Fight On & Goodbye for Now

This post has been a long time coming. I've avoided writing it and procrastinated until I knew it would be written as something official and more set in stone. I didn't want to say goodbye only to turn around and have it be less final and more awkward.

For those of you who don't know, I was recently hired and have started working as an on-air reporter with WILX-TV in Lansing, MI. The last couple of weeks have been crazy in that I've essentially moved my entire life from Southern California out here in the span of a few days. The reality is still sinking in, but it's a thrill to actually be getting paid to work as a journalist.

But if there's one thing I'm going to miss about USC and my college experience more than anything, it's my time covering and being a part of this team.

When I first came to USC from Santa Fe, I wasn't sure what to expect from the organization. I fired off an email to the general team address to the effect of: I'd like to do play-by-play, public address or whatever you need.

It didn't take long for that email to turn into a 4-year labor of love (hopefully mutual) between myself and the team. I've enjoyed calling the games, even when they started at 11:45 at night or required a multi-state bus trip to get to. Every rush-hour trip to Anaheim Ice was worth it, no exceptions. I witnessed the slow collapse of the program followed by the amazing speed in which the team successfully rebuilt itself into champions. USC Football could learn a lot from this team... especially about fighting on through adversity that's out of your hands.

The primary reason for this post isn't just to say goodbye but also to say thanks, and there's plenty of people deserving of gratitude.

There's no better group to start with than the parents. Without you, there would be no point to broadcasting the games because nobody would care to listen. You are the true superfans of this team and meeting and speaking with you either through the forums or in person was one of the great perks of my job. To the Ernsts, thank you for all of the great pictures! They added so much to the blog over the last season. To Tom Gawlik, thank you for being the most active message board contributor. It always helped to see physical evidence that someone was listening. To the one and only Dante Sr., thank you for your dedication. It was always a pleasure to see you either at home games or on the road. To the Lewis's, thank you for providing pictures for my words. Jeff, it was always a pleasure looking at replays of controversial plays. To the McClanathans, thank you for being my pseudo-parents and making home games that much better with your enthusiasm. Special thanks to Elaine for trying to set me up on a date. I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, but hopefully this gives everyone a sense of how wonderful this group was.

Of course there are the players to thank. There's no better place to start than everyone on last year's roster, if only because they sent me and the other seniors out on the highest note there is. I still can't believe you guys hung a banner this year. Simply unbelievable. To Butters (aka Max Szentveri), thanks for always providing material for epic stories (in Seattle, Colorado, China... you don't need specifics I'm sure). To Dante Caravaggio, thanks for always caring and bringing passion to the ice every night. You are one of the fiercest competitors out there and that's exactly how it should be. To Clark McClanathan, thank you for being the heart and soul of the team. Your love of the game was evident in how you played and there's a reason I was always a little biased. To Jonathan Stallsmith, thanks for being one of the hardest workers I've ever known. Riding to Anaheim with you and Foley arguing about, well, everything, made every trip a breeze. To the team as a whole, thanks for treating me as part of the squad even though I never wore a jersey on my back. It truly meant a lot.

The other staff members were also a joy to work with. To Mike Locke, thanks for giving the stadium your booming voice. It wouldn't sound right in Anaheim Ice without you behind the mic. To Nicole Vierzba, thanks for making sure every event was worth attending. To Johnny Nguyen, thanks for going above and beyond to take this team to the next level. The effort looks like it's paying off and I'm just sad I won't be around to see all of the great changes you're bringing to the program. To Cindy Bailey, thanks for being both a lifesaver. I don't think I could've made it through the whole eye situation without you. To Coach Jeff Langille, thanks for everything and I can't wait to see how you'll take the team to new heights. To Mark Wilbur, thanks for being a great interviewee and a better friend. I can't tell you how much your support of myself and the broadcast meant over the years. I appreciate that you were always honest and up front about the team and never hid behind the typical clichéd quotes coaches always use to avoid being interesting. It was a pleasure getting to know you and your wonderful family. I'm going to miss the swagger you brought to the bench and the winning attitude you instilled in the team night after night. You are a big part of what makes USC Ice Hockey so special and I hope you never leave the program behind.

Finally, I have to thank the two broadcasters I worked with predominantly during my time at USC. To Andrew Samel, thanks for shouldering the driving load, even if it meant getting us lost sometimes. To Dave Foley, thanks for being a great mentor and friend to me. I would've loved nothing more than to hear your call of the championship winning goal. It was a true pleasure doing games with you and I enjoyed our on-air chemistry. I can't wait to hear clips of you calling hockey in Atlanta. That city won't know what hit it. You're the man and I'm looking forward to the day when you get called up to the NHL.

If I left anyone out, I'm sorry.

I have loved my time during these last four seasons broadcasting and writing about this team. It's been a true joy. My only regret is that I didn't leave with a successor in place. My fondest hope is that someone steps in and continues calling the games. I wish I could address the future of this blog and the broadcast, but I'm honestly in the dark at this point. I'm a little ashamed to leave things in that state. Hopefully someone grabs the torch. They'll have the time of their lives. I know that because I did.

Thanks again to this program. I can't repeat enough how great it was being a part of this organization and I will be following along as the team defends their title.

For the last time in this position, but only for now....

Have a great night and Fight On!

Sincerely,
Alex