Jun 15, 2008 10:40 am US/Eastern
Behind The Scenes: Covering The Celtics
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Ray Allen steps up to the podium and talks about the possibility winning his first title.
Dominick Aielli/WBZ
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Sam Cassell address the media on the possibility of winning his third title.
Dominick Aielli/WBZ
Dom's LA (Not-So) Confidential Day 6&7
Sunday, June 15th 2 a.m.
It's a very rare two days off for the combatants in the 2008 NBA Finals and it couldn't have come at a better time for both teams, for completely opposite reasons of course.
I'm combining Friday and Saturday out here in Los Angeles because the days were pretty tame, nothing spectacular, and there is no game to talk about. Good thing because "Game 4: To Live and Die in LA" gave us plenty of storylines to talk about to fill these two days off.
The players had Friday off but the coaches took to the microphones to share their viewpoints as to how the series is going. Doc Rivers was his usual self. That is upbeat, energetic, and even-keeled. You can tell why players love him and why they seem to take on his persona.
That was the focus of our stories on Friday. Doc finally seems to be getting his due! Dan and Steve went live from outside the Lakers practice facility for our 5 and 6 o'clock news. We left El Segundo (where the practice facility is located about 30 minutes away from The Stapler) and headed to our CBS affiliate in Los Angeles to do our 11PM live shots from atop the three-story roof of the building. All in all, a quiet day but the afterglow of that epic Game 4 comeback was the big story of the day.
On Saturday, we headed right back to El Segundo where both teams practiced around 3 o'clock. That makes it tough for us to put some of that video on TV. You see, we are allowed to shoot the last half-hour of Lakers practice, they are then available to talk to for a half-hour after that. Steve and I chatted with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Sasha Vujacic. Vujacic told us about he was pulled over for speeding before Game 3 Tuesday. The cop happened to be a Celtic fan! Yes - he did give him a ticket and Sasha said he's gonna fight it!
Okay, the Lakers clear the floor and it's time for the Celtics to take the court.
Now the reverse happens. We talk to The Green first for half-hour, then we get to shoot their practice for half-an-hour. Steve and I share words with Perk, Ray-Ray, E-House, Rajon, and PJ.
The headlines of our day have to do with the health of Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Radon. Perkins hurt his shoulder running into Odom during Game 4. He said he strained it but nothing will keep him out of Sundays possible clincher.
Having said that, Perk does absolutely nothing with his left shoulder, keeping it down by his side while we were there and taking shots with just his right arm. Rondo on the other hand looks fine. The soft brace isn't there but it does look like his left ankle is taped. Rondo basically declares to the assembled media he is "100 %."
Doc, KG, and Paul all step up to the podium for the official NBA press conferences. We are not allowed to shoot the pressers but WBZ back home can dub them down to tape from a satellite feed.
Lastly, I shoot the C's practice for half and hour. I make sure I get fresh new video of all the major players involved, on top of watching out for how involved Perk and "The Rocket" Rondo are in practice. Kendrick does not participate while Rajon does. But again, we are only allowed to shoot the first half-hour so who knows what happens after that.
We wrap up our work for Saturday with live shots at 6 and we tape a bunch of stuff for the station to use throughout the night and the following morning. We can't be on the clock 24-7 you know!
All in all, it's the calm before the storm! A huge, engulfing. suffocating storm of Green for the Lakers I hope Sunday night!
Dan and I take advantage of our relatively early night (9PM East Coast time) and head to Angels Stadium to catch the Angles-Braves inter-league game. When you're on the road, you have to try and take advantage of your opportunities to see the world!
One more night to go and it could be a historic one. We have a full plate lined up Sunday and if the Celtics close out the series....you can bet you'll see plenty of Steve and Dan all night after the game on Channel 4 for live coverage after what would be one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in sports history!
Dom's LA (Not-So) Confidential Day 5
Thursday, June 12th 11 p.m.
And after Game 4 Thursday night, the NBA has a whole new batch of highlights to use for upcoming commercials!
In all of my years watching the Celtics; and maybe sport, I have never seen such a disparity in a team playing so poorly, so uninspiring, then rising from its own self-inflicted ashes to not only squeek out a game, but to physically and more importantly mentally, sap the life out of a superstar, a team, and perhaps one of the biggest cities in the world!
