ITEM ONE: Curse of the Bolt Counting Episode is over
Boston sports fans used to love to blame all of their sports losses on curses. The most famous one was the curse of the Bambino, which prevented their Red Sox from winning for 86 years following the sale of Babe Ruth. Well, last night, another curse was removed from the Chowderheads: The Curse of the Bolt Counting Episode.
Let me briefly explain. The last time the Celtics won an NBA championship was 1986. Many Celtic fans believe that they haven't won since because Maryland college star Len Bias, drafted 3rd overall by the Celtics that year in the draft, died of a cocaine overdose, and that his death was haunting the organization.
But actually, the curse that affected them more was the Bolt Counting Episode curse. This is in reference to the episode of the popular NBC series Cheers in which star forward Kevin McHale is caught in the bar trying to convince Cliff and Norm that he knows the correct number of bolts in the Boston garden's famous parque floor. Ever since then, the Celtics have been cursed. That is, until McHale, now GM of the Minnesota Timberwolves, decided to trade Kevin Garnett to the Celtics last summer. The move, couple with Boston's trade on draft day to secure Ray Allen, helped set up last night's curse-lifting.
By the way, nice to see the Lakers quit like they did. That was brutal. And was it me, or was there something to Allen's 7 3-pointers to win the championship? Maybe Denzel Washington was in uniform last night for the Hollywood Fakers, because Allen hasn't shot that well and that often in a game since he wasn't called for a push-off in the one-on-one movie ending game playing the role of Jesus Shuttlesworth in He Got Game.
ITEM TWO: Tiger is out, hope that was worth it
This morning, professional golfers everywhere got the best news they've heard all year, and the folks at ABC (British Open coverage network), CBS (PGA Championship coverage) and NBC (Ryder Cup Coverage) got the worst news they've heard all year:
Tiger Woods is having ACL replacement surgery and is out for the rest of the year.
Hope everyone pressed record Sunday and Monday on Tiger's rounds at the U.S. Open, because that's the last we are going to see of him in 2008.
The good news is that we'll have other people winning those majors later this year, which might lead to other stories we otherwise might never had heard of. Bad news is the networks mentioned above won't have the same number of eyeballs watching those tournaments because Eldrick will be at home in Orlando rehabbing. Come to think of it, Jack Nicklaus gets to breath a sigh of relief that Tiger will stay 4 majors behind him until at least next April.
ITEM THREE: Other thoughts
Chipper Jones continues to mash the baseball in Atlanta, and as a baseball fan, I'm happy to see that Larry is finally healthy for a full season. It's too bad he hasn't been this healthy his whole career... speaking of healthy, now that Pedro Martinez apparently is, I have one memo for outgoing Mets GM Omar Minaya: the only untouchables on the Mets are Wright, Reyes, and Santana - everyone else can and should be dealt at the deadline if the team is still at or under the 500 mark - time to break that group up, and start with Pedro. I don't second-guess the decision to sign him at all, but he is as Brittle as Sam Jackson's character in the Bruce Willis movie Unbreakable... speaking of general managers that I am starting to run out of patience for, Lou Lamirello of the Devils needs to make some moves. It's been five years since the last Cup, and you can't depend on Martin Brodeur to carry you in a series anymore, especially if you keep playing him 75 games a year. Size will not work against Pittsburgh in the future, you need to go back to what you do best, which is find that undiscovered talent with speed, something the Devils sorely lacked last year... Six weeks until NFL training camps start, and it can't get here fast enough.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The Rock Almost Lays the Smackdown on Tiger
Going to start doing this more regularly so...
ITEM ONE: A Great Walk, Enjoyed by all
The item headline refers to the old Mark Twain line that golf is, "a good walk, spoiled." Well, anyone that dialed in for even a few minutes of the drama that unfolded over the weekend at Torrey Pines knows that the feelings of Mr. Twain cannot be applied to the 2008 U.S. Open. In fact, to paraphrase another of his famous lines, "the death of the golf game of Tiger Woods is greatly exaggerated."
