Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Last Sporting Event

 BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

If there was ever an irony, this is it!

By now, we know that COVID-19 has turned 2020 upside down.

As a media outlet, our job is to cover events in person. 

For a few months, there were no events to cover. 

But, we’re not in the business to make excuses for not having content on and off the air. 

We have to be creative and ethical. This is when you find out what you’re made of.

The Last Sporting Event that Candy Ebling and I covered was on March 11, 2020 in Glendale, AZ as the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted the Milwaukee Brewers in a Cactus League Spring Training Game at Camelback Ranch.

It was neat attending a pre-game press conference with Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts and I spent time with Alanna Rizzo, who covers the Dodgers. I met Alanna at the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Awards Luncheon in early January.

For the past 41 years, I’ve always viewed the Press Box as my mobile office regardless of what event I cover. Nothing like firing up the computer, reviewing, highlighting my pre-game notes, writing my own notes then writing my story. It’s always great catching up with old friends, colleagues and meeting new ones. 

As my wife always says, there is nothing better for me than being in my element.

I’m not going to get into too much detail of all the events that I’ve missed in 2020. I don’t want to bore you because everyone in this industry is in the same predicament.

Times have changed so much that Zoom has taken over and we all do our work through this new medium.

Because of COVID-19, there is a new trend called Remote Reporting where broadcasters call the games from their homes, studios and make the best of the interaction with the newsmakers. 

Who knows how much traveling will be done for visiting media in an effort to cut down on expenses in the future. 

Thanks to the Miami Marlins, the best addition of the year for us as a media outlet, I’ve learned quickly how to adjust to the new norm and ask questions when you can. You have to be considerate of others and take the best notes possible or go to the link later.

On Saturday, September 26, 2020, I was hoping to cover the Florida Atlantic University Owls vs University of South Florida Bulls Football Game in Boca Raton, FL. 

But Covid-19 put an end to those plans as USF had to postpone the game when it traveled to Notre Dame the week before and The Fighting Irish had virus issues. 

I was looking forward to this game because it was an opportunity to see my AlmaMater USF play in my backyard. Oh well, it wasn’t meant to be. At least for now. 

Tonight at 10 pm ET, The Milwaukee Brewers will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in Southern California. I have every intention of trying to watch this game.

I’ve always had a tremendous amount of admiration for the Dodgers because of the way they’ve always cooperated with me through out the years covering their games. Former Manager Tom Lasorda was my first big interview and we had a lot of great memories through the years especially during Spring Training. 

I have special feelings for the Milwaukee Brewers. My wife is from the area. We got married at Miller Park on January 1, 2017 and my dealings with the Brewers organization have always been pretty good. I feel like I have adopted Wisconsin as another home area especially since I have family.

But what makes this game so neat is it’s the Last Sporting Event that we covered in 2020.

It doesn’t matter that the Dodgers (43-17) are the heavy favorites to beat the Brewers (29-31) and win the World Series title. 

We saw this game when Dodgers pitcher David Price and Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain were planning to play in 2020. 

What I do know is, I’m not sure when we’ll cover another game. 

Until I’m comfortable going out in public, the word caution would be the best way to go and take 2020 off until we get a handle on this virus with a vaccine in place. 

But we’ll see when the drought ends. You can rest assure when it does, I’ll be writing on this topic.

But tonight will be neat with this matchup as the Brewers face the Dodgers on the West Coast.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com. 

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Read Anything Before You Sign It!

 BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Every week, we have a show of the week. 

I put a tremendous amount of though into these broadcasts. 

Part of my thinking is what can the average individual get out of them.

We’ve had a lot of excellent sports broadcasts and there are some non sports subjects that stand out.

Last week, on the South Florida Tribune Podcast, Coral Springs based attorney Ron Renzy talked about something everybody should take seriously.

The title of this story is what the broadcast was about. 

“Read Anything Before You Sign It.”

Here are the examples of things we discussed.

1. Non-compete clauses. These will haunt you all the time because if you don’t read them from the first letter to the final punctuation mark, they could prevent you from making a living.

2. Employment Agreement is if you don’t adhere to what the employer is specifying, you could either not be hired or get terminated. Many of these agreements consist of a credit and background check. 

3. Purchase of Sale of Home is something all homeowners should read in order to avoid issues later. Home inspections are things that come up in this case.

4. Purchase of Sale of Car is another situation that could be problematic and costly.

5. Purchase of Sale of Valuables Such as Gold Coins and Art.

6. Contract for Sale of Any Goods.

7. Contract for Services.

8. Copyright of Trademark License which is what I’ve been dealing first hand as I’ve gone through the extensive process of obtaining one for “The Motor City Mad Mouth.”

