April 2006 - Posts
Sometimes when you do what I do, it becomes necessary to persuade, sweet talk and coax the people you do stories with. I'm speaking of my Perk at Play segment, which often requires participants to take part in bits within the segment. Sometimes just flat out acting. Other times, it's a matter of convincing venues that we shoot at, that I want to use their place for the story, and that some odd things may go on during the course of the shoot. Today I had to shoot a Perk at Play in which I did yoga with Ronald McDonald. Imagine trying to explain this to someone. "Yeah, me and Ron Mac are just gonna swing by, and use your yoga studio for a bit."
Some of my more memorable coaxings. Telling pro tennis player Mardy Fish to serve the ball at my butt full speed. Telling U.S. Olympic Hockey Legend Jim Craig to pretend I was locking him in a closet. Telling Brock Lesnar to body slam me to the ground. "No really, go all out, it'll be more funny that way." Then there was the time I went to New York when the Vikes played the Giants in the playoffs. I convinced NYPD to chase me through Central Park because I was wearing a Vikings helmet. Persuading the director of the NBC sitcom "Ed" to pretend to be hit by a bowling pin I was swinging at his head. And so on.
My all time favorite coax job came a few years back. The Stanley Cup trophy was in town. I did a bit where I pretended to pour orange juice in the Cup and drink it. Then I would realize it was wet, and I needed to dry it off. I then took the Cup to a laundromat, pretended to dry it in a dryer, and a mini replica was taken out, implying that we inadvertently shrunk the Cup. Ha-ha. OK, now imagine that phone call I made on my cellphone to the owner of the laundromat. A little old lady as it turned out. "OK, I know this sounds weird, but my name's Eric Perkins. I work with KARE-11 and I have the Stanley Cup. You know, the NHL hockey championship trophy? Yeah, I was hoping to bring it to your laundromat and pretend to put it in your dryer. I promise I won't actually put it in, and I won't damage your dryer. Yeah, OK, that'd be great, thanks."
Sometimes, this is a weird gig.
Perk Ya Later! (submitted by a reader)
I got done with KARE 11 News Saturday this morning and signed off the show with Belinda from the news set in the studio. All around us, construction workers were at the ready. As soon as the show was over, they barnstormed the scene and started demolishing the set.
We're launching into HDTV on Thursday, and the new set on the opposite side of the studio is absolutely stunning. The format we're switching too is pretty brilliant too. To see a High Def TV is mind altering. I watched a hockey game on a High Def monitor in Torino when I covered the Olympics. It was so lifelike, I almost felt the chill of the ice. It's so detailed too. Let's just say, makeup's going to be crucial. I need to go to the MAC counter at Marshall Fields and stock up. The other TV pixel deal was so much more forgiving. But overall, this is a great change, and we're all pretty excited about unveiling it on Thursday to y'all.
Afterwards it hit me. I just did the last broadcast from that old set! Twenty years of history coming to a close! Who do I think I am? That set deserves better tham me to send it off in style. Oh, who am I kidding? I got a total kick out of it. Besides, the real farewell will be Monday night in our Extra at 10pm. Check it.
OK, later gators... (Still working on a good way to sign these blogs off)
I did a live shot from the Swarm game recently. Classic. The game against San Jose at Xcel Energy Center was scheduled to start at 5pm. Our news starts at 5pm. I was in Section 109 at the top of the aisle by the concourse. My hit time in the newscast was set for 5:05pm. i was supposed to do what's called a "Scene Setter". Kinda ramble for 60 seconds giving the scoop of what's going on at the scene, what we've got coming up later in sports, and then show some fan flavor. I had a row of folks all set to do the Wave with me, and some other fellah who invented these new Noise Makers that we were going to bang loudly together. I was fired up.
As soon as our anchorman Rick Kupchella began to throw it to me, all the lights in the arena went off, and the Anthem singer started to "Oh Say Can You..." I crumpled. Quickly gathered myself, and then in a hushed tone, did a very abbreviated report and respectfully just sent it back to the studio, so as not to disrupt the Star Spangled Banner anymore than I already had. Horrible timing! No wave, no noisemakers, just a whispered ten second report. Unbelievable.
OK, as bad as that was, it gets way worse. Then came the sportscast. The Arena Event Coordinators had arranged for the Scoreboards to flash the KARE-11 logo, and for me to be on the Jumbotron as I started my sports. The PA announcer then, about 30 seconds before I began my sportscast, got the crowd of about 10,000 to start chanting, "Perk at Play"! Totally cool. Sportscast came, I did my intro of the big game, put the mic up in the air so you could hear the crowd chanting, and then moved on to my sportscast. It was a busy Sunday that included the final round of the Masters, so I had to get moving. Got through it all, oblivious to what was going on behind me. As soon as I got done, my photographer Brad Hadsall ran up to me and told me to look at the field. I turned to see all the players looking up at me, waving their arms, furious that I was holding up the game. The crowd was yelling, "Come On Already!" Apparently, the San Jose goalie was complaining about the brightness of our lights, and the refs stopped the game for about 4 minutes until I was done with my show! I was mortified.
I felt so bad. How do you apologize for holding up the action these fine fans paid money to see? How do you apologize to the Swarm players for breaking the flow of their lacrosse game? Well, this blog is the only way I can think of. So please folks, accept my heartfelt apology. And as far as the San Jose goalie goes. You're a chump, dude.
Hasta! (Still trying to figure out a cool way to sign off)
You know those Dippin' Dots you get at the State Fair? The Ice Cream of the Future! That's what they call them at least. I still haven't seen those things supplant Ice Cream in any way. They may be a novelty, and a bit of a change of pace, but they haven't really demanded the kind of widespread consumption their tagline implies.
Blogging may be another story though. I was reluctant to catch Blogmania like so many others, but am beginning to see that like it or not, it's here to stay. I'm still not totally nuts about it, but I do recognize it as a viable and intriguing way to connect. Unlike Dippin' Dots, this sorta thing may very well be the wave of the future. Shoot, I was slow to hop aboard the cell phone bandwagon. Always thought they were so pretentious and annoying. Inevitably I caved in to their undeniable practicality. Consider me officially on the Blogwagon now too I suppose. It sure was fun when I was overseas covering the Olympics for KARE-11 in Torino.
So, I'll try to give you updates and glimpses into my warped mind every so often. Please feel free to give me any feedback on the blogs through my e mail at eperkins@kare11.com Now I gotta figure out a cool sign out...let me try this...
Perkout! (ok, that reeks...I'll work on something better)