Back In The Daze...

Revisiting my childhood. What a whacked out experience that was. How, you ask? Like most things in my life, it's a long story. I was at a mortuary paying respects for the passing of a friend. I get a call from my co-founding partner for Toledo Sports Network. He tells me that one of his camera people cancelled on him and he needed me to step in and help out. I haven't used a television camera in a long time. But he was desperate. So I bail out of the mortuary and headed to the International Boxing Club where they were filming for TV, a card of (wait for it) professional wrestling. I grew up with wrestling when I was a little guy in the 70's and when I walked through the doors, it took me back to 1979… the one and only other time I ever went in that place. But back then, it was known as “Fun Spot” and was a roller skating rink for the youth in the area. The one time I went there was for a church sponsored overnight slumber party for a bunch of goofball teenagers. I was 14 and couldn’t skate to save myself but I risked it for a pretty little 15 year old blonde with fewer zits than me. We skated once (well, I tripped, stumbled and fell) and I think she left the building (and took out a restraining order if I remember correctly... lol) but I digress. It did, however, re-ignite my love of two Saturday morning TV staples… Roller Derby and Rasslin’… Back then, I would jump out of bed to see the likes of Pompero Firpo, The Magnificent Zulu, The Stomper, Bobo Brazil, The Sheik, Bulldog Don Kent, Al Costello, and The Curry’s (Flying Fred and his dad Wild Bull who loved to bite opponent’s ears for some reason) just to name a few. I lived for Saturday mornings when I could live out my dreams of being the next Dr. Big Bill Miller. Instead, I ate myself into becoming the next Haystacks Calhoun. 
I have to admit, shooting video was fun. The wrestling made me wax nostalgic for a few hours and it made me feel young again. Of course, reality set in the next day and I was tired and sore from lugging equipment around all in the name of wrestling. It's not often you have to bail from a mortuary to go have fun but...

A Happy Skate

Man, I am whipped. I spent this past week on the shelf with no voice, and my head snotting up to epic proportions. I didn't leave the house and as much as I don't like spending too much time at home doing nothing, I spent this week just shutting up and resting, trying to get better quickly. Playoffs started this week for the Cherokee hockey team and we're doing a special event this afternoon featuring Gliding Stars. They're a program that teaches special needs kids (and adults) how to skate and then they appear in a show where as a group they participate in some skating routines. It's not Brian Orser or Dorothy Hamill in terms of performance, but these folks give it their all and I try to act like I've seen it all and been there before but my heart just melts when I see these beautiful people struggle and then succeed as they skate (with the help of some amazing volunteers out there with them) on the ice. And it's in a small arena, about 1,500 capacity, but the place is absolutely packed. We're going to film it out there to air on TV next week. I just hope I don't blow it by stuttering or being a big idiot on screen. I want those folks to get the full professional broadcast treatment...