Calm ... for Now

I'd rather be asleep. Like him

After a deposition that went until a little past 1 a.m. I'm into a Tuesday that includes final preparations for the conference in San Francisco.

This trip will be different for me than the last I went to the Bay Area, in 2019. As that was my first time there, I asked if I could fly out earlier than everyone else to have a few hours to see some things. I was on a 7 a.m. flight from JFK that got me to San Francisco in the late morning. I took a BART train into the city and walked into my hotel.

I had all but talked myself out of keeping the rental car I had reserved and chilling at the hotel. Then I was going to walk around the area where I was staying. 

Then I found out I couldn't have my room.

I thanked the man at the desk and walked out with my luggage, proceeding to the rental car agency two blocks away.

I kept waiting for something to talk me out of it. Maybe a pushy rental car agent would send me over the edge.

Nope. No pressure about insurance or anything else. A minimal wait on line. 

Then? A choice between a Tesla and a convertible.

And away I went. In a convertible.

It was only a few hours as I had to regroup and join my Hunt Scanlon colleagues but I was able to have a beer where the album cover for Huey Lewis and the News's "Sports" was taken, and walk on the Golden Gate Bridge, and drive Lombard Street, and have lunch at In-N-Out Burger, and just be me.

It was a time in which I had to hyper-watch my budget but I still did it and count the experience as something I treasure.

It's one of my favorite days ever.

This time won't be like that because, well, it's the second trip to San Francisco.

We're all booked on a flight together and I'll hit the road with the team. They'll need me to help set things up and settle in at the conference.

We'll work hard and every bit of the great time we did back in 2019 or earlier this year in London (and we're going back there in 2023).

I might -- might -- have some time on the last day there and, sure, I've thought about renting a car again. But I've also thought about Alcatraz or just hanging around Fisherman's Wharf or whatever else grabs me. I'll be open and it will depend on who I'm hanging out with.

I'm just grateful for the experience and further grateful to use my voice in a way that helps. In this case, that way is moderating the conference. 

So I have some stuff to do. Of course, what else do I worry about?

This. Damn. Blog.

This dumb streak almost collapsed the last time I was out there but I threw a post online late in California (or after midnight in New York). So, the streak is still alive, I guess!

We Are Back On the Record

 

All I hear is "Law and Order's" CLANG! CLANG!

It's heading towards 10 p.m. as I being to write and I'm working.

It's another deposition night for me.

It was two years ago this week when my friend Craig asked me to meet with him and his friend Dan about an opportunity.

Craig and I had hit it off a few years earlier as refugees from a former job. I also did some radio stuff with him. With the fallout of the former job, Craig was one to look out for me.

Keep in mind that I was in a very strange time two years ago. Oh, let's be clear, we were basically all in a strange time two years ago.

But, with Mom having passed a little over two weeks earlier, it was time for me to ramp back up in the world. My duties as her caretaker had obviously come to an end.

So I met Craig at a small office here in Greenwich. Dan came in not long after. Following some small talk, we got down to having an informal interview. No resumes were necessary as Craig could speak to what he knew about me.

In fact, Craig thought I was fairly perfect for the job. I remember a selling point as far as he was concerned was that I could multitask, as he'd watched me do in the WGCH studio.

However, the job wasn't full-time.

Yet it was time. It was an opportunity. It was money but not benefits.

It was the ground floor of this basically new business and I liked that.

I jumped in.

I came back a day later and trained with Dan, watching as he did the job that I would soon try my hand at. Dan is like me -- loves tech but he loves tech on steroids. So I've reviewed many a new tech item that he's picked up. Beyond that, he was more than willing to let me try equipment as we both have a background with audio.

While I've not spoken a lot about the details of a deposition, it's basically a court proceeding on Zoom. It's my responsibility to monitor it and keep the video elements under control.

From what I gathered, I picked things up quickly even if Dan said I spoke too loud (something I've heard many times). I actively tried to soften it.

I worked a collection of depositions through September, October, and November.

In fact, I was in the office one afternoon in October when a case came along that started at 7 p.m. We have two times that concern us: 1) when do we need to log on, and 2) when does the case start?

So, yes, I'll elaborate that the case in question had a log-in time of 7 p.m.

I said I was curious to give it a shot.

Dan -- always looking to support me -- made sure I had dinner waiting when I arrived in the office at 6 p.m. that fateful night. As always, I had other devices with me, in part to use as a backup if needed for work. But, also, as a device to watch. With it being October, I watched the baseball postseason for the first few hours of the case.

Then I walked around and tried to stay awake for the rest of it.

According to my notes, I left the office at 3:30 in the morning. As I still lived in Mahopac, that meant my head wouldn't hit my pillow until around 4:30.

At that point, I became the person to ask for the cases at strange hours. Weekends? Overnights? Sure, so long as I can juggle everything.

At one point, I was probably doing too much of it and paid the price. I was home after another all-nighter and took a nap in the afternoon. I also neglected to turn my phone ringer on.

I was due to get back to Greenwich for another nighttime case.

Dan and Craig tried to reach me for hours and were almost ready to start calling hospitals when I finally answered.

I was so embarrassed but appreciated their concern.

I had to hustle but I did get to the office for the case.

Eventually, as November began, we recognized that it would be best if I could work from home, so the guys hooked me up with the tools to make all of that happen. To call Dan and Craig accommodating would be understating it. I know my schedule can drive them crazy (yeah, the balancing and juggling are exhausting) but until I can settle things down, this is how it's going to be.

So I picked up a computer and monitors along with a stand and drove home where I reassembled everything. As with anything there, Dan or Craig is always a phone call away. If they can't (that's super rare) one of my colleagues (or me, for that matter) will help out. It's a great collaborative situation to be in.

Once I was set at home, taking on the crazy hours became easier. It was just last week where I got out of bed at 2:30 a.m. to get ready for a case. There have been plenty of other examples.

Yet, given this is a court proceeding, like I said, I've remained firmly "off the record" in talking about this gig. I've said some here and some there but have offered few details.

But I'll say this: this opportunity hit me when I was in a horrible moment of transition. Think about it. It was Sep 2020. COVID was still raging. There was no football to broadcast. There wasn't a lot to broadcast at all. There were no conferences to moderate. There were only a few podcasts to produce.

My mother had just died. There were all of the things to do to go along with that, such as preparing to sell her house and find a new place to live.

Then along came this job. It was almost like Mom had a hand in it if you believe such things. 

That, of course, isn't really my style, but I do kind of smile when I think of it.

It's been a fascinating thing to do. I've talked to more lawyers than ever and have learned about the world of court reporting. 

My own technical skills have improved and I've strengthened my ability to problem-solve because when things go bad in this gig, it's bad.

But, also ...

I've heard about my voice (and not the volume of it) a lot.

I've laughed with a lot of people in this.

I've listened to a lot of arguing.

And I get paid to do all of this and, once things are flowing smoothly, I can do my laundry or make a meal or watch TV or ...

Or?

Or write a blog post.

