(Me and Skylar Cuarisma, host of Ducks TV and The Element)
On Tuesday night I had the chance of a lifetime: I hosted Ducks TV, the Anaheim Ducks, clip & highlights show, as part of a contest they are running this season.
Read how I got the courage to do it here.
It was a fine idea on the Ducks part to give fans a chance to see behind-the-scenes at the Honda Center and also to lean how they pull off a Ducks broadcast. They had been touting the contest all season, but I didn't decide I wanted to do it until about two weeks ago and after I applied to host, I couldn't help but want to do it--badly!
After a pre-interview with a member of the Ducks TV Committee, I was chosen to host the Jan. 5th game against the Red Wings! I know! How great is that? They are our Western Conference rivals and the Honda Center is crawling with red jerseys when we play them. There's a lot of energy in the building when we play the Wings. I was amped.
When I arrived I tried to stuff my excitement a little. I mean, there I was waiting for Kent French in the lobby of the Honda Center's main office, surrounded by photos of the Ducks winning the Stanley Cup, but I could hardly tap the receptionist on the shoulder and say, "Can you believe you get to work here?" Right?
Kent French arrived, gave me my media pass and began escorting me to the edit suite where Ducks TV is produced. Turning down the giant, slate hallway I spotted a man, curly-topped and crouched up against a wall. He had his hands on his knees and was swinging them in slalom-style side to side.
Don't freak, k?
It was Ducks' Goalie Jonas Hiller warming up for the game. Inside I was all, "OMG! THAT'S FREAKIN' JONAS HILLER!" But, on the outside, I nodded calmly as if listening intently to Kent French's gracious tour of the facilities. "This is great," I said matter-of-factly to him...yeah "FREAKIN' JONAS HILLER WARMING UP IN THE HALLWAY KINDA GREAT!" said the little dork inside. Then I thanked him for the first of one thousand times that night.
Here's my Whrrl from the night.
Click anywhere on the photo to get a play-by-play
When I walked into the edit suite it all seemed familiar and cozy, like going to an old friends house. I worked in television for almost 8 years in San Francisco, but hadn't been anywhere near the business for over 12 years. As Kent French (must always say his whole name because it's such a great name--Kent French) explained to me the different "segments" of the program I would need to complete and how the show was structured, I started finishing his thoughts and finally said, "Sorry, I used to work in TV a long time ago." He smiled and said,"Well, why didn't you just say so?" Because I didn't want to be, like, "I worked in TV a long time ago."
At learning that I had some experience, they gave me a camera man and let me roam freely throughout the Honda Center; carousing the media room's buffet then asking its patrons where the media bar was, carefully walking the rafter above the ice looking for a "rad angle," and lastly, furiously knocking on the locker room door for someone to let me in, because "I'm Media!"
Not really.
Skylar Caurisma was assigned as my "escort" for the night. She helped me write my highlight script, brought me up to her secret place to watch the game and generally made the whole night even that much more awesome. Steve Luxenberg was the producer / editor for the night and honestly, if I don't look like a complete geek on camera it's due mostly to his direction and stellar editing skills.
I requested an interview with Brian Hayward, the Ducks Broadcast Color Analyst, and I got it. As a new fan, he has taught me a lot about the game of hockey. He shares little bits of knowledge throughout a Ducks game broadcast and due to his thoroughness, I now know what a "Scoring Chance" is and that it's the play-by-play announcer, John Ahlers, that says "feather the puck in," not Hayward. (Watch the tape--opps!)
One of the things that struck me most was that every person I met that night was a Duck fan. I would have been heartbroken to find out the staffers, talent and even the NHL guys, didn't care about the game, or the Ducks. Everyone was gracious, helpful and friendly and that pushed the experience from a great one to an extraordinary one for me. From the little bit of work I do around OC for my blog, I hear that a lot; the Ducks are a great organization, now I see why they have that reputation.
I know this is a long post, but it was a big night and for those of you interested in the Ducks I wanted to share it with you. It was the ultimate fan experience.
Now, here is my segment. I'm happy with it, but could do without all the hair flipping and head tossing I do. I swear, I'm fairly certain I don't do that in real life. At least I hope I don't.
They let me host Ducks TV. Watch it here.
If I'm chosen as a finalist, my segment will go up for voting. If I win, I will get to interview a Ducks player. Can you even imagine how unbearable I will be if that happens? Still, I hope that if I make the finals, you will vote for me anyway.
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If you're dying to read everything I've written about the Ducks, here's the link:
Me and the Anaheim Ducks.