In my blog Wednesday, I wrote how I could not imagine Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce shooting, therefore playing any worse than they did in Game 3. I was confident they would come back with what I said, "Avengence." I was right...but boy I didn't think they would take
the route they did last night at The Stapler.
Okay... we all saw the game but my job is to try and convey what happens when your job is to cover the team you love on the road.
Game 4 is a tricky one. Up 3-1 is a world of difference from being tied 2-2. There may be no greater swing in a series for one particular game than Game 4 (obviously Game 7 doesn't count!).
That's what Dan and I focused on for our packages we edited for the 5 and 6 o'clock news on Thursday. You could feel the momentum swinging back to Tinseltown, even though the Celts were up 2-1, and Dan and Steve try to convey those emotions in their stories and live shots.
Okay, fast forward to tip-off and the first 5 minutes will tell a lot; or so we thought! The Lakers roar out to a huge lead and they do it on the backs of players not named Kobe. Guys like Lamar and Pau light up a lethargic Celtics team and the Boston press core is all ready writing stories about a tied-up series. I even wonder if I should roll a game tape on the beat-down!
But the tide turns quicker than a Hollywood soap opera and by the 4th quarter, Dan, Steve, and I are in the press room of the Stapler with smiles on our faces that make the vast LA media scowl! The grunts and groans elevate as now the Laker media know they will have to go into an absolutely dumbfounded Laker lockeroom.
As we make our way to the Celtics lockeroom, the assembled Boston
media has a look of disbelief. Did we just see what we saw?! Going into that lockeroom is going to be a lot easier; and a lot more fun than
it looked just 2 hours ago. And trust me when I tell you this, it is one of the most difficult things to do in our business. I was in the Red Sox lockeroom after they lost Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS to the Yankees, I was there after the Revolution lost their 4th straight MLS Cup last year, and I unfortunately witnessed the Patriots path to perfection go ka-put in the Super Bowl in Arizona. Talking to athletes when emotions are raw in the aftermath of defeat is not a comfortable thing to do. But…Steve, Dan and I don't have to worry about that!
The guys are great but I wouldn't say they are jubilant. You know their emotions are not much different than when they lost Game 3. I don't know how they do it, but Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers have put together and molded a team with uncanny chemistry and an abilility to step back and have perspective.
Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins, and Paul Pierce all tape one-on-ones with Steve and Dan. We will need all the video we can get our hands on because we have almost 3 full days before another game is played. As we say in the business, "Too much is never enough."
Hey NBA…here's another marketing motto…"Game 4 of the 2008
NBA Finals…Where the Celtics, and Amazing Happened!
Dom's LA (Not-So) Confidential: Day 4
Wednesday, June 11th 11:30 p.m.
Yes the sun did come up today in Los Angeles, the Lakers gutted out a win Tuesday night. And today, you get the feeling that the media focus on the Celtics would be the poor shooting performances of two of the Big 3; KG and Pierce, and the health of "The Rocket", Rajon Rondo.
Well Wednesdays' off-day would help enlighten us on both counts. But first, Dan and I started our day by editing two "packages" for our 5PM and 6PM newscasts. Packages are the minute to a minute-and-a-half stories you see reporters and anchors toss to when they're out in the field or anchor at the desk. They usually focus on the news of the day and any creative elements you may want to add to spice up the piece to make it more appealing and informative to the viewer.
Since there was so much to talk about, Dan covered all the bases with both stories, from the off-nights of Pierce and Garnett, to Rondo's injury, to Kobe's clutch performance (blahhh!). It took us two hours to edit the pieces, so we finished them off and headed to The Stapler for shootarounds.
Off-days during the NBA Finals usually consist of both teams practicing (you know, like Allen Iverson loves to do!), on the same court but at different times obviously. The home team usually will go first. They have the court for two hours, of which you can shoot the last half-hour.
Mind you, coaches aren't running any top-secret plays for that half-hour! Then comes another half hour where all the assembled media (and there are close to 2,000 credentialed for The Finals) get to rush the court and speak to players. Now all 2,000 aren't here but it may be close to 100 with pens, laptops, voice-recorders, still cameras and video cameras, all stampeding to basically talk to the same players. It's quite a scene and you'd better make sure you wore deodorant that day!
