare survive?

I was annoyed but also amused and fairly calm.

Dan Murphy showed up shortly after I got there. Greenwich coach Tony Morello walked over and talked with us. He made it clear he was confident in his team and for good reason.

It was well past 5 p.m. now. No booth. No roster.

Again, while befuddled, I saw it as a challenge. The wheels are always spinning. I'm thinking about places I can set up if needed. There's a level above the press box which wouldn't please my heights issues but it also would be problematic with coaches and camera people up there. My guess was there would be no space.

I thought maybe we could grab a spot in the stands, especially on the visiting side. We probably could have gotten a power feed if needed for the computer and mixer.

As for the roster, if there is a PA announcer, I'd either take a picture of his copy and work off that or follow his lead. Either way, I'd make this work. Dan and I knew who West Haven's playmakers were.

Finally, at well past 5:20 (note: our on-air time was supposed to be 5:50), a West Haven staff member came up with keys jingling off a belt loop. He opened up the booth and informed us we were to be in the back of the press box, on the second level.

Chris Erway and I worked from there once, for a championship doubleheader back in 2014. One would say it's not ideal.

Make it work

As always, I saw it as a challenge. Dan will see me angry one of these days but his first opener didn't need to be that day.

I plugged in the computer, mixer, and headsets, and got on the internet. The only thing we didn't have -- and wouldn't have -- was a crowd microphone. The press box there required a long run of mic cable but, more importantly, a microphone is required.

WGCH's gear bag didn't have a microphone in it. I had one in my car along with extra cable but I decided against it.

Maybe I wasn't prepared after all.

Nonsense. We could use our headsets and survive just fine. I'll get a microphone in the bag before the next game.

The PA announcer walked in with a list in his hand. My eye is trained to spot such things after all this time. I quickly asked him if I could take a picture and he said I could actually have a copy.

Thus, no panic. No need to. It all comes together. Embrace the challenge and crush it.

We connected to WGCH and everything was ready, except the show before us had an interview that would run past 5:50. We had to wait until 5:55 to go live.

"What's five more minutes?" I said to Dan. Under that calm shell was a slightly annoyed interior. I wish we'd known about 5:55 as I had promoted 5:50 for basically six months.

But, OK. 

My annoyance was that I knew we'd not really have much time to do a real opening and we had been preparing for this moment. Of course, you make plans and the broadcast gods laugh. Thus we're good at adjusting.

A short opening, the anthem, and a commercial later, it was time to go.

From there, it was football.

Dan was awesome. He was a steady hand, knowing my cadence and understanding the flow of how we do things. Yes, we've already called a football game last year and a few hockey games as well but this was different.

The booth sight lines were a challenge as expected but I relished them. We worked well with the people sitting in front of us. The whole thing felt good.

I'm not going to tell you my call was perfect. But I'm comfortable with it for week one. I'm comfortable in my belief that WGCH does this as well as anyone. I say that as the radio station celebrates its 60th anniversary today, and you bet I'm proud to be a part of that.

When it was over, Greenwich scored 14 in the first quarter and rolled to a 24-6 win. To the Cardinals, it was a small measure of revenge for last year's season-ending loss to the Blue Devils in the state semifinal.

There were smiles all around, including the group of fathers we visited with as the players got ready for the bus ride home. The dads handed a bag of food to each of us. A nice surprise to wrap up a successful start.

We're onto the Stamford next Saturday for the Cardinals and Black Knights. Before that, I'm heading to Salisbury for Brunswick's road game against the Crimson Knights. 

Yes, Knights and Knights.

And the Renegades have advanced to the SAL Championship. And I have a conference on Thursday. 

So, the week is getting busy.

Just as I like it.

The Opener

 

The tradition continues. WGCH Radio, GHS, 2000
(L-R: Sean Kilklelly, me, Bob Small)

Opening Day.

Every Opening Day deserves a post. Even if it's Opening Night.

It all feels fresh.

There are nerves. Always. Sometimes it's worse than other years. I learned that I wanted those nerves. I like them. 

It is healthy. It is a reminder that this is all a privilege as well as a job. It can be fleeting and gone in a moment. I'm never convinced that I've earned any of this. I'm not entitled to it.

There was a point early last December when I wondered if I would ever broadcast Greenwich football again. Things happen and I worry.

Then the offseason creeps along and you wonder if WGCH will commit to another year. Will we get sponsors? Are we wanted? 

Then Chris Erway announced he was moving.

But Greenwich High School is happy we're back. We have sponsors (and can always use more). To that end, if you have any interest in sales, reach out to me.

And Dan Murphy is ready to rock tonight in the booth. 

Oh, there will still be nerves and doubt. I have no doubt about Dan or Sean Kilkelly, again in the studio this season. I trust both of them.

Most of the doubt is the result of the Blue Meanies* swimming around in my brain.

* It's a Beatles reference.

What do I worry about?