9. Sports Memorabilia is an interesting one as there are items that should be authenticated to make sure they’re real and worth the value being asked. 

10. Extended Warranties should not be taken lightly in order to determine what’s covered and what’s not covered. This is an area where you could easily be scammed especially by a telemarketer over the phone. If you purchase one for an automobile at the dealership, this could give you peace of mind, but they’re expensive.

The bottom line is be careful about pretty much by any agreement. If you make a mistake, hiring a lawyer to get you out of a situation could be quite costly especially for something that many of us view as common sense. We all fall into this trip because we don’t take the extra step to be cautious.

While all of these are important, I can’t emphasize enough that be careful of the Non-compete clause!

Ron Renzy is a regular on The South Florida Tribune Podcast and we’re colleagues at The Coral Springs Chamber of Commerce.

You can listen to this broadcast by clicking the link below.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com. 

Friday, September 11, 2020

Where were you when?

 BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

On this week’s edition of No Limits, Candy Ebling and I had a broadcast that covered 15 events that were personal and historical.

We led off the show with one that occurred on this date, 19 years ago. 

It was a tragedy that rocked our nation.

In New York City, the Twin Towers came down as an airplane crashed into both. There was a fatal airplane crash in Pennsylvania field and another incident involving the Pentagon in Washington DC.

I’m not going into the details of what transpired because there is plenty of information on the World Wide Web.

What I will get into is where I was when these events took place, plus the aftermath of this historical infamous event.

Prior to September 11, 2001, I was visiting family in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Fortunately, I flew back home to Arizona on September 9, 2001. 

When the tragedy took place, I wasn’t aware of this because I was driving to my attorney Harry Cawood’s office, as I was in the early stages of filing for a divorce. 

My attorney asked me if I had heard what happened and I looked at him lost. He said don’t you follow current news events? 

I told him that I was driving to see you. At that time, he gave me an overview than we proceeded with our meeting.

But when it all sank in, the new reality sunk in that our nation would never be the same.

After leaving his office, I was working as a pizza delivery driver part time and I could see the stress on some of my customers faces. 

It wasn’t a good day to face the public nor would it be for the foreseeable future.

I’ll never forget that sports world would shut down for a period of time. 

I did a weekly auto racing show but there were no races to cover. 

I suggested to my co-hosts that I had a legendary Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame Broadcaster named Ernie Harwell that I wanted to bring on the show. 

Ernie was a friend, mentor and family member and was more than happy to come on. He went on and explained to our fans that he’d been through this before and mentioned sports taking a pause.

My co-hosts were in awe just talking to Ernie realizing his incredible history in baseball.

When we look at September 11, 2001, it was ironic that I was living in a metro area where there baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks would face the New York Yankees. 

In any other year, I would have rooted for the New York Yankees. 

But not this one! I was a Diamondback! It was us against the world.

Another Arizona sports figure Pat Tillman would give up his football career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the military because of the events that occurred on September 11.He would ultimately get killed in Afghanistan.

Because of this day in history, traveling would never be the same. Airports would be updated with security check points therefore, it became essential to arrive at least two hours early. The days of seeing loved ones and friends when you got off the airplane were gone.

The Department of Homeland Security was created. 

Life would never be the same. But on this day, we honor and pay tribute to those innocent individuals who lost there lives because of this hideous act of terror. A lot of those responsible were ultimately killed but it doesn’t make the loss of life come back.

In 2001, I wasn’t as glued to the internet as I am now. A cell phone was just for making calls. I was just learning how to text message. The pricing plans were steep in cost but necessary since our society became more mobile.

Will we remember where we were when important events took place? In many cases, yes.

But on this date, 19 years ago, I would find out about this unfortunate event from the most unlikely of sources, an attorney in the midst of a rough period of my life.

I encourage you to listen to our broadcast as it will definitely bring back some memories.

Meanwhile, for those that passed away on September 11, 2001, Rest In Peace and you’re going to be missed, but not forgotten!

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com.

Saturday, September 5, 2020

Adjusting To The New Normal

 BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

It didn’t take long for me to find the third COVID-19 most recent trend.

Today, my wife and I decided to get an oil change on our Jeep and it was a unique experience that I could actually get used to. 

How would you like to sit in your vehicle rather than be in a waiting room to get work done? 

I actually enjoyed this as it only took 25 minutes from start to finish to get an oil change, along with other routine maintenance. This worked out so well that we were able to get some unexpected shopping done.

Things aren’t always going to be this easy because as we know, the work at an oil change facility is below ground and it’s very simple. They had a portable air conditioner in our vehicle as you’ll see in the photo so we didn’t get too hot.