It's been a blessing and I feel like it saved me, as it was there when I probably needed it most.

And we keep growing.

Thanks, guys.

The case I'm on is in a break. Thankfully, they're talking about wrapping up around midnight.

That's good. This is not the week to be keeping crazy hours.

Shadow Dancing at the Laundromat

 

I went to a laundromat for the first time in probably 16 years today.

There wasn't a laundry facility in the apartment I lived in when I was in Mahopac so the laundromat was, basically, a weekly thing.

You knew you were committing to roughly a three-hour endeavor, from driving over, to the washing machine to the dryers to folding and going home.

I needed to get a few things done in preparation to go to San Francisco so I found a nearby place to do some washing.

Honestly, I thought I'd come out of the experience with a full post but, in reality, no. It was a small laundromat with a healthy selection of machines. There were people chatting in there but there was nothing significant about what they were saying to tell. 

It was so small in there that I sat in the car or leaned on the trunk and played Solitaire on my phone.

In fact, I washed what I needed to wash and opted to come home to my own dryer.

I was gone an hour. Maybe.

So I don't really have a post for you. At least not an interesting one. 

Back in the laundromat in Mahopac, I felt like every visit was its own blog post (pre-blog, to be clear). There just always seemed to be a character or something that would catch my eye. My inner monologue would concoct stories and, in some ways, that was part of building the foundation to be where we are today.

Three-thousand, seven hundred seven posts later.

*****

5:45 a.m.

As you're all quite aware, I have a cat.

Appropriately his formal name is Rascal, even though we literally never call him that.

Yet it fits because he knows how to do things that are interesting enough to make him interesting.

For one thing, he loves hunting shadows.

Oh, I'm completely serious. It's something I noticed back in our old home, where he'd try to jump things on the wall. Things that only he could see because I clearly can't.

He's been fascinated with the space behind the computer on my desk since we moved in here. I have to frequently chase him and it's reached that point where he'll hear me stir in bed and he'll run.

Keep in mind that this behavior isn't happening during daylight hours. Oh, no. They're happening after I go to bed. They're often waking me up.

Now a new wrinkle has been thrown in. Not satisfied with potentially destroying my desk (he hasn't), he has begun to review the wall behind my bed. So, if you're still with me, that means right ... behind ... my ... head.

I'll be sleeping or trying to sleep when, suddenly, I'll hear a THUMP as he attempts to attack whatever it is he sees, likely caused by a car driving by.

So, the next time you read some tribute to our crazy beast, please remember this story.

I have a busy week coming up. Teaching and radio and San Francisco (I'm packed already) and a conference and a red-eye flight and, eventually, football. And, of course, work, with a late Monday deposition that will keep me from joining Zolz and Fran in Poughkeepsie.

Oh, and Aaron Judge closing in on 61 home runs.

I'm Partial to the Fugue

 

The second football weekend for us is over.

I'm home. Sean is home from work also and we're just doing what we do.

For me, it's the blog, college football, baseball, and catching up on updating the Robcasting archives on Mixcloud and archive.org.

Of course, earlier it was The Hun School and Brunswick. Chris Erway and I gave it our all once again, trying to do what we always do but, still, it's worth noting that today was only the second Wick broadcast for Chris. Subtle as it is, he's still getting used to the differences between covering football in the FCIAC/CIAC and the NEPSAC.

Another thing for us is player access. Oh, sure, we can talk to coaches but I've always wanted to hand a basic questionnaire to players to fill out. I've done that with Babe Ruth and Little League baseball players to learn little nuggets about them.

In a perfect world, we'd get time with the captains to learn some more stuff about them and the team. 

Right now, we have none of that. It's a work in progress. Every year, Chris and I ask about having a meeting with the captain's parents also.

That does not happen.

This is not only about Brunswick but Greenwich and, literally, anything else we cover.

Again, this is a selling point of ours. We're both comfortable going into things with literally only limited (at best) research from the internet and still making a broadcast work. I think back to what we did with the wrestling championships we did in New Jersey and I smile.

Those who think this stuff is easy would be shocked.

I don't know how Chris's night is (he's at a Mets game) but I usually feel drained of adrenaline after every game. Literally.

Oh, about the Mets game. I was initially invited to go -- one of Chris's daughters performed with a dance group before the game -- but the ticket ultimately was picked up by someone else. Laugh all you want, and I get why you would. Yes, the thought of me at a Mets game is funny but, if you know me, then you know baseball is baseball to me.

I'm happy watching the game at any level. 

And no, I would not have worn any Yankees stuff. Now, I can't say I wouldn't wear Renegades stuff -- thus, Yankees -- but I don't look for trouble. I intended to be sports neutral had I gone but, ultimately, I didn't.

So, yes, I'd go to Mets games. I like baseball. That's it.

*****

From Twitter

The brilliant TV show "M*A*S*H" debuted on this day in 1972. While there was a good book and a very good movie, it's the TV show that seemed to surpass all of it. The writing, directing, and acting of a great ensemble cast helped place in among the greatest TV shows ever.

Its last episode -- the 2.5-hour "Goodbye, Farewell, Amen" -- is still among the most-watched TV landmarks ever. Yes, I was among the 121 million who watched it on Feb 28, 1983. By that point, the show had evolved from a "dark comedy" to a "dramedy."

In its earlier seasons, the show had a heavy amount of comedy to go along with the nature of trying to base a TV show around the Korean War. It would change, especially as characters came and went.

But we still loved it, even as Trapper John departed and BJ arrived. Or Frank Burns became Charles Emerson Winchester III.

And, of course, Lt. Col. Henry Blake -- shot down over the Sea of Japan -- was replaced by Col. Sherman T. Potter.

But we stayed. It was a staple in my house -- first in the original episodes, then as it shifted into syndication. The standard was "M*A*S*H" and "All in the Family" back-to-back on channel 5 in New York.

It remains so strong in my brain that we nostalgically talk about the show quite frequently among my friends on "The Clubhouse."

Dave Torromeo, Mark Jeffers, and I are quite likely to say "Ah, Bach!" to each other. The quick line is a reference to the first season episode "Love Story" in which Radar falls head over heels for a new nurse. Somehow, that's been stuck in our minds ever since.

Tonight's post title is another quote from that same episode.

The whole series is currently available on Hulu and I'm going to watch the Pilot episode now, given it aired 50 years ago tonight.

Cardinals and Tigers Under The Lights

 

I'm home from football.

This is an oft-repeated fact that we (and most broadcasters) put everything we have into our broadcasts.

Ridgefield High School's Tiger Hollow is a beautiful facility but it's also one that has confounded me a bit.

Cell service is everything to us. It's either how we connect with other facets of our world to stay in touch or it's how we actually broadcast.

Tiger Hollow is well-known for not having great service. However, in recent times, a tower has been erected nearby. That gave us hope.

Yet, the last time Chris Erway and I worked there, we dealt with terrible service in pouring rain. It was miserable.

Tonight? Flawless.

Ridgefield athletic director Dane Street did everything to make us comfortable, including hooking us up with wifi that wouldn't get interrupted.

