The End...For Now

The end of my semester in Los Angeles has finally arrived, and I will be going home for a few weeks on Sunday. However, I will be returning to Los Angeles to continue my broadcasting for the Ontario Reign and a position with the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA as an Inside Sales Executive.

What a semester this was! I have no doubt about it that this was my most favorite semester of college and one of the best experiences of my life. Everyone was telling me before I came that it would be a fantastic time. However, no one's words could compare with the time that I had here, and I am truly grateful for it all!

The best part of being here were my internships. The Los Angeles Kings are a great organization to work for, and I loved every minute of my time there. A big thank you to Jeremy Zager for hiring me, along with Nick Nickson, Daryl Evans, John Traconis, Bob Miller, Jim Fox, and everyone else with the organization that made this experience as great as it was. From watching the games to learning from the broadcasters and everything in between, I am so happy I interned with the Kings.

Citi Cable 3 gave me an opportunity to write, report, and produce content that would air on a weekly show, "The Sports Desk." To get on-air and report on what I wanted was a great experience for me. I am so grateful to Bonnie Prickitt, our host, for hiring me, as well as to all the coaches and athletes who allowed me into interview them. You all made the experience extremely worthwhile!

Finally, the Ontario Reign gave me the chance to broadcast games for a sport I love. I have absolutely enjoyed having this opportunity and look forward to continuing my work with the team. The people at the Reign are great to work with and really value my role.

There were so many great activities I took part in while here in Los Angeles, and it was really hard for me to narrow them down to my Top 10, but here they are (I've added links to my blog posts about it):

10) Hollywood Sign Hike and Venice Beach
9) Wednesday Tradition
8) The Price is Right and Family Feud
7) San Francisco/UFL Trip
6) Knicks-Lakers
5) Yankees-Angels ALCS and Yankees-Angels Reg. Season
4) Six Flags Magic Mountain
3) Green Day Concert
2) Blink 182/Fall Out Boy/All-American Rejects Concert
1) Trip to California

I am not sure how much I will be able to post when I go home or when I return. However, I will definitely keep things updated from time-to-time. If you are interested in tickets to a Los Angeles Clippers game, feel free to contact me! My email address is michaelhpolak@gmail.com...See you all soon!

Jackie Landers Profile

This past week, I was able to interview South High volleyball star Jackie Landers as well as her mom and dad, and put together a nice profile piece on Jackie and her career as a Spartan. The final product came out, in my mind, as one of the better packages I have done. I hope you enjoy it!!

Here is the link to this week's episode: Episode 43.09
If you want to skip ahead to my package, the intro begins at 14:27 in the video

As always, let me know your thoughts on the final outcome. I really appreciate any advice, especially on this piece. Jackie was a terrific player and definitely deserved a profile piece like this to be done. She will no doubt have a great college career wherever she ends up!

Reign Highlights

Hello Again!

I was sent the following video from one of my co-workers with the Ontario Reign, Robert Salvucci. He works on filming some footage, including the pregame "Coach's Corner" segment. Robbie took the B2 Network feed from the game with video and audio and created a highlight segment that is shown on the scoreboard before the game. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think of the goal calls!

Another Crazy Weekend

Well, once again, I have yet to post in a few days, and that's because I have literally been scrapping for time. This past weekend was chock full of every different internship I have, making life sort of chaotic. In fact, I am writing to you right now from the Staples Center where the Kings are about to play the Flames, and several ICLA students and alumni are in attendance! GO IC!

So, here's a recap of the last few days:

Friday

Went to Torrance for Citi Cable 3 to do some interviews for a profile piece on South High volleyball player Jackie Landers. I got to meet her mom and dad as well as see where they live. The interviews and the package came out fantastic and will be aired on this week's show. Keep an eye out on the blog for a link!

Saturday

The Kings played a 1:00 game against the Blues. The team honored Luc Robitaille before the game for being inducted into the National Hockey League Hall of Fame and gave out Luc bobbleheads to everyone! The game was exciting and went to a shootout, but the Kings lost 5-4.