Dan and I spoke with Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher. Phil, Kobe, and Pau were speaking in the "official" press conference room, where we put our trusty friend - PE (personal editor, a machine not a person). Lamar was badgered about his less-than-stellar play and Derek gave quotes like the seasoned veteran he is. You know, I won't be surprised if we see "D-Fish" as they call him, saddling up to a microphone when his playing days are over.
On a side note, I found it very odd that Kobe was not involved in any of the teams shootaround - at least the portion the media was allowed to view. Even when the team huddled up and raised hands together in unison, Bryant wasn't there. Now, that could be a calculated move by the Lakers or are the Lakers really Kobe... and everyone else?
Okay, enough of the Lake Show, gimme the guys in Green! Now the reverse scenario plays out for the Celtics media availability. We talk to them first then shoot the first half-hour of their practice. Of course who do we all have our eyes on? "The Rocket". Rajon comes out on to the court wearing a soft cast around his left ankle but he seems to be walking fine. We crowd around the speedy point guard and he says he feels good, just a little sore. He was asked if x-rays were taken and he answers "yes" and they came back "negative." Rajon also adds that there is nothing that would keep him out of Game 4. All right! The Celts need a healthy number 9 if they are going to win Banner 17. Now we move on Ray-Ray, Perk, PJ and House. Doc, Paul and KG went in to the "official" press conference room. You know, win or lose, these guys act the same, and I don't think it is an act. They are a confident bunch.
So after the interview portion, we are asked to line up our cameras and shoot from behind the benches. What are we all going to focus our cameras on? Yup, how's Rondo getting around on that precious ankle. He picks up a ball and starts dribbling. Not bad! He doesn't seem to be favoring it. The team then does some stretching drills. Rondo participates in all accept the crossovers. You know, when you run sideways while crossing one leg over the other.
Not a big deal I say. So after getting enough video of Rondo that I can do a documentary on him, I start shooting a couple of minutes worth of every other player. You never know when you'll need it.
Now our work is barely half-way done. All this video, close to two hours worth, is sent back to Boston through a satellite truck where the rest of the sports department will comb over it and pick out sound bites for Steve and Dan to use during the rest of our newscasts. They will be used along with the two "packages" Dan and I have all ready edited, on top of the stories Steve has gathered for the day. It's a lot of info. But hey, that's what the viewers want. You know, it's Boston and our sports news is just as important as our "news" news!
After our 6 o'clock news, the Three Road Amigos, and our buddy Rodney (from the CBS affiliate out here in L.A. helping us out) head to KCAL for our 11PM live shot. KCBS/KCAL are the call letters for our CBS affilaite here in Los Angeles. The station is located either half-an-hour away, or an hour-and-a-half away, depending on L.A. traffic. Luckily, we split the difference and make it in an hour.
There, we put together stories for the late-night news. It was a busy day and there was a lot to talk about so Dan and Steve touch all the bases for their live shots, the main focus of course being the Rondo injury. Since we wanted to make our live-shots look a little different, we do our lives on top of the roof of KCBS/KCAL. It gives us a beautiful view of the hills and mountains of Los Angeles, something you wouldn't think of if you've never been here. And way better looking than the Staples Center since we can't go live inside on non-game days. And if you saw our 11PM news Wednesday night, you almost saw Steve bump Dan off the roof! Check out our 11PM Friday night, we'll be on the roof again.
The 11PM sportscasts from L.A. go off without a hitch, except for the fact we almost lost Dan, and our day is complete.
There may not have been a game today, but as you can tell, there was a lot of work to be done. As a matter of fact, off-days are very on for the media. Much like the players, we look forward to game-day!
P.S: I'm trying to stay away from the hoops talk in this blog but going into Game 4, I guess I have to open my mouth!
I do not see how Pierce and Garnett can play any worse than Game 3 and if Rondo is anywhere near healthy, I see the Celts come back with a vengence tonight. It's funny, even the guy and gals in the KCBS/KCAL sports department are starting to say the same thing - even after the Lakers won Game 3, the Celtics have shown themselves to be the better team all around. I hope they're right!
Dom's LA (Not-So) Confidential: Day 3
Wednesday, June 11 12:49 p.m.
Like the old Tom Petty song goes, "The waiting is the hardest part...."