Tiger has always been a freak of nature when it comes to golf, and he proved yet again that he is in singular company as an athlete. After all, who else takes 8 weeks off following knee surgery, and comes back to win the championship after 91 holes? You could see him grimace after many a tee shot, and anyone that has had one of their knees cut on to any degree will tell you there is no faking that pain. But the thing about Tiger is that he's not just a guy that can drive 30-50 yards further than anyone else and use that to his advantage. Sure, he does that from time to time, but what was unreal to watch was how he kept missing fairways consistently, yet still staying in the tournament. He was playing, as he described it, military golf off the tees (you know: left, right, left, right). I think I actually hit more fairways in regulation than he did, and I didn't play at all.
The thing about Tiger is actually two things: first, his incredible imagination with his shot making after getting into so many problem areas off the tee. As someone who plays golf, I have found myself off the cart path and in tall rough more times than I care to count. The thing about him that is impressive is how calm he always seems to be in these situations, and the trust he has in making the perfect shot just moments after hitting a tee shot so badly that the rest of us would just pick up and wait for the next hole.
The other thing is his sense of drama, and how cool he is with the putter. Friday's back nine, when he shot 30, was ridiculous even by Tiger's standards. The long putt he made on Saturday was incomprehensible, and the way he sank that last putt on Sunday to force the playoff was beyond description. It's like watching a super hero; every time you think there's no way he's going to get out of this one, he does.
The only problem with what Tiger did is that, with rare exceptions, there are no bad guys to root against while pulling for Tiger. Often times, it is a guy like Rocco Mediate, who you are also equally pulling for in these situations. The guy is 45, has never won a major, never even come close to winning a major, and there is no way based on his resume that he should be hanging with the best player the game has ever seen for 91 holes like that!
Yet Rocco was his ever charming self. I briefly got a chance to know him in Jacksonville when I lived there a decade ago, as he was a regular in a bar I used to work/hang at. If you don't like a Rocco Mediate, then there is something seriously wrong with you. The guy is very charming and very easy to be around. I was rooting for Tiger, but also rooting for Rocco. And that's the beauty of golf; you can root for multiple competitors at the same time. The 2008 U.S. Open will be long remembered for Rocco's valor in placing second just as much as Tiger's vigor in winning another major.
ITEM TWO: So long Willie
What the hell are the Mets doing? Last fall, as I wrote about on this blog, the Mets collapsed and failed to make the playoffs in a way that was hard to watch. But instead of firing manager Willie Randolph, they brought him back. And when things started slowly this year, they let him twist in the wind for several weeks.
Then this morning, around 3:15 AM Eastern Time, after the first game of a West Coast road trip that they won, GM Omar Minaya fired Randolph and two coaches. Which leaves me with one question:
When exactly did the souls on the Steinbrenners and Wilpons switch places?
This was a bush league move to break him off this way. Are the Mets underachieving? Yes. Was his firing a forgone conclusion? Hey, I'm 3,000 miles away and I knew they needed to make a change. Whenever I watched them, they lacked the firepower and intensity they had in 2006. It turns the Mets lost more than just the NLCS on that October night in 2006 at Shea. The team also lost their edge, and maybe it seems their soul.
How else to explain this? And then to have the Mets claim they didn't want to fire him on Father's Day is a reason they waited a day? Makes me ashamed to be a Mets fan, something that has happened in a while.
ITEM THREE: It's over tonight
I'll be brief on this one: the Celtics will win the NBA title tonight. It's obvious that the NBA wanted a Game 6, just look at how Garnett quickly got into foul trouble in Game 5. Fact is, the Lakers have only been the better team for 48 minutes in one of the five game so far. And the Celtics will come out with a lot more fire in the belly before the hometown fans tonight. Kobe has been inspiring to watch, but tonight the C's get the kill shot. I'll be back tomorrow to write more about that and other NBA thoughts, see you then...
ITEM ONE: A Great Walk, Enjoyed by all
The item headline refers to the old Mark Twain line that golf is, "a good walk, spoiled." Well, anyone that dialed in for even a few minutes of the drama that unfolded over the weekend at Torrey Pines knows that the feelings of Mr. Twain cannot be applied to the 2008 U.S. Open. In fact, to paraphrase another of his famous lines, "the death of the golf game of Tiger Woods is greatly exaggerated."