For whatever reason, the "press box" is a true misnomer in that there's simply no room for the press (ahem, including broadcasters) up there. So Chris and I were again among the patrons. Thankfully that was not a problem.

When Chris and I are feeling it, we're pretty dangerous. Tonight, I think we were sort of feeling it. That also means might get better.

The game, of course, helps.

Ridgefield, coming off a 41-point loss, came out on fire. They scored on their opening drive and built up a 21-0 lead by the second quarter.

Greenwich rallied and cut it to 21-13 by halftime. The Cardinals' defense got more confident by the minute and they shut down the Tigers enough that the offense could answer to get to 21-20

But Ridgefield responded and made it 28-20.

Well, eventually, Greenwich took over. They'd build a 14-point lead before the Tigers scored a late touchdown.

Final: Greenwich 49, Ridgefield 42.

The atmosphere was electric. 

The game might be memorable but it's hard to say.

That's just it. We try so hard to make things "instant classics" and don't let them breathe. No question tonight was a lot of fun but will we always remember it? I feel like only time will tell.

Memorable to me right now is that we went to Ridgefield and had pretty flawless broadcast.

We need to do it again tomorrow when Brunswick hosts The Hun School.

I'll see Greenwich next Saturday after I step off the plane from San Francisco.

Thursday Night (Before) Football

 

5:39 a.m.: trying to work this morning. The Cat elected to sleep.

Sean is on his way here tonight. It's the second weekend in a row in which he has texted me to ask if he can come back to Greenwich.

As I've said before, this is his home. He's welcome here. I'm not one to turn away my son. He'll likely be here all weekend though we haven't set that in stone.

He's my son and I'm glad he can come here. Overall I make it comfortable for him. He's able to stay in his room, talk to his friends online and just do his thing. He can come and go as he pleases, though I feel bad that he has to trudge back up to the Hudson Valley for his new job now that baseball season is over for both of us.

As you probably know, I'm familiar with that drive.

*****

I stepped away from the computer for probably an hour as Sean showed up while I was typing. We said our hellos, shared some laughs, dealt with The Cat, and laughed some more. 

Then he disappeared into his room.

I've moved into my room and am going to slowly settle down.

These past two days have been standard insanity for me. I was asked to do a deposition that meant getting online at 3 a.m. on Wednesday. This morning, I worked one that started at 4 a.m. So, yeah, I'm a bit tired. I napped basically every chance I could because I didn't really sleep well at night. I set an alarm each night to get me up 15 minutes before I was due to be online.

Each night, I gave up on trying to sleep 15 minutes before the alarm. So, if you're scoring at home, that meant my Wednesday began at 2:30 a.m. because I finally stopped tossing and turning.

Oh, I expect no pity. This is standard operating procedure for me.

I marvel at the early risers (think Tony Savino on WGCH). In my case, sure, I was up in the dead of night but my commute was no more than six feet.

Unless you count the kitchen to make coffee. That's a longer walk.

So I don't think I'm making much sense as I type tonight.

Maybe I should just watch some football tonight but, oh yeah, that's on Amazon Prime and I don't have that. I've debated that cost and if I would be happy with it but have yet to cave in. I'm pretty good at listening to games via satellite radio so it's no great loss otherwise.

But, hopefully after a good night of sleep (ha) I will pull everything together for some Friday Night Lights. Chris and I head to Lancaster Field at Tiger Hollow in Ridgefield for the Cardinals and the Tigers.

I expect technical issues. Yes, I'm saying that up front. Some places just aren't good for cell service, which we rely on to get online.

As I've written, I've evolved into more of a "what can you do" approach to these situations. Flipping out doesn't work so I just stay low-key if I can.

Game time tomorrow is 7 p.m. The pregame show starts at 6:50 p.m. All of it on WGCH and Robcasting.

Then we shift over to Brunswick on Saturday for the Bruins and The Hun School. They kick off at 2 p.m. and any kind of pregame show will happen around 1:55 p.m.

Next week, the blog will move to San Francisco for a few days. And I'll step off a red eye in New York and be calling football a few hours later. 

Honestly, do you expect anything else from me?

Thuuuuuh Pitch

 

My fall won't just be about football.

It will have fútbol also.

I went back to the pitch for my first soccer call of 2022 today, handling duties for Choate Rosemary Hall and Brunswick.

Scoreless at halftime, the Wild Boars of Choate won 3-0.

I don't have what I would consider extensive soccer play-by-play bona fides, but I've learned I can hold my own. I don't think I know soccer remotely well enough to think I could do this at a higher level. But, being fair, with a little work, maybe.

At the end of the day, I have to believe I can call anything. That's a selling point for me.

I've called several championship matches and I guess I've earned a certain level of respect.

Still, no sport probably confounds me more as a broadcaster. I take a very hands-off approach when calling it, letting the picture drive things. Thus, I use a largely TV style.

The basics still function for me. Describe what I see, tell stories, fill in gaps where necessary, and make it about the game.

There were moments where I just let things breathe and there's nothing wrong with that also.

But that first broadcast always feels like getting back on a bicycle again. Oh sure, I can ride a bicycle but I might still be a little wobbly at first. I might have been wobbly today.

It was my first look at not only Choate but Brunswick. So there was a get-acquainted with a team that I'll call a few times this season.

In the Facebook Play-by-Play group, there was a recent comment about CBS broadcaster Ian Eagle. The observation was that Mr. Eagle made a couple of mistakes in the recent Steelers/Bengals game, jumping the gun on an official and being wrong. The poster's point was that Eagle made the mistake -- twice, in fact -- and that he probably beat himself up about it.

The Ian Eagle fan club protested against the poster and, as a group admin, I had to monitor the self-righteousness and hand-wringing to make sure nothing got out of hand.

One response said, in part: "...the very best announcers shrug their shoulders, realize that it is going to happen sometimes, and they move on." 

Oh...really?

Thus, I'm not one of the "very best announcers," since I ponder every call of every game and am, of course, brutally harsh on myself.

Now, I'm not saying that Ian Eagle is that hard on himself, but I'm sure the broadcast rolls in his brain after it's over. It's human nature. I certainly don't think it makes him any less of a broadcaster.

I don't think everyone listens back or rewatches every game that they call. I don't, for the record. I might listen to key moments sometimes but that's it. I'm pretty aware of the things I like and don't like.

To that end, I considered my own hiccups today and simply reminded myself to do better.

Isn't that the bottom line: to simply strive to be the best version of a broadcaster that I can be?

And I'll be better at soccer next time out.

Which will likely be at the end of September.

He's All Ours

 

Sitting on the stove as I eat breakfast. Sep 13, 2022

Tonight's post is about our beloved Rascal #TheCat marking his second anniversary of living with me (and Sean). However, my good friend Dave Torromeo and his family announced they lost their dog, Shea. We send our love and condolences to Dave and his family. As a pet owner, I know the sadness of losing a pet too well. It hurts terribly. 

I've told the story of the arrival of our four-legged friend before. I didn't expect to be a pet owner again after we lose Chico in July, 2020.

