Last week I spent a good deal of time discussing the Olympic rabbit hole that I went down, reading tons of information on Olympic bids from various cities, including winning hosts Beijing, Milan-Cortina, Paris and Los Angeles.
It was a great way to kill time, but unfortunately got me thinking about some deeper questions like whether or not I'd even have my job back next summer when the Tokyo Olympics take place or whether the Olympics would even be able to take place as planned in Tokyo next summer.
Of course, in case you didn't know, I'm bored out of my mind. I've watched a lot of television and most of it is just rewatching shows I've seen before.
However, I was online last week and noticed a schedule from NBC Sports Network that noted they would be running highlights from the Summer Olympics over the course of the next few weeks. I promptly went into my DVR and set it to record as many of the episodes as I could.
Most of the first week was dedicated to recaps of numerous sports from throughout the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. I watched Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, Galen Rupp and more in their competitions from the South American city, the first trip to the continent for the Olympic Games.
After the days of Rio coverage, they went into coverage of the London Olympics from 2012. These specials originally aired a few years ago, but it was cool to look back at those Games, with some of the same faces that I had seen in the Rio segments, only four years younger. This coming week, there is some more content from the Beijing Games in 2008, which will be even more interesting to look back on because it's not quite as fresh in the mind as some of the newer Olympics.
Most of these events I saw when they originally aired, but in a time when there is no live sports, it's always nice to see some competition (lots of networks are airing classic games) and in a year when we were supposed to see the Olympics, it's a good time to look back and remember some of the incredible performances.
I got curious as to whether or not NBC Sports Network had done a similar program for the Winter Olympics, so I looked around the web site and found that they had indeed run specials on PyeongChang last year (on the one-year anniversary of the 2018 Winter Olympics). My hope is that they will run these specials again at some point in the upcoming winter.
These would certainly prove a unique experience for me because I was there and was able to witness a number of the events in person. However, because I was on the other side of the world, I never really got to see NBC's coverage of the Games from PyeongChang and Sochi, so it would be cool to see how they covered some of these events and it would also bring back some memories of the cool locations I got to travel to in 2014 and 2018.
For now, that's about as close to the Olympics as I (or anyone) is going to get, but I'm grateful for NBCSN for providing a nice look back into a time when we were all able to come together, both in person and through the television.
Monday, April 20, 2020
A trip down memory lane (from my couch)
I have been the sports editor for Salmon Press since 2003, covering local high school sports at schools all over the Lakes Region and North Country of New Hampshire.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
So many questions
The late great Kenny Rogers once sang, "the boredom overtook us, and he began to speak."
The boredom is real in this time of quarantines, self-isolation and pandemics. Add to all of that, the fact that I am not working, and things can get really boring, really quickly, as I've mentioned more than once.
This morning, sitting on my couch listening to the radio as is my (new) normal routine following my morning walk, I finished checking e-mail, reading the Union Leader and the sports section of the Boston Globe (online), I found myself looking for something to keep me occupied for a little while.
I listen to the local radio show until 10 a.m. and then I listen to a satellite radio show from 10 a.m. to noon, so I don't have to turn on the television before noon. But while I'm listening, I like to have something to do. Back in the "olden days," I would listen to these shows in my office, but since that is no longer an option, I sat on my computer looking for something to read.
A couple of the sites I check on a regular basis for new news are the Olympic web sites. One of the sites is the media portal for the Tokyo Games, which as everyone knows, were postponed from this summer until next summer. This site gives Tokyo-credentialed media members information about the Games, including accommodation guides, transportation guides and schedules. I checked in there this morning but there was no new information posted on the site.
The other Olympic web site I use is the officially Olympic site, which has public information about all the Olympic Games over the years, including press releases, photos and other information. I will usually check in every few days or so to see if there's new information from the IOC and while there was nothing new there today, I started bouncing around to future Olympic cities on the web site. While there was no new information on Beijing (2022), Paris (2024), Milan-Cortina (2026) and Los Angeles (2028), I was looking around and found a "documents" link that provided me with all sorts of information about the bids presented and the IOC's responses.
I started with Milan-Cortina (Stockholm-Are was the other finalist city included in the presentation) and started reading about the venues, the plans for the media and transportation and more. From there, I moved on to Beijing, the site of the next Winter Olympics and read much of the same information about that city and Almaty, the other finalist city from that bidding process. After that it was on to Paris, where I read about both the French capital and Los Angeles, who submitted their bids at the same time.
