Ok, I will admit, I have become more and more of a cynic as time has gone on. When I was young, I would take everything at face value, but not anymore.
Somehow, and for the life of me, I don't know how this happened, but on my Saturday show on WFAD in Middlebury, I got into the topic of the obese. As we all know, this society is starting to explode. More and more, I see these massive people raiding the grocery stores of chips, dip, and anything that says "HIGH in fat!!!" Why is it that these lazy people feel they must clog their arteries, cause potholes from walking, and deplete the financial resources of insurance companies? Yes piggies, your fat costs us money. Things like diabetes, heart disease, blown knees, (Hey, I am a skinny former athlete, so we can't go there with my blown wheel.) and every other disease we can attribute to being fat costs us money!! Now, why are we like this? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm......
1) We are a society who thinks we should be catered to, and we can do what we want. We can now order pizza from our remote controls, there are recliners that have refrigerators, and the thought of actually walking to the store makes us want another donut. We are lazy slobs!!!!! Walk to the stinking fridge or if you need to go two blocks to the store to get Twinkies, WALK!!! I see so many people who will get in their cars for that two block trip, drive around for a parking spot for 20 minutes, and then get a motorized cart to wheel themselves around the store because walking may actually get some blood flowing. Give me a break......
2) We love being slobs. Food is a symbol of something in this society. Just listen to the ads on ESPN Radio. There is one ad that focuses on salty food and hot dogs as a reason to enjoy a football game. Oh yeah, that is why I watch football, it is an excuse to eat!! Forget the game, forget hanging out with people, it is for the pretzles, pizza, burgers and beer. GAG!!!!!!!!
Lay off the freaking donuts and go for a walk dammit!!! It may hurt for awhile, but it is good for you!! Exercise off those balls of gooey fat, but don't eat chips while doing it. It KILLS me that I can't exercise as much as I used to because of my darn knee. I love walking with my wife, playing softball, and getting out. I go insane because the best I can do are knee bends for physical therapy without feeling like my knee will explode like an atom bomb. Exercise is good!! My cholesterol is a buck 65, resting heartrate is 58, and I will be like the rest of the family and live to be 95. Yes, I eat Burger King before I do play by play or color for a game, but it is my ritual, I do it once a week, but to serve my penance, I park at the OPPOSITE end of the parking lot and walk to the field. Oh yeah, I also do a lap around the field when the knee lets me.
Can you tell I am sick of fat people? They make me gag, vomit, etc. It is so bad nowadays that there is a woman in Florida who sued a hospital because after she had her stomach stapled, she raided the fridge in the nurses station. She sued because they did not lock the fridge and could therefore eat to her heart's content. Oh yeah, her staples broke. THE CHIPS MADE ME DO IT!!!! THEY CALLED ME!!!!! IT IS THE HOSPITAL'S FAULT I HAVE NO &#%ING SELF CONTROL!!! My point is, these people can't even blame themselves for being fat slobs, they have to blame others.
I am going back to my couch, game, and ice bag now. I walked around the fair yesterday for four hours and the knee is telling me how much of a moron I am. Why did I do it? I am stubborn, stupid, and needed the exercise. The latter of the three was a good thing though. Fresh air is always a beautiful thing. As a side note, someone at the fair saw me dragging the knee from hell around and offered me a wheelchair. I wouldn't take it and started laughing because I saw a 500 pound thing in a wheelchair because they were so fat. The conversation I overheard was "I'm hungry, I need a blooming onion."........
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Friday, September 01, 2006
What used to be my pet project......
As some of you know, I have been involved with the ALS Association of Northern New England for the last couple of years. My involvment came following the diagnosis of, and subsequent death of my Uncle Hal. Last year, we raised over $35,000 for patient services and research, but this year there has been NOTHING!! Nada, zip, zilch, and squat. This is an organization right now that is a total and complete disaster.
It all started when our development director Tonia Zampieri left. Tonia was dedicated, talented, and simply amazing. Since her departure, the state of Vermont has been neglected and ignored. From November until May, we did not have a development director. The office moved to New Hampshire, and no one was notified of the change. Many of us made phone calls trying to get the walk efforts started, and no one could be bothered to tell us what was going on with the office, and no one could be bothered to even return our phone calls.
