MY BLUE HEAVEN

I didn't really know him. Just of him. I'm sitting next to him in the press box. Getting ready to announce my first varsity high school football game. I simply got the job because a friend, John Cruser was AD, and he knew I liked sports. It was a new system that had a second and a half delay from what the announcer spoke was broadcast over the speakers. It bothered the former announcer. It didn't bother me, so I got the job.

For 19 football seasons I was "The voice of the Rams" as public address announcer at Vernois, later Shields Memorial Stadium. But back to my first Friday night.

I have a few jitters. I mean I'd never even announced a frosh game, so I was feeling my way. The WMIX radio announcer had been "the Voice of the Rams" on radio for many years. And he was good. Oh, J Callarman might yell at the officials a little too much, but he was good, I thought.

As I was looking over the lineups and preparing game notes, he suddenly bursts out with "My Blue Heaven". Very loudly. He didn't have a second and a half delay. It was full blown. He knew every word. Every verse. It wasn't bad at all. Just strange.

But that was John. Very comfortable with who he was. I envied him that. Especially in later years when I would sing and my kids would tell me to quit ruining a good song for them. Maybe I just got too used to the delay from microphone to speakers.