All of this Olympic reading has got me really excited to cover the Olympic experience again. I've been thinking about the possibilities of traveling to different countries and what it would be like to cover events in gorgeous places like Milan, Cortina and Paris.
But, then I got to thinking about the entire situation I am in now, sitting in my apartment instead of putting the final touches on this week's newspapers. Where will I be in another few months? Or next year when the Tokyo Olympics come along? Will I have my job back? Will I have any kind of job in the media? Will I even be able to cover the Olympics? Will the Olympics even be able to happen next summer?
So many questions. So few answers. Maybe it was a bad idea to go down the Olympic rabbit hole this morning. Maybe. But I guess in these ridiculous times, it's good to think positive. At least for a few hours while sitting on the couch dealing with the sheer boredom.
The boredom is real in this time of quarantines, self-isolation and pandemics. Add to all of that, the fact that I am not working, and things can get really boring, really quickly, as I've mentioned more than once.
This morning, sitting on my couch listening to the radio as is my (new) normal routine following my morning walk, I finished checking e-mail, reading the Union Leader and the sports section of the Boston Globe (online), I found myself looking for something to keep me occupied for a little while.
I listen to the local radio show until 10 a.m. and then I listen to a satellite radio show from 10 a.m. to noon, so I don't have to turn on the television before noon. But while I'm listening, I like to have something to do. Back in the "olden days," I would listen to these shows in my office, but since that is no longer an option, I sat on my computer looking for something to read.
A couple of the sites I check on a regular basis for new news are the Olympic web sites. One of the sites is the media portal for the Tokyo Games, which as everyone knows, were postponed from this summer until next summer. This site gives Tokyo-credentialed media members information about the Games, including accommodation guides, transportation guides and schedules. I checked in there this morning but there was no new information posted on the site.
The other Olympic web site I use is the officially Olympic site, which has public information about all the Olympic Games over the years, including press releases, photos and other information. I will usually check in every few days or so to see if there's new information from the IOC and while there was nothing new there today, I started bouncing around to future Olympic cities on the web site. While there was no new information on Beijing (2022), Paris (2024), Milan-Cortina (2026) and Los Angeles (2028), I was looking around and found a "documents" link that provided me with all sorts of information about the bids presented and the IOC's responses.
I started with Milan-Cortina (Stockholm-Are was the other finalist city included in the presentation) and started reading about the venues, the plans for the media and transportation and more. From there, I moved on to Beijing, the site of the next Winter Olympics and read much of the same information about that city and Almaty, the other finalist city from that bidding process. After that it was on to Paris, where I read about both the French capital and Los Angeles, who submitted their bids at the same time.
All of this Olympic reading has got me really excited to cover the Olympic experience again. I've been thinking about the possibilities of traveling to different countries and what it would be like to cover events in gorgeous places like Milan, Cortina and Paris.
But, then I got to thinking about the entire situation I am in now, sitting in my apartment instead of putting the final touches on this week's newspapers. Where will I be in another few months? Or next year when the Tokyo Olympics come along? Will I have my job back? Will I have any kind of job in the media? Will I even be able to cover the Olympics? Will the Olympics even be able to happen next summer?
So many questions. So few answers. Maybe it was a bad idea to go down the Olympic rabbit hole this morning. Maybe. But I guess in these ridiculous times, it's good to think positive. At least for a few hours while sitting on the couch dealing with the sheer boredom.
I have been the sports editor for Salmon Press since 2003, covering local high school sports at schools all over the Lakes Region and North Country of New Hampshire.
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Weird times
This is traditionally a blog about preparing for the Olympics and eventually covering the Olympics, but occasionally it veers into different territory.
With the (hopefully) temporary layoff now a week old, I've been searching for a way to at least write once in a while and get stuff out there, so this is the space.
To someone who is a creature of habit, used to working more than 50 hours a week, creating a routine that is timed to perfection every morning, throwing the wrench of no work, no gym, really no anything, into the mix is just a gut-punch.
I've been doing my best to try not to think about it too much, but I obviously miss sports. Of course, my livelihood depends on sports, but there's also the professional sports that I would watch on a regular basis. This would be the first month of baseball season, which is such a harbinger of spring. And as my favorite sport, baseball is badly missed in this corner of the world.
But high school sports play a big part of my life. I miss getting out on the tennis courts, baseball and softball diamonds, lacrosse fields and tracks around the region. This would be the time when those spring sports would be ramping up and kicking off the season. Now, like the kids who are likely missing these sports, I find myself in the same boat.
