March 26, 2012
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By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The weekend began on Friday with the quickest UCF baseball game of the season. The Knights opened their big series with East Carolina by needing less than two hours to win a thrilling 2-1 game. But Saturday was filled with more than just a baseball game. The UCF campus would be buzzing with events all over and I was in the middle of all of it. So when the alarm clock rang - it was actually the alarm on my android phone; I don't even know the last time I used a real alarm clock to get up - I jumped up ready to go for what became a long, fun-filled journey around the campus.
8:45 a.m. - My daughter and I depart from the house headed to campus. She was set to participate in the UCF Cheerleading Clinic put on by our nationally-known squad.
9:10 a.m. - We check in at the gym at the Education Building where coach Linda Gooch and her squad greet almost 200 clinic attendees.
9:52 a.m. - Shortly before the clinic begins as my daughter and others are warming up, a man comes over and ask me: "Are you Marc Daniels?" At this point I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. So I do what one should do in situations like this, you pretend you didn't hear the question. So I said: "What about that guy?" My setup question allows me to find out if he has something positive or negative to say. So when he responded: "I really enjoy your broadcasts of UCF games." Of course my response now is: "Yes, great pleasure to meet you."
10:30 a.m. - With the cheerleading clinic underway, I head over to the baseball stadium to set up my broadcast gear. Before setting up, I have a Norman Rockwell moment. The sun is perfectly positioned to make the field look like the perfect diamond. For a brief moment I wanted to go run the bases. But I quickly realize I'd likely stop at second exhausted. 11:35 a.m. - Before heading back to pick up my daughter for a lunch break, I stop and watch a little track and field as some of the teams in the country have come to UCF for a great meet. In the parking garage I meet parents who have traveled eight hours to watch their daughter compete and I realize the commitment parents make to support their kids and that no matter the results, it's a special time.
12:10 p.m. - Lunch break from cheerleading and you will be glad to know the toy in the Happy Meal from McDonalds was really cool. Although I am pretty sure my daughter, age 15, was embarrassed dad was the one playing with the toy designed for a four-year old.
1:20 p.m. - After dropping my daughter back for the afternoon session at cheerleading, it's a quick stop at spring football practice. I am able to get the ideal parking spot where I can watch practice from the car with the air conditioning on. A few passes. A few catches. A few blocks. Now back to the baseball stadium.
1:45 p.m. - The parking garage is packed because there's a huge event featuring school flag teams in the arena along with the track meet and the baseball game.
2:30 p.m. - UCF Baseball coach Terry Rooney tapes his pre-game interview with me. Students should hire Rooney for a pre-game test talk. The guy could make an advanced calculus test seem easy with a pep talk.
2:55 p.m. - Back at the education building to pick up my daughter as the cheer clinic ends.
3:10 p.m. - Back in the parking garage and a sweet spot opens on the second floor. This guy is happy.
3:57 p.m. - Three minutes ahead of the the scheduled start time, UCF and East Carolina start game two of their series.
4:27 p.m. - D.J. Hicks blasts a two-run homer and UCF erases a 4-0 second inning deficit to tie the game at 4-4.
6:18 p.m. - My wife texts my daughter, who is sitting next to dad while broadcasting the game, and says she is having leftovers for dinner. Dad and daughter now mull their post-game meal plans.
7:07 p.m. - UCF relief pitcher Roman Madrid gets a game ending strikeout and UCF wins 10-6.
7:31 p.m. - There's a traffic jam getting out of the garage as the track meet, flag event and baseball game ending create a packed area in the sports hub at UCF.
8:00 p.m. - My daughter and I sit at a sports restaurant near the UCF campus enjoying the college basketball playing on big screens, a little trivia game (where 80's music was the category. Can you say winner?), with some wings and fries. A long day but I wouldn't trade that very moment for anything.
Knights notes and more: Seventh-largest series crowd ever at UCF for the series with East Carolina. Despite the Sunday loss, taking two of three was big for the team. Now Terry Rooney's team plays five straight on the road with a game at FAU, three games at Houston and a road game at Miami before coming home again...Final thought: For those asking, I will not be participating in UCF's football pro day, and an injured quad is the reason.
Marc Daniels' From the Press Box runs several times per month on UCFAthletics.com. Listen to Marc during UCF football, men's basketball and baseball radio broadcasts on the UCF Sports Network. Each weekday, Marc hosts The Beat of Sports on ESPN Radio 1080 in Orlando.