Friday, December 5 (10:34 AM EST):
So, I am going to give another go at the whole blog thing. Last time you joined us here we chronicled our trip to St. Thomas. This time, it's off to sunny Hartford, CT!
Although this one won't have all the excitement of the Virgin Islands, snorkeling, insane safari truck drivers and cruise ships, it might give you a little more insight into what a normal travel experience for the guys is like. A sports information director from Wisconsin once said, "For some reason, our most loyal fans love to know that the team had chicken for dinner on game day." I think that's a great way to put it. The most hardcore fans want to know as much as they can about the team - even if it is not fascinating, so to speak. So, that's what we will try to do.
The bus leaves later today so I will try to post before we roll to give you a look into some of the prep work that goes into your average road trip - both from my end and the team.
As always, feel free to send questions to lasallesid1@aol.com but I make no promises that I can or will answer all of them.
Go Explorers!
- Kale Beers
Friday, December 05, 2008 (4:08 PM EST)
Sitting on the bus ready to go soon. . . Road trips take a great deal of planning. As we get more advanced in the sports info business, packing gets a bit more challenging. Of course you need to take care of the time-honored basics; scorebook, media guides, pens, pencils, notes, etc. but now there are other things as well. Now, there is the extra stuff; laptop, computer, wireless card, extra battery for the laptop, jump drive . . . On their own, missing any one is not a disaster but these things all make life post-game and on the road easier. If I don't have a jump drive, then I have to wait for the host S.I.D. to e-mail me the game file - which means it takes that much longer to post a box score and stats. If I run out of battery . . . well, then we can't do anything on the laptop which includes; researching upcoming opponents, updating the web site, and editing and loading video.
Of course, these bus trips are much easier to plan for than any flights or a trip off of the mainland like we had last week.
This is our first "busser" of the season and it's a great feeling to see the guys load the bus. Sure, after a while bus trips can wear on you and tire you out but I still enjoy the experience. It helps that when I am tired enough, I can pretty much fall asleep on command - wherever I am, at any time.
We have a real sharp looking bus. The driver tells us that it's brand new. I think it's the same size as always but this one is much nicer. It has a bunch of bigger flat screens and very comfortable seats.
Across the aisle is the infamous Brother Ed (Sheehy). Only he has taken more of these rides with the Explorers than me over the years. This is his 17th year as team moderator. My seat is usually right across from - or in close proximately to- him, which is cool. I have known him since I took him in back-to-back semesters my junior and senior years. I hope this is a perfect spot from which to harass him about Army beating Navy tomorrow. Go Black Knights of the Hudson! OK - that's all for now. Looks like Tropic Thunder is our first movie.
Friday, December 05, 2008 (9:54 PM EST) We just finished dinner up here in the Hartford area and, turns out, "99" is more than just a great tune from the 70's/80's group Toto . . . it's also a decent steakhouse! The manager/chef was great; we called ahead and had our food waiting when we arrived. He even came out to meet the guys and gave us a case or so of 99 bottled water for the bus. Good dude. A few young kids in the restaurant got the guys autographs. They came to the table with me, trainer Dan, Coach McNelley and Brother Ed but I told them there wasn't anybody important at this table - except maybe Brother Ed because he once used to look like Drew Carey (his own joke).
Tropic Thunder was awesome. Gut busting awesome.
We should have a good contingent of alums in attendance tomorrow. Those who I am aware are coming are Kathy Reynolds (Class of `99) and Mike Bergin ('93) who will be our halftime interview tomorrow. Mike describes himself as "The caboose on the L-train" I reference to his playing days - looking forward to seeing him. Ray Necci ('99?) will try to make it as well if his duties for ESPN at the UConn football game allow him. Brother Ed confirms what I realized as a student in the 90's - that we have always had a great deal of people in the Connecticut area.
I think there is a game of spades in the future. At least, I ran across the parking lot (it is FREEZING here by the way) after dinner to get a deck of cards.
will keep you posted . . .