When the new development director came on, we thought there would be progress; well, there wasn't. This was not Karen's fault. She came in to the job six months behind in development, had a mountain to over come, and did everything in her power to try to get something going. Well, because the organization wouldn't even kick out $200.00 for a walk kickoff, wouldn't help with publicizing the event, and seemed to be sitting on their hands wishing the state would seceed and become part of Canada, she resigned. Karen did everything she could to work towards getting a Burlington walk going, but she received no help, no information, and no support from her administration.
When Karen told us(the volunteers) what was going on, I sent an e-mail along to Executive Director Joanne Saint Pierre, and other members of the board of directors. Four days ago she finally bothered to get back to one of the volunteers and claimed she e-mailed the rest of us. Well, none of us received the e-mail. Either she doesn't know how to use the computer, or she is lying. From what I have seen and heard, I believe the latter of the two.
There is horrendous mis-management going on in this organization, and those who suffer from ALS are suffering for it. There isn't a cent being raised in this state for patient services and no one seems to care. I sent a rather nasty e-mail back to Joanne and expect to hear from her again in six months. This is not the way a non-profit should be run, and I would do backflips if something changed within the organization. Until it does, I will not do a thing in support of the ALS Association. I am also investigating to see what else is really going on there. This is a mission of mine since my uncle was very near and dear to me, and my family. These people are learning one thing, don't make me mad.
It all started when our development director Tonia Zampieri left. Tonia was dedicated, talented, and simply amazing. Since her departure, the state of Vermont has been neglected and ignored. From November until May, we did not have a development director. The office moved to New Hampshire, and no one was notified of the change. Many of us made phone calls trying to get the walk efforts started, and no one could be bothered to tell us what was going on with the office, and no one could be bothered to even return our phone calls.
When the new development director came on, we thought there would be progress; well, there wasn't. This was not Karen's fault. She came in to the job six months behind in development, had a mountain to over come, and did everything in her power to try to get something going. Well, because the organization wouldn't even kick out $200.00 for a walk kickoff, wouldn't help with publicizing the event, and seemed to be sitting on their hands wishing the state would seceed and become part of Canada, she resigned. Karen did everything she could to work towards getting a Burlington walk going, but she received no help, no information, and no support from her administration.
When Karen told us(the volunteers) what was going on, I sent an e-mail along to Executive Director Joanne Saint Pierre, and other members of the board of directors. Four days ago she finally bothered to get back to one of the volunteers and claimed she e-mailed the rest of us. Well, none of us received the e-mail. Either she doesn't know how to use the computer, or she is lying. From what I have seen and heard, I believe the latter of the two.
There is horrendous mis-management going on in this organization, and those who suffer from ALS are suffering for it. There isn't a cent being raised in this state for patient services and no one seems to care. I sent a rather nasty e-mail back to Joanne and expect to hear from her again in six months. This is not the way a non-profit should be run, and I would do backflips if something changed within the organization. Until it does, I will not do a thing in support of the ALS Association. I am also investigating to see what else is really going on there. This is a mission of mine since my uncle was very near and dear to me, and my family. These people are learning one thing, don't make me mad.
Friday, August 25, 2006
The Essex Shootings
Needless to say, yesterday was not a good day in our community. The shootings yesterday in Essex have the area, and myself in a total state of shock. This is something that just doesn't happen in our area, but now it has.
I heard about the shootings while doing my usual prep work for the Ice Storm game, and my Sox show down in Middlebury. When I heard about them, reporter mode kicked in and I booked it down to the scene to do reports for WVAA. The scene itself was chaos, but organized chaos. The police had the situation under control, but there was still so much confusion, and so much information coming in, it was just staggering. This was my first shooting as a reporter, and I never want to have to cover another one for as long as I live.
What still has me in shock was when one of the witnesses to the shooting found out her sister in law was one of the dead. We were all talking to this woman before she found out, just trying to get some information as to what happened, and found out that she had not heard word on her. The police pulled her aside, we thought to get her away from us, but the reality was that she was being told her sister in law was one of the dead. When we heard the screams, we knew exactly what she was told, no one had to tell us. When I say that every hair on my body was standing up straight would be an understatement. Those are screams I think I will be hearing for a long, long time to come.