Tiger has always been a freak of nature when it comes to golf, and he proved yet again that he is in singular company as an athlete. After all, who else takes 8 weeks off following knee surgery, and comes back to win the championship after 91 holes? You could see him grimace after many a tee shot, and anyone that has had one of their knees cut on to any degree will tell you there is no faking that pain. But the thing about Tiger is that he's not just a guy that can drive 30-50 yards further than anyone else and use that to his advantage. Sure, he does that from time to time, but what was unreal to watch was how he kept missing fairways consistently, yet still staying in the tournament. He was playing, as he described it, military golf off the tees (you know: left, right, left, right). I think I actually hit more fairways in regulation than he did, and I didn't play at all.
The thing about Tiger is actually two things: first, his incredible imagination with his shot making after getting into so many problem areas off the tee. As someone who plays golf, I have found myself off the cart path and in tall rough more times than I care to count. The thing about him that is impressive is how calm he always seems to be in these situations, and the trust he has in making the perfect shot just moments after hitting a tee shot so badly that the rest of us would just pick up and wait for the next hole.
The other thing is his sense of drama, and how cool he is with the putter. Friday's back nine, when he shot 30, was ridiculous even by Tiger's standards. The long putt he made on Saturday was incomprehensible, and the way he sank that last putt on Sunday to force the playoff was beyond description. It's like watching a super hero; every time you think there's no way he's going to get out of this one, he does.
The only problem with what Tiger did is that, with rare exceptions, there are no bad guys to root against while pulling for Tiger. Often times, it is a guy like Rocco Mediate, who you are also equally pulling for in these situations. The guy is 45, has never won a major, never even come close to winning a major, and there is no way based on his resume that he should be hanging with the best player the game has ever seen for 91 holes like that!
Yet Rocco was his ever charming self. I briefly got a chance to know him in Jacksonville when I lived there a decade ago, as he was a regular in a bar I used to work/hang at. If you don't like a Rocco Mediate, then there is something seriously wrong with you. The guy is very charming and very easy to be around. I was rooting for Tiger, but also rooting for Rocco. And that's the beauty of golf; you can root for multiple competitors at the same time. The 2008 U.S. Open will be long remembered for Rocco's valor in placing second just as much as Tiger's vigor in winning another major.
ITEM TWO: So long Willie
What the hell are the Mets doing? Last fall, as I wrote about on this blog, the Mets collapsed and failed to make the playoffs in a way that was hard to watch. But instead of firing manager Willie Randolph, they brought him back. And when things started slowly this year, they let him twist in the wind for several weeks.
Then this morning, around 3:15 AM Eastern Time, after the first game of a West Coast road trip that they won, GM Omar Minaya fired Randolph and two coaches. Which leaves me with one question:
When exactly did the souls on the Steinbrenners and Wilpons switch places?
This was a bush league move to break him off this way. Are the Mets underachieving? Yes. Was his firing a forgone conclusion? Hey, I'm 3,000 miles away and I knew they needed to make a change. Whenever I watched them, they lacked the firepower and intensity they had in 2006. It turns the Mets lost more than just the NLCS on that October night in 2006 at Shea. The team also lost their edge, and maybe it seems their soul.
How else to explain this? And then to have the Mets claim they didn't want to fire him on Father's Day is a reason they waited a day? Makes me ashamed to be a Mets fan, something that has happened in a while.
ITEM THREE: It's over tonight
I'll be brief on this one: the Celtics will win the NBA title tonight. It's obvious that the NBA wanted a Game 6, just look at how Garnett quickly got into foul trouble in Game 5. Fact is, the Lakers have only been the better team for 48 minutes in one of the five game so far. And the Celtics will come out with a lot more fire in the belly before the hometown fans tonight. Kobe has been inspiring to watch, but tonight the C's get the kill shot. I'll be back tomorrow to write more about that and other NBA thoughts, see you then...
Sunday, June 8, 2008
The thrill of a brilliant career, and the agony over his passing
If you are any kind of a sports fan, or old enough to have watched any Olympics coverage back when it was on ABC, or any episode of the great Wide World of Sports television series, or just a fan of someone with a way of words, then like me and millions others you are feeling a sense of sadness and remorse.
