Sunday, January 16, 2011

2010

I just realized it has been over a year since my last post. Unacceptable. What really put me off was my Olympic experience. If you didn't know, I spent last year's winter Olympics as NBC's "Hockey Gaffer". That was my title! It said so on my NBC ID! Crazy. I fully intended to chronicle my time in Canada Hockey Place on this blog. Leaving for myself, if for no one else, a time capsule of thoughts and snapshots that I could for evermore look back upon. It didn't quite work out that way.
I was working 15 hours a day. We worked 5 games a day, 3 Men's 2 Women's. Watching first hand the greatest hockey I had ever seen ( and some shitty games too). Rubbing elbows with the elite of both the NHL and hockey media. Spending every moment of those 15 hours in fear that NBC would figure out that I had no business being there. In all reality I had every right to be there, but such was my fear of losing this precious gift that my paranoia took over. Plus I had signed a confidentiality agreement that specifically forbade me from posting info on blogs, facebook, twitter or any other social media. I wanted to write it all down but I was so fuckin' tired I couldn't. I spent every minute of every day protecting my opportunity to reach the Holy Grail.

And I got it.

I was in the building. No. That's not right. I was standing between Milbury and Jeremy Roenick shouting "C'mon Crosby!! Fuckin' DO SOMETHING!!" ... when he did.





I was there! I saw it with my own eyes. A moment I will never forget. Wearing my team Canada red jersey, my NBC garb long since discarded somewhere in the third period (what were they going to do? Fire me?). Tears streaming down my face trying to croak out the words to O Canada as our flag ascended to the rafters. It was beautiful. Aside from the birth of my children, the greatest moment of my life.

After that, everything else paled by comparison. I was exhausted. My family and I took a much needed vacation and when I got home I thought about resuming my blog. I wanted to recount the experience blow by blow, but the moment had passed and the memories too fresh, too jumbled. So I put it off.

Meanwhile the hockey season continued. The Canucks did well. They made the second round. They got assraped by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks for a second straight year. I had thoughts on all these things, but until I dealt with "the gig", I felt like I couldn't post anything.

It wasn't until tonight, when I saw it had been over a year since my last post, that I felt "Fuck it. Write something. Write anything".
So there it is. Hopefully now I can get back in the saddle and deal with the day to day trivialities of my Canuckleheads. Sorry for the absence, non-existent readership.

1 comment:

  1. i feel bad for not noticing this over the span of six months. i guess for the same reason you stopped writing, i stopped reading... anyhow --i just wanted you to know how much i've enjoyed our banter over the years, and i hope it can continue long into the future. you're an awesome writer.
    :)

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