Monday, Jan. 11, 2012 - Needless to say, I am thrilled to start my sixth NBA season as the television voice of the Pacers on FOX Sports Indiana. And for a second straight year I look forward to sharing my thoughts about being on the road on "All Over The Map". Normally, I will provide a video trip through the sights of the NBA, but for this year's first edition, I have to share my missteps in the first two weeks of the season.
Looking at the schedule, I knew I would be riding buses, flying in airplanes and staying in hotel rooms for most of January and early February. Five of seven and 15 of 22 away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse meant a lot of travel. And early on, I have a lot of improvement if I am to make it through the rest of the year.
When I travel, I have a lot to keep track of and I have done a poor job early in the season. Two briefcases (full of the Apple four-pack: iPhone, iPod, iPad and MacBook Pro and the appropriate power cords), a suitcase and a hanging bag for suits and shirts are always with me on the road. And that has been too much to keep track of. In Detroit on New Year's Eve, I had to return to the media room and locker room three times to retrieve items I had left behind after the game. I changed into my sweats and left my suitcase in the locker room. I went to the media room to sample the chips and dip (a Palace of Auburn Hills post-game ritual) and left my hanging bag on a table. I walked to the bus and realized my hanging bag was missing. I had no idea about my suitcase until security man Trent Virt asked me if I had everything. I t hit me that I was missing my suitcase. I couldn't find it. It wasn't in the locker room. I couldn't find it on the bus. Fortunately one of the locker room attendants had it on the cart to put on the bus.
Two nights later, I misplaced another item but it was far more costly. I left my Bose headphones' charger and battery plugged into the scorer's table at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. I had plugged it in so that I would have a full charge on the flight to Miami. I plugged it in before the game and looked at it in the third quarter and I said to myself "remember to take it after the game". Well I did remember, but on the bus ride to the airport after the game. When I mentioned that to Trent Virt, he laughed and said "You aren't having a very good start to the season are you". And now everyone knew I was struggling. When I got on or off the bus or airplane, everyone asked if I had everything.
Trent and I both made calls and sent emails to New Jersey to see if anyone could help with the missing items. All were helpful but nothing found. So I decided to place the $90 order on Tuesday and have the new battery and charger shipped to Boston, the last stop on our four-game road trip. Everything seemed perfect as UPS kept me up-to-date on its Friday arrival. The last e-mail on Friday morning said it had been delivered to my hotel in Boston. I visited the concierge but she said nothing had been delivered. Long story short, even though it was addressed to the hotel, it had been delivered to Emerson College two blocks away. But then Emerson College gave it back to UPS, and since UPS wouldn't deliver it back to the hotel, I chased the UPS truck in downtown Boston and finally got my package at 3 p.m.
The good news about running around downtown Boston, I picked up my package outside The Charles Playhouse. It's the home of Blue Man Group and I think I will see a show when we're back in Boston in a couple of weeks.
Monday's trip to Philadelphia was inconsequential, except for the continued questions if I had everything. Who knows what will happen when I go back to Toronto on Thursday, and out to the west coast next week.
But I feel like I will be in good shape because on Wednesday morning, I got this e-mail (also sent to Mark Boyle) from Krissy Myers of the Pacers' PR staff: Did either of you lose a Bose charger of some sorts when you were in New Jersey? The engineer there thought one of you left it and sent it here with the Hawks. Let me know and I’ll bring it to you tonight. Thanks! And then this from the always witty Boyle: Krissy, Not I. Probably Chris. He's leaving stuff all over The Association landscape this season. MJB
So I now have two Bose chargers and batteries. Not necessarily my plan, but it sure will be helpful when I leave one on another scorer's bench this season.