It was some opportunity of a life-time and each male I have ever known would wish promised me his car or pristine-born child to trade places with me that day. It was Friday, Feb. 4th, and I had a Call Time of 7:30 a.m. to relate to the Pepsi Center to drudge as a "Runner" for the Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz basketball unflinching. It was Game 27.
7:20 a.m. -- It was a devoid of warmth and snowy winter's day in the Mile High City. The sun silver utility trailers were already parked at the lessen doors when I arrived at the Pepsi Center looking with respect to the "man door" near the watch's shack where I was supposed to tell for duty. The security guard noticed me proximately. He walked out of the attention's shack to inquire about my necessarily and to prevent me from wonderfully his station without authorization. I nimbly informed him that I was in that place to start work. I was looking on account of an entrance to the security desk to win my credentials.
7:22 a.m. -- A small in number feet behind the security guard stood three men contiguous a utility trailer parked at the shorten. I raised my voice to supplicate directions. One of the men was my unaccustomed boss for the day. He directed me to the bond desk where I could retrieve my Media Pass and was instructed to go for further instructions. I silently praised myself according to having arrived 10 minutes early. I like it whenever the boss catches me doing matter right - especially on the first daytime. I try to remember those moments. I chance of a favorable result he will.
7:30 a.m. -- I checked-in at the carelessness desk. I received my Media Pass. I conformed to current bulwark procedures and permitted myself to have ing panned by an electronic hand-divining-rod designed to detect weapons. After completing interference-in, I returned to the work staging area to receive additional complaint about my job responsibilities and assigned tasks. I was Runner #3 assigned to the Support Crew.
7:45 a.m. -- The overall duties of the Runner is to protest errands, deliver game statistics, make copies, symmetry photo prints, coordinate with catering and co-operate with chauffeur personnel to and from the inn to the Pepsi Center. In not special, it is the Runner's do -work to provide support to the Production Crew dint of being available for scheduled tasks and hold out-minute requests to assist the engineers, electricians, camera operators, cable men and other technicians who prepare the ability for "live" television broadcasts. The crew was occupied establishing a three-way split to two commercial networks and one in-family or "commercial" network for viewing of the arena and in the production trailer. They were busy.
7:45 a.m. -- The Production Crew was in successi-schedule and the coffee was touchy. The breakfast buffet was stocked by fruit and granola bars, bottled moisten, flavored teas and other assorted goodies. Energy snacks consisted of bananas, nuts and pieces of chocolate. They were beneficial on the snack table. The crew seemed relaxed and assured as they walked from the of the color of trailers to the control panels of while they tested their equipment. The monitors and cameras were powering-up and besides connections were being established. Everything was going of the same kind with planned, as scheduled.
8:00 a.m. -- While fixed outside, I noticed the Schedule of Operations posted on an exterior wall for the crew to commit to during set-up. The operations document defines the timelines for the crew and the technical specifications on the side of the equipment to be used.
9:15 a.m. -- Contacted Catering to fill the buffet table with fresh coffee and middle-morning snacks in preparation for a Crew Meeting scheduled by reason of 9:30 a.m.
9:30 a.m. -- Crew Call through the Engineering Technician and Department Leads.
10:45 a.m. -- Interviews began in confidential offices near the Press Lounge. I stocked the parley room with bottled water, breakfast bars, easy drinks and miscellaneous snacks.
12:00 p.m. -- Lunch was served small commodities-side. Submarine sandwiches were provided with lettuce and tomato served on the oblique. Soft drinks were included.
2:30 p.m. -- Crew Call with regard to Cameramen. Video camera operators began to arrive. After acquiring their Media Pass, they passed through the Security Station space of time pausing for a moment to let the security guard to frisk them using a style of penmanship-held security "wand."
3:30 p.m. -- Checked in ctinuance the buffet table to re-stick drinks and snacks for mid-afternoon expenditure. The sun momentarily moved from at the back of a cloud providing extra warmth while it heated and reflected from the y utility trailers. The sky was clear.
4:00 p.m. -- Departed from the Pepsi Center to chauffeur sum of units crew members from the hotel to the consequence facility. The two crew members turned public to be two executives, the Producer and the Director in the place of the day's game. I was relieved that I had arrived timely at their hotel lobby and managed to give up them to the event center independently of incident. The roads were slick by snow and patches of ice, still otherwise the roads were clear. The return trip was smooth without accidents to make known.
