Friday nite’s WXIR’s 11 pm News was almost perfect. Jeff Hullinger was as close to News Editor and No. 1 Newscaster as possible. I would’ve used B. Wood as ‘field reporter’ on the first story and dumped the last one just ahead of the ‘Weather teaser’ — which I would never use. I would have used R. Lindstrom as ‘field reporter’ on the third story, and I would’ve made sure Sam Crenshaw performed as Sports Director during that segment (you used F. Kahlil just right!). I loved the way you kept 25% of the screen on Hullinger to introduce each segment! Spell out ”chief meteorologist” adjacent to Chris Holcomb’s name in black letters for three, four seconds. Don’t let Hullinger verbalize it so much.
Is it truly necessary to have a Dodge, Lexus, and Honda commercial in the news?

HOCKEY – July 19, 2014 - SAT


Joe Crozier only saw me once on ice skates, but as Head Coach and General Manager of the Rochester Amerks Hockey Club in 1964, he should have (somehow) known all about me.

He should have known, for example, that I took my daughter, Alex, to the R.I.T. rink every Sunday in the winter to teach her how to ice skate. I even taught her (after about five weeks) to do the ‘wheel- barrel’ by holding one leg out in front of her, while skating on just the other.

When Joe Crozier wisely gave me a stack of tickets (so I would mention on the air that each Friday and Sunday night I would be sitting in Section A, Seat 1 or 3 in the War Memorial for the Amerks’ hockey game), it was the first wise decision he ever made. The extra seat was for my wife (at the time) or whichever of my kids was available. We became dyed-in-the-wool hockey fans.

The second wisest decision Joe ever made was talking me into playing ‘goalie’ for a Two Period Exhibition game between the Amerks and the Pittsburg Penguin’s (before the regular game vs. the Toledo Mud Hens).

Crozier even went so far as having a special ‘mask’ made for me that a puck no larger than a black Checkqure could penetrate. He also had his personal tailor sew “00” on a ‘goalie’ jersey and my name across the shoulders on the back. (The regular ‘goalies’, Perreault and Smith, refused to let me use any of their equipment.)

“There’s no way you can get hurt,” Crozier told me. As big a lie as that was, I did collide with Red Armstrong during a practice session and wound up with a bloody nose.

However, I managed to ‘save’ seven out of the eight shots ‘on goal’ they threw at me during the five seconds they allowed me to play, both in practice and the real game.

When the exhibition game was finally played, I got a big hand from the crowd when I skated out from the bench (without falling down) and took my place in front of our net — I was sure my write-up in the program helped: “Bob Mills, Channel 8’s Chief Meteorologist, is here as a ‘goalie’ tonight with number 00 on his Amerks’ jersey, and he is with us as a temporary goal-tender to prevent the Pits (sic) burg Penguins from scoring. He’s a devout fan who never misses a game.”

By the time I was replaced by Bobby Perreault, the score was 0-1 in favor of Pittsburg. At the end of that period, the score was 1-1 (thanks to what I termed “a penalty goal by Amerk’s Dick Gamble.”).

I was sent in again with less than a minute to play. The score was 1-1. All the ‘regulars’ were on the ice with me — Ehman, Gamble, Poppin, Walton, Horvath, Rupp, Armstrong, Smrke — when what to me wondering eyes should appear BUT AN EMPTY NET JUST 65 FEET AWAY!! (approximately.)

Lo and behold, the Penguins had pulled their ace ‘goalie’ in order to hopefully win the game! But they forgot one critical element! — ME!

With Walton and Sly under each of my arms, and Horvath and Poppin and Smrke keeping the puck on my stick, and all the rest of the loyal tribe keeping the Penguins away from me, I ‘wheel-barreled’ the length of the rink, put the puck in the enemy’s net, AND WON THE GAME!!! The crowd went berserk!

My daughter later said she was never so proud of her old papa!



Copyright©2014 by Robert A. Mills, may not be published, re-written or broadcast without author’s permission