Bulldogs Playoffs Gameday, Island Finals Game #1, my degree of gameday.

Hello Dogblog fans and thanks for stopping by. I'm sure everyone is just a little pumped up today for game #1 of the Island Final tonight kicking of at the Dawg Pound as the Bulldogs host the Salsa. You won't get any predicting out of me, except that it will be exciting. Someone will have a four game winning streak snapped tonight, no ties in playoffs. The Dogs of course swept the Capitals, while the Salsa lost game one against Nanaimo before reeling off 4 straight w's to win in game 5 Monday at the Frank Crane. The Alberni Engineering pregame show is on the air on 93.3 The Peak FM tonight at 6:45 with Ace and myself, the puck drop is 7:00. Tonights second intermission feature guest is "JB" the colour commentator for Chilliwack Cheif home broadcasts, among other things. JB gives us his thoughts on the Chiefs vs Express Mainland Final series , of which the winner will face the Bulldogs or the Salsa to advance to the BCHL finals. But that is a long way away.

Those not in the 93.3 The Peak FM listening range can catch the internet broadcast through the BCHL Fanzone. Those wanting to hear internet broadcasts of the other series on going, full game rebroadcast archives, postgame shows, highlights, daily recaps and previews by Colin Tiggelaar, and MORE, get yourself SIGNED UP to the BCHL Fanzone

Lastly, don't forget to send an email to Ace or myself in the PRESSBOX


Alright, now off to "gameday" from my perspective. Dan"thestatsman" requested that I try to post what gameday is like for me, a player, Matt Auerbach, and a coach. This is the second "degree of gameday" after I posted Matt's a while back. My thanks again to Matty for his time and effort in putting it all together. Off to my day.

4:30am- Wake up.
The view out my front door off for a gameday- pre morning show walk to wake me up. The DAWG Pound in a way that most don't see it, around 4:50am on gameday.
The REAL season starts in 14 hours or soAfter the wake up walk, home by 5am for a quick shower and brekkie on the go, at the station by 5:30 or so to get on the air at 6:00am. The morning guys life support, the coffee maker at work.
Peak newsman Rob Diotte prepares for the 6am newscast. At the same time I'm working on sports and weather, as well as all my show prep for 6am to 10am.The control room, fired up by me and ready to go prior to 6am.
Side view, note "Bernie the Bulldog" morning show mascot overlooking the coffee making sure I'm motivated and ready.Rob reading the 6am news.

"Baron" the British-Bulldog bobblehead looks on and rocks on when I get going. He also keeps Bernie in line.
The view outside The Peak studios. Not too nice on this day as is the case most winter mornings. When the sun is shining and it's a clear day it's a great view of the Harbour Quay and the Alberni Inlet.Front door.After I'm off the air at 10am on game day I'll usually spend about 20 to 30 minutes making phone calls, doing interviews, and answering emails. Then it's off to THE PEAK cruiser to head down to the Multiplex to set up the pressbox.


Before
During set up during the Bulldogs morning skate, Jamie Amos drops by for a chat and a check up on me. After. All that's missing is my laptop and all of Ace's stuff that we both bring to the box at around 5pm.Bulldogs finishing the gameday skate with a cool down stretch as I finish setting up.
After I'm done, it's back to work to do any final preperations for the nights game, and the sportscast at noon. Following that, it's home for lunch, then I do my gameday post on the blog. After that, I do any final prep for the broadcast that night, then it's off to bed somewhere around 2pm.

Up at 4pm, shower, shirt and tie, and off to the rink by 5pm. After arriving at 5pm, I interview Bulldog coach Jim Hiller, then a Bulldog player, then the opposition coach. After the interviews are finished, I head back up to the pressbox to listen to them to make sure they are ok, and everything times out.

After warmup starts, it's off to talk to Bulldog assistant coach Rick Schievink to get the Bulldogs lines for the game. Off for a bathroom break, then back to the pressbox to connect to Milli back at the radio station to get everything ready to go when the pregame starts at 6:45. Between coaches interviews scorekeeper Brenda Russell brings up the gamesheet for us to get the game officials, and any lineup changes- scratches, additions, and starting lineups.

7:00pm puck drop and we're fully underway.

Whenever the game is over, pack up the pressbox and the broadcast equipment, and home sometime after 10pm. I'll usually start preparing for the next broadcast that night, especially if the Dogs play the next day. Then bedtime. And so goes my gameday. Hope I didn't leave much out and you found it interesting.

Thanks for stopping by the blog,
GO DOGS GO
Rip and Tear
Hammer