Last night was the first Friday in seven years I had no calls to take . . . . .

And remember, you don't get pizza every Friday night either.

 

"Sports."

"Uh . . .I have a score to report . ."

"What sport?"

"Uh . . . Podunk High."

"What sport? . .football?"

"Oh! (nervous laughter), . . uh, yeah, football. Podunk High."

"What was the score?"

"35-31."

"Who won?"

"Oh! . .uh . . .Podunk. We beat our rivals."

"OK . . . scoring by quarters, road team first."

"Um . . . 7 to 0, 14 to 7, 28 to 14, 35-31. We really had to hold on; it was really exciting."

"Cool. Scoring by quarters, road team only . ."

"OH, OK . . . um . . . let me . . .3 plus , plus . . .uh . . . ."

"Who was the road team?"

"Oh! Uh, Neckland."

"OK."

"And they had . . . man, I didn't know you'd be asking for this . . . . uh, OK, got it. (now the proud voice) Neckland scoring by quarters, uh, 7, 14, 21, 31."

"So, 7, 7, 7, 10? Is that correct? (asking because it differs from earlier reading of scoring)"

"Uh, yeah."

"OK, scoring by quarters, Podunk."

"7, 14, 7, 7. The first touchdown was a great catch by Ricky Jones. . . "

"OK, that's a total of 35. Individual scoring for Neckland; who ahd their TDs?"

"Um . . . (hemming and hawing again) . . .uhm . . . .I don't have that."

(In the old days, this is when departed poster Tripp McNeely would politely say, "Can you hold for a second? Thanks." Put the call on hold, and then bang the receiver against the keypad a few times. Much hilarity would ensue.)

"OK, . . . individual scoring by Podunk?"

"OK, Xavier Barchetta had five extra points . .OH! and he also had three tackles at safety . . . . ."

"Who scored the first touchdown?"

"Um . . . Ricky Jones scored every touchdown except the last one."

"Were those on pass receptions, running plays, what?"

"John Smith passed for two of them."

"Which ones, and do you have the yardage?"

"Smith had a really great game . .only two interceptions, but that one . . .man, it was almost a killer."

"Cool. (resigning self to just getting the scores without when they occurred, and making it work) What was the yardage on those passes?"

"Oh . . .I don't have that. Jones also had five tackes on defense."

"OK . . what is Podunk's overall record?"

"We're now 4-0 in the Muktuk Eaters League, undefeated!"

"What is your overall record?"

"Oh, um . . . I'm not sure. Next week we have . . . BumbleThomas High . . . .wait, is that right? . . Um, . . . "

"(plans to just check the schedule after getting off the phone). OK, thanks for calling. Good luck next week."

That's not a fluke. That's typical, especially from parents. You don't truly appreciate how nice it would be to avoid it until you're away from it. Absolutely glorious.

 

awesome to cover a game on deadline.

can be a disaster to desk, especially around here when there is every other sport under the sun, too, in the afternoon.

mr. rasputin's recap sums it up. "uh, i don't know who scored the touchdowns." you want to scream, "WHY ARE YOU CALLING?!" that's generally the point where i thank the kid/parent for calling, hang up and call the paper that had someone there (or the other coach) and save myself five minutes of pain.

 

After 20 years in Florida, last night was my first Texas HS game for the DMN

Quick observations:
1) A Texas ISD stadium is bigger and better than most FCS stadiums I've been to.
2) Stats, hospitality, the works.
3) A 27-21 game where one QB Tebows for 468 yards (rush for 269, throws for 199) and 4 TD (2 run, 2 pass) and a RB runs for 256 with a 97-yarder.
4) The place is sold out.
5) The DMN has live updates, a blog and my story is on line within an hour.

Way cool.

 

I remember some Texas stadiums providing stats during playoff games, but never for the regular season - and even then I didn't use them because I didn't trust them.

Of course, you were probably at the Kirk Herbrstreit thingy, so I guess those stats were probably legit. Don't get used to that, though.

 

Welcome to Texas, Daytona Dan. I too miss the Friday Night rush in now Year 2 away from the "Fourth Estate."

I was always a newssider, but was always eager to help out sports (mainly for the overtime and free pizza).

Luckily, I rarely had to actually take calls, but either wrote the briefs on the called-in gamers or actually covered the game.

However, everything Ras said is spot on.

 

I'm at the Herbstreit thing now, pulling off a triple-header. This may be my last big money-making day as a freelancer, even though I just lost one game Monday because a La. pulled off due to the Hurricane.

You know, Burger King is a sponsor and there is not one whopper to be found in the press box.

And I am over Texas Stadium. Parking sucks. The press box is hard to find. It was cool being on the field, even though it's 100 degrees.

The quality of play and players though ... this is fun. And we have stats and wireless, so I will not complain much.

 

Re: Last night was the first Friday in seven years I had no calls to take . . .

Hear hear. My first football season out of sports, and I'm not missing it a bit. Loved it while I was there ... but not missing it a bit.

 

My new job has nothing to do with preps. It's busier than I've been on a consistent level, but that insane piling-on of idiots calling in was nowhere to be seen.

It was pretty glorious.

 

I'll call you next Friday.

 

Prep football doesn't start up here until next weekend, but I already know I'm not going to miss it.