I feel particularly bad for the seniors who have seen their high school careers cut short. I am not optimistic about the possibility of spring sports getting a chance to play, but I hold out hope for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it would be good for everyone to get out to play or watch, but if we can get sports back, there's a chance I could be back at work.
My routine is certainly off, but I've been trying to keep things on the same sort of schedule. I get up at the same time, instead of going to the gym, I go walking every morning for 45 minutes or so. But I also find myself going stir crazy in the afternoon and get out and walk for another 45 minutes or an hour just to do something.
Some day we will get back to normal. Some day we will have sports again. And some day can't come soon enough.
With the (hopefully) temporary layoff now a week old, I've been searching for a way to at least write once in a while and get stuff out there, so this is the space.
To someone who is a creature of habit, used to working more than 50 hours a week, creating a routine that is timed to perfection every morning, throwing the wrench of no work, no gym, really no anything, into the mix is just a gut-punch.
I've been doing my best to try not to think about it too much, but I obviously miss sports. Of course, my livelihood depends on sports, but there's also the professional sports that I would watch on a regular basis. This would be the first month of baseball season, which is such a harbinger of spring. And as my favorite sport, baseball is badly missed in this corner of the world.
But high school sports play a big part of my life. I miss getting out on the tennis courts, baseball and softball diamonds, lacrosse fields and tracks around the region. This would be the time when those spring sports would be ramping up and kicking off the season. Now, like the kids who are likely missing these sports, I find myself in the same boat.
I feel particularly bad for the seniors who have seen their high school careers cut short. I am not optimistic about the possibility of spring sports getting a chance to play, but I hold out hope for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it would be good for everyone to get out to play or watch, but if we can get sports back, there's a chance I could be back at work.
My routine is certainly off, but I've been trying to keep things on the same sort of schedule. I get up at the same time, instead of going to the gym, I go walking every morning for 45 minutes or so. But I also find myself going stir crazy in the afternoon and get out and walk for another 45 minutes or an hour just to do something.
Some day we will get back to normal. Some day we will have sports again. And some day can't come soon enough.
I have been the sports editor for Salmon Press since 2003, covering local high school sports at schools all over the Lakes Region and North Country of New Hampshire.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
A bump in the road
On Monday morning, word came down that the Tokyo Olympics had a new start date.
On Wednesday morning, word came down that impacted life in a more personal and much more impactful way.
The organizers of the Tokyo Games came out on Monday morning with an announcement that the Olympics would start on July 23, 2021. That date was one day less than one year from the original planned starting date. This is good news in many ways, since that time of year is best in my schedule as far as having some free time. This also gives the world a lot of time to rebound from this pandemic that has caused all the problems.
Media members received an e-mail on Wednesday morning from the people handling the accommodations that they would be in communication with the hotels that were housing the media and would let us know if it was possible to keep all our planned nights in the media housing.
This was all good news, but it was later Wednesday morning that the news that wasn't so good came along.
With a massive hit in advertising revenue, our company needed to find ways to meet the budget and the way to do it at this point, with no sports going on, was to temporarily lay off the sports department.
While this came as a shock in many ways, it was also something that probably could've been seen coming down the pike, as so many businesses continue to struggle during the pandemic.
Maybe it's time to go back a little to describe just what this means in my world.
I started mowing lawns in my teens, doing two or three a week in addition to my own. I also got a job at the local racetrack, working in the concession stands. The day after I graduated from high school, I started working at a grocery store in town. And I don't think I've stopped since.
After working at the store during the summer, I headed to the University of New Hampshire in the fall of 1994 and during the first semester, I focused on adjusting to school, playing in marching band and just getting used to things. During Christmas break, I was back at the grocery store and when I returned to UNH, I applied for a job at the dining hall near my dorm.
I worked for a year and a half as a regular student-employee, putting in as many hours as my class schedule would allow. Near the end of my sophomore year I applied for the job of student supervisor and starting in my junior year, I moved into that position. This job remains one of my favorite jobs I've ever had, simply because I was working with a great group of people and I got to "be in charge."
I did that job for my final two years of college, at times working close to 40 hours a week in addition to my classes. When the grocery store closed down, eliminating my vacation job, I got a job working for a food service company at Hidden Valley Boy Scout Camp in Gilmanton the summer after my junior year. I worked Monday through Thursday 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then headed north and worked at a different grocery store in town for both days of the weekend.
