February 28th, 2020. It was the last time I was behind the microphone working public address duties at a sporting event. The girls from Wells and Hermon battled it out on the floor of the Cross Insurance Center for the Class B State Championship. Afterwards, I switched places at the scorers’ table to the spotter’s seat for the epic boys contest between Caribou and Maranacook. The next day I embarked south to Augusta for more state championship basketball. March would mean soaking in my favorite national sporting event, the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Come mid-April, I would begin my 26th season behind the mic as the PA announcer at Bangor’s Mansfield Stadium. Somehow, a week prior to March Madness, that plan was severely altered.
For as long as I can remember, sports have been my life’s rhythm. They have been there through the rejuvenation of spring and through the dog days of summer. Living in a cold weather climate, basketball has been there as the perfect elixir to a Maine winter. I wouldn’t say that I’ve taken them for granted…many times I’ve reflected as to how fortunate I am to have the relationship and involvement I do with sports. I just never imaged the possibility that sports would not be there. Even as the shutting down of the sports world was imminent, I never thought while watching Syracuse end North Carolina’s dreadful men’s basketball season, the next day they would indeed be gone.
For all of us, the coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll, albeit on different levels. We have everyday normalcies, things which we never thought of, that have now changed. For me, I miss casually being able to shop at the grocery store. Now, the task is an anxiety filled chore, walking gingerly through the supermarket, constantly aware of my surroundings, or if I come in close proximity to another customer. I miss not being able to freely mingle at church. While the primary purpose of church attendance is worship, it is also a communal experience with those of like-minded faith. Part of the experience is to catch up with each other on a social level. The new normal, while at this time necessary, isn’t normal at all. People simply are not wired to live like this.
So, nearly three months into this pandemic shutdown period, what I miss and what I thought I’d miss most in the sports world don’t necessarily match. The first three weeks were the most difficult, missing the NCAA basketball tournament. Following that, I’ve found that I don’t really miss professional sports that much and have become indifferent as to whether Major League Baseball returns this year. Maybe MLB The Show on PlayStation4 is a realistic enough baseball fix for me right now. Re-watching the Ken Burns’ Baseball documentary has also helped fill that baseball void.
I miss attending Portland Sea Dogs games and the energy Slugger the Sea Dogs’ mascot brings to Hadlock Field. I miss the sometimes quirky between innings promotions. By the way, my two favorites are the race around the bases with Slugger and The Maine Event. I’ve never seen Slugger win a race yet (I’m thinking he lets the little guy or girl win, just a hunch). Lenny the Lobster is generally favored to come out victorious in The Maine Event, although he has been infamous for a lack of sportsmanship during the races. He looks to take out his counterparts, Spud the Potato, Timber Tree, and Bobbie-Jo Blueberry. I miss sitting back and enjoying my Sea Dogs Biscuit about midway through the game.
I miss the camaraderie at Mansfield Stadium. For the most part, the games themselves have blended into an endless blur in the memory bank. I miss talking with the players and coaches in the dugout while preparing for each game. Many of the people I’ve met at Mansfield Stadium, I have kept in contact with years later. Some players, coaches and fans, became lifelong friends.
Baseball, unlike other sports, lends itself to conversation during the game. I miss the chatter in the press box, which sometimes on long days becomes inane banter. There have been contests as to who can get the announcer to laugh during the game. On some days the press box peanut gallery was successful, other days, not as much. Oh, I think we all could use some laughter right now. I’ve enjoyed many conversations over the years, particularly with umpires, our stadium grounds crew, and others who really enjoy the game. I miss looking out from my perch over that perfectly manicured green expanse on a warm spring day.
During this time, I miss the high school baseball playoffs. This coming week, we were scheduled to host regional and state championship games. I’ve always enjoyed my time interacting with the MPA officials who come each year, as well as many members of the media from around the state. Many of these individuals I only see a few times a year and it’s great to catch up.
I miss the sense of purpose sports bring to my life. Working an event at a baseball park, football field, gymnasium, or arena is the place I feel most comfortable, most at home.
Above all, I miss the anticipation sports bring. An upcoming sporting event brings with it a sense of wonder, the possibility we may see something we’ve never seen before. If you’ve followed sports for any length of time, you realize few games deliver what we think they could or ever what we might expect. It’s the never ending possibility and those times when they do deliver that keep us coming back. For me, that’s the hardest part about all of this. We know sports will come back eventually. At this time we don’t know when that will be. We don’t have those tangible moments to look forward to in our lives. We are stuck in a holding pattern with no concrete end in sight.
Here’s hoping our local sports return in some capacity in the near future. All of us involved, from the player, coaches, officials, event personnel, and fans, need sports back in our lives.