That's what it feels like when you cover sports on the road and the anticipation of game day approaches. On days without games; like Monday, it becomes challenging to do our jobs. Especially if the teams involved aren't available for press conferences or interviews. Well that all changed Tuesday.
Dan and I started our day by looking over tapes of the first two games in Boston. Dan wrote a story to be used in our 6 PM news about the scene shifting to Los Angeles and which Celtics team would show up; the one that didn't win a road game in the first two series against Atlanta and Cleveland, or the team that went 2-1 in Detroit, including the Game 6 clincher in Motown. We edited that story with our portable editor (a machine, not a person!) in the hotel room then headed to The Staples Center to go live with Steve Burton.
It's always makes me feel like a kid again the moment you walk through the inside of an arena and head out to the court. The anticipation of seeing a famous sporting venue for the first time is another part of our job that makes you say, "Wow- I do this for a living!"
We meet up with Steve and our friends from the CBS affiliate here in LA. They have been extremely helpful in giving us a hand to cover The Finals. You see, in this business, teamwork is everything. One weak link, and it can ruin it for all of us, and for you viewers.
Working in a new environment, there's bound to be some glitches and that's exactly what happened Tuesday. Now mind you, you at home probably didn't notice, but we did. Not all television stations do things the same way and many do not use the same equipment, which can lead to much learning on the fly. I won't bore you with all the technical mumbo-jumbo!
Anyway, we were live courtside for newscasts when the players started coming out to warm-up. So, Steve hollered over the BBD (Big Baby Davis) and asked him if he wouldn't mind being a live guest. The ever-loquacious Davis is always ready for his close-up! Now, you probably wouldn't have asked the same of KG, Ray-Ray, or Pierce. So after a few bumps in the road, our sports lives went pretty smoothly.
Now its time to ready for Game 3. Since the NBA controls every aspect of the broadcast and the games are on another station, we are not allowed to sit on the baseline and shoot the games. What we have to do is set-up our friend, the portable editor (again, a machine, not a person!) to record the game in full on tape so we have a copy to edit stories with the next couple of days. So I am watching the Celts and Lakers from basically underneath the stands! Dan and Steve get to watch from their assigned seats in the arena.
I can tell you this much, The Staples Center doesn't seem to get as loud as The New Garden! Maybe it's because the LA types root louder for people like Paris or Brittany, not Kobe or Pau!
So the game doesn't go the way I expected but the Lakers are at home and they are a very good team. A 6-point win when KG and Pierce go for only 19, I guess I'll accept that. Ohh, and another thing, "Hey Phil, what about the free throw disparity tonight!?"
We head into the Celtics locker-room and the guys are quiet but I wouldn't say they're down at all. We talk to Paul, PJ, Rajon, Kendrick, James, and Eddie. Doc, KG, and Ray went to the press conference room so we record them on tape with our savoir, PE (portable editor). They know they gave themselves a chance to win and that's all that matters, style points or not.
So now with all the tapes in hand, its time to close the lights at The Stapler. Usually we're still there up to two hours after a game so traffic leaving isn't much of a problem (one of the benefits of doing this). Time to retire after a long day to the hotel and do it again tomorrow. And this time, we should have plenty to talk about for Wednesday's sportscasts.
P.S.: And while their names are on my mind, isn't it funny how the two guys named Glen(n) on the team (Doc goes with two "N"'s, Big Baby with 1), aren't referred to by their real names??? I guess that's how my mind works! Yeah, I think I need some sleep!
Dom's LA (Not-So) Confidential: Day 2
Monday, June 9 11:40 p.m.
Our first full day of work here in Los Angeles and our task was to get the pulse of Lakers Nation (I think you've heard they're down 2-0). What better place to go than the home of Team Kobe; The Staples Center?
We figured it would be as simple as a Staples commercial...you know, "That was easy!"
So we walk up to the box office and what's this?.... Nobody home! Not a soul in sight!
The box office was open. But where's the line wrapping all around the block! Where are the tents! Where's the humanity! Granted, we are three hours behind out here but by 10-11 AM, someone should be curious enough to want to watch games 3 and 4? And plus...how we gonna do our job!