Yet pets seem to find us.

If you don't know the story, the short version is I met Rascal -- then called "Binx" -- the night my mother passed. He belonged to my niece Meaghan and her husband Eric and their son Carson.

The black cat nuzzled against me as I ate dinner following a baseball broadcast in Bridgeport. Eric quickly offered to let him come live with me and assured me he was serious. Everyone I told this to said bringing a cat home was the perfect thing.

It was exactly what I needed.

Sep 2020

So I drove him home a little over a week later -- Sept 13, 2020. It took a few days but we quickly became pals.

He was in my face the morning that I was preparing to leave for London and accompanies me to the door almost every day when I try to leave. In fact, he parlays that into a game to get me to give him treats, even darting out of the apartment into the hallway.

A quick shake of the treat package brings him back.

He got treats today in honor of his second anniversary with us.

It's never a boring life with our Rascal/Squeaky/Walter/Crash/Beast/etc. Just last night he woke me up as he tried to attack shadows on the wall behind my bed.

Yes, he's in the sink

It leads Sean and me to ask each other why we got the dysfunctional one. But we say it in a loving, humorous way. He makes us laugh with his yelling at us and flopping on the floor and just general wacky behavior that I can't even explain.

You have to see it to understand it.

While I could do without the yelling at me at 4:30 in the morning to feed him (or the shadow attacks) I don't think I'd have it any other way. He's basically been the perfect addition to our home and those who thought I needed him after Mom died were correct.

He just meowed at me, looking for attention. 

"You squeak," I told him.

"Meow," he squeaked back.

"You're a cat!" I exclaimed.

Such are the exchanges between us.

It's been a pleasure to have him here.

Eric -- the impetus behind Binx coming to New York and being renamed Rascal -- left us only a few months later. Mom's passing, of course, started the whole wheel. 

Out of sadness comes a cat.

A troublemaker.

A Destructocat.

A Beast.

Our pal.

It's CAR-Mull

 

The Sybil Ludington statue in Carmel, NY

I was minding my business having lunch recently when a local regular walked in.

In my mind, he auditioned for "The Sopranos" somewhere along the line and I'm shocked he didn't get the part. What I'm saying is, you know the type.

He's not the silent type and speaks in a "Bada Bing" type of cadence. You certainly expect a "fuhgeddaboutit" to emanate from him at least once a day.

In this case, he was telling a staff member about his day and how he had an appointment at a place that was straight out of "Deliverance."

He continued.

"Car-Mel or Caramel or something," he says.

I -- proud son of Mahopac, located in the Town of Carmel -- am sitting a few feet away. I also lived in Carmel for four years.

To hear him tell it those of us in Putnam County lack teeth and, given we're like "Deliverance," well, I'll just let that sit there.

In my brain, I'm having an inner debate as this continues. Do I try to handle this with humor? Do I interject at all? Do I just stay out of it?

Given this sort of an "everybody knows your name" type of atmosphere and fun is being had, I step out of my comfort zone to protect my former 'hood.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on," I begin. My soliloquy is short but effective. The first thing is to make sure that Bada Bing knows that it's pronounced "CAR-mull" and that it's nothing like the affairs of "Deliverance."

After jokes about hunting, Bada Bing goes on to tell me how beautiful it is but that the roads were narrow and windy.

"Well," I countered. "People do fish and, sure, there's some hunting up there as well."

He asked about the road -- specifically Stoneleigh Ave. To be sure, if coming from Connecticut off 684, that portion of Stoneleigh Ave winds towards the Croton Falls Reservoir and even traverses it via a causeway before reaching "civilization" with complexes including Putnam Hosptial Center.

Making fun of where I'm from was often sort of low-hanging fruit for my coworkers back when I first started working in lower Westchester County. 

The thing was that I wasn't mad. It bothered me in that it amused me and, generally, it wasn't accurate.

OK, maybe a little accurate.

The bottom line was that, while perhaps he wasn't totally wrong in what he was saying, I still wasn't going to let him dump on my homeland. It's like family. I can knock it but you can't unless you know better.

So, sure, I recognize the faults of where I'm from but I also know the good and there is plenty of that.

In the end, Bada Bing and I laughed. It was "all good" and "no worries."

We wished each other well.

"Enjoy your Carmels," he said, noting caramel candy in his humor but pronouncing it as if the New York town has a twin.

I'm sure he left to go listen to some Dean Martin records on his ol' Victrola.

We each went about our day, likely no more enlightened than when it began.

The Sybil Ludington statue, with Sean and his stuffed Kitty and Elmo
back when we lived in Carmel.

Never Forget

 

Football will be on later. 

I'll listen to the Steelers play the Bengals though I have low expectations for the Black and Gold. 

I still shudder to think that the Bengals are the defending AFC Champions.

But we all know what today is. We'll be reminded of it in myriad ways.

It's September 11.

They say "Never Forget." I capitalized it because it's become a slogan; a hashtag.

#NeverForget

I don't forget. I haven't forgotten. 

September 11, 2001, is etched in my brain.

Beautiful day. Crystal clear skies. Warm. I needed to prep for football before going to an interview at an agency for a temp-to-perm job in White Plains.

A job that I'd do from home because the office was in lower Manhattan.

I was a mere five months away from becoming a father.

I remember where I was when I heard about the first plane and what I was listening to. 

I remember the same about the second plane.

I remember the whirlwind of activity at WGCH that morning. 

I remember canceling the appointment with the agency.

I remember being asked to go to the Greenwich train station to interview people. I also remember eventually declining that and opting to leave.

I remember the empty roads.

How can anyone ever forget?

And, yet, I'm sure plenty do.

Certainly, plenty have forgotten because we're nowhere near as united as we were by lunchtime that day.

But I haven't. 

I took inventory of my family and friends. I was blessed that all were fine.

My losses were minimal.

Yet this day still hurts. No matter what I watch -- or if I don't watch anything -- the hurt still feels fresh and just unreal.

I mean, did that really happen?

It did and, for a short time, it bonded us.

Shanksville, PA

So, once again we relive the horror. The memorial events took place and the names were read. Bells rang out.

By the afternoon, as I write, we wipe our eyes, brush ourselves off, and steady ourselves for the rest of our Sunday.

Football is coming up.

We move along, hoping that we never forget.

The Bruins Are Back

 

Sean is still here, having driven all the way to his job in Fishkill this morning only to have to come back tonight. 

I mean, he lives here part-time but it's a bit of a commute for him.

But he's here, we had dinner, and I'm happy when he's around.

On the other hand, it's one of those nights in which I get tired of taking the blasted high road and being "nice."

But, of course, being nice means not writing what I'm thinking and keeping such things in the ol' vault.

Turning this to the happier, I got back to Brunswick for the first time today since the spring season ended.

Bruins coach Wayne McGillicuddy asked for a broadcast of today's scrimmage between the Bruins and Loomis Chaffee. his belief was that it would be a good dress rehearsal and that's something I'm in complete favor of.