The great Jim McKay has died. And so too, I fear, has some of the dignity and credibility of sports journalism as an industry.
I never knew him, never got the chance to meet him, never got the chance to ask him about any of the thousands of places he was able to visit as he brought the obscure and the unchartered areas of sports. And certainly that is my loss. I'm not related to him in any way shape or form, and I'm not friends with anyone who is.
Yet it feels like a part of my family died. Perhaps that is one of the many great qualities that he possessed as a television host and reporter. He wasn't talking to camera in a clinical and antiseptic way, and he wasn't announcing. He made it seem as if he was not only engaged in a singular conversation with the viewer, but his prolific writing ability made you feel smarter just for having listened to his use of the language as art as much as description.
I was only 4 years old in 1972, so I have no memory of his signature moment when he anchored ABC's coverage of the Israeli hostage crisis during the Olympics in Munich. I remember a few years ago watching a documentary film called Our Greatest Hopes, Our Worst Fears. It detailed everything about that horrible day when the terrorist group Black September took those athletes hostage and wound up killing them. For someone who had only learned about it as part of history, it was riveting to watch, and particularly riveting was watching McKay's coverage of it.
The moment he stated, "My father used to say our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized. Well tonight, our worst fears have been realized... two were killed yesterday morning in their rooms, nine were killed at the airport tonight... they're all gone." That was the moment that sports lost its innocence. That was the moment that should have signaled a worldwide preparation for terror acts that have followed, but strangely enough has become just a footnote. And from seeing the coverage of McKay's coverage of that fateful day this weekend during the career retrospectives makes me appreciate all the more what a true talent and true humanitarian he was.
I learned this weekend that shortly after that event, none other than Walter Cronkite himself sent McKay a telegram that simply read, "Today you honored yourself, your network and your industry."
Of course, there was much more to McKay than just that transcending event in Munich, and for a lot of people my age and older, he was the face and voice of the Olympics, the triple crown races, the Indy 500, and of course, Wide World. And the fact is that even those younger than me who may not remember him covering the many figure skating events at the winter games, or the gymnastics events at the summer games, or any of his other television appearances at ABC's major golf championship tournament coverage over the years, still know of him through that wonderfully written Wide World opening:
"Spanning the globe, to bring you the constant variety of sports... the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition... this is ABC's Wide World of Sports."
And perhaps the bigger reason for this lamenting is the fact that as I look around the sports television landscape, in this era of catchphrases, corporate sponsor promotional tie-ins, and short-attention span highlight packages, there are fewer and fewer sports journalists. This makes his passing all the more sobering.
The great Jim McKay has died. And so too, I fear, has some of the dignity and credibility of sports journalism as an industry.
I never knew him, never got the chance to meet him, never got the chance to ask him about any of the thousands of places he was able to visit as he brought the obscure and the unchartered areas of sports. And certainly that is my loss. I'm not related to him in any way shape or form, and I'm not friends with anyone who is.
Yet it feels like a part of my family died. Perhaps that is one of the many great qualities that he possessed as a television host and reporter. He wasn't talking to camera in a clinical and antiseptic way, and he wasn't announcing. He made it seem as if he was not only engaged in a singular conversation with the viewer, but his prolific writing ability made you feel smarter just for having listened to his use of the language as art as much as description.
I was only 4 years old in 1972, so I have no memory of his signature moment when he anchored ABC's coverage of the Israeli hostage crisis during the Olympics in Munich. I remember a few years ago watching a documentary film called Our Greatest Hopes, Our Worst Fears. It detailed everything about that horrible day when the terrorist group Black September took those athletes hostage and wound up killing them. For someone who had only learned about it as part of history, it was riveting to watch, and particularly riveting was watching McKay's coverage of it.
