Long December

About ten days ago, I was co-hosting a Magic pregame show on Sun Sports. During rehearsal - that sacred time in television when we give each other crap over the IFB - one of the producers, Griff, said something snarky about me updating my blog twice during the last commercial break.

I took it as a compliment. Yes, I write a lot. Publish or perish. Yet, when I looked at the homepage this morning, I realized it's been nearly two weeks since I posted anything.

Why? Because I've been going pretty much non-stop since Thanksgiving.

Since December 1st, I have done the research, writing, play-by-play, and/or hosting for the following: one "Rec Warehouse College Kickoff" show, three "Tailgate Overtime" shows, one SEC Championship Game pregame show, one SEC Championship Game postgame show, four high school football state championship games (with travel to and from Miami, where I witnessed the best football game I have ever seen,) a one-hour bowl preview show for Florida, a one-hour bowl preview show for Florida State, two segments of FSN's national BCS Championship Game preview show, and the aforementioned Magic game on Sun Sports. And a partridge in a pear tree.

All of that in 21 days. Counting travel, research, scriptwriting, etc., I worked ten days in a row from December 4th (Tailgate Overtime) to December 14th (scripting those two one-hour previews for the Gators and Seminoles). However, I also managed to play three rounds of golf this month, so I'm not complaining too loudly.

Of course, if I'm doing all that work, that means that the people who do the real heavy lifting around here - the producers, directors, editors, camera operators, stage crew, and the like - are doing twice as much. Like I said, I'm not complaining. But I am a little wiped. Don't even ask about holiday shopping, 'cause I haven't lifted a finger. Hope my kids have "used FHSAA Finals press passes" on their list, because that's their best bet at the moment.

Meanwhile, the Magic still lead their division, the Answer was traded to Denver, my fantasy football team plays our Super Bowl this weekend (I love you, Frank Gore. You too, Drew Brees.), Nick Saban fights off Alabama, and my mailbox is filled with "Year In Review" issues of Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, Unrestricted Magazine (love their columnists), Outside, and Men's Journal, none of which I have touched. It's been a long December.

What's next? Arizona. Five days in Glendale for the BCS title game, where Sun Sports will produce two one-hour shows around the Gators and Buckeyes: a one-hour preview from the Fox Sports Grille in Scottsdale that debuts on Sunday, January 7th at 4:30pm, and a live one-hour pregame on Monday, January 8th at 6:30pm, wherein Terry, Brady and I attempt to shout over the teeming masses outside the stadium during something called "College Football's Biggest Party." If you're heading for the game, stop by.

Bring something with caffeine. I'd appreciate it.