It gave Chris Erway and me a chance to work in the booth and for him to get his first look at Brunswick.

Look, is it necessary? No, but I see more positives than negatives to broadcasting it.

It allowed me to see if I have the equipment I need for each week. There are subtle differences between the setup for Greenwich, Brunswick, and others. In the case of Wick, I have to run audio to a camera. 

The Brunswick booth is also a different setup than many others that Chris and I work in. For one thing, we stand in two different rooms and, while that doesn't seem like a big deal, there can be visual cues that we'll often use. In this case, that's not as easy to do.

So, the larger point here is that broadcasting a scrimmage isn't a necessity.

But it did come in handy.

Today was the day that we get the luxury of using the Brunswick roster and learning names. For Chris, it was a chance to learn names that I already know.

It was a chance to watch Loomis Chaffee and know that they are, indeed, the Pelicans.

The thing is that you're used to certain things if you cover certain places. In the case of Chris, he's always covered the FCIAC and CIAC. Now he'll get to cover the NEPSAC, where the football is still great. He'll see Williston-Northampton and Avon Old Farms and Cheshire Academy and Trinity-Pawling.

We'll travel to some of those and we'll have some of those teams visiting Cosby Field.

He learned today about the Robert L. Cosby statue and the tradition of shaking his hand. 

To me, there was enormous value in this to be able to paint the picture week after week.

I'm glad we did it. When The Hun School visits Brunswick next week, we'll be ever more prepared than we would have been.

Oh, by the way, the Bruins look quite good. The Pelicans do also.

And Sean is still here.

He's happy here.

Game 1

 

The packed broadcast case was ready to go

We've reached the starting gate.

Greenwich at Newtown. 7 p.m. tonight. WGCH (1490 AM, 105.5 FM, wgch.com). Chris Erway in the booth with me. Sean Kilkelly in the studio. Pre-game show is at 6:50 p.m. Booth space has been approved by Newtown High School.

Now comes the packing.

First, if we're doing "chicken or the egg" stuff, we need voices. Chris and I have those. But we need to project them. 

So two headsets are packed. So is a crowd microphone. But we need a mixer and my trusty Zoom PodTrak P4 is ready. It's small and light and doesn't take up much space. It will also allow me to use a cell phone if we have to (fingers crossed that we don't have to).

Mic cables. We need those also. At least one for the crowd mic.

Power? That can be run via my computer as the P4 goes via a USB cable. So we need one power outlet later for my laptop. We'll need more if either one of us needs to plug in another computer.

I'll likely have backups with me as well. Another mixer, cables, mics. Maybe even headsets.

By the way, none of this belongs to WGCH, LocalLive, or anyone else. It's mine. I acquired it over the years as I built "Robcasting."

I probably should have a WGCH banner and, if I have a minute, I'll stop by the studio to pick one up. That's where living five minutes away is a nice thing.

Rosters. Yes, I've got them. Accurate? That's a good question. I found rosters for both squads. We'll have to resolve pronunciations and some duplicate numbers but that will all shake out. As I've done this for a long time (it's season number 25 covering high school sports), I've taught myself to recognize that somehow it will all be OK.

I've had my fair share of moments where I flipped out/wanted to flip out/needed to take a walk. I have fewer of those moments now. But it's still a good reminder of the standards that I set and expect our broadcasts to have.

The kit will also have extra cables for tomorrow when we produce our first broadcast at Brunswick for the new season. I have to be able to run a long cable to take our audio feed to our cameraman so that it can be sent to LocalLive. Tomorrow, we'll have Gustavo as our trusty cameraman. I never worry when he's there. Same goes with a lot of camerapeople.

But that's for tomorrow. In fact, I had to stop writing to work on Brunswick's roster, as head coach Wayne McGillicuddy just emailed it.

It's all good and it starts tonight.

We'll tell the stories as best as we can.

Let's kick it off.

*****

I wrote all of the above before the game tonight. Now, I'm back home following a 34-14 Greenwich win.

There were hiccups. While there was "space in the booth" for us we would have been sitting behind the Newtown coaches. Er...no. We went down to the concourse and called the game from the crowd.

There was rust. Roster issues. Pronunciation worries. a technical snafu right at air time.

But there was football and we were back on the air. That was pretty sweet.

Now comes a Brunswick scrimmage tomorrow at 1 p.m.

Oh, and the Renegades were eliminated and their season is over.

So we're all about fall sports now.

On Today's Show

 

London, 4/19/2022

(Music plays)

Hi everyone. Welcome to "Doubleheader." I'm Rob Adams. Nice to have you with us.

That's probably what I would have said had I done a show today. But I did not do a show. I had too many other things going on.

Yet today was one of those days when I really wanted to do a show.

For one thing, it's the first day of the new NFL season and I would have liked to play some of that great football music (you'd know it), make some silly predictions, and just get ready.

High school football finally begins in Connecticut tomorrow so I would have liked to do something with that. Maybe I could get a guest on and have some fun getting pumped up.

The baseball pennant race continues and that's a constant topic to discuss.

But, of course, I'd also have to acknowledge the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. Never afraid to discuss "real world" stuff on my show, that story broke in the early afternoon and it would have been ripe for me to talk about.

What a person and what a life. Just consider everything she saw in her 96 years.

Missteps? Of course. But, overall, she was a person of remarkable grace and class.

As someone who has been to England a few times, I have a slight interest in the monarchy. To be sure, I enjoyed standing outside of Buckingham Palace back in April. 

From there, the show would have included the reaction to her passing. Among the things that stuck out to me was a quick tweet from Reggie Jackson, who said, "“Now we all know I was innocent! Amen! RIP Queen E!.”

(Spoiler alert!)

Remember, in the 1988 film "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad" Reggie was the Queen's would-be assassin.

I thought it was a moment of levity on a gloomy day. News also broke that Bernard Shaw, the remarkable journalist, had died at 82. Shaw was best-known for his work as an anchor with CNN. I will certainly never forget his chilling reporting from Baghdad as the first Gulf War broke out in 1991.

All of this and more would have made for a full hour of radio. 

I should have been on but the reality was an opportunity to work and I couldn't say no.

So I did a deposition followed by a podcast recording session. 

Then I got a surprise. Sean -- remember him? -- needed to come stay with me in Greenwich. So I met him for dinner and we picked up some groceries.

He's comfortable here and always welcome. Why wouldn't he be?

He's a working man though so he'll get to enjoy driving from here to work in Fishkill tomorrow before driving back here. He'll also do it on Saturday. I'm familiar with that drive.

I'm glad he's here. He hasn't been here since we got back from vacation in August.

Just a friendly reminder: our first high school football broadcast is tomorrow at 6:50 p.m. on WGCH as Greenwich plays at Newtown. Chris Erway and I will have the call. Then we'll be back on LocalLive on Saturday as Brunswick hosts Loomis in a scrimmage at 1 p.m.

Audio will be available on Robcasting.

Like I said, the show would have been a full one.

Cue the music! We're out of time!