As a reporter you have to keep your professional distance so you can be objective about a situation. When you leave the scene of an incident like this, the reality of what you have seen kicks in. This was a horrible incident, something I hope no one ever has to go through. I haven't gotten those images out of my head yet, and I don't think I will for awhile.
I heard about the shootings while doing my usual prep work for the Ice Storm game, and my Sox show down in Middlebury. When I heard about them, reporter mode kicked in and I booked it down to the scene to do reports for WVAA. The scene itself was chaos, but organized chaos. The police had the situation under control, but there was still so much confusion, and so much information coming in, it was just staggering. This was my first shooting as a reporter, and I never want to have to cover another one for as long as I live.
What still has me in shock was when one of the witnesses to the shooting found out her sister in law was one of the dead. We were all talking to this woman before she found out, just trying to get some information as to what happened, and found out that she had not heard word on her. The police pulled her aside, we thought to get her away from us, but the reality was that she was being told her sister in law was one of the dead. When we heard the screams, we knew exactly what she was told, no one had to tell us. When I say that every hair on my body was standing up straight would be an understatement. Those are screams I think I will be hearing for a long, long time to come.
As a reporter you have to keep your professional distance so you can be objective about a situation. When you leave the scene of an incident like this, the reality of what you have seen kicks in. This was a horrible incident, something I hope no one ever has to go through. I haven't gotten those images out of my head yet, and I don't think I will for awhile.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Yeah, yeah, I am actually alive.....
Yes, I am alive, so the reports of my demise just aren't accurate. Baseball season has had me going out of my little mind, and with football season fast approaching, there hasn't been much time for a life. By the way, for the liberal folk out there, Air America has moved to AM 1070 with ESPN going 24 hours and is now on AM 1390. ESPN 1390 will have coverage of high school football on Friday nights, along with Saint Michael's College basketball and hockey. We are working on the high school schedule for both sports, so stay tuned for that.
Speaking of football, there has been football going on in Burlington, but not many people seem to know about it. The Vermont Ice Storm of the semi-pro Empire football league are in first place in the Northern Division of the EFL. The team is made up of about 50 guys, none of them are actually paid. The reality is these guys actually pay to play, and are hanging on to their football careers, and in some cases are looking for a college scholarship.
Let's see here, their coach is a college professor, and quarterback Brad Ruderman is a freaking engineer. Yes, the guy has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and is still playing football. Austin Partain is a nutsoid wide receiver who was born without the ability to be fearful of anything. Austin can not only run around tackles and make DB's go into therapy for all the times he makes them miss, he goes right through guys. At 5'8/160, I have seen him go through 260 pound linebackers without a scratch. Guys like Jason Young, Kevin Mattot, and the ageless Troy Canada, who at 40 hasn't lost a step, make it look like running the West Coast offense as easy as putting on your shoes in the morning. By the way, Troy isn't a guy who is just playing football, he is going for his freaking PHD.
These are good, solid ballplayers, but world class guys as well. This is a group of guys who bust their tails on the field, work regular jobs, but still find the time to go out in the community and make a difference. Defensive Tackle Pierre Cotton coaches basketball in the Old North End, and is a caseworker for the state. When I mentioned I was working on a benefit for one of the kids I have coached who has Hodgkins Disease, he offered to do anything he could to help. Many of the guys go out and work with basketball teams, football teams, and the Special Olympics. Forget working 40 hours a week, and going to practice, their attitude is they need to make a difference in the world. Why don't the guys who make a gazillion dollars a year have this attitude?
Oh yeah, they play good football too. A few weeks ago they took on Lake City, and it was a game for the ages. 37-31 in overtime, and for a football fan, it couldn't have gotten much better. Back and forth, back and forth, and a chess match between the coaches that was just incredible. Ruderman threw for three scores and then ran for two more. (His first two carries of the YEAR, and he scores on both of them.) The last score in regulation was a four yard Ruderman scramble with 30 seconds to go. Overtime was theirs. Eight plays, 73 yards in about two minutes, and it was time to head to Franny O's for the post game party.