I'm still waiting on a West Haven roster. Traffic through Stamford. That I'm prepared enough for the #PrepSnobs of the world. Traffic through Westport. That the equipment is working, especially after we had a computer issue in the studio yesterday. Traffic through Bridgeport. Getting to the game site with enough time. Yes, you actually can have too much time at a game site and you have to adjust without getting stale. Traffic from Milford to West Haven. Parking at the site. Given access to the site. Hoping the booth is open early enough. Hoping Dan's trip is OK. Hoping I haven't forgotten anything.

And...

Hoping I remember how to call a football game.

You will say, "But Rob! Dear Rob! You are the most verily of professionals! It will all be OK!"

Look, I get that so much of what I just said is largely out of my control and the result of anxiety. It's in my head. All duly noted. But these are the checkboxes that especially exist before the first broadcast. They're actually sort of necessary. It keeps me humble.

Because, in the long run, I want everything to be in the neighborhood of perfect. I want people to remain every bit as pleased and impressed as they've been for a quarter of a century. I want people to say this is as good or even better than what they hear at the professional level.

I read the notes about those who are seen as "the best in Connecticut/Tri-State Area/the world." OK, sure. Cool.

I've always wanted people to be proud that I'm their play-by-play announcer. I don't want them to cringe at that thought. If they're asked about game coverage, I want them to feel proud of me and recommend the work I've helped create.

My first Greenwich football broadcast was in 1999. I was a frozen sideline reporter who could have been the analyst had another person not shown up. In 2000, I became the lead announcer and have worked Greenwich football ever since. I've missed only a few games, not including 2014-15 when I was at the HAN Network. I did some GHS football but not every game. I even did a 7-on-7 game during COVID in 2020. I've covered spring football games, hosted the team banquet, attended golf tournaments, and so on.

Otherwise, it took surgery, a business trip to San Francisco, and my niece's wedding (with no backup for me) to miss these games.

And I have a wonderful connection at Brunswick as well. I truly enjoy that relationship and have wished for it to be more. I wish I could split myself in two and get over to Cosby Field to handle Cheshire Academy/Wick tonight. But I can't, so I'll see the Bruins next week at Salisbury if I'm still wanted/needed.

See what I mean? The mind is a dangerous thing. 

And, as always, I just want a home.

Enough. It's time to get back to prepping, which is more than just writing notes and studying rosters. It's pulling things together and being ready mentally.

Greenwich and West Haven will be live at 5:50 p.m. on WGCH (1490 am), online at wgch.com, and on Robcasting at robcasting.mixlr.com.

If you have Alexa, Radio Garden, Tune In, or another method I'm not thinking of, you can find WGCH there. We're on smartphones and iPads and computers and radios.

If you've never listened, give us a try. If you have listened in the past, please join us again.

We're not a "Game of the Week" that covers a small region. I cover Greenwich, Brunswick, and anyone else without hesitation.

And I love it.

Year 26 of play-by-play (not counting the corporate softball days).

Let's get started.

(And West Haven's AD just told me I'd get the roster at the field. So, yeah.)

Oops, I Almost Forgot

 

I'm too focused on this (West Haven High School)

It's almost 10 p.m. here in Greenwich.

Let's see, I've been out and about, came back home, hosted "Doubleheader," edited and reviewed the Greenwich football roster (I'm still waiting on West Haven's), created and edited music for the broadcast, watched baseball, and have done myriad other things.

I'll spare you the drama. I was editing "Hanratty's Huddle" just now when I suddenly remembered that I hadn't written yet.

I suppose that's indicative of how focused I am on tomorrow.

I have to record a podcast for Hunt Scanlon and that will get my full attention. So will my preparation for next week's conference in New York.

Beyond that, I'm all about West Haven/Greenwich.

As I said, I have Greenwich's roster, and that means creating a new Excel file where I keep as many as I can as the season goes along. There were nearly 50 tabs from the last file, which is hardly the total number of games I called in the past year. I acquire them in a variety of fashions and I edit them to my style.

Thus, I started the 24-25 file tonight.

Copying Greenwich's roster from the PDF that was sent to me to an Excel sheet is easier said than done. But that's OK, as it means I have to drill down and pay extra attention to the details. It also helps to learn the names.

That's how my rosters used to be created. I'd get them faxed to me and I'd diligently type them up.

Now they're emailed or I find them via one of a couple of websites.

If I haven't said it already (I know I have) I don't have West Haven's yet.

I'll always need help understanding schools and rosters. It shouldn't be such an involved process to get them but it is. 

It's frankly the very lifeblood of what I do as a play-by-play announcer.

I'll strive for perfection tomorrow but this isn't my first rodeo. There is simply bound to be something wrong. It could be the music or something technical or the roster. Obviously, I can only do so much about it.

I'll be on the road early to make sure I'm ready for the battle with traffic.

But if it all goes right, Dan and I will be on the air from West Haven.

And, finally, it will be time to get back to calling games.

Don't worry.

I won't forget.

Prepping Patiently

 

It's not your night, Aaron

I'm ready.

Honestly, I could call the game now.

Greenwich plays at West Haven on Friday night and I've already secured space in the booth and know what time I'm leaving (Hint: early).

Dan and I have already watched the Cardinals in a scrimmage so that homework has been done.

