24 Years Later...

It was June 9th, 1983. A week after high school graduation that two of my best friends and I saw the Police at Hollywood Park. The 3 of us along with 75,000 more fans, including many from our high school that we would either run in to or compare notes with later on, saw the Police on what would be their final tour in support of the Synchronicity album. At the time no one knew that this would be the last time that they would play together in Los Angeles. We were fresh out of high school and thrilled to see them along with 80's bands, the Thompson Twins, the Fixx and Berlin. It was easily one of the best and longest concerts I had ever been to. We stood on the dirt track the entire day and after 9 or 10 hours my back was done. But it was a great experience, one that we would equal 4 days later when the same trio rolled down to Angels Stadium to see David Bowie with the Go-Gos and Madness. 7 killer bands in 4 days. Those were some great moments and memories.

Fast forward 24 short...long...incredible...years later...24 years...a lifetime. And the Police have reunited to tour again. And last night, not with the same trio, but with current concert buddy Larry, I saw the Police at Staples Center with 20,000 other adoring fans. The show was very good, but not as great as that night in 1983. How could it be? We are all older, have more mileage and probably all lost a step. But it was still a remarkable performance as the Police played all of their classics and absolutely none of Sting's solo music or any new Police recordings (because I assume there are none yet). This was definitely a blast from the past show and it lived up to my expectations, despite Sting's voice cracking on some high notes, and the band getting a bit lost during Synchronicity II. As I said to Larry last night, if they continue to play for the next few years I expect them to get tighter and more comfortable playing together, but it has been a 24 year layoff and this was only their 13th show on the tour. I hope that they will keep touring and recapture more of that magic from 1983 and maybe even record a new album. Either way, it was a nice flashback to a great era of music and memories for me.

Here is the set list from last night:

"Message In A Bottle"
"Synchronicity II"
"Walking on the Moon"
"Voices Inside My Head"
"Don't Stand So Close"
"Driven to Tears"
"The Bed Is Too Big"
"Truth Hits Everybody"
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"
"Wrapped Around Your Finger"
"De Do Do Do De Da Da Da"
"Invisible Sun"
"Walking In Your Footsteps"
"Can't Stand Losing You"
"Roxanne"

Encores:

"King of Pain"
"So Lonely"
"Every Breath You Take"
"Next To You"

Father's Day

In today's LA Times Sports page, John Wooden is quoted as saying that "parenting is the most important profession in the world." On many occasions I have said that my favorite job is being a parent so reading this quote from Coach Wooden is positive reinforcement about the choices I have made and the path that I have taken in life. I know that I am rich with the love of my family and that my children are the center of my world.

To all fathers, happy day and congratulation on a great career choice. To my father who we lost a year-and-a-half ago, I love you and I miss you.

As the Donald would say....

...Cricket, you're fired!

We are a one Schipperke family again. Cricket bit Jamie the other night barely breaking the skin but scaring the hell out of her. She was dancing too close to him and he took a nip at her calf which was bruised. The little shit also had bit Kylie and Derek so enough was enough. We had him for six weeks and he seemed to be acclimated in our home, despite having some odd personality quirks. I will put up with a lot of things from a dog, but biting my children is not one of them. Cricket is now with a family in Chatsworth that rescues and places dogs. I hated to do it, but at the end of the day the girls were scared of him and I could not trust him.

Home Again

I was going to write a long post about the three NBA playoff games I worked, but I am just not feeling it. Instead highlights and lowlights.

Highlights:

-Meeting NBA Hall of Famer George "The ICEMAN" Gervin. A very nice man

-Telling Jalen Rose of the Phoenix Suns not to leave his suit lying around as we are the same size and I like the material. He was a lot of fun to hang out with and had a great sense of humor

-Getting spanked repeatedly by Dan Patrick as punishment for accidentally calling our makeup gal a tranny

-Seeing Derek Fisher and his daughter and hearing that they got good news about her eye cancer that day

-Sitting in First Class with our NBA Game announcing team

-Great Texas BBQ on the Riverwalk in San Antonio

-My 9 foot king size bed in Utah

-Watching the Kobe Bryant news be created and reported on first-hand by Stephen A. Smith, Dan Patrick and others as I was with those folks all that day

-Taking in the first half of game 5 from our broadcast set while eating a Whataburger bought by Jon Barry. Thanks Jon! Here is a photo from that vantage point. Stephen A. on the left and Dan chewing his Whataburger



Lowlights

-Despondent 33 year old who jumped from the 17th floor of the Grand American Hotel hours before game 4. The Spurs and all of our talent and executives were staying at that hotel. The body landed 10 feet from the hotel entrance and cast a pall over the day as we prepared to go on the air

-Idiot Game truck engineers that don't know shit about IT

-The heat and humidity of San Antonio. Makes it easy to not be working the Finals

-Salt Lake City closing on Sunday. All of it

-Feeling like crapola for the first 5 days of the trip

-Missing the long Memorial Day weekend at home with my family

-Coming home to a backed up sink and a dead cable box