One last thing - when we got on the bus after meal, I am not sure who it was, but one of the guys yelled up to the front, "Thanks coach." To which there were a few other voices echoing. It's not the first time I've heard that sort of gratitude from our players but it never gets old.
strong>Friday, December 05, 2008 (11:25 PM EST)
Spades game #1:
Paul & Yves - 351
Kale & Rodney - 352
The game wasn't really as close as the score indicates but Yves and Paul pulled off a tremendous nine on the last hand to make it close. I blew a few books in the earlier hands which could have put it away sooner but it is my first game since last season and I was a bit rusty.
Not much else to report. Time for a good sleep and an appointment with the treadmill in the morning!
Good night and FIGHT ON EXPLORERS!
Saturday, December 06, 2008 (9:20 AM EST) Not a lot to report this morning. We had an 8:45 wake-up call and a meal in the hotel - eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes and pancakes. Now the guys will rest up and have a team meeting before we head out to the game.
Apparently, the gym is about 30 minutes from where we are.
Alumnus Kathy Reynolds is coming down to meet me for a 12:30 lunch which will be fun. Kathy is a fellow Comm. Grad and has been a great friend for many years. She works in television up in this area and is following in the footsteps of Sid Macleod and Tonya Ellis and teaching/running the TV station at Springfield College. She is a very supportive alum and always brings a group to see her Explorers when we come to New England.
Check with you soon.
P.S. right after I logged off last night I realized that I have been doing this blog wrong and adding from the top. I will fix that now - I guess you should be able to read from the top down.
Saturday, December 06, 2008 (12:10 AM EST)
I love a great run on game day - especially when I catch a good sequence of songs on the Ipod. 45 minutes and 530 calories gone.
I got a text message from one of my best friend's in the S.I.D. business, Mike Mahoney of Penn, who is at the Army-Navy game and was very excited about the whole event and how the Black Knights are wearing camouflage pants. It's been forever since my six years of military service but those years included some of the greatest and most important moments of my life (then came La Salle which was an even greater experience). It's really hard to explain to anybody who has not been a member of a platoon (or whatever they call the units in the Navy) how intense and awesome (in the truest sense of the word) the experience is. My thoughts are with all of the current servicemen and women out their risking their lives including the many Lasallians. I can't help but think of one of the most diehard and loyal Explorers - Major Doug Levien ('93) who is currently in Afghanistan serving with NATO. Stay strong and safe Doug! And . . . Navy just busted a huge TD run . . . great.
Just because nothing else interesting is happening right now, here are some of the good bands I got on the Ipod during the run: Sugar, Placebo, Twilight Singers, Fleetwood Mac, Bloc Party, Muse, The Verve, and yes, Men at Work (Who Can it be Now - total coincidence.)
Saturday, December 6, 2008 (8:15 PM EST)
We have been on the bus for an hour or so and I just got done updating all the stats, trading stats with Villanova, and submitting weekly reports to the A-10 (with help from Asst. SID Michelle Martin). The NESN people gave us a complete disc of the game which I am hoping to edit into highlights during the trip but as of now the editing software didn't recognize the video so I need to figure something out. In the meantime, I am about to lose battery #1 so I figured I would just make a quick blog entry before I have to switch over power sources.
Slowing the process down is the fact that the Paradise Jam people entered Yves' name incorrectly in all three games - which I fixed on the office computers but needed to change on this particular laptop so that the stats do not list two different players - and RIDICULOUSLY BUMPY ROADS!.
Hartford's Gym was kind of cool - it looked a lot bigger than it was because it was spread out widely. The team had a cheering section waiting as they came out to the bus. It was Kevins Hyslop and Brady and Paul Hackett who applauded and cheered each of the layers as they came out - thanks guys, that was cool for the players!
OK, battery switch time. Catching what I can of Get Smart! on the video.
I hope to be able to edit the highlights before we get back. Cross your fingers.
Saturday, December 6, 2008 (9:08 PM EST)
Well, I have some good news and I have some bad news . . . The good news is that when swapping out batteries I was alerted to the fact that this cool new bus has electrical outlets. The bad news is that, even after employing the expertise of Mr. Vernon Goodridge, it appears as though the file we got from Hartford is not able to be encoded for editing. I have not given up yet but with only an hour or an hour and a half left, I am not optimistic.
Back to work.
