The Jock Strap
with Brian Bruce
Thursday, May 22, 2008
When it rains, it pours
So, let me tell you about my Monday afternoon/evening (5/19). This short story will give you an inside look at the life of a sports broadcaster.
First off, I was coming off of a monster New York City weekend for my best friend's bachelor party, one in which sleep was at a minimum but fun was at a maximum. So, needless to say, heading directly into a 15-hour workday on Monday was less than a perfect situation, but I was still fired up about making a trip to Marshalltown for the Ottumwa High School baseball season opener against the MHS Bobcats (15-hour explanation......Get in to work at 9:00 AM and get home from Marshalltown after game at midnight......Just a typical summer workday for your friend, the Voice of the Bulldogs.)
So, after my daily work at the station, I jumped in "the KRKN van," one of our two company vans named as such due to the personalized license plate. Now, keep in mind, I've driven "the KRKN van" and "KISS van" all over the great state of Iowa in pursuit of outstanding Bulldog play-by-play coverage, including Sioux City, Fort Dodge, Des Moines, Burlington, Muscatine, etc., etc., all locations that are nowhere near Ottumwa. So, driving to Marshalltown was no big deal, nothing more than par for the course.
My route was up Highway 63 to the north, then west on Highway 30 (take a left at Tama, IA) about 18 miles into Marshalltown. Well, all was well until I got about 3 miles west of Tama on Highway 30, and boom, the old KRKN van begins to struggle.
The old soldier (with just less than 150,000 of hard work on its odometer) finally had had enough. The oil gauge went down to just above zero, the "check gauges" light came on, the despite giving the van plenty of gas, it was only able to struggle up a hill at 30 mph maximum before it finally quit. When the power steering went out and the van lost power, I became fully aware that we had a major problem. At that point, I struggled to get the van to the shoulder of Highway 30 West, and that's where it finally came to rest.
At this point, I'm about one hour out from starting my pre-game show for the single varsity game, and I'm currently in a broken down van approximately 12-15 miles east of Marshalltown with no ride in the foreseeable future.
So, here's where things get funny. Or sad, depending on how you look at it. Mr. Goodvin (a player's dad), after being flagged down at the ballpark by coaches Ryan Woods and Mike Egbert (whose cell phones I had called repeatedly in a panic), comes back out Highway 30 East in a team van to get me, I load my equipment in his van, and we take off for the ballpark.
But, just as it looks like everything will be fine, and I have my equipment set up and am ready to start pre-game just barely on time, the rains begin to come in earnest, and after a very short rain delay, the remainder of the junior varsity game and the entire varsity game are postponed until later in the week. So, all of those problems and work just to get there, and for a moment you're amazed you were able to pull it off, just to have the game rained out anyway! Hilarious. :)
Then, I hitch a ride in Ryan Woods' (head baseball coach at OHS) team van with about 9 or 10 players back to Ottumwa, Coach Woods and Coach Egbert have to drop the vans off at the place the school rents them from, and after Coach Woods gets back into his personal vehicle, he'll be able to drive me back to the station.
Well, good old Murphy's Law was not done with me yet on this day. As Coach Woods attempts to start up his vehicle, the ignition does nothing but click and it won't turn over due to a dead battery! Amazing. Just one more thing, please! So, finally, Mike Egbert gives Coach Woods' vehicle a jump start, Coach Woods takes me back to the radio station, I get in my car, and get home at the amazingly early hour of 11:00 PM. Welcome to the amazing life of your favorite local sportscaster. :)
So, there's the tale of my most recent encounter with Mr. Murphy of Murphy's Law. When it rains, it pours! Absolutely no question about it. And, as far as "the KRKN van" is concerned, R.I.P. You've served me well, my friend. (R.I.P. that is, unless Carriker Ford of Oskaloosa can bring the old girl back from the dead!)
Hope you enjoyed this amazing tale. I'll be back with more in the near future!
OUT.
"The Bruce"
First off, I was coming off of a monster New York City weekend for my best friend's bachelor party, one in which sleep was at a minimum but fun was at a maximum. So, needless to say, heading directly into a 15-hour workday on Monday was less than a perfect situation, but I was still fired up about making a trip to Marshalltown for the Ottumwa High School baseball season opener against the MHS Bobcats (15-hour explanation......Get in to work at 9:00 AM and get home from Marshalltown after game at midnight......Just a typical summer workday for your friend, the Voice of the Bulldogs.)
So, after my daily work at the station, I jumped in "the KRKN van," one of our two company vans named as such due to the personalized license plate. Now, keep in mind, I've driven "the KRKN van" and "KISS van" all over the great state of Iowa in pursuit of outstanding Bulldog play-by-play coverage, including Sioux City, Fort Dodge, Des Moines, Burlington, Muscatine, etc., etc., all locations that are nowhere near Ottumwa. So, driving to Marshalltown was no big deal, nothing more than par for the course.
My route was up Highway 63 to the north, then west on Highway 30 (take a left at Tama, IA) about 18 miles into Marshalltown. Well, all was well until I got about 3 miles west of Tama on Highway 30, and boom, the old KRKN van begins to struggle.
The old soldier (with just less than 150,000 of hard work on its odometer) finally had had enough. The oil gauge went down to just above zero, the "check gauges" light came on, the despite giving the van plenty of gas, it was only able to struggle up a hill at 30 mph maximum before it finally quit. When the power steering went out and the van lost power, I became fully aware that we had a major problem. At that point, I struggled to get the van to the shoulder of Highway 30 West, and that's where it finally came to rest.
At this point, I'm about one hour out from starting my pre-game show for the single varsity game, and I'm currently in a broken down van approximately 12-15 miles east of Marshalltown with no ride in the foreseeable future.
So, here's where things get funny. Or sad, depending on how you look at it. Mr. Goodvin (a player's dad), after being flagged down at the ballpark by coaches Ryan Woods and Mike Egbert (whose cell phones I had called repeatedly in a panic), comes back out Highway 30 East in a team van to get me, I load my equipment in his van, and we take off for the ballpark.
But, just as it looks like everything will be fine, and I have my equipment set up and am ready to start pre-game just barely on time, the rains begin to come in earnest, and after a very short rain delay, the remainder of the junior varsity game and the entire varsity game are postponed until later in the week. So, all of those problems and work just to get there, and for a moment you're amazed you were able to pull it off, just to have the game rained out anyway! Hilarious. :)
Then, I hitch a ride in Ryan Woods' (head baseball coach at OHS) team van with about 9 or 10 players back to Ottumwa, Coach Woods and Coach Egbert have to drop the vans off at the place the school rents them from, and after Coach Woods gets back into his personal vehicle, he'll be able to drive me back to the station.
Well, good old Murphy's Law was not done with me yet on this day. As Coach Woods attempts to start up his vehicle, the ignition does nothing but click and it won't turn over due to a dead battery! Amazing. Just one more thing, please! So, finally, Mike Egbert gives Coach Woods' vehicle a jump start, Coach Woods takes me back to the radio station, I get in my car, and get home at the amazingly early hour of 11:00 PM. Welcome to the amazing life of your favorite local sportscaster. :)
So, there's the tale of my most recent encounter with Mr. Murphy of Murphy's Law. When it rains, it pours! Absolutely no question about it. And, as far as "the KRKN van" is concerned, R.I.P. You've served me well, my friend. (R.I.P. that is, unless Carriker Ford of Oskaloosa can bring the old girl back from the dead!)
Hope you enjoyed this amazing tale. I'll be back with more in the near future!
OUT.
"The Bruce"
Archives
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]