This week, the Ice Storm take on Ottawa. If they win, they go to the playoffs with their seeding to be determined. The last regular season game of the year is in Plattsburgh for a rematch against Lake City in what should be a classic. This week is at home against Ottawa at Colchester High School, game time is at 7:30. Get there early, these guys normally fill the joint, but there is always room for more.
Speaking of football, there has been football going on in Burlington, but not many people seem to know about it. The Vermont Ice Storm of the semi-pro Empire football league are in first place in the Northern Division of the EFL. The team is made up of about 50 guys, none of them are actually paid. The reality is these guys actually pay to play, and are hanging on to their football careers, and in some cases are looking for a college scholarship.
Let's see here, their coach is a college professor, and quarterback Brad Ruderman is a freaking engineer. Yes, the guy has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and is still playing football. Austin Partain is a nutsoid wide receiver who was born without the ability to be fearful of anything. Austin can not only run around tackles and make DB's go into therapy for all the times he makes them miss, he goes right through guys. At 5'8/160, I have seen him go through 260 pound linebackers without a scratch. Guys like Jason Young, Kevin Mattot, and the ageless Troy Canada, who at 40 hasn't lost a step, make it look like running the West Coast offense as easy as putting on your shoes in the morning. By the way, Troy isn't a guy who is just playing football, he is going for his freaking PHD.
These are good, solid ballplayers, but world class guys as well. This is a group of guys who bust their tails on the field, work regular jobs, but still find the time to go out in the community and make a difference. Defensive Tackle Pierre Cotton coaches basketball in the Old North End, and is a caseworker for the state. When I mentioned I was working on a benefit for one of the kids I have coached who has Hodgkins Disease, he offered to do anything he could to help. Many of the guys go out and work with basketball teams, football teams, and the Special Olympics. Forget working 40 hours a week, and going to practice, their attitude is they need to make a difference in the world. Why don't the guys who make a gazillion dollars a year have this attitude?
Oh yeah, they play good football too. A few weeks ago they took on Lake City, and it was a game for the ages. 37-31 in overtime, and for a football fan, it couldn't have gotten much better. Back and forth, back and forth, and a chess match between the coaches that was just incredible. Ruderman threw for three scores and then ran for two more. (His first two carries of the YEAR, and he scores on both of them.) The last score in regulation was a four yard Ruderman scramble with 30 seconds to go. Overtime was theirs. Eight plays, 73 yards in about two minutes, and it was time to head to Franny O's for the post game party.
This week, the Ice Storm take on Ottawa. If they win, they go to the playoffs with their seeding to be determined. The last regular season game of the year is in Plattsburgh for a rematch against Lake City in what should be a classic. This week is at home against Ottawa at Colchester High School, game time is at 7:30. Get there early, these guys normally fill the joint, but there is always room for more.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
The Vicarious Life of a Sportswriter/Sportscaster
The Vicarious Life of a Sportswriter
The night started off simply enough. I headed to Colchester on Saturday night to do a rehearsal of sorts for WVAA’s broadcasts of the Vermont Ice Storm of the Empire Football League. Well, the boss called and told me he was sick, and the press box didn’t have a phone line, so we couldn’t test the equipment anyway, so I needed something to do while I was scouting the team. When I heard Linda, the team’s Game Day Operations Coordinator yell, “Hey Chris!!!”, I knew she would put me to work.
The task Linda asked me to do was to be a member of the “chain gang”, the guys who hold the first down yard markers. Ok, this seemed easy enough, hold up a stick and move ten yards when there is a first down or change of possession. I figured even a sportscaster/sportswriter could do this without much of a problem, so with the shot to have the best seat in the house, I readily agreed.
