It was an opportunity of a life-time and every male I have ever known would have promised me his car or first-born child to trade places with me that day. It was Friday, Feb. 4th, and I had a Call Time of 7:30 a.m. to report to the Pepsi Center to work as a "Runner" for the Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz basketball game. It was Game 27.
7:20 a.m. -- It was a cold and snowy winter's day in the Mile High City. The shiny silver utility trailers were already parked at the dock doors when I arrived at the Pepsi Center looking for the "man door" near the guard's shack where I was supposed to report for duty. The security guard noticed me immediately. He walked out of the guard's shack to inquire about my needs and to prevent me from passing his station without authorization. I quickly informed him that I was there to start work. I was looking for an entrance to the security desk to get my credentials.
7:22 a.m. -- A few feet behind the security guard stood three men near a utility trailer parked at the dock. I raised my voice to ask directions. One of the men was my new boss for the day. He directed me to the security desk where I could retrieve my Media Pass and was instructed to return for further instructions. I silently praised myself for having arrived 10 minutes early. I like it when the boss catches me doing something right - especially on the first day. I try to remember those moments. I hope he will.
7:30 a.m. -- I checked-in at the security desk. I received my Media Pass. I conformed to current security procedures and permitted myself to be panned by an electronic hand-wand designed to detect weapons. After completing check-in, I returned to the production staging area to receive additional information about my job responsibilities and assigned tasks. I was Runner #3 assigned to the Support Crew.
7:45 a.m. -- The overall duties of the Runner is to run errands, deliver game statistics, make copies, order photo prints, coordinate with catering and help chauffeur personnel to and from the hotel to the Pepsi Center. In general, it is the Runner's job to provide support to the Production Crew by being available for scheduled tasks and last-minute requests to assist the engineers, electricians, camera operators, cable men and other technicians who prepare the facility for "live" television broadcasts. The crew was busy establishing a three-way split to two commercial networks and one in-house or "commercial" network for viewing inside the arena and in the production trailer. They were busy.
7:45 a.m. -- The Production Crew was on-schedule and the coffee was hot. The breakfast buffet was stocked with fruit and granola bars, bottled water, flavored teas and other assorted goodies. Energy snacks consisted of bananas, nuts and pieces of chocolate. They were available on the snack table. The crew seemed relaxed and confident as they walked from the silver trailers to the control panels inside while they tested their equipment. The monitors and cameras were powering-up and more connections were being established. Everything was going as planned, as scheduled.
8:00 a.m. -- While standing outside, I noticed the Schedule of Operations posted on an exterior wall for the crew to refer to during set-up. The operations schedule defines the timelines for the crew and the technical specifications for the equipment to be used.
9:15 a.m. -- Contacted Catering to replenish the buffet table with fresh coffee and mid-morning snacks in preparation for a Crew Meeting scheduled for 9:30 a.m.
9:30 a.m. -- Crew Call with the Engineering Technician and Department Leads.
10:45 a.m. -- Interviews began in private offices near the Press Lounge. I stocked the interview room with bottled water, breakfast bars, soft drinks and miscellaneous snacks.
12:00 p.m. -- Lunch was served truck-side. Submarine sandwiches were provided with lettuce and tomato served on the side. Soft drinks were included.
2:30 p.m. -- Crew Call for Cameramen. Video camera operators began to arrive. After acquiring their Media Pass, they passed through the Security Station while pausing for a moment to allow the security guard to frisk them using a hand-held security "wand."
3:30 p.m. -- Checked on the buffet table to re-stock drinks and snacks for mid-afternoon consumption. The sun momentarily moved from behind a cloud providing extra warmth as it heated and reflected from the silver utility trailers. The sky was bright.
4:00 p.m. -- Departed from the Pepsi Center to chauffeur two crew members from the hotel to the event facility. The two crew members turned out to be two executives, the Producer and the Director for the day's game. I was relieved that I had arrived early at their hotel lobby and managed to deliver them to the event center without incident. The roads were slick with snow and patches of ice, but otherwise the roads were clear. The return trip was smooth without accidents to report.