The moment he stated, "My father used to say our greatest hopes and our worst fears are seldom realized. Well tonight, our worst fears have been realized... two were killed yesterday morning in their rooms, nine were killed at the airport tonight... they're all gone." That was the moment that sports lost its innocence. That was the moment that should have signaled a worldwide preparation for terror acts that have followed, but strangely enough has become just a footnote. And from seeing the coverage of McKay's coverage of that fateful day this weekend during the career retrospectives makes me appreciate all the more what a true talent and true humanitarian he was.
I learned this weekend that shortly after that event, none other than Walter Cronkite himself sent McKay a telegram that simply read, "Today you honored yourself, your network and your industry."
Of course, there was much more to McKay than just that transcending event in Munich, and for a lot of people my age and older, he was the face and voice of the Olympics, the triple crown races, the Indy 500, and of course, Wide World. And the fact is that even those younger than me who may not remember him covering the many figure skating events at the winter games, or the gymnastics events at the summer games, or any of his other television appearances at ABC's major golf championship tournament coverage over the years, still know of him through that wonderfully written Wide World opening:
"Spanning the globe, to bring you the constant variety of sports... the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition... this is ABC's Wide World of Sports."
And perhaps the bigger reason for this lamenting is the fact that as I look around the sports television landscape, in this era of catchphrases, corporate sponsor promotional tie-ins, and short-attention span highlight packages, there are fewer and fewer sports journalists. This makes his passing all the more sobering.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
How to Get a Girl in 45 Days
For the last month and a half, there has been a competition to see who will join the great Lon Harris as the new co-host for Mahalo Daily.
And then there were two: Leah D'Emilio and Andrea Rene.
For those that don't know, Mahalo Daily is a daily podcast that began last fall. It was originally hosted by Veronica Belmont. It featured a lot of tech stuff, a lot of how-to episodes inspired by articles written by the Mahalo "How To" team, included a week-plus of episodes from the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, interviews with the likes of Crispin Glover, Stan Lee, Tay Zonday, and Barry Williams, and other subjects off the beaten path.
Still, and I say this with some partiality, the best of these episodes were ones that had the sketch-comedy angle to them. These would include, in no specific order of enjoyment, the I'm Gonna Git You Spamma by Lon Harris, the Speaking French episode written by Jonathan Harris, the Love Song/Flirting duo of episodes written by Evan Brown, the Proper Engagement Proposal episode written by Nicole Gustas, and of course, Watching Football as a Couple by yours truly.
Well, come Thursday, to quote Gerald Ford after he took over for Richard Nixon, "...our national nightmare is finally over." Mahalo Daily - Held Hostage: the siege is coming to an end. While it could be argued that some aspects of the 45 day 'ordeal' have been drawn out longer than needed, it has provided some entertaining moments. Anyone doubting Lon's ability to carry the water need only look at his body of work he has produced during this time to know that he can handle his business.
So, who's it gonna be? Well, to tell you before it becomes official on Thursday would be a violation of the 45-person pinky swearing ceremony we just took part in today. The MD crew was recently at the Spike TV Guy Awards, which meant a visit to the Playboy Mansion (no, I don't know if fellow Pascack Hills alum Bill Maher was there or not), and the crew got the opinion of several celebrities about the final two contestants for the co-hosting gig. Check out those comments here.
As for who I think should host, all I'll say is this: (A) They didn't ask me to make the selection, or I would have recruited my buddy Tina Cervasio to come out here; (B) of those who actually auditioned, from day one I thought it would be one of the two finalists, and from what I've seen of them to this point, either of them would be an excellent choice.
As for who it is, I know... but I'm not gonna tell...
***ADDED IN ON JUNE 5: BREAKING NEWS! Congratulations to Leah D'Emilio for winning the contest and becoming the new co-host on Mahalo Daily!***
BTW, I originally recruited Cervasio to be on North Jersey Sports Showcase in 2004, the weekly high school sports program I wrote and helped produce, but she got a full-time gig at CBS 2 in New York. So she became a special correspondent, and you can check out her appearance in our 'Friday Night Lights' episode by clicking here.
And then there were two: Leah D'Emilio and Andrea Rene.
