Farts and Giggles in the Broadcast Booth

It wasn't all doom-and-gloom when it came to calling Kelowna Rockets games this season.

With new color analyst David Michaud at my side, we actually had more than a few laughs along the way, many of them 'on the air'.

Let me say laughing on the air can be ok, as long as it's not an inside joke or you can explain to the listener what's cracking you up.

Let's just say Mr. Michaud brought a more lighthearted approach to the broadcasts this season. While he knew his stuff statistically, and loves the junior game like no other, he also wanted to have some fun on the airwaves, and I was willing to oblige on most night, with hesitation on others.

David enjoys the game as much as anyone, and had this odd habit of dancing to the songs that were being played across the p-a system in the arena.
While he moves pretty good for a big man, his unorthodox jig often cracked me up on the air, especially in commercial breaks when he would not only dance to the music, but would break into song.
I will admit I would join him at times in a duet, but to those around us, it likely wasn't music to the ears.

Let me again point out that cracking up on the air is never a good practice, but it happened from time to time over the course of this season.

In Chilliwack we had a laugh at a 'so-called' hit that happened between the two teams on our post game feature we call 'The Hit of the Game'.
On this night, no one touched each other on the ice and it was like pulling teeth to find someone who even attempted to hit someone or something.
But in typical Michaud fashion, he was going to find a hit, even if it didn't happen. David went for the old 'phantom hit', explaining about something that didn't happen with a straight face, only to look directly at me with conviction, and we both broke down laughing like 7 year-old girl's.

David isn't the only color analyst that I have enjoyed over the years that has sent me into a 'laugh attack'.

In Swift Current, my partner in crime was Everett Hindley.

One cold night at the Civic Centre during a commercial break, Hindley points out to me two teenagers sitting in the stands preforming tonsil hockey for all to see in section C.

Try as hard as I might, I couldn't get them out of my mind when the game action continued, and even the mental picture of these two make-out artists made me crack up mid stride.
Swift Current Broncos fans were getting double their money that night for the action on the ice and in the stands.

I've had times where I had to hold back laughter in the broadcast booth because of sure embarrassment.
In Red Deer, as a young radio play by play caller I was joined on the air by the esteemed Commissioner Dev Delay.
Dev was a great guy, but back then I treated the Commissioner as God!
Well as our interview was about to end, Delay took his headset off, shook my hand and exited to the door.
One problem though!
As Delay moved away from his chair, his foot got intangled in the telephone cord which leads to my broadcast equipment, forcing him to stumbled to his knees, pulling my equipment off the table and taking me off the air!
How can you not laugh when the Commissioner, in his 3 piece suit, is on all fours on the floor with a telephone cord wrapped tightly around his ankles?

If you've ever made the climb up to the broadcast booth in Swift Current - beware!

The ceiling leading up to the booth's are extremely low, with beams running across with sharp nails sticking out.

It's a head hunters delight.

Every time we had a scout or special guest up in the broadcast booth we'd always warn them of the impending danger.
But as time went on, you couldn't help but laugh as a guest of ours would smoke his melon on one of those beams.
You'd try to look all concerned when it happened, but inside you were killing yourself with laughter.

But all is not fart's and giggles in the broadcast booth.

The weirdest situation I've ever had involved Regina Pats G.M Brent Parker.

To set the scene, fans in Swift Current stand below the broadcast booth and are able to bang on the wooden suspended structure whenever they like.

The banging can be heard as clear as day up in the booth.

A young Brent Parker was unaware of this I suppose, when he sat watching a game between his Pats and the Broncos one fateful night.
Parker was sitting to my left, in a separate booth with the Pats radio guy.
Several fights broke out in the game, as the Pats were getting kicked physically and on the scoreboard that night, and a fiery Parker started to snap.

Fans below began banging their fists on the side of the broadcast booth with delight over what was happening on the ice, yet Parker believed I was the one banging, in some weird type of celebration.

All of a sudden, while I am on the air, Parker pears over the partition that separates the two broadcast booths with this angry red face, and begins swearing at me (while I'm on the air talking about the fights that are still in progress) and reaches over and tries grabbing the mic out of my hand!

Thank God my color-man began talking, as I quickly turned my mic off and explained to Parker (who didn't have a very good listening ear that night) that I was not the culprit, and had nothing to do with the banging below.

I spoke to then Broncos Head Coach Todd McLellan about it afterward, still in shock and disbelief over what had happened.
McLellan obviously wasn't impressed, and called Parker a few days later to get an explanation.
A few days after that an embarrassed Parker called me to apologized.

I have nothing bad to say about Parker now,and find him to be a nice man when we see each other, but I will never forget the horror I felt that night, as Parker went over the edge and was looking at taking it out on me.

Those are just some of the stories along the way that come to mind.

This season with the Rockets, despite the losses, was one filled with laughter though.
Color analyst (as he likes to be called) David Michaud brought his 'colorful' personality to the airwaves, and put a smile on my face on many an occasion, and hopefully that of the listener.

I want to thank you publically David for your commitment and friendship this season, and look forward to more farts and giggles next season.

On second thought, why don't we replace the farts for wins next year?

The giggles can stay.

Done!