I did the summer camp job the summer after my senior year and the company offered me a full time job at a nursing home in Concord when the summer was over. I also went back to UNH just a week or so into the year and started working part time at the dining hall again.
I left the Concord nursing home in late 1999 to work at a nursing home in Ossipee and continued to work part time at UNH.
Then, in early 2001, one of the cooks at the nursing home, knowing I had an English degree, said that a friend of hers was looking for a freelance sports writer for the Carroll County Independent. Mike Whaley hired me and I started with the spring sports season.
I continued with all three jobs through the next few years and eventually, the full time sports editor job became available and Jeanne Tempest hired me. I started in January of 2003. I kept working part time at the nursing home for years after that.
After leaving the nursing home, I also worked part time at Pronto Market in Wolfeboro for a few years and also did more than a year with Afterdark Commercial Cleaning.
So, needless to say, I don't know what it's like to not work. It's not in my nature. I have a crazy work ethic that I believe came from my father and even just sitting at home the last week working from home has been driving me crazy.
Now, I don't have a job. And I don't know what to do with myself.
The hope remains that when sports start back up again, I will be able to return to work. But until then, I just don't know.
On Wednesday morning, word came down that impacted life in a more personal and much more impactful way.
The organizers of the Tokyo Games came out on Monday morning with an announcement that the Olympics would start on July 23, 2021. That date was one day less than one year from the original planned starting date. This is good news in many ways, since that time of year is best in my schedule as far as having some free time. This also gives the world a lot of time to rebound from this pandemic that has caused all the problems.
Media members received an e-mail on Wednesday morning from the people handling the accommodations that they would be in communication with the hotels that were housing the media and would let us know if it was possible to keep all our planned nights in the media housing.
This was all good news, but it was later Wednesday morning that the news that wasn't so good came along.
With a massive hit in advertising revenue, our company needed to find ways to meet the budget and the way to do it at this point, with no sports going on, was to temporarily lay off the sports department.
While this came as a shock in many ways, it was also something that probably could've been seen coming down the pike, as so many businesses continue to struggle during the pandemic.
Maybe it's time to go back a little to describe just what this means in my world.
I started mowing lawns in my teens, doing two or three a week in addition to my own. I also got a job at the local racetrack, working in the concession stands. The day after I graduated from high school, I started working at a grocery store in town. And I don't think I've stopped since.
After working at the store during the summer, I headed to the University of New Hampshire in the fall of 1994 and during the first semester, I focused on adjusting to school, playing in marching band and just getting used to things. During Christmas break, I was back at the grocery store and when I returned to UNH, I applied for a job at the dining hall near my dorm.
I worked for a year and a half as a regular student-employee, putting in as many hours as my class schedule would allow. Near the end of my sophomore year I applied for the job of student supervisor and starting in my junior year, I moved into that position. This job remains one of my favorite jobs I've ever had, simply because I was working with a great group of people and I got to "be in charge."
I did that job for my final two years of college, at times working close to 40 hours a week in addition to my classes. When the grocery store closed down, eliminating my vacation job, I got a job working for a food service company at Hidden Valley Boy Scout Camp in Gilmanton the summer after my junior year. I worked Monday through Thursday 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then headed north and worked at a different grocery store in town for both days of the weekend.
I did the summer camp job the summer after my senior year and the company offered me a full time job at a nursing home in Concord when the summer was over. I also went back to UNH just a week or so into the year and started working part time at the dining hall again.
I left the Concord nursing home in late 1999 to work at a nursing home in Ossipee and continued to work part time at UNH.
Then, in early 2001, one of the cooks at the nursing home, knowing I had an English degree, said that a friend of hers was looking for a freelance sports writer for the Carroll County Independent. Mike Whaley hired me and I started with the spring sports season.
I continued with all three jobs through the next few years and eventually, the full time sports editor job became available and Jeanne Tempest hired me. I started in January of 2003. I kept working part time at the nursing home for years after that.
After leaving the nursing home, I also worked part time at Pronto Market in Wolfeboro for a few years and also did more than a year with Afterdark Commercial Cleaning.
So, needless to say, I don't know what it's like to not work. It's not in my nature. I have a crazy work ethic that I believe came from my father and even just sitting at home the last week working from home has been driving me crazy.
Now, I don't have a job. And I don't know what to do with myself.
The hope remains that when sports start back up again, I will be able to return to work. But until then, I just don't know.
I have been the sports editor for Salmon Press since 2003, covering local high school sports at schools all over the Lakes Region and North Country of New Hampshire.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)