A LOT TO UNPACK FROM THE SUMMER OF 2023

For the first time this summer I broke with my usual routine of reaching out to NHL teams and networks about broadcasting. After a winter of spring of kicking tires at potential opportunities and getting rejected from each and everyone of them, I grew tired of the rejection of getting ignored.

One such email was brusque and carried the tone that I was moving beyond the stage of networking and crossing into being annoying with my inquiries. That, too me, was the last straw. I never wanted to be that guy who was becoming annoying, needy or desperate with my emails, but I looked my pattern of emails and knew that I wasn't helping myself. I actually to want to thank the person who sent that email, even though I was pretty ticked off when I got it. That person opened my eyes and I knew it was time to take a break. So I did.

At the start of summer I sent one brief email about a potential opportunity and that was it. No more "You Miss a 100% of the Shots You Don't Take" from Clark this summer! Rejection or getting ignored was getting me down in the dumps, but at the same time I started confronting some realities of the sports broadcasting world. It is trending younger, and getting more diverse while I was not getting younger, while I was what I was: a slightly heavy-set white man in his very early 50's. I told my wife that I was 95% sure that an NHL or network gig just was not going to happen. My wife actually interrupted me and said "That's too high!" and God bless her, she said my time was still coming. I appreciated the confidence from my wife and daughter. It was exactly what I needed and turned my mindset around. My attitude is that the networks, and sports broadcasting people know who I am and how to get in touch with me. Until then there's plenty to keep me busy.

So as I sit here right now I feel confident in my abilities and really enjoy what I'm doing. I can call hockey, football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and rowing, yes rowing! My mindset is that it's the network or the teams loss. So to YourTV Niagara, AM900CHML and McMaster University/OUA.TV, congratulations! You have the best and most diverse broadcaster not working for a professional team or a network!

QUICK QUIPS:

• Early soap opera stuff from the NHL with the news that Mike Babcock has alleged to have crossed the line in terms of privacy by asking to look at player photos. Lots of opinions on this but I'll defer to the 32 Thoughts Podcast and Elliot Friedman and Jeff Marek who correctly pointed out that Mike Babcock is always going to draw a reaction when he does anything and that he needed to be practically perfect to not get a reaction. They also said that if someone does not like you, then they will gun for you until they get what they want. Paul Biz Nasty Bissonnette (who broke the story on Spittin' Chiclets), Frank Corrado and Mike Commodore have had some harsh condemnation for the new Columbus coach.

• Season #16 gets under way for me in the OHL with the Niagara/Oshawa exhibition tilt Thursday September 21st. New BFF's London are in Niagara for the back end of a home and home with the Knights on Saturday September 30th. Why are London and Niagara BFF's? Two more trades between the Knights and the IceDogs after three last year. Too many trades overall in my opinion for Niagara who desperately need some roster stability. That said? There are a lot of intriguing players both young and veteran for Niagara. Here's hoping they can improve on last year's disaster of a season.

• Great to be back on the radio and on the road with the McMaster Marauders football team this year on AM900 CHML. I'm working with well-known Hamiltonian Peter Dyakowski and having a great time. One thing I could without on the road is playing the where are we broadcasting game. In London we had to climb a set of metal stairs to the roof of the press box. Not good to stare at the ground a long way below when you're scared of heights! When we get to Laurier they're renovating the stadium on the fly and lets just say I feel our broadcast location might be rustic.

• The Blue Jays just absolutely suck right now. Coming out flat at home against your biggest playoff rival who are missing their best player? Not good. Not good at all. Thank you for the no show Vlad Guerrero JR and Bo Bichette who are a combined 1/24 in the series. This no sense of the buzz like the 2015-1016 teams, just a sense of inevitability of failure.

• Finally, the less said about education the better. It's a mess from the behavior in school to the Minister of Education's constant need for photo ops to the lack of contract to the deep division within the system that would be exhausting to get into. I've got 6-8 years to retirement and if they offered me retirement today, I think I would take it and do something else!

Till next time see you at the rink/field/gym/classroom

Steve Clark

www.steveclarkmedia.com