We all know that there are germs in waiting rooms. 

There are more people to come in contact with, plus it’s more difficult to social distance. You don’t know who is touching the coffee machines. 

You don’t actually know how sanitized the establishment is. 

But at least there is the comfort of being in your own vehicle.

In the past three weeks, we’ve had tires replaced on two vehicles and plan on doing the same for a third as a smart entrepreneur decided to open a remote business. His prices are comparable to the other retail outlets as well as Costco. 

Simplicity is the name of the game these days during these unprecedented times. 

It doesn’t always work out that way especially if you have older vehicles as you have to endure long waits at repair shops and in dealerships.

Fortunately for us, all of our vehicles are newer and are under warranty. There is no way around the maintenance. 

Even a bicycle has to be maintained by lubricating the chain and taking care of the tires.

But if you can get into a situation that reduces risk, then you get resourceful and find ways to stay safe.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com.

Friday, September 4, 2020

Eating At Restaurants

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

COVID-19 has it’s way of changing the way people do things.

By now, I’ve established that I’m becoming much better with Zoom Calls and living life in the Virtual World. I’m embracing technology much more and not intimated by it.

I don’t miss the extra miles that I put on my vehicles. I don’t miss the gas I have to put in them. 

During a holiday weekend, I’m not dealing with the spike in gas prices because it’s too dangerous to go anywhere.

At a networking referral meeting on Wednesday with the Coral Springs Chamber of Commerce, I was in a small group that was talking about whether they’re going to restaurants. 

I couldn’t say anything because yours truly committed a gaffe and had his mute button on. 

That little gaffe gave me the desire to write about eating at restaurants.

After the meeting, I spoke to my attorney Ron Renzy and he told me he wasn’t going to restaurants yet and I certainly could appreciate where he was coming from. He wasn’t ready to eat out because he wasn’t comfortable.

During our conversation, I told him that my wife and I do eat at restaurants periodically. 

I wear my mask inside the restaurant and we go at low risk times as we do when we go shopping at the supermarket. We like to go to the supermarket when it opens up.

Depending on the state, restaurants are operating between 20-50% of it’s seating capacity. They do a great job social distancing keeping the tables farther apart.

My wife and I will go out to dinner two Friday’s a night when I’m not broadcasting. We try to go between 6-6:30 at a place where the crowds aren’t going to be too high.

Nowadays, our date nights don’t have to be later. 

They can be earlier.

For instance, we like to go to restaurants when they open up and we’re either the first people in the establishment or one of the first. 

We can hang out for approximately one hour at the most just before the others arrive. I echoed this to Ron and he seemed intrigued by this.

There was a time that I used to go to restaurants for lunch. 

One of my favorite lunch stops was at Subway. 

I would eat the meal and have free refills on my caffeinated cold beverages. That was my fuel as coffee is to other individuals and then I went to work.

There are times when an owner made such a big deal about the refills that I never went back. 

But for the most part, I went to a restaurant where the owner appreciated me coming back and never made a big deal.

Enter COVID-19 and I stopped going out for lunches. 

Instead, my wife and I would stock up on Diet Mountain Dew, Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. This solved a couple of problems. 

I reduced my chances of getting the virus by staying away from people and social distanced.

I eliminated any potential conflicts with restaurant owners. No need for refills. 

Now when I go out to eat, I use it as a treat to spend time with my wife to appreciate a date night regardless of the time of day.

Now I don’t miss lunches on the road. When I do eat lunches on the road, it’s a novelty, not a necessity. 

As the year has progressed, I have changed my way of going to restaurants by not becoming too dependent on them and also appreciate home cooked meals. 

I find my meals more relaxing in many ways. 

It just took a little time to change my mindset. They compliment my life and not dominate it and as a result, times are much safer and less riskier.

It’s amazing what a global pandemic can do to you when this unprecedented situation has in some ways turned into a life changing permanent acclimation period.

I can only imagine how much more I’m going to learn for the duration of without question, a very tough 2020! 

While 2021 won’t come soon enough, at least we’ll be smarter getting through this together. 

They say that when the going gets tough, the tough get going! There is a reason why this is a cliche. It’s true! 

The moral of the story is you can turn a negative into a positive. 

In addition to the restaurant situation, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve learned from the Zoom and Virtual Calls. 

Two valuable lessons and I’m anxious to write about the third.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com.

Thursday, September 3, 2020

The Mute Button

 BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

I’ll never forget the joking comment my father-in-law made when I was studying for the Florida State Health and Life Test and going for my 215 license.

He said, the only way to shut you up was to lock yourself in a room and put duct tape on your mouth then you can concentrate. As drastic as that may have sounded, he wasn’t totally off base.