As I should have known, there is much more to this than it appears. I talked to the guys who would be with me for the game. As I had to get ready to do this in about two seconds flat, I couldn’t grab paper and a pen, so I am basically making up these guy’s names. The guy carrying the down marker is Pete, a longtime coach at Mount Abe and Otter Valley. Pete’s first piece of advice to me was, “Watch the guy with the white hat. When he signals first down, we move. Also, when you are the lead guy(where the original line of scrimmage is), place the stick right behind where I put the down marker. If you don’t someone can get hurt. Secondly, the guys on the opposing teams can be real jerks. One time when we were playing Worcester(MA), the game got so nasty, and the Worcester players were so rowdy, that with 30 seconds to go in the game, the officials told us to get off the field. The players were yelling at us, cursing the Ice Storm, etc, so they didn’t want us to get hurt. Once the final gun went off, everyone was fine, but that tells you how heated these games get.”
The man I will call “Coach” was a goateed individual with a wicked sense of humor. When I asked him what to do when a player came at you, he simply said, “Run and don’t get killed. Make sure you run AWAY from the field, and watch out, you might trip over one of the guys, and with as tiny as you are, we may need a coroner.” (I am a massive five foot eight and weigh in at a buck fifty.) Coach told me he had been taken out more than once by a player. He told me he was watching the ball carrier coming near the sidelines, and he was about four yards away, so no big deal, right? Well, a defender came flying right at him and Coach didn’t have a prayer and got taken out. He wasn’t hurt, but needless to say, I had one more thing to watch for.
The game got underway at around 6:30, and this was the Ice Storm’s first pre-season game before they start the league season against Saint Lawrence Valley. The Ice Storm play in the highest level of semi-pro football and are not paid a cent; in fact, they pay a hundred bucks a season to play. These guys practice twice a week, and hold regular jobs, so they are playing for the fun of the game. Coach told me this is a great way for the guys who are younger to keep sharp, and maybe they will get a shot at a college scholarship, or be able to play Arena ball, or head to Canada to play in the CFL.
Again, this whole holding the chains thing seemed easy, but of course I was wrong. You have to watch the ref and the linesman, keep up with the guy at the other end when a first down is made, you are keeping track of the players to make sure some 290 pound monster doesn’t turn you into compost, and are also making sure you are paying attention enough to know when to move and when not to move. I pulled about three different brain cramps in the first five minutes of the game when I didn’t set the post right, and then stopped about 20 yards away from where I should have after a Seacoast first down. “Stripes”(The linesman), then yapped, “Hey sportswriter, don’t they teach counting in journalism school?” When I yelled, “I was a social work major!!”, he just shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to throw a flag for a false start. The guy who got called for the penalty delivered the line of the night when he said, “I didn’t move!! I just moved my hand!!”
Thankfully I only made a couple of mistakes for the rest of the game, so I was able to enjoy the relentless amount of harassment I was getting from Pete, Coach, and Stripes. Stripes was just hysterical in his relentless barbs, and his explanations to coaches about calls. In the second quarter, Coach told me I was officially baptized as a member of the chain gang. On a Seacoast sweep to our side, I had three guys who hadn’t missed a meal in 30 years coming straight at me. I dropped my stick, moved back, and then almost got taken out by another defensive player coming in at about 200 miles an hour. I swear, if I would have moved three inches to the other side, I would have been in the hospital with multiple fractures and contusions. Of course, the guys were laughing hysterically, and Coach said, “I told you to watch the entire play!!” By the way, you are now an official member of the chain gang; you almost got killed.”
The Ice Storm ended up losing the game 21-18, but thankfully it was only a pre-season contest. With about three minutes to go in the game, Stripes asked me what I was going to title the article. I shrugged my shoulders and tossed some weak ideas out there, when he gave me the title. When I laughed, he said, “Hey, you are doing something most of you pansies don’t do.” Thanks for the title Stripes, and you had better be reading this thing or I will never let you blow a call without eternal grief ever again.
The night started off simply enough. I headed to Colchester on Saturday night to do a rehearsal of sorts for WVAA’s broadcasts of the Vermont Ice Storm of the Empire Football League. Well, the boss called and told me he was sick, and the press box didn’t have a phone line, so we couldn’t test the equipment anyway, so I needed something to do while I was scouting the team. When I heard Linda, the team’s Game Day Operations Coordinator yell, “Hey Chris!!!”, I knew she would put me to work.