You see, back home when we know a big game is coming to the Garden, Fenway or Gillette, we photographers are asked to get video of all you crazy fans standing in line. It's fun stuff. The lighter side of news, you know. But if we are asked to take video and nobody is in it, does the story even exist? Well...Yes!
After being accosted by Staples security about what we are doing (they eventually gave us clearance to shoot), we finally got our first bite. Go figure... it's Southie's own, and aspiring filmmaker and actor, Jay Giannone!
You may have seen Jay in "The Departed" and "Gone Baby Gone." Jay shipped on out of Boston to come to make it in L.A. He's got a DVD coming out about the scalping scene in Boston called "Scalpers, The Movie." Sounds interesting, and true to life for Jay, as most of you know.
Giannone was looking for tickets but the box office said "Sold-Out." If he wanted any, he'd have to wait in line tomorrow for the chance that some may be released. You know, the pickings were slim, so Dan Roche and I said, "That's a story there!"
On to the Pro Shop...Ohh...Wait! Can't go in there says Staples Security. Well. I guess they have that place all stapled up! (Insert cricket sounds here!)
So we wait for fans outside. We do get a few and I gotta give them props. They are standing by their team and know basketball is all about the home-court. One fan, who actually loves the Lakers, said she wouldn't be angry if the Celtics won. She loves the story line of this year's Finals! She just wanted to be on TV!
Okay, so we get enough of the fans perspective to do a couple of stories for our early evening news. Now what do we do for our 11PM news?
We head out to the Celtics team hotel of course! The Celtics flew out early Monday morning and we got word of where they will be staying. So we hop in the rental and trek through L.A. traffic across town. We get to the hotel and see about 10 bellhops waiting with luggage carts in hand and parking spots roped off. Great! They haven't arrived yet! About 30 minutes later, two charter buses glide into the roped-off parking spots and we are called into action. Doc gets off first and gives us a wave! Paul Pierce, Sam Cassell, and Game 2 Hero Leon Powe get off the bus together and make their way inside. And PJ Brown, turns the tables on us and has his camcorder rolling on the fans gathered at the hotel entrance. I guess he wants to record history in the making too!
So it was a fruitful day here in L.A., even if it didn't seem like it was gonna be at first. But hey, that's television, tomorrow is another day!
I will add one thing too. In all of our travels today, I didn't notice one single Lakers shirt or hat. Just one solitary car with one of those flags hanging off its side window. Strange... are they fearing the worst? I'm sure that will change tomorrow.
Dom's LA (Not-So) Confidential: Day 1
Sunday, June 8 7:50 p.m.
I am a Celtics Fan. No...not the kind that jumped aboard on July 31, 2007 (that's the day Kevin McHale helped Danny Ainge hijack KG outta Minnesota). The kind that goes to 5-10 games a year; including the last game of the 2006-2007 season, a 24-win season mind you. The kind that had his eyes opened to all sports during the Hoops Heyday of the 80's, when basketball was sport, art, and intensity all wrapped up with a green bow!
The Celts may come and go in the eyes of many, but for me, they are a deep-rooted part of my sporting existence. I love the Red Sox... love the Patriots... but if the Green beat the Lakers for its first title since 1986, my joy will be greater than the Red Sox ending 86 years of "Wait until next year" in '04 and the Pats stunning the Rams in '02 - combined!
One of the beauties of my job as a photographer here at WBZ is that I get a first-hand look, and a front-row seat, at Boston sports history. I've had the privilege of being at every major sports event in my three years here. As Dan Roche, Steve Burton, and yours truly head out to LA-LA Land to cover the NBA Finals, I want to give our viewers a peek into our world. I will be watching Game 2 from our hotel just blocks away from The Staples Center; wearing my retro-Celtics T-Shirt of course. Gotta represent the East Coast baby!
During our week in Los Angeles, I will be blogging about our adventures. From practices, pressers, games, and what goes on behind-the-scenes with the media, check back here for updates and photos (one's that I can share online, my boss is watching you know!).
My plan, and hope, is that we come back to Boston next Monday with a shiny, gold trophy in hand (well, not us, Doc and the fellas), or a chance to close out what should be an epic NBA Finals in the greatest sports city in America.
If that happens, I want to be the first in line to climb the light posts in City Hall Plaza as My Team celebrates Banner 17, Just like I did in 1986. (Oh…don't tell Mayor Menino that!)
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