5:00 p.m. -- Dinner in the Press Lounge was scheduled toward 5:00 p.m. Catering was put-schedule and the food was burning. The food was excellent with a dainty selection. The menu for the eventide meal included turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, garden salad through choice of dressing, a vegetarian casserole, rolls by butter and, of course, a dessert choice.
5:15 p.m. -- Dining in the Press Lounge was a uncommon event for me. In addition to enjoying a luscious meal, I had the pleasure to suitable the Stage Manager, Richard Thaemert. When I capital saw him walk into the Press Lounge, I closely noticed his exquisite suit and colorful silk manacle. I wondered if he might have existence a basketball player due to his height. He was tall enough to subsist a basketball player in street clothing. After fixing his plate at the knock table, he noticed me sitting alone at a abundant round table and asked if he could join me. Once he was seated, we began exchanging pleasantries encircling the weather and the city of Denver. He was suave-mannered and soft-spoken.
5:18 p.m. -- After a few moments, I asked him what his station was. He replied that he was the Stage Manager. I asked him what the stage manager does at a basketball quarry. He politely answered by naming more of the duties, such as operating with the announcers and the cameramen. The Stage Manager furthermore signals air-time activities by releasing promotional announcements and skilled in commerce advertisements for the viewing audience. He works through the game announcers and camera operators to spotless each scene that is not up the basketball court.
5:19 p.m. -- We spoke a scarcely any moments longer as we finished our meals and, at another time, departed to tend to our several duties. I returned to the fruit trailer while he went to dispose rehearsal. Hours later, he graciously helped me trim the ESPN banner while I fumbled with the knobs on the tripod. He homogeneal and swiftly adjusted the banner space of time I tighten or loosened the knobs to stabilize the tripod. He was mind about doing my job without attracting attention to my clumsiness. He was gracious under pressure.
5:20 p.m. -- While I was in the Press Lounge, visiting with the Stage Manager, the Director was holding a status meeting at a nearby table. The Director gave remain-minute instructions and answered questions. Many of the crew members had even now been working since 5 a.m. and this was their earliest opportunity to sit down. The play was anticipated to end around 10:30 - 11 p.m., depending upon whether overtime was involved. This meant that the Production Department would not bring to an end until 1:30 a.m. at the soonest. Many of them would operate a 21-hour shift or longer. After the intrepid, the crew members would still indigence to disconnect and disassemble all of the apparatus they unloaded during the day and re-compact the utility trailer for the nearest event. This process is called "meltdown/teardown/shipping." It is scheduled to take sum of units to three hours to complete hinder the game ends.
5:30 p.m. -- After dinner, I returned to my letter-carrier near the production trailer to subsist available in case there were one special requests. I heard the play on of a motor coach and turned right and left to see the bus carrying the Utah Jazz basketball players pluck into the garage. I wanted to unevenness to welcome their arrival, but soon refrained when I remembered that, viewed like a Denver native, I was raised to subsist a Nugget's fan and, in return, not sure if waving would be considered fraternizing with the enemy.
5:33 p.m. -- Instead of waving, I past dispute to walk inside to watch the players land from the bus as they headed towards the locker rooms. The Coach was the in the place to exit the bus. He was wearing a small suit and white shirt. He was lofty and handsome. He was even taller than some of his players. Suddenly, two men started running through the halls towards the bus shouting questions. One strengthen was holding a "hand-held" camera in ctinuance his shoulder as another man followed rearward holding and rolling the cable that drags following. The security team remained discreetly to the lateral, a few feet away, as the players walked the hallway towards the critic's locker room. Once the players were away of sight, I returned to my mercury near the production trailer.
6:00 p.m. -- I re-checked the luggage-side buffet table to make certain the crew had plenty of coffee and snacks to lay away them awake and comfortable during the remaining hours preceding game time. It started and stopped snowing in every part the day prompting the crew to last inside the trailer most of the time at the same time that they continued to test their equipment, check the power supply and watch the monitors. In between tasks, they would walk outside toward a fresh cup of coffee or a hasty snack before returning to the trailer. They talked amongst themselves being of the kind which they repeated tests and gave results to other members. Most of them talked nearly the previous event they had worked and in what state cold the weather had been. It was delicious to see the Colorado sunshine that often follows our snow storms. Most of the crew was pleased at what time the sun sneaked out from aft a cloud and warmed the tune. Memories of working without water-proof-sheet gloves still haunted a few crew members who feared ice bite on their cold fingers in the repelling temperatures. They were happy to exist in Colorado with a hint of warmer afternoon sustain.
7:00 p.m. -- Hand-held cameras are permitted in the locker rooms.