For those that don't know, Mahalo Daily is a daily podcast that began last fall. It was originally hosted by Veronica Belmont. It featured a lot of tech stuff, a lot of how-to episodes inspired by articles written by the Mahalo "How To" team, included a week-plus of episodes from the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, interviews with the likes of Crispin Glover, Stan Lee, Tay Zonday, and Barry Williams, and other subjects off the beaten path.
Still, and I say this with some partiality, the best of these episodes were ones that had the sketch-comedy angle to them. These would include, in no specific order of enjoyment, the I'm Gonna Git You Spamma by Lon Harris, the Speaking French episode written by Jonathan Harris, the Love Song/Flirting duo of episodes written by Evan Brown, the Proper Engagement Proposal episode written by Nicole Gustas, and of course, Watching Football as a Couple by yours truly.
Well, come Thursday, to quote Gerald Ford after he took over for Richard Nixon, "...our national nightmare is finally over." Mahalo Daily - Held Hostage: the siege is coming to an end. While it could be argued that some aspects of the 45 day 'ordeal' have been drawn out longer than needed, it has provided some entertaining moments. Anyone doubting Lon's ability to carry the water need only look at his body of work he has produced during this time to know that he can handle his business.
So, who's it gonna be? Well, to tell you before it becomes official on Thursday would be a violation of the 45-person pinky swearing ceremony we just took part in today. The MD crew was recently at the Spike TV Guy Awards, which meant a visit to the Playboy Mansion (no, I don't know if fellow Pascack Hills alum Bill Maher was there or not), and the crew got the opinion of several celebrities about the final two contestants for the co-hosting gig. Check out those comments here.
As for who I think should host, all I'll say is this: (A) They didn't ask me to make the selection, or I would have recruited my buddy Tina Cervasio to come out here; (B) of those who actually auditioned, from day one I thought it would be one of the two finalists, and from what I've seen of them to this point, either of them would be an excellent choice.
As for who it is, I know... but I'm not gonna tell...
***ADDED IN ON JUNE 5: BREAKING NEWS! Congratulations to Leah D'Emilio for winning the contest and becoming the new co-host on Mahalo Daily!***
BTW, I originally recruited Cervasio to be on North Jersey Sports Showcase in 2004, the weekly high school sports program I wrote and helped produce, but she got a full-time gig at CBS 2 in New York. So she became a special correspondent, and you can check out her appearance in our 'Friday Night Lights' episode by clicking here.
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Umpire Strikes Back
It may only be the beginning of June, and for most pro baseball fans it means only reaching the 1/3 mark of the season, but for me baseball season is coming to a close. Little League baseball season, that is.
Some of you may know that I am a little league baseball umpire here in Santa Monica. I've been awarded the very prestigious honor of being assigned to work home plate this coming Saturday in the 'Minors AAA' level city championship game. The game will be televised on local Santa Monica public access, and while it means I thankfully won't have Tim McCarver second-guessing my calls, it means I need to be sharp.
I first started umpiring games when I was a teenager back in Montvale. One of my childhood friends, Greg Pek, and I were two of the five kids in town that answered the call for umpiring games. We went through 5 Monday nights of learning the rulebook and getting approved, and made $10 a game. Now that may not seem like a lot, but when you are 13 years old and can work six games in a week, $60 is a lot of cash.
A few years ago, Greg, who now runs a local northern New Jersey umpire association that provides officials for just about every Bergen County town, asked me if I wanted to get back on the field. Since I don't play competitive sports anymore for a variety of reasons, it seemed like a great idea to get some exercise, and make a little pocket change.
What I didn't anticipate was how much I would actually enjoy working with the kids playing the game. That continued when I moved out here last year, as I worked the fall league schedule of Saturday games here in Santa Monica. Then this spring, I was afforded the opportunity to work a number of games, primarily with kids aged 8-10.
I am very fond of this because the kids are at that age when they haven't yet developed any bad habits, and they are willing to listen and learn how to play the game correctly. It's really rewarding to have been a part of the league this year because I've seen the development of many of these kids, and the improvement has been very satisfying for me to witness first hand.
I'm also very fortunate to be in the Santa Monica league because of how receptive these kids are, which is a direct correlation to how their parents are raising them. You know so often we hear stories about kids that aren't respectful of adults, and that this is because these kids come from homes where the parent(s) do not have a handle on the kids, or are even a part of raising the kids the way they should. Which is why it is such a great privilege for me to work in this league.