5:00 p.m. -- Dinner in the Press Lounge was scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Catering was on-schedule and the food was hot. The food was excellent with a delicious selection. The menu for the evening meal included turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, garden salad with choice of dressing, a vegetarian casserole, rolls with butter and, of course, a dessert selection.
5:15 p.m. -- Dining in the Press Lounge was a special event for me. In addition to enjoying a delicious meal, I had the pleasure to meet the Stage Manager, Richard Thaemert. When I first saw him walk into the Press Lounge, I immediately noticed his exquisite suit and colorful silk tie. I wondered if he might be a basketball player due to his height. He was tall enough to be a basketball player in street clothes. After fixing his plate at the buffet table, he noticed me sitting alone at a large round table and asked if he could join me. Once he was seated, we began exchanging pleasantries about the weather and the city of Denver. He was mild-mannered and soft-spoken.
5:18 p.m. -- After a few moments, I asked him what his position was. He replied that he was the Stage Manager. I asked him what the stage manager does at a basketball game. He politely answered by naming some of the duties, such as working with the announcers and the cameramen. The Stage Manager also signals air-time activities by releasing promotional announcements and commercial advertisements for the viewing audience. He works with the game announcers and camera operators to perfect each scene that is not on the basketball court.
5:19 p.m. -- We spoke a few moments longer as we finished our meals and, then, departed to tend to our respective duties. I returned to the production trailer while he went to dress rehearsal. Hours later, he graciously helped me adjust the ESPN banner while I fumbled with the knobs on the tripod. He kindly and swiftly adjusted the banner while I tighten or loosened the knobs to stabilize the tripod. He was kind about doing my job without drawing attention to my clumsiness. He was gracious under pressure.
5:20 p.m. -- While I was in the Press Lounge, visiting with the Stage Manager, the Director was holding a status meeting at a nearby table. The Director gave last-minute instructions and answered questions. Many of the crew members had already been working since 5 a.m. and this was their first opportunity to sit down. The game was anticipated to end around 10:30 - 11 p.m., depending upon whether overtime was involved. This meant that the Production Department would not finish until 1:30 a.m. at the soonest. Many of them would work a 21-hour shift or longer. After the game, the crew members would still need to disconnect and disassemble all of the equipment they unloaded during the day and re-pack the utility trailer for the next event. This process is called "meltdown/teardown/shipping." It is scheduled to take two to three hours to complete after the game ends.
5:30 p.m. -- After dinner, I returned to my post near the production trailer to be available in case there were any special requests. I heard the sound of a motor coach and turned around to see the bus carrying the Utah Jazz basketball players pull into the garage. I wanted to wave to welcome their arrival, but quickly refrained when I remembered that, as a Denver native, I was raised to be a Nugget's fan and, therefore, not sure if waving would be considered fraternizing with the enemy.
5:33 p.m. -- Instead of waving, I decided to walk inside to watch the players disembark from the bus as they headed towards the locker rooms. The Coach was the first to exit the bus. He was wearing a fine suit and white shirt. He was tall and handsome. He was even taller than some of his players. Suddenly, two men started running through the halls towards the bus shouting questions. One man was holding a "hand-held" camera on his shoulder as another man followed behind holding and rolling the cable that drags behind. The security team remained discreetly to the side, a few feet away, as the players walked the hallway towards the visitor's locker room. Once the players were out of sight, I returned to my post near the production trailer.
6:00 p.m. -- I re-checked the truck-side buffet table to make sure the crew had plenty of coffee and snacks to keep them awake and comfortable during the remaining hours before game time. It started and stopped snowing throughout the day prompting the crew to remain inside the trailer most of the time as they continued to test their equipment, check the power supply and watch the monitors. In between tasks, they would walk outside for a fresh cup of coffee or a quick snack before returning to the trailer. They talked amongst themselves as they repeated tests and gave results to other members. Most of them talked about the previous event they had worked and how cold the weather had been. It was nice to see the Colorado sunshine that frequently follows our snow storms. Most of the crew was pleased when the sun sneaked out from behind a cloud and warmed the air. Memories of working without water-proof gloves still haunted a few crew members who feared frost bite on their cold fingers in the frigid temperatures. They were happy to be in Colorado with a hint of warmer afternoon weather.
7:00 p.m. -- Hand-held cameras are permitted in the locker rooms.
