A Beer and a Bison Burger

Although last week's assignment to the Grey Cup was work, our crew did manage to have a bit of fun. Like most road assignments a crew, and ours was no different, will get together for drinks or dinner after the work is done. With the backdrop of Grey Cup festival there were certainly no shortage of potential venues for entertainment.

There are a couple of true-isms about the Grey Cup. There's people from all over Canada, there's plenty of hops, and when the party goers need to eat, they eat meat. Now keeping this in mind, people watching at any of the watering venues is of course entertaining. After my first day and we coiled up the cables after our live hits, we thought we would go and grab a mug and check out the Grand Hall at the Convention Center.
The place was packed and there was a line waiting to get in, but our media accreditation's enable us to all jump the que. We were lucky to find a table and sat down to enjoy a hard earned beer and listen to the thump, thump of the live band playing. You could barely hear yourself think.

Jazz and Kink just after "raising the glass"

We hoisted our glasses in a toast to having made air. That first sip is always the most satisfying. Now all I need is something to eat. We decided as a group to move on to a sports bar near by as we could get some supper. Just as the lads were about to leave, I run into an old colleague from my days back in the Maritimes with ATV. It's Janet Stuart. I haven't seen her in 10 years. I stay behind and tell the gang I will meet up with them in a few minutes.

Janet and I posing for a photo. It was a nice surprise to bump into her.

Janet and I catch up with the each other. We speak of our time back at ATV and exchange what each of us is up to in the here and now. It was great to see her and learn of how much she loves living in Winnipeg.

I was able to catch up with the lads at the restaurant. But that too had a long line of people waiting to get in. Kink had called me, to find out where the hell I was. I was stopped by the door by the doorman.
"Hi, I got my crew inside they have a table and a seat and are waiting for me"
He looks at me and says, "You'll have to go to the end of the line, we're at our limit"
Now I may have paraphrased his answer, and I didn't add the rude tone to his voice. "Friendly Manitoba", my ass, I thought.

A quick call to Kink on the inside and the blockade was breached. I was in , Camera and all.
It was there that I tasted for the first time a thing called a bison burger. It was dry, but very filling and very tasty. Before the trip was over I would return for two more.

From there we returned to the Convention center for a nightcap. Along the way we are laughing about a story that Kink was telling about his exit from the convention center earlier in the evening.
He was of course hungry as he left and instead of going out the crowded exit he decided to go out some emergency doors. There were supposed to be alarmed, but with the noise of the band, the alarm went unnoticed. As he exited the others seeing him leave follow. Kink is about 10 seconds a head of them. He rounds the corner and heads down the stairs and to his surprise, shock or perhaps amazement, he happens upon a young party goer in a squatting position, undies around her ankles, relieving herself.
"Are you alright?" He asks not knowing what is happening.
She apparently is too embarrassed to answer, realizing that this is maybe her most awkward moment of her life.
Nope, that was about tens seconds later when, suddenly the rest of the posse comes around the corner. Now it's the worst moment in this young lady's life.

Of course Kink tells the story much better than I but you get the idea.

Dave and the boys from 54-40 entertaining the masses during night 3 at the Convention Center

As we are walking out of the Convention Center for the final time of the evening, we are relaying war stories and the like when we notice a police wagon and some guys speaking to police officers. Nothing unusual. Then one of the officers says "OK, hurry up and get in back , we'll take ya"
Suddenly several fellows get into the back of the paddy wagon, voluntarily. As it turns out, the police drove these guys, there was about 10 of them to another party. They went from Police to cab, free. Not bad. Maybe this was Friendly Manitoba after all.

Of course we noticed the dropping temperatures as we walked back to our vehicles. We are from the West Coast, cold temps are something that we have heard of but we have to got to the mountains to find them. We're such wusses when it comes to weather and the cold.

Jazz learns the hard way about the freezing point of his tongue after a double dog dare

Game Day minus 2

After a breakfast fit for royalty,I returned to my room to cut a piece that had be shot the day before. We had some time before we had to depart for the field. The edit went very well and the surroundings in my room at the Fort Gary Hotel were 100 times more comfortable then editing in our room back in the media village in Torino. The edit was done in very short order.

When we left the hotel, Perry and I headed over the CTV Winnipeg. This first morning for me on the ground at the Grey Cup would be one of getting my barrings and getting organized. First stop CFL HQ to get an accreditation photo. It turned out to be a very trouble free task.
Next on the agenda was to get out to Lion's practice at the stadium.
"Perry, we need to stop on the way and get me some gloves or mitts"
I knew I would forget something in my haste in packing of a day earlier. That something was a pair of 1/2 mitt-1/2 fingerless glove combo. I love these things. They keep my hands were comfortable and allow me to use my fingers on my right hand when shooting.
"Marks Work Warehouse is just across the street from the field." He said.

The stop at Marks only took a second. Now I had the full meal deal. My hands would be cosy. Now off to the field.
We arrived. Got our shots. Chatted with the others assembled to cover the game. There were many familiar faces. The temps were cooler than what we get back in our part of Canada. But as most Winnipegers know: We're all weather weenies on the west coast.