And as you get ready for whatever sports you're focusing on, please remember: black is NOT a Mets color! I'm Rob Adams. Thanks for listening to "Doubleheader" on 1490 AM, 105.5 FM, and wgch.com We'll see you next time. So long.

Be Adaptable

Part of being, well, me means being ready to adjust on the fly.

I like being reliable and the attitude of being prepared to adjust plays into that.

Now, to be honest, I don't really like last-minute things but, let's face it, it's fairly impossible to avoid it.

So, as I begin writing, I'm working on my second deposition of the day. Both happened in the spur of the moment.

The first one came via text this morning and I had a few hours before I had to start so I was able to go get some food and do some stuff around the apartment. However, the time of the deposition interfered with "Doubleheader" so I had to bail out of the show.

Still, a paid gig is a paid gig. 

So I worked and was done by dinner time. I finished up a few other things and began to settle in for the night. I listened to the end of the first game of the Yankees/Twins doubleheader and was getting ready to enjoy the second game.

Then the phone rang again.

"You're done with your deposition?"

"Yes. All set."

"OK, cool. Want to do another one?"

"Er. Sure, why not?"

With a little technical preparation, we set it up and now here I am.

I like being adaptable. I always thought it was one of my better selling points.

It's in line with my "Have headset. Will travel" philosophy where I can jump on a game at a moment's notice. Again, it's not my favorite way to roll but that ability to adjust has served me well.

Speaking of which, game one is set for Friday night at Newtown. 

Yes, there will be plenty of adapting that night. I've already glanced at rosters and have a headache. There are duplicate numbers and, of course, there will always be the question of pronunciations and simply feeling prepared.

I'll get there. Of course, I will. I've done this for too long. But I won't feel right until we're settled into the booth on Friday and the broadcast starts. Once I see we have good internet/cell phone service and the rosters are OK and we have a good view and we're comfortable then I will finally take a deep breath.

We'll be off and running. But, until then, there will be apprehension.

Again, I've done this for too long.

The job tonight wound up being brief. There are rarely guarantees with these kinds of things although occasionally we'll get told that the deposition has to end by a certain time. I wasn't aware of such a thing tonight.

So, considering the circumstances I feel fortunate to be finished. 

I just turned the radio on for a few minutes to listen to John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman call the Yankees/Twins game.

Incidentally, I'm loving hearing the Renegades I covered last year make it. Osawld Peraza got his first major league hit today for the Yankees while Hayden Wesneski pitched well for the Cubs last night. It's the same way I felt watching high school players I covered move up the ladder. Very cool.

It's quiet here otherwise.

Just another night in the life.

Gades are Gonna Gade!

 

There will be new leadership at "The Dutch."

Steve Gliner is moving on but let's do this more professionally by quoting the release from the team:

The Hudson Valley Renegades, the High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, have announced changes in their senior leadership effective immediately. Steve Gliner, the Renegades President and General Manager, will be leaving his current role to become a consultant to the Renegades ownership group, Diamond Baseball Holdings. Renegades current Vice President and Assistant General Manager Tyson Jeffers has been elevated to General Manager, and Director of Corporate Partnerships Zach Betkowski becomes the Renegades new Assistant General Manager.

I met Steve back in my first run as a broadcaster for the team in 2001. I had the pleasure of working for him as Gades play-by-play broadcaster in late 2019 before shifting over to be a public address announcer in 2022. He's a quality man and a friend.

He's also a minor league lifer and I know many are thrilled for him. His personal statements on social media indicated his excitement to shift away from the day-to-day of running the team.

Now, what does this all mean? Well, it will sort itself out as it always does.

From my own perspective, I also know Tyson and Zach and think the team will be in great hands moving forward.

What's it mean for me? Who knows? If 2021 and 2022 taught me anything it was that I expect nothing. In all likelihood, that's exactly what this change will mean: nothing. If the team liked having me around this season then I might be back for more public address stuff. If not, well, then no.

After getting over the shock of the offer to be the co-PA announcer, I decided to jump in since I love baseball, I love the Renegades, and my son works there. I have friends there. I have family there. It was multiple wins for me.

My car probably wasn't thrilled and I was often exhausted. That was the downside. Even when I was willing to dip into my pocket to get a hotel room the prices were so exorbitant that I just elected to drive back to Greenwich.

But the hope was I'd laugh and embrace a different side of my skill set every time I was there.

I did both with Fish, David (R&D), Feldman, Davey, Mikey Beats, Zach, and anyone else crazy enough to join us in that PA booth.

Plus Zolz -- the true one and only Rick Zolzer -- endorsed my being a part of this plan. It doesn't happen without him. We blended well as the co-PA announcers. Zolz did the on-field stuff and most of the comedy. I tried to bring my inner snark out occasionally but remain the professional in-stadium "voice."

I know I was probably a little too stale at times. Yes, I do vanilla well, so I've been told. But I tried to be excited where appropriate.

Look, I was raised on Bob Sheppard, forever the "voice" of Yankee Stadium. But I knew I couldn't just be like him. Instead, I honored him by using some of his tricks, especially for a player's first appearance.

Following Vin Scully's death last month, I also began my reads before the ballgame by wishing everyone "a very pleasant good evening/afternoon." Vin himself would probably groan at me but I plan on continuing to do something like that. It was actually important to me.

I know great PA announcers. Eric Scholl immediately comes to mind. I'm not a great PA announcer.

OK, so let's deal with the elephant in the room holding a headset. How much did I wish I was a few doors down in the broadcast booth?

Come on, you know the answer. 

But, in truth, I didn't let it dominate me. I just went and did my job every night. This job wasn't about play-by-play. It was about game operations. Any feedback was positive and anything that needed adjusting got adjusted.

Standard operating procedure, to be honest.

I saw the positives in the whole situation.

I had fun. I laughed. I made people laugh a few times. You'll rarely know such power than to have thousands of people reacting to what you say. That happened whether introducing Jasson Dominguez or telling the crowd to cheer for a mascot race.

The crowd reaction is a pretty strong drug, friends.

But don't think that inner play-by-play voice wasn't talking in my brain.

I wish Steve Gliner well as the Renegades move into a new era, including improving Dutchess Stadium, which Steve will be involved in.

I wish Tyson and Zach well as they steer the organization into 2023.

There's still, of course, the little matter of the conclusion of the 2022 season, as the Gades are in Wilmington tonight and pushing for a playoff spot. If they clinch one, I'll be back at the stadium next week for one game. 

Then, officially, my 2022 baseball season will be over.

As I've learned over the years, who knows what will happen after that?

That's baseball for ya!

A Day With No Labor

He's bored too

Labor Day has arrived and it feels like we're just waiting for the rain.

That's a thing. Good thing? Sure, we need rain since we haven't remotely had enough. Bad thing? Well, yeah, rain can bring on the usual issues. Flooding, etc.

These are the things I'm thinking about on Labor Day, 2022.

The weekend had its own stuff. At one point, I was involved in multiple conversations involving business, personal, and headaches.

With football broadcasting beginning this week for me, that brings its own collection of challenges, thoughts, and babysitting.

