Bryson makes the paper

When I was in elementary school I had a slight speech impediment. I had speech therapy classes for a year or so and now you wouldnt know. In fact, when I was in college I worked radio, which I really enjoyed.

The guy that announced the Thrasher games in the arena left this summer for a job in New York. They had an open audition for his replacement a few weeks ago and after encouragement from the wife and friends I went. It was a Wednesday night, the wife was in class and so I brought Bryson with me. This is from the Atlanta Journal and Constitution.

38 bid to be Thrashers voice of Philips Arena
Three finalists will work one exhibition game each

By MIKE KNOBLER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The next hockey voice of Philips Arena stepped to the microphone Wednesday night and introduced the teams, announced a goal and warned the fans to beware of errant pucks.

But there was no ice, no goal and no players. And on this night, the announcers were the ones wearing the numbers.

It was a tryout, held in an upstairs room of a Marietta Street sports bar and grillwith only three judges’ opinions separating the aspiring announcers from 41 performances every regular season in front of thousands of Thrashers fans.

The 38 contestants included a middle school language-and-arts teacher, a receptionist at a post-production company, a chiropractor and laser hair-removal spa owner, a lobbyist and an actor with an improvisational comedy group.

And then there was Bryson Freeman, who came to Stats sports bar Wednesday night but did not compete.

“He has a great voice,” Andy Freeman said of his 2-month-old son, “but he can’t read the names.”

Some of the adult contestants struggled with that, too. One called the reigning NHL MVP Oh-va-chicken; most North Americans pronounce it Oh-vetch-kin. Other contestants butchered the pronunciations on hometown — though not homegrown — players.

“I have to practice my Russian and Canadian accent,” said Marina Wesner, who gave it her best shot.

She was one of two women to try out, in an atmosphere that combined the all-ears-on-you stress of a cappella singing with the over-the-top emoting of karaoke. Qiana Nichol Harps of Atlanta compared it to one of her day jobs, being a model.

“I didn’t want to stumble on my words. You don’t want to fall on the runway,” Harps said.

Some contestants did stumble, but the judges never cut anyone off by clanging their gong.

“I couldn’t bring myself to do it,” the Thrashers’ Peter Sorckoff said. “They were working so hard.”

The three finalists are professional performers and sounded right at home.

That was natural for song-and-dance man Dean Balkwill, who moved to Atlanta five years ago from Regina, Saskatchewan.

“When I got here I was like a Canadian out of water,” said Balkwill, who cured his homesickness by joining an adult hockey league, only to cut his lip and learn he should have gotten health insurance first.

Shaffee Abraham has played the game, too. He hails from Hockey Town, otherwise known as Detroit, and now goes by just his first name while hosting a morning show on Atlanta’s WKLS-FM, Project 9-6-1.

“I’d like to tell all my buddies I grew up with I made it to the NHL,” Abraham said.

Matthew Stanton is the odd man out, a Floridian — “We didn’t even have a baseball team” — who didn’t fall in love with hockey until he discovered an ECHL team while attending Florida State. He does voiceovers, commercials and theater.

Each finalist will work one exhibition game, with the winner filling the vacancy created when former announcer Steve Craig took a job with a New York radio station.

The Thrashers also lost their radio color man, former player Jeff Odgers, who returned to Saskatchewan.

“I’m planning to bring in a galaxy of guest stars,” play-by-play man Dan Kamal said. “No auditioning, though.”

Quickie

I decided to do one more boot camp. Yes, with a business trip, closing a house, moving, unpacking and getting our house ready to sell I am doing another boot camp. I must be crazy.

I got fitted for running shoes Monday. I'm surprised at the difference that a pair of shoes can make. I used to think my feet were a size 10.5. This summer I was buying a pair of Bucs and the salesmen measured my feet and said they are an 11. The running shoes I got Monday are an 11.5. I have no idea what is up with that.

In rowing news, our gym is now the #1 Crossfit gym in the rowing challenge, #19th place team overall and I have slipped to #9 on our team. Gotta stay in the top 10.

Still taking donations for the Kidney Walk. I'm currently the leading fundraiser. Please help me help others.

4 years ago

Four years ago today I was at the Doctor's office. I hadnt been feeling well and was curious as to why. They had ran tests a few days before and called me to come back for some more tests. The Doctor came in after they drew blood and told me that my kidneys had quit working and that he was shocked that I wasnt dead or at least in a coma.

I went to the hospital not knowing what would happen. I had been married barely a year and had just had a doctor tell me I should be dead. I didnt know what to expect. I was scared to say the least.

I started dialysis that day and spent almost 2 years on it (most of it peritoneal dialysis at home). My life is pretty much at normal now other than a gazillion pills a day, some nice scars, and frequent visits to the doctor. I'm lucky and I know it.

Saturday, October 25 I'm doing a walk for the Kidney Foundation of Georgia. I'm walking so that maybe one less person will have to go through what I had to go through 4 years ago today. If interested in walking with me or making a contribution, you can go here.

Camp

Yesterday was the last day of boot camp for me. I'm going to miss the camaraderie the most. 35 people running and exercising together is an awesome thing.

I also liked looking up and seeing the stars. With all of the light pollution in Atlanta it is hard to believe that you can look up and see stars anywhere inside the perimeter but at 6 AM along the Chattahoochee River you can do just that.

This group picture is of those of us that won the boot camp challenge this month. Every month all of the boot camps ran by the company that ran the one I went to get together and compete for bragging rights of the best camp. I dont wanna say we destroyed our competition but it aint bragging if it's the truth. =)

The last 2 weeks I have been rowing a 5k after camp. Crazy I know. I am over 45k meters as of now. The guy in the foreground has the most meters rowed for our gym. There are 47 of us doing this as part of a challenge amongst over 200 teams from around the world. I have the 7th most meters rowed on our team and collectively we are over a million meters, 28th in the world, and second among Crossfit gyms.

Just a few months ago I wouldnt have believed that I would be rowing a 5k in a day (much less AFTER boot camp). I also wouldnt believe that I would be running a 5k but I did that this morning. I finished the race without puking and without being in last. I should have a picture of me crossing the finish line by the end of the week.

Now what you really wanna hear. In June I tipped the scales at 253.8 lbs. Yesterday morning I was at 223.3. I need to upload and edit some before and after pics and will do that have it posted soon. I'm really amazed at the progress I have made.

Politics

Most of you know that I do a lot of work in the political area. I'm going to tell you a few things that maybe I shouldnt publish in a public forum such as this but I will anyway.

I dont know who some of the candidates are on the ballot. I know more than the average American but when you get towards the end of the ballot I have no clue. I also couldnt tell you what some of the offices we elect do.

I used to do a lot of campaign work. I helped make those annoying mailers that clog up your mailbox this time of the year and also produced those annoying phone calls that wont let you enjoy your dinner or help your kids with homework. I met a lot of people that still do a lot of campaign work.

None of this is shocking to some of you. Here is my secret: when I get to the bottom of the ballot I'm more likely to vote against a candidate not because of their beliefs on issues (because I dont know them anyway) but because of who is working for their campaign. Seriously.

A couple of days ago I got a mail piece for a candidate. I know nothing about them or their opponent but I dont care for someone working on their race and thus, when I vote early next week, I am voting against the candidate whose mail I received.