I’ve been connected in some form or fashion to the television and video industry since 1975 so I was bound to pick up an award or two along the way. Seems like we all do. (If, after a certain number of years you haven’t won anything, I think they give you a lifetime achievement award.) My awards are sitting on my bookcase in case you ever want to come over and check them out. (Believe it or not, the folks who award the Emmys say that the statuette must be displayed facing right. Or is it left? Mine are pointing—well, I’m not saying. Wouldn’t want to violate an academy rule.)
My trophy-harvesting pretty much drew to a close in the early 90’s when I won the Cable Ace Award for “Sports Host.” It was actually the second time I’d been nominated. The first time, the awards were televised from a theater in Hollywood. Someone (I believe it was boxer Sugar Ray Leonard) read the names of the nominees and we got a camera focused on us as we sat there trying to look calm. I didn’t stand a chance, but I prepared a speech anyway. I lost to Roy Firestone of ESPN, and the world was deprived of a terribly witty speech, none of which I can remember.
The following year, the Sports Host category was part of the ceremonies at a ballroom in Beverly Hills two nights before the televised event. Instead of broadcasting the whole thing, they were going to tape just the acceptance speeches and play portions of them during the main event two nights later.
Against all odds and some pretty tough competition, I won for “Best Sports Host,” and made my way backstage to deliver my acceptance speech. I hit all the right notes including an amusing anecdote about my early days in the business and shout-outs to God and my wife.
Two days later, I was watching the Ace Awards show on TV when they came to the portion of the show they called “The Great Friday Celebration.” (Not great enough to be live, apparently, but still pretty great. I certainly wasn’t complaining.) There was a two-minute montage of the winners getting their awards. The speeches must not have been all that riveting since all they used was an occasional, “This is terrific,” or “This is great.” The little segment wrapped up with me, of all people. And what did they use? A shot of me holding my award and saying, “Don’t worry, folks. I never heard of me either.”
A pretty good line, I think, that I stole from my dear friend and colleague, Gerald Bryant. Actually, if you watched enough TV back in the 80’s and 90’s, there’s a chance you may have seen me and might have even known my name. But you certainly saw only a tiny fraction of what I experienced along this circuitous career path.
That’s why I’m starting this blog. It’s not my take on current events or random thoughts about what I believe and why you should too. It’s just amusing stories in no particular order from the life of a guy who always wanted to be on TV, got there, and had some amusing experiences along the way.
So stay tuned.