The temps were not too bad, bat standing around you begin to feel the cold. We grabbed our clips (interviews) and b-roll of the players we needed and bid the assembled gang, good day.
We departed back for CTV and met up with Field Producer Joan, Camera/Editor Jazz and Reporter Kink. It was the first time the five of us were together. They too had just returned from shooting a piece, but the Video gods had dealt them a body blow. Jazzman's camera went down. I gave him mine and they ran off to get what they needed with time becoming a factor.
I had put the finishing touches on the item I had cut earlier and assembled some bonus clips to be sent to Vancouver. Perry and Joan discussed what would be required for our 5 and 6 PM shows back in Vancouver. Perry would do a hit for 5 and then again for the Sports at 6. Kink would be cutting his piece for 6 that is if he could once again move the time /space continuum.

This is what Grey Cup is all bout, Drink Tokens. This shot at the Convention Center the hub of festivities for the fans and the site of our first live hit adventure from Winnipeg

Once we were fed we headed over to the Convention Center where we met up with the Truck. This would be the sight of our live hits. The local CTV truck had just done hits for their show from that location so that kinda determined how the live hits would unfold. The convention center was the entertainment center for Grey Cup week. So it seem like a good idea.
The first hit barely made it. Cabling/Liability issues became very apparent. When you have hundreds of party goers, and a long cable run, you know that there are going to be problems.
The first hit we were forced to set up away from anything substantial. That coupled with an IFB problem (namely there was no IFB). I was able to use my Mike phone to contact and communicate with Vancouver. Jimmy L was sitting in the seat back in Vancouver and provided the control room with our status. Jimmy/Perry and I formulate a plan to circumvent the IFB all together.
Jimmy cues me, I cue Perry, nobody at home knows the difference. Perry is such a pro, it goes off without a hitch.
Jazz arrives with Kink a few minutes later and it is decided that we will relocate to a better position. Joan hustles some colorful "guests" for background. Jazz and the Truck Operator from Winnipeg move the cables. Kink gets ready to do his hit for 6. And I set up again hand held and we are ready to go. This time we have found the IFB problem, its a faulty cable. The IFB doesn't become an issue for the rest of the trip.

Kink thinking up something brilliant just before going Live. Or could it be the near aneurysm his story gave him when the camera crapped out on his crew mate Jazz

Joany had hustled up some colorful background charactors: The Booze Brothers, they have been coming to more Grey Cups than most of them remember. They are from all over Canada

When it was all said and done we pack up and go up stairs at the convention center to share in a celebratory beer. It would not be the only one of the evening.
Not a bad first day. The night, well stay tuned.

Assignment: Winnipeg

This has been an incredible week. It began like most others except this one would take many twists and turns. I had received a call asking about whether I would be game for a road trip. Not just any road trip, on to the Grey Cup game in Winnipeg. I figured we would be sending at least one crew possibly two since the CFL team, the BC Lions advanced to the final with a killing of the Riders of Saskatchewan.
For those of you readers to the south, the Grey Cup is kinda like the Canadian Superbowl, but a hell of a less corporate. Its a celebration for the die hard fans of the Canadian Football League. I was kinda pumped for it.
The original plan was to leave on Thursday morning and file for Thursday, Friday and the weekend. Seemed good.
Tuesday brought a day of sober second thought and it was decided that we would scale down our coverage and that would mean I would not be going. No problem really. I have been lucky, I had a trip earlier this year to the Torino Olympics, so not going was not going to be a big deal.
"You were not meant to be in Winnipeg!" Sage words from Momma Murman, in a telephone conversation I had with here after getting the news.

Little did I know however that fate would deal me a different hand. I the got a frantic call late in the afternoon on Thursday. It was a day off for me and I had just returned home from a seminar.
"Murman" the familiar voice said on the other end of the phone.
"Yes Dave, whats up?"
"I need to get you on a plane for Winnipeg, there is a situation." He said.
I will not go into any specifics except one of the crew was dealing with a family emergency.
From the time I got the call to the moment I walked through security and took my seat on the plane only 2 hour and 15 minutes had passed.

As I sat there waiting to board, sweating up a storm, I thought : God have I forgotten anything.
I would be using gear left for me by the crew member I was relieving. I was worried about stupid things, like tape supply and lighting kits. I felt so naked boarding a plane , going on assignment without any camera equipment.

I flew out with a plane load of the team's cheerleader squad so there was no shortage of "eye candy". But excited cheerleaders, well they can make lots of noise, and there was certainly no shortage of sound waves in the cabin.

Before I knew it I was in Winnipeg. A city on the Canadian Prairie that I had not been to since 1977. I looked for a familiar face. Perry our sports guy and the person in which I would be spending the majority of my time with over the next few days. He was there waiting for me.
"Just let me pick up my bag, Perr"
Wouldn't you know it was the first one off the conveyor. That never happens for me. So far so good. I had been in the Airport of less than 5 minutes.

Our drive to the hotel downtown would require a pit stop at the hospitality room nearby. It was put on buy the the folks from Alberta and it was called the "Spirit of Edmonton". There was no shortage of Grey Cup fever in that place and it was there I began to understand what the "Grey Cup" experience would entail.

We only stayed for one quick "pop" and then headed to the hotel. Perry briefed me on what our day would involve for tomorrow.
We'll have our breakfast, and the Lions are on the field at 1PM. That should give you some time to get settled. We'll also check in at CTV Winnipeg and meet up with Jazz, Joan and Kink."
Sounds good.

It had been a whirl wind kinda day. One that began with an early morning seminar in Vancouver, and one that ended with me lying in a hotel room in Winnipeg, Manitoba wondering what the hell just happened!