Sure, every once in a while I'll take a foul ball on the arm or leg that will sting for a little while. Sure, every once in a while there will be a 'heated discussion' about a rules interpretation with a coach (which lasts about 1 minute, then quickly dies down), but the other 99% of the experience allows me to overcome those fleeting moments of annoyance.
The great thing about the level of kids I'm working with is that I'm as much an extra coach as I am an official. A lot of times during the regular season games, I would stop the game to try and educate someone on something they might have done incorrectly so that they can learn from it. More often than not, I'm as much an extra cheer leader as I am an official, always showing encouragement through positive reinforcement. I've also been very fortunate with the fact that my full-time employers have allowed for flexibility in my schedule to handle the many game assignments that have come up in the last three months.
And on Saturday, it'll all come down to one last game for me. Each of the 12 teams in the league are named for major league teams, wearing officially licensed uniforms to be sure. So when the Yankees face the Giants (in a "Mike & the Mad Dog Championship Game") this Saturday, it will be bitter sweet for me to see the season come to an end. But not to worry, fall ball is only three months away. Play ball!
Some of you may know that I am a little league baseball umpire here in Santa Monica. I've been awarded the very prestigious honor of being assigned to work home plate this coming Saturday in the 'Minors AAA' level city championship game. The game will be televised on local Santa Monica public access, and while it means I thankfully won't have Tim McCarver second-guessing my calls, it means I need to be sharp.
I first started umpiring games when I was a teenager back in Montvale. One of my childhood friends, Greg Pek, and I were two of the five kids in town that answered the call for umpiring games. We went through 5 Monday nights of learning the rulebook and getting approved, and made $10 a game. Now that may not seem like a lot, but when you are 13 years old and can work six games in a week, $60 is a lot of cash.
A few years ago, Greg, who now runs a local northern New Jersey umpire association that provides officials for just about every Bergen County town, asked me if I wanted to get back on the field. Since I don't play competitive sports anymore for a variety of reasons, it seemed like a great idea to get some exercise, and make a little pocket change.
What I didn't anticipate was how much I would actually enjoy working with the kids playing the game. That continued when I moved out here last year, as I worked the fall league schedule of Saturday games here in Santa Monica. Then this spring, I was afforded the opportunity to work a number of games, primarily with kids aged 8-10.
I am very fond of this because the kids are at that age when they haven't yet developed any bad habits, and they are willing to listen and learn how to play the game correctly. It's really rewarding to have been a part of the league this year because I've seen the development of many of these kids, and the improvement has been very satisfying for me to witness first hand.
I'm also very fortunate to be in the Santa Monica league because of how receptive these kids are, which is a direct correlation to how their parents are raising them. You know so often we hear stories about kids that aren't respectful of adults, and that this is because these kids come from homes where the parent(s) do not have a handle on the kids, or are even a part of raising the kids the way they should. Which is why it is such a great privilege for me to work in this league.
Sure, every once in a while I'll take a foul ball on the arm or leg that will sting for a little while. Sure, every once in a while there will be a 'heated discussion' about a rules interpretation with a coach (which lasts about 1 minute, then quickly dies down), but the other 99% of the experience allows me to overcome those fleeting moments of annoyance.
The great thing about the level of kids I'm working with is that I'm as much an extra coach as I am an official. A lot of times during the regular season games, I would stop the game to try and educate someone on something they might have done incorrectly so that they can learn from it. More often than not, I'm as much an extra cheer leader as I am an official, always showing encouragement through positive reinforcement. I've also been very fortunate with the fact that my full-time employers have allowed for flexibility in my schedule to handle the many game assignments that have come up in the last three months.
And on Saturday, it'll all come down to one last game for me. Each of the 12 teams in the league are named for major league teams, wearing officially licensed uniforms to be sure. So when the Yankees face the Giants (in a "Mike & the Mad Dog Championship Game") this Saturday, it will be bitter sweet for me to see the season come to an end. But not to worry, fall ball is only three months away. Play ball!
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