7:15 p.m. -- The next task on my schedule was to help move the ESPN banner to the announcer's table just prior to pre-game so that we could hold it behind the announcers while they are on-camera. The banner serves not only as a promotional backdrop for the television station, but also blocks the fans from being filmed as they try to get on television with outrageous acts to draw attention. One of the more experienced Runners explained the process to me as we waited for our signal to deliver the banner court-side to the announcer's table.
7:30 p.m. -- Pre-Production in Truck. Rehearsals with Talent continue.
7:50 p.m. -- Pre-Game Extra with ESPN News.
8:20 p.m. -- Returned to the receiving area to meet with Runner #2 to help deliver the ESPN banner to the announcer's court-side table. We maneuvered the pole and matching tripods through the crowd, towards the court, while trying to avoid a collision with a fan. We arrived at the announcer's table without major delay.
8:25 p.m. -- Stood at attention for the National Anthem. Continued to hold the ESPN banner until the announcers completed pre-game comments.
8:30 p.m. -- GAME TIME. Live NBA action on ESPN.
8:35 p.m. -- Returned the ESPN banner to the receiving area. I glanced at the television screen mounted in the hallway and noticed that Utah had already scored 10 points, Nuggets scored six. The game had started with players running up and down the court taking shots at the basket while Dave Pasch recited the play-by-play action and Hubie Brown provided game analysis.
8:45 p.m. -- Recalled the last time I watched a basketball game. Larry Byrd was the center of attention. Now it's The Bird Man, Chris Anderson, and Carmelo Anthony who take center court. The players change, but the game stays the same.
9:00 p.m. -- As soon as we returned the banner to the staging area, I returned to my post near the production trailer to check the coffee supply and restock the snack table. We still had about two hours of game time remaining which meant that there would not be much for me to do but be on stand-by. As long as the power stayed on and there were not any technical difficulties to interrupt transmissions, the crew would be refilling their coffee cups while they monitored their monitors.
9:30 p.m. -- Returned to the receiving area to help carry the ESPN banner to the announcer's table. As I started to walk across the hall I was almost trampled by the Nugget's Dancers as they ran towards the court to start half-time entertainment. The Nugget's mascot, Rocky, was running close behind. I jumped away.
9:35 p.m. -- As soon as the hallway was clear, the other runner and I retrieved the banner and once again carried it to the announcer's table. After the announcers completed their half-time commentary, we carried the banner back to the receiving area where it would remain until post-game. After the post-game wrap-up, the banner would be returned to the receiving area to be packaged and transported to the next ESPN event. We still had almost two hours of game time remaining. It was time to pour myself a cup of coffee. I checked the scoreboard. The clock was running. Timekeepers were keeping time.
9:45 p.m. -- Returned to the production trailer to inquire about the crew. Re-checked the snack table for supply levels and re-stocked as needed.
9:50 p.m. -- Stood outside and watched the snow fall. It was a beautiful night. The Mile High City glowed in the dark while the sound of the referee's whistle echoed throughout the building and out to the dock. The last time I looked at the scoreboard, the Denver Nuggets were losing. The second quarter of the second half was about to begin. The score was close, so it was still possible they might win. Basketball is a fast game.
9:55 p.m. -- I walked back inside to see if someone might need something before I inquired with the Catering department about the post-game snack scheduled for 11 p.m. Catering was on schedule and had already begun delivering fresh coffee and hot soup. Some of the crew members were beginning to wander the halls in search of food and hot beverages. It was starting to get cold outside again and the crew couldn't start break-down until the game was over. It was a good time to take a break.
10:30 p.m. - Game 27 went into overtime. Utah was leading with the Nuggets struggling behind. The score changed rapidly as players fought for the ball. I had heard the fans "boo and hiss" over a foul that caused the officials to go onto center court to resolve the issue. Tempers were beginning to flare both on and off the court.
10:50 p.m. - The game ended sometime around 11 p.m. with the official times posted and announced. I missed it. I did hear that Utah Jazz won, but I didn't hear the final score. Please check your newspaper for official results.
11:00 p.m. - Meltdown, Teardown and Shipping begins.
1:30 a.m. - Crew out as needed.
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