Every week, while doing a game, someone wins and someone loses. Announcers, and I am one of them, praise the winners and talk about how difficult it might be to rebound from a loss, and coming back the following week. It’s just the verbiage of sports.
This past week, the RCN studio family suffered a loss that dealt a blow to our very core. It was the loss of one of our own – cameraman and producer Bob Gery. Bob was always “behind the scenes” and he would not have wanted it any other way. Unless you are a rare viewer who actually reads the credits at the end of a program or sporting event, you would not have seen the name. The sad part is that those very people (directors, engineers, cameramen, audio and graphics people, grips, etc.) are greatly responsible for your enjoyment of a game or a program. They are in the background to you, but not for those of us in front of the cameras. We know and appreciate their value.
Bob produced Community Spotlight, kept our vehicles safe and running, and worked our weekend sporting events, doing audio or manning a camera. He did all of these jobs extremely efficiently and was so conscientious about his performance. He was a man of character and would take time to make sure everything was in order.
Personally, Bob was a very simple man. He never wanted the material things in life. Early on, he took care of his parents until they passed. He was a dedicated and loving son. He was quietly interested in life. He loved history; he loved politics; and he loved reading. He was quite intellectual and enjoyed debating the current issues of the world. One of his pastimes was to visit the graves of past presidents and the Presidential libraries. He was a huge Beatles fan and was planning a trip to England this coming summer.
I looked forward to his frequent visits to my office. He always wanted to talk about high school and Lafayette College sports. He was adamant about this current election and I cannot believe he will not vote. He ALWAYS voted and cast a thoughtful and well-informed ballot. He felt it was his duty.
Recently, he had been discussing with me the pros and cons of retirement. His financial advisor told him he could make that decision because he had been frugal all his life. His finances were in order. He was ready to leave the daily grind of television and reap the rewards of his labor. No one deserved to do that more than Bob. Fate took that away from him.
And there was no warning. Bob worked camera for a weekend football game on October 7, as he has done for 17 years. We all had a rare Saturday off since Lafayette was not being televised. Bob thoroughly enjoyed the Lafayette games, but he looked forward to the break and even took the following Monday as a vacation day.
None of us at the studio ever spoke with Bob again.
The RCN studio just does not feel the same right now. There is an empty cubicle in the office and an empty spot in our hearts. We will continue on; ask someone to take on Bob’s responsibilities; and cope; and manage our loss. No one knew better than Bob that in our world the show must go on.
But, make no mistake; it will not be the same.
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
- If you want to pick the Super Bowl winner right now, the best bet would be the New England Patriots. Tom Brady’s numbers in his two games back from suspension are ridiculous – 782 yards and six touchdowns. And the defense gives up just 15.2 points per game.
- The Steelers’ loss to Miami this week not only killed one of my “just for fun” pools, but Las Vegas reported that there were seven times more straight bets placed on Pittsburgh than on Miami. And there were 15 times more bets on Pittsburgh as a package with other games. The bad guys won again.
- Watching Clayton Kershaw pitch against the Cubs on Sunday night and win 1-0 made me assume that he was greatly responsible for their success this season. But the Dodgers won 74 games without him. Manager Dave Roberts has done a masterful job changing lineups and utilizing the entire pitching staff. Going up against Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon makes this a particularly interesting series for the student of the game.
- If you need to blame someone for the Eagles’ loss to the Redskins on Sunday, blame Lane Johnson and he did not even play. And that is the problem. Johnson is suspended for 10 games for using performance-enhancing drugs. His replacement was awful and allowed Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan to dominate the line of scrimmage.
- On Friday, October 21, the RCN-TV crew will have the Saucon Valley – Notre Dame game LIVE at 7:00 PM followed by Emmaus- Easton. That game is on at 10:00 PM. The crew will have Lafayette at Bucknell on Saturday LIVE at 1:00 PM.
Gary’s Guesses: NFL Picks – (Last week – 10-5; Overall – 55-37 – 60%)
Week Seven
GREEN BAY
GIANTS
MINNESOTA
KANSAS CITY
DETROIT
CINCINNATI
BUFFALO
JACKSONVILLE
INDIANAPOLIS
BALTIMORE
ATLANTA
TAMPA BAY
NEW ENGLAND
SEATTLE
DENVER