After, they had about 2 hours to change the arena from hockey to basketball format, and I got to stay and watch the changeover. It was the first time I've seen this, and I must say, it was pretty cool! Here's a glimpse of the change:

The Ice is Covered and the Court Begins to Form


Extra Seats Opened and Court Almost Done


Court All Done


All Set After 2 Hours


Players Take the Court

After, I stayed for most of the Clippers vs. Pacers game which was also exciting and allowed me to complete my goal of seeing each pro sports team in LA (and Anaheim)!

Sunday

The Ontario Reign finally returned home for the first time since November 21st. They played the Victoria Salmon Kings and won in overtime 4-3 in another thrilling game. It was great to get to call another game after such a long layoff, and it was even better because the game was close!

As for today, it rained for the 2nd time since I've been out here, and wreaked havoc on the roads. It took me 90 minutes to go what is normally 30 because people drive so slow and don't know how to operate when it rains. However, I edited the Citi Cable package and now am ready for Kings hockey! Should be another fun one at Staples Center tonight!

Basketball Season

Basketball season has arrived in Torrance, and for Citi Cable this past week, I did a little preview on the North High School boys and girls basketball teams.

Here is the link to this week's show: Episode 42.09 To see just my package, skip ahead to 9:57 in the video

I believe I will be doing one or two more packages for Citi Cable 3 before my semester is officially up. I will do a full internship recap when I get closer to the end, but I am truly grateful for having this opportunity and have really enjoyed getting to create my own work and having it shown on the air. It was pretty fun stuff! I hope you enjoy this week's package!

Kings Strike First in Freeway Face-Off

My awesome experience with the LA Kings was taken to another level on Tuesday night when I got my first experience watching a part of the "Freeway Face-Off!" This is the name for the annual season series between Southern California rivals: The Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. Tuesday was the first meeting of the season between the two teams, and if it's an indication of what is in store for the remaining five games, I want to be at each one.


The Kings took an early lead and then played a see-saw affair into the third period. The Ducks tied the game early in the 3rd, and it appeared that the game would go to overtime when it was still tied late. Then, with 2:20 to go, Brad Richardson deflected a shot from Jack Johnson past goaltender Jonas Hiller for his first goal of the season and gave the Kings a 4-3 lead. With 1:35 to go, the Kings took a penalty. Anaheim immediately pulled Hiller, giving them a 6 on 4 advantage to close out the game. However, the Kings stood tall and took Game 1 of the series 4-3. WHEW!


The thing that stood out to me was the fan environment. Being from New York, I have gotten to see a very similar rivalry between the Rangers and Islanders along with the Rangers and Devils. I have also seen a similar duel in baseball between the Yankees and Mets. Basically, the arena is packed with fans on both sides, and both groups of fans make a lot of noise. When the Kings scored tonight, the arena was loud; When the Ducks scored, it was loud as well. While these are just regular season games, their seems to be an added pressure to win the games and take bragging rights for the time being.


Southern California is not really what you would call a hockey environment. The weather is warm, it's far from Canada, and there are not many ice rinks. However, with two NHL teams 30 minutes apart, and a sports-crazy fan base, it makes it easy for a big rivalry to develop. If only the two teams could meet in the playoffs, the "Freeway Face-Off" would be taken to a whole new level!

Royal Rest of the Semester

Out of my three internships going on, the Kings are going to be consuming the most of my time for the remainder of the semester here in Los Angeles. Here's a look at the Kings' schedule between now and their next long road trip:

Tuesday, 12/1 @ Anaheim
Thursday, 12/3 vs. Senators
Saturday, 12/5 vs. Blues
Monday, 12/7 vs. Flames
Wednesday, 12/9 @ San Jose (won't be at this game)
Thursday, 12/10 vs. Coyotes
Saturday, 12/12 