The task Linda asked me to do was to be a member of the “chain gang”, the guys who hold the first down yard markers. Ok, this seemed easy enough, hold up a stick and move ten yards when there is a first down or change of possession. I figured even a sportscaster/sportswriter could do this without much of a problem, so with the shot to have the best seat in the house, I readily agreed.
As I should have known, there is much more to this than it appears. I talked to the guys who would be with me for the game. As I had to get ready to do this in about two seconds flat, I couldn’t grab paper and a pen, so I am basically making up these guy’s names. The guy carrying the down marker is Pete, a longtime coach at Mount Abe and Otter Valley. Pete’s first piece of advice to me was, “Watch the guy with the white hat. When he signals first down, we move. Also, when you are the lead guy(where the original line of scrimmage is), place the stick right behind where I put the down marker. If you don’t someone can get hurt. Secondly, the guys on the opposing teams can be real jerks. One time when we were playing Worcester(MA), the game got so nasty, and the Worcester players were so rowdy, that with 30 seconds to go in the game, the officials told us to get off the field. The players were yelling at us, cursing the Ice Storm, etc, so they didn’t want us to get hurt. Once the final gun went off, everyone was fine, but that tells you how heated these games get.”
The man I will call “Coach” was a goateed individual with a wicked sense of humor. When I asked him what to do when a player came at you, he simply said, “Run and don’t get killed. Make sure you run AWAY from the field, and watch out, you might trip over one of the guys, and with as tiny as you are, we may need a coroner.” (I am a massive five foot eight and weigh in at a buck fifty.) Coach told me he had been taken out more than once by a player. He told me he was watching the ball carrier coming near the sidelines, and he was about four yards away, so no big deal, right? Well, a defender came flying right at him and Coach didn’t have a prayer and got taken out. He wasn’t hurt, but needless to say, I had one more thing to watch for.
The game got underway at around 6:30, and this was the Ice Storm’s first pre-season game before they start the league season against Saint Lawrence Valley. The Ice Storm play in the highest level of semi-pro football and are not paid a cent; in fact, they pay a hundred bucks a season to play. These guys practice twice a week, and hold regular jobs, so they are playing for the fun of the game. Coach told me this is a great way for the guys who are younger to keep sharp, and maybe they will get a shot at a college scholarship, or be able to play Arena ball, or head to Canada to play in the CFL.
Again, this whole holding the chains thing seemed easy, but of course I was wrong. You have to watch the ref and the linesman, keep up with the guy at the other end when a first down is made, you are keeping track of the players to make sure some 290 pound monster doesn’t turn you into compost, and are also making sure you are paying attention enough to know when to move and when not to move. I pulled about three different brain cramps in the first five minutes of the game when I didn’t set the post right, and then stopped about 20 yards away from where I should have after a Seacoast first down. “Stripes”(The linesman), then yapped, “Hey sportswriter, don’t they teach counting in journalism school?” When I yelled, “I was a social work major!!”, he just shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to throw a flag for a false start. The guy who got called for the penalty delivered the line of the night when he said, “I didn’t move!! I just moved my hand!!”
Thankfully I only made a couple of mistakes for the rest of the game, so I was able to enjoy the relentless amount of harassment I was getting from Pete, Coach, and Stripes. Stripes was just hysterical in his relentless barbs, and his explanations to coaches about calls. In the second quarter, Coach told me I was officially baptized as a member of the chain gang. On a Seacoast sweep to our side, I had three guys who hadn’t missed a meal in 30 years coming straight at me. I dropped my stick, moved back, and then almost got taken out by another defensive player coming in at about 200 miles an hour. I swear, if I would have moved three inches to the other side, I would have been in the hospital with multiple fractures and contusions. Of course, the guys were laughing hysterically, and Coach said, “I told you to watch the entire play!!” By the way, you are now an official member of the chain gang; you almost got killed.”
The Ice Storm ended up losing the game 21-18, but thankfully it was only a pre-season contest. With about three minutes to go in the game, Stripes asked me what I was going to title the article. I shrugged my shoulders and tossed some weak ideas out there, when he gave me the title. When I laughed, he said, “Hey, you are doing something most of you pansies don’t do.” Thanks for the title Stripes, and you had better be reading this thing or I will never let you blow a call without eternal grief ever again.
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