I've checked the team previews to learn a few of the names that will likely stand out.

The only thing missing is the rosters and, if you know me, we can even get around that. Trust me, I don't want that. I've asked both schools for rosters but I know how opening week works.

I've checked the CIAC website and West Haven has an incomplete roster. Greenwich's is in worse shape than that.

It's Monday. I'm honestly not worried.

I have a few storylines that we'll hit on in the pregame. I'd love to have more and, to that end, I've reached out for more, but nothing has come yet.

That's just how it goes. The broadcast can't hinge on that.

It's fun to mine for these things. It's fun detective work but it's not perfect.

In a perfect world, we would have more access, but we don't, despite our efforts. Chris Erway and I tried to improve that for years. In some seasons we got closer than others.

That's where the parents become so important for us. That's where those tailgates are great because we are able to talk to people there. Sometimes, it's just standing on the field before the game. You see things. You hear things.

Dan and I will do our best to tell the story.

What means a lot -- a lot -- is to hear people say they're happy we're back to cover the games. Even the body language says something. It means there's a comfort level with us. 

It's a rewarding feeling.

This all doesn't just go for Greenwich. It's for Brunswick and anyone else. I won't get to see the Bruins this Friday but I'll hit the road for their week two matchup at Salisbury. 

Things have been quiet in Brunswick land but I'm hoping that will change sooner rather than later. I need their roster also and anything else.

But, trust me, I'm ready.

You likely won't see me showing up with a lot of notes. I'll have the equipment. I'll have a partner.

That doesn't mean I'll be unprepared. It's just that I retain things. I have a computer and a phone with me to fill in any blanks.

This isn't my first rodeo. Others need notes, charts, graphs, and colored pens. Great. That's what works for them. 

This is what works for me.

Once upon a time, I referred to someone as a "prep snob" and it rattled him. Eventually it turned, well, toxic. I apologize but I will note that it was mostly a joke. I mean, I've called friends "beer snobs," "deli snobs," "pizza snobs," and so on. None of it is serious.

Heck, I've been called a snob on various things. Your mileage may vary on all of it.

That being said, when you refer to people who don't prepare for a broadcast like you as "lazy," then what do you expect to be called?

And, admittedly, that topic is a sensitive one for me.

Oh, I'm prepared.

I'm ready.

But we have to wait until Friday.

So there are still four days to get the rosters.

Let Me Explain

 

Facebook

I posted something on my social media accounts tonight that probably raised questions.

Whether you saw it or not, I figured I should tell the story.

This was probably around 2015 or so. I was working at HAN, or the HAN Network.

Or HAN Radio.

And there was at least one person -- well-placed -- who was out for me. I'm telling you, I could literally do nothing right. Every chance there was to throw me under a bus -- to the point of nearly losing my job -- was taken.

The goal was to make me miserable.

This one was perhaps the height of stupidity.

New Canaan High School has a nice turf field facility on its campus. It's where the Rams play football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and so on. I've called many events there between HAN and WGCH.

However, one thing to note is that when events were loaded onto the CIAC website, the facility was called Dunning Stadium. I don't know if my brain is failing me, but I remember the annual previews also listing it as Dunning Stadium in the newspaper.

So if you look in my archive, that's what I called it.

However, as the years went on, there was the Stadium/Field thing, and it was something that carried onto the HAN broadcasts.

I'd call it Dunning Field/Stadium/Whatever. Heck, we were always so impressed by it that we joked that maybe they would put a roof over it and call it the Dunning Dome. No harm was literally ever intended. 

Consider the myriad changes at Cardinal Stadium since 1999. I've likely made similar comments.

Well, the thorn in my side decided it wasn't funny. Scholars one day might examine further and find there were more nefarious factors at play but let's keep the story to face value.

Plus, I'm leaving all names out of this -- except my own -- to protect the innocent.

Anyway, while driving home one evening, I glanced at my email to discover an email from, you guessed it, that person.

The tone was, honestly, harsh and obnoxious. 

The content of the email made it clear that he wanted it called Dunning FIELD and that the Dunning family would take offense to how I was handling it.

No one else got lambasted like this. Only me.

Honestly, if the Dunning family cared that much, I'd be concerned. Their name was always mentioned and never sullied. 

Normally, such an email would rattle me but this just reeked of, well, something.

Oh, it annoyed me, but it also amused me.

And befuddled me.

It also served as one of many indications that I'd need to leave HAN sadly.

And that was sad. I'm profoundly proud of it, what we all created, and the work we did.

While I look back with enormous pride, I still marvel at some of the insanity of it all.

Like this.

Look, this person attacked me several times -- online, in person, and behind my back. I came out of it a better man and broadcaster.

And it was nice to sit at Dunning Field at Hawes Plaza tonight to watch Greenwich and New Canaan in a scrimmage.

I've called it Dunning Field at Hawes Plaza ever since that night.

But, for the record, here is how it is listed on the CIAC website today.

"Stadium"

Anyway, Dan Murphy and I watched the game together. We caught up with friends and did our homework to get ready for next Friday.

In West Haven.

From Ken Strong Stadium.

Not Field.