Attack of the Intern!

Originally Posting can be found here...

http://blogs.lightning.nhl.com/11105/attack-of-the-intern/

Monday, 01.03.2011 / 05:00 PM / Radio Waves By Lightning Radio
(Editor’s note: The top story in this edition of Radio Waves is penned by Rob Boelke, the intern and official “assistant to the assistant” of the Lightning Radio Network.)

Hey there Lightning Radio junkies, it’s “Assistant to the Assistant” Rob Boelke, the artist formally known as “Intern Rob.” The only way you might recognize me is from listening to “Lightning Hockey Hotline” on 620 WDAE, or you are one of my friends or family members whom I will forcibly make read this article.

For starters, the whole ‘Assistant to the Assistant’ is getting old and I am using this as a forum to petition for a better title. Anyone who watches ‘The Office’ or ‘Seinfeld’ knows why I feel so offended to be associated with this. Hell, ‘Intern Rob’ was fine in the first place, though it was slightly derogatory. So if after reading this, you could leave a comment with a better title for me? I’d appreciate it. (Editor’s sidebar: Knowing full well that a reader’s suggestion could actually be far worse than what the Lightning Radio staff has called him, we are taking suggestions at LightningRadio@sptimesforum.com. If we deem one of them worthy, the winner will receive a post-game meet-and-greet with the Lightning players following a mutually-agreed upon game).

I recently graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications for Media and Cultural Studies. I was born and raised in Tampa Bay and grew up watching all of the Tampa based teams, and I pride myself on being one of the few to remember such sporting ventures as the Tampa Bay Terror, as well as one of the few to be at both home Arena Bowl wins for the Tampa Bay Storm. I wasn’t there in ’98, the only other Arena Bowl held in Tampa, because it was Beanie Baby Day at the DEVIL Rays game. I’m digging a bit of a hole with that statement there.

My favorite memories from childhood are watching sporting events I shared with my father, whether we were in attendance or watching them on television. There were times when my father would just mute the TV and let me do all the talking. Other times, he’d yell for me to shut up…because my Pat Summerall and John Madden impersonations were atrocious. So from a young age, it has been the plan to pursue a career in sports broadcasting. Fast forward to this past summer. I attended a Lightning-sponsored intern fair, and after a series of challenges, obstacle courses, puzzles, police interrogations, etc, voila, here I am.

I get the most out of the internship at home games. I attend morning skate and gather interviews of players and coaches before and after that night’s game. I regularly have access to the players and the locker rooms, and what would seem like an amazing experience, at first, was terrorizing. I used to write blogs and opinion articles about my favorite teams and their issues from afar, so the thought of actually having to interact with those I so often criticized or glorified was a bit nerve-racking.

The locker rooms tend to be chaotic and intimidating. With media members aplenty scrounging for interviews, I was expected to just “get in there” and mix it up with professional athletes. It took a little while to get used to, but I very much settled in now. Not one of the guys in the Lightning room is too ‘big’ not to talk to the lowly intern. I also take care of gathering sound from the visitor’s locker room, which brings its own set of challenges. For the most part though, the other teams have been more than inviting and supportive, players and staff alike. I think this is a testament to the game of hockey, as most everyone involved are pleasant and approachable, off the ice anyways.

During games, I am also in charge of arranging the on-air, intermission and post-game interviews with players outside our locker room. Soon after the game has ended, I head on over to Trolley’s, the site of our post-game broadcast and ‘Lightning Hockey Hotline’ where I do what I am best known for. I stand around holding a microphone, waiting for someone to gather the courage to come talk to Matt and ‘The Chief’ Bobby Taylor.

Having just graduated/escaped from the hell that is the modern day college experience, I feel like I have something in common with this year’s team and staff. Consider the ’04 Stanley Cup run as the organization ‘graduating high school’. A few bumps in the road as the team ‘started college’ through the last few seasons, and they have wound up here, in what seems to be one of the final classes required for their ‘degree’. The Bolts are very much a team in transition, having learned some hard lessons over the past few years. But it seems now, under the tutelage of Steve Yzerman and Guy Boucher, who is no slouch himself when it comes to schooling, the Bolts are ready for the proverbial ‘next step’.

From my vantage point, Couch Boucher is the most well-rounded coach we have had in the organization. He is the professor that changed your outlook in college. His personality is infectious. I attend his pre-game press conferences every home game, and it is evident why the locker room has that friendly and inviting tone. Boucher’s most used phrase this season has to be “Does that answer your question?” He also likes to joke a bit. Smiling is not uncommon when you are interviewing Guy, and even then you still get the sense everything he does has purpose. Nothing he says to the players or the media is ever unimportant or not thought through. He is always focused. It is as if Guy treats his job like a chess match, picking and choosing the appropriate actions and reactions to every situation.

Speaking of tutors, the play of Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, thus far, can not go unmentioned. I feel Marty is likely to eclipse career highs in a couple of categories this year, and his influence over Steven Stamkos can be seen in Stammer’s work ethic and attitude over the last two seasons. And though Lecavalier missed 14 games with a hand injury this season, his play has been sublime since returning two weeks ago. There is a presence and calmness that can be seen in almost all of his shifts, which culminated in the wraparound goal against Tim Thomas and the Bruins on December 28th. I believe the team feeds off of that poise, and our boys are 7-1-1 since his return, which can’t be too much of a coincidence.

Some of the new students are quickly showing their ability as well. I have been impressed by Dana Tyrell since training camp. His tenacity on the forecheck, coupled with his speed on the puck, has lead to a number of odd man rushes and breakaways for him and his line mates.

The experience to this point has been indescribable, and there should be plenty more to come. I intend on making the most of this while it lasts and undoubtedly, these experiences will help set me apart when it comes time to start my career.