And, oh yeah, I was working all weekend for the Renegades.

So, today, I truly honored Labor Day by doing, basically, nothing.

I slept and I was tired and I kept having the urge to fall asleep.

I watched TV. Me! I watched TV! I watched the Yankees beat the Twins. Then I watched old episodes of "The Office." Then I watched a silly movie.

Oh, there were a few text conversations during the day also about -- guess what?!? -- items related to high school football.

I also ate breakfast and threw something together for dinner. The cupboard is pretty bare otherwise.

As I write, I can only think to myself that this day kinds of sounds sad and boring.

Maybe even pathetic.

But here's how I look at it.

I needed to shut down. My body was telling me that.

I had enough food in the house to be fine for the day. The Cat was also fine and has been my constant companion all day.

I needed to basically allow myself to do nothing but read some nonsense on the internet and watch TV.

I have things to do at WGCH tomorrow. I have multiple podcasts to record later in the week and I need to set up other recording sessions. I need to meet with Chris Hunt to go over the script for the upcoming San Francisco conference. 

Then I need to call Greenwich/Newtown on Friday and, hopefully, a Brunswick scrimmage on Saturday.

The point is the week will be busy enough so I can afford this kind of day. I'm so used to being beaten up with guilt if I'm not hyper-busy with ... something ... that I rarely allow myself this. 

So I didn't clean the kitchen. Well, OK, I did the dishes. 

I didn't vacuum.

I didn't start the project to clean the attic or any other project.

The only project I honored today was this one. 

Yet, even then, I thought about what to write because my mind is empty. I didn't want to dig deep tonight. I needed something easy.

And, despite the brilliance of "Seinfeld," nothing is easiest.

Well, this isn't nothing but it's admittedly not a very in-depth post.

But it's going to do for tonight as the rain begins to fall.

September 4

 

I drove back to Mahopac today on my way to Dutchess Stadium.

I'm still checking on mail at the old house and for any other things that the new owner has found for us.

Parked near the mailbox on the road, I snapped a picture of the house, looking more beaten than ever as changes continue inside the edifice.

Of course, stopping by around 11 a.m. on Sept 4 will add a certain level of poignancy for it was Sept 4, 2020, when my mother passed.

I stood in the driveway that morning for what seemed like hours and, I suppose, it was. There was much to do and much waiting as well. So much of that day will forever be in my brain. There is so much I'd like to forget.

Two years later, Mom is obviously missed and with time, missed even a little more. Negatives become points of laughter and positives are amplified.

But, after these two years, I also look back and realize how hellacious it all was. Time also allows for that. We -- my sister and I -- just tried to survive and live in the moment but it was difficult. 

First, obviously, was Mom's passing. Then came what's next. Then came reality. Then came everything else.

It's over now. Yet, is it really?

The answer is sort of "no" as there are still things to clean up. Things that still appear in that mailbox.

So today is about reflection before baseball at Dutchess Stadium. 

We can all still hear her laugh. It's probably the first thing that people say to me when they recall her.

Her laugh. Her sense of humor.

And how it felt like everyone wanted her to adopt them.

But today is also about reflecting and it will take some time before I get past not only Sept 4 but Sept 3 when I took her to a couple of doctor's appointments.

She was gone just hours later, causing one of those doctors to call me in shock.

I look back with the realization that we knew time -- again, time -- was ticking away that summer. How she had to be at Sean's graduation and his party a few weeks later. How she had to be at her granddaughter's wedding that summer of COVID near Albany. How she seemed to have the time of her life and looked wonderful.

She was doing things on her terms. She'd have it no other way.

It felt like she'd given her all upon departing the wedding in August. 

Less than two weeks later she was gone.

Today -- and this post -- isn't about what happened after she died. Maybe those tales can be told one day.

So, stopping by the house this morning intensified the memories that were already slamming into me.

Memories of that last day. Memories of things she said and texted me that night.

The memory of seeing her in her recliner.

The conversations and phone calls. 

And the waiting.

Waiting for the ambulance.

For the police.

For the funeral home.

For the inevitable.

After everyone had left, I returned to the living room where I put things back in order.

Just as I did late in the evening of March 17, 1989, when I came home to find that same living room in a weird state.

Both parents are gone.

Both passing in the same place.

You're missed, Mom but I guarantee you this world would drive you just as nuts -- if not more -- than the world you left on Sept 4, 2020.

*****

Thanks to the great game of baseball for giving me a few hours to not think about any of the above. The Renegades' home season has come to a close and, barring any playoff games, my work there is finished for now.

I'll do a playoff game if they make it.

Perhaps I can write a post about all of that once it's officially over but I'm grateful to baseball for being a respite from the world.

Football begins on Friday for me.

The Stranger at the Scrimmage

 

In some ways, there is one place where everything that I am as a sports broadcaster started: Cardinal Stadium in Greenwich, CT.

I was back there today for the first time this season and the first time since I moved to Greenwich.

The occasion was a scrimmage between the Cardinals of Greenwich High and a very good Somers Tuskers team from New York.

Shout out to Westchester County. Somers, of course, is just across the county line from a little ol' place called Mahopac.

So, yeah, I wanted to stop by.

I'm not worried about the result and neither was the scoreboard. That's because it wasn't turned on. To my count, Somers won the scrimmage but it's more about how a team looks. I'll leave that up to Cardinals coach Anthony Morello and his team. Whatever needs fixing will need to be addressed before next Friday at 7 p.m. when they visit Newtown.

That game can be heard on WGCH Radio (1490 am). I don't know about any video/LocalLive plans yet.

As always, things change when dealing with high school sports. Families change. Players change. Sometimes coaches change.

Most of the time, broadcasters don't. Still, the Greenwich football broadcaster sat quietly outside of the booth he used last year following the fancy upgrade to Cardinal Stadium.

I peered into that booth, hoping that Chris Erway and I would be back in there in a few weeks.

There's a sense of nostalgia every time I'm back in Cardinal Stadium. I'm transported back to 2000 and that first game against Norwalk and many games that I've called since then.

"Sean's Hill"

I looked towards the flagpole which will always sit on "Sean's Hill" because that's where Sean had to go so I knew where he was when he accompanied me to games.

I realize I can no longer claim the title of "Voice of Greenwich High School Sports" but I guess I still have a hold on Greenwich football, no matter how much I wonder about that.

To be quite sure, it's fair to say I'm "Voice of Brunswick Sports" now as the Bruins have welcomed me with open arms, handing every game to me, and, no question, I'll be there as much as possible. So I mean no disrespect to Wick when I head over to GHS or vice versa.

I had called games before starting with Greenwich Football but I felt like I had taken on a prestigious gig when I finally did take over calling the Cardinals. Broadcasting Greenwich -- the defending state champions at that time -- was different.

The stadium looks nothing like it did 22 years ago. The stadium project has brought it to a new level but, beyond that, there weren't even lights or turf back in 2000. All games were played on Saturdays at 1:30 on grass.

1:20 pregame show, of course.