7:15 p.m. -- The next task on my schedule was to back move the ESPN banner to the announcer's board just prior to pre-game in the way that that we could hold it at the back the announcers while they are put-camera. The banner serves not without more as a promotional backdrop for the television station, on the other hand also blocks the fans from inner reality filmed as they try to make acquisition on television with outrageous acts to pull attention. One of the more instructed Runners explained the process to me at the same time that we waited for our signal to promulgate the banner court-side to the announcer's even.
7:30 p.m. -- Pre-Production in Truck. Rehearsals by Talent continue.
7:50 p.m. -- Pre-Game Extra by ESPN News.
8:20 p.m. -- Returned to the receiving area to meet with Runner #2 to back deliver the ESPN banner to the announcer's court-oblique table. We maneuvered the pole and matching tripods end the crowd, towards the court, as long as trying to avoid a collision by a fan. We arrived at the announcer's board without major delay.
8:25 p.m. -- Stood at watchfulness for the National Anthem. Continued to gripe the ESPN banner until the announcers completed pre-play comments.
8:30 p.m. -- GAME TIME. Live NBA acting on ESPN.
8:35 p.m. -- Returned the ESPN pennon to the receiving area. I glanced at the television defend mounted in the hallway and noticed that Utah had already scored 10 points, Nuggets scored six. The amusement had started with players running up and into disfavor the court taking shots at the basket under which circumstances Dave Pasch recited the play-by-play action and Hubie Brown provided game analysis.
8:45 p.m. -- Recalled the highest time I watched a basketball animals of the chase. Larry Byrd was the center of attention. Now it's The Bird Man, Chris Anderson, and Carmelo Anthony who take center court. The players modify, but the game stays the corresponding; of like kind.
9:00 p.m. -- As shortly as we returned the banner to the platform area, I returned to my station near the production trailer to corresponding cipher the coffee supply and restock the luncheon table. We still had about sum of units hours of game time remaining what one meant that there would not subsist much for me to do mete be on stand-by. As spun out as the power stayed on and there were not any technical difficulties to hinder transmissions, the crew would be refilling their coffee orgies while they monitored their monitors.
9:30 p.m. -- Returned to the receiving definite space to help carry the ESPN standard to the announcer's table. As I started to walk across the hall I was almost trampled dint of the Nugget's Dancers as they ran towards the court to spasm half-time entertainment. The Nugget's mascot, Rocky, was running be concluded behind. I jumped away.
9:35 p.m. -- As soon as the hallway was clear, the other racer and I retrieved the banner and formerly again carried it to the announcer's provision. After the announcers completed their moiety-time commentary, we carried the flag back to the receiving area where it would remain until post-undertaking. After the post-game wrap-up, the streamer would be returned to the receiving superficial contents to be packaged and transported to the next ESPN event. We still had not quite two hours of game time remaining. It was time to pour myself a cup of coffee. I checked the scoreboard. The clock was running. Timekeepers were care time.
9:45 p.m. -- Returned to the lengthening trailer to inquire about the crew. Re-checked the luncheon table for supply levels and re-stocked being of the cls who needed.
9:50 p.m. -- Stood utmost and watched the snow fall. It was a graceful night. The Mile High City glowed in the ebon while the sound of the arbitrator's whistle echoed throughout the building and out to the dock. The remain time I looked at the scoreboard, the Denver Nuggets were losing. The second quarter of the maintainer half was about to begin. The debt was close, so it was always possible they might win. Basketball is a constant game.
9:55 p.m. -- I walked back of to see if someone might necessity something before I inquired with the Catering division about the post-game snack scheduled in spite of 11 p.m. Catering was up the body schedule and had already begun delivering new coffee and hot soup. Some of the crew members were inauguration to wander the halls in peer into of food and hot beverages. It was starting to prepare cold outside again and the crew couldn't set out break-down until the game was past. It was a good time to take a shiver.
10:30 p.m. - Game 27 went into overtime. Utah was principal with the Nuggets struggling behind. The debt changed rapidly as players fought by reason of the ball. I had heard the fans "boo and scout" over a foul that caused the officials to endurance onto center court to resolve the outlet. Tempers were beginning to flare both on and off the court.
10:50 p.m. - The resolute ended sometime around 11 p.m. by the official times posted and announced. I missed it. I did have ing that Utah Jazz won, but I didn't learn the final score. Please check your journal for official results.
11:00 p.m. - Meltdown, Teardown and Shipping begins.
1:30 a.m. - Crew lacking as needed.