But that was before either of us knew anything about Zoom Calls.

Nowadays, as we depend on Zoom Calls. We do them in group and individual settings. There is that button called “Mute.”

I’m involved in lots of networking meetings and it’s commonly used. There is even a button to raise your hand. I’ve gotten familiar with that one.

I go on Miami Marlins Zoom Calls and have gained a lot of content for my broadcasts as I work with fellow media members. We all know that the hosts control “The Mute Button” to make sure everyone participates equally.

During a Wednesday networking event with The Coral Springs Chamber of Commerce, we were placed in individual groups. 

Everyone was talking about different subjects but I couldn’t get a word in.

It wasn’t until the end that Mike Del Pozo asked me to end the session if I had any positive things to say. 

It was then that I finally realized that I inadvertently had the mute button on and used my 40 seconds to say what normally would have taken me a few minutes.

I have to admit that this mute gaffe didn’t seem funny when it happened, but it was a light-hearted teaching moment.

After that session, we had another small group session during that meeting. I quipped about it. It was neat that a few other people could see the humor in a mistake that if we aren’t aware of what we’re doing, this could happen to anyone.

Today, I had so much fun with my gaffe, I talked about it with another networking group and to see them smile was neat.

The moral of the story is that Zoom Calls are going to be a way of life thanks to COVID-19 and I’m fortunate that these networking events were small potatoes compared to what could happen if I were in a virtual classroom or an important seminar and not be able to ask important questions, thus costing me a learning opportunity.

The hosts usually tell you to us mute yourself, but thanks to Del Pozo, I was able to get a few words in.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com.

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Power Of Meditation

 BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

If there is ever a person that believes in “The Power Of Meditation” it’s me.

One of my biggest passions is listening to music and taking long drives. 

Living in Florida is the ideal spot for me. 

I have the ability to take long drives up the ocean in South Florida whether it’s driving towards South Miami Beach or going as far north of Fort Pierce. 

There are times I like going around Lake Okeechobee seeing what views I can see since it’s surrounded by walls that prevent flooding during a hurricane or going to restaurants.

Since I don’t like flying, but will when I have to, I enjoy taking long drives to travel around the country. Whether it’s taking a ride to see family in Nashville, TN, Milwaukee, WI, or to My hometown of Detroit, MI.

My wife Candy gave me the nickname “Crazy Man” because I enjoy driving in the middle of the night as I get stronger to get to places. While there are times I miss some scenery in the middle of the night, what I don’t miss is extensive traffic. 

My late mother-in-law was worried about me when I did this but she acclimated to it as I made it look easy.

But there has been one constant through the years. 

I’ve been writing for 41 years. Covering sports has been great as I’ve met lots of people not only as a writer but a broadcaster.

During COVID-19, not only have I enjoyed the challenge of building the South Florida Tribune and the broadcasting side from scratch, I’m having a blast watching it develop.

Now, it’s time to get spend time with an old friend. 

That’s being a writer!

But this one will have more friends. 

I’m not limiting myself to sports anymore. I plan on telling more life stories both past and present. 

It’s time to talk about other subjects as I prepare for the big prize and writing a book which is on my bucket list.

Unless you’re out covering events, you don’t have to pay for gas or use miles on your vehicle to write. 

Being able to meditate can only lead to therapeutic relaxation. 

During these unprecedented times, we need to release our tensions a minimize the stress.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to stop driving because that’s been a part of me that I’ll always enjoy doing. 

One of my favorite drives of all time was taking the breathtaking Pacific Coast Drive from San Francisco to San Diego when I turned 30. It must have taken me about 15 hours, but with the scenery of looking at the mountains and ocean, I didn’t care. I would rent vehicles that had cassette players and listened to tapes and listen to radio or just have a quiet drive and embrace the scenery.

During a family Zoom Call, My brother-in-law Steve Ebling once asked me if I ever thought about being a truck driver. I told him, if there were do overs, I would go after My Commerical Drivers License.

But at 57-years old, I’m not physically able to do that anymore on a consistent basis. Any type of driving job with COVID-19 would be risky and that’s not a chance I would take. It’s also important to keep watch the expenses and wear and tear on a vehicle.

The moral of the story is “The Power Of Meditation” is important. My ways of doing it are through writing and driving.

But if you can find it through dancing, yoga, etc... more power to you.

Regardless of the times, it will always be therapeutic and that piece of mind is priceless!

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com.

Gloor’s Road To New Orleans

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH One of the things that I’ve enjoyed doing prior to FAU’s Men’s Basketball Games is interview the oppositions announcer. ...