So while I didn't talk to anyone, I sat and took it all in. I stayed until it was clear the varsity was done and quietly slipped away.

A mom commented to me as we headed towards the parking lot, thinking I was someone else. My look -- gray t-shirt and khaki shorts -- was similar to the person she thought she was chatting up.

"Somers fan?" she asked.

"Nah. I'm the Greenwich broadcaster," I said.

Her mouth was slightly agape at realizing the soul she was walking and talking with, blissfully passing time talking about the weather.

"Wait," she said. "What's your name? Oh, don't tell me..."

Introductions took place and then she said something that rang important to me. She told me that she had just laid my picture out in the 2022 Greenwich Football Program.

Dutchess Stadium lit up before fireworks

With that, we wished each other well and went in our separate ways. I needed to drive the five strenuous minutes back to the apartment before heading toward Dutchess Stadium.

It's a long commute!

But that's when it hit me. Chris Erway and I are in the program.

We're back for 2022 at Greenwich.

I'm just waiting for the official word from Newtown about booth space but, otherwise, kickoff is at 7 p.m.

6:50 pregame show.

Of course.

Two, Wait, Three Games

 

A nice September sky and the vista around Dutchess Stadium

Tonight began the final stretch of Renegades' regular season games for me.

I was scheduled for tonight and Sunday.

So it was all good but they're also in a bit of a crunch as many of the college students that they've relied on for staffing have gone back to school.

Some -- my child -- go to school locally so he's available.

But there was the matter of tomorrow's game and, when it was proposed to me, I figured why not add one more game?

So I'll be there all weekend.

I might not even do public address announcing. I might be truly behind the scenes and off-microphone.

If that's what they needed, well, I'll give that a shot.

Sean was happy to hear that I'd be around for all three games and, as a father, what else do I need to hear?

Yes, the miles driven will be a drag and of course, hotel prices are obnoxious so that's not even an option.

But it's time spent with family, friends, and baseball. 

Isn't that me?

Tonight was quite a night, with a national anthem singer who struggled with the words. She had a beautiful voice but, well, it happens. She stopped her first try, apologized, and started over. Then her brain locked on the second attempt. Soon, everyone in the stadium -- fans, players, umpires, support staff, and even the public address announcer, was joining in. It was actually pretty cool.

Friendly and mischievous

Then I had a raccoon climbing out the PA booth window at one point but, oh yeah, that's just our beloved Rascal (not to be confused with Rascal The Cat).

I'm also starting to dig in deeper on the rapidly approaching football season. I'm updating schedules and making sure we're ready. If I haven't said so already, we are coming back with Greenwich football on WGCH.

Brunswick football will have my voice on it again via LocalLive.

Of course, audio of the games will also run quietly on Robcasting. 

At this point, it's been over a month since I've called a game so I'll be jumpy come next Friday.

There's so much to do and, according to the schedule, Greenwich has a scrimmage tomorrow at Cardinal Stadium.

That seems like a good chance to go check-in.

That is before I go to Dutchess Stadium.

I figure I can chill out on Monday.

Maybe.

Still Radio Gaga After All These Years

 

The Majic 105 air studio

I was teaching today at CSB when a realization raced into my noodle.

I began my own odyssey in broadcasting -- as a CSB grad -- 32 years ago tonight.

I wanted to be on the air today to touch on all of this but a miscommunication led to confusion and, as such, no room for me on WGCH. We'll get 'em next time (likely next week).

With a new pair of headphones, I drove to Majic 105 (WMJV-FM) in Patterson and got my nerves under control for my first radio shift.

My show began at midnight, thus my official "start date" will always be Sept 2, 1990.

Six hours and too much caffeine later, it was over. It wasn't sports but music and, most of all, it was broadcasting. I was on the air. I could say I was a professional even if I was a raw amateur that night.

It would take time to get acclimated and understand the politics of the business. It would take practice to truly be professional (I'm still trying).

But my foot was in the door and it would stay there until I was out just under a year later. Honestly, for a few years, I wasn't sure if I'd go back but opportunity eventually brought me back -- first at WREF in Ridgefield and then to that Greenwich radio station that I joined in 1997.

And here we are. From Majic to WREF to WGCH to a whole bunch of other stations both terrestrial and online.

The friends and experiences have all been magical.

Sure, I wanted to conquer the world beginning with Majic 105. But the broadcasting life can also be difficult for the things I wanted personally. For me to do what I really wanted, I would have needed to relocate to far-off places.

I would have had to leave my family and the relationships I had here.

My point? I don't think I'd be the dad that I am and that has always been important to me. So, what I'm saying is that I made decisions based on the quality of life versus the sheer pursuit of money and fame and whatever else.

I think I made the right call despite all hiccups that have occurred along the way.

To that end, Oswald Peraza was called up to the major leagues tonight. He is now a New York Yankee. He had been at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in AAA ball. You might recall that he was at Hudson Valley last year and was a huge success before being promoted to AA.

Much like I've celebrated the "I saw him when" of John Sullivan and the many high school, college, and minor league athletes I've covered that made it to the pro tanks, I'm enormously proud to say that I called Peraza's home games for the Renegades last season. I was simply blown away by him and figured it was just a matter of time before he'd get his chance.

I await Anthony Volpe's chance as well along with many others. 

It's especially wonderful -- back to quality of life decisions -- to share this news with Sean who also saw Peraza through his camera last year. That's a connection we'll always be able to appreciate, just as we've discussed other players that have jumped to the big leagues or have made news. We got to see them all at one time.

I texted Sean as soon as I heard about Peraza's call-up and he had heard the news also since he was at Dutchess Stadium. He said he wants to go see Peraza play in The Bronx and I think that's a pretty great idea as well. 

And so as I sit here and reflect on the literally thousands of broadcasting appearances I've made (I used to track all of them), my mind goes back to that scared 21-year-old sitting in the tan Chevy Cavalier in the parking lot of Majic 105/WPUT radio.

He was scared and so full of excitement. 

He was also wide-eyed and ready for the experience.

He also had no idea what he was getting himself into.

Since then? Stories. Laughs. Experiences. Good. Bad.

History.

A voice.

I started doing a sports report a few months into my time at Majic 105. It would be years before I'd finally get to doing play-by-play and I was completely smitten when it happened.

That started with softball and then, finally, baseball and football and hockey and basketball and on and on.

Football returns next week and I look forward to it.

I always tell my students that an early goal of mine was to make the money back in broadcasting that I'd paid to go to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting from 1989-1990. I wanted -- at the very least -- to break even.

I've long-surpassed that goal.

I didn't need to rule the world. I've loved the experiences that I've lived and have been able to relay to you.

Thanks, as always, for riding along with me as I've tried to inform and entertain you.

Year 33 in this wacky business begins at midnight.

I'll be on WGCH tomorrow morning at 7:50 to talk sports with Tony Savino. Maybe Peraza will come up. Maybe not.

I'll be at Dutchess Stadium tomorrow night where I'll see Sean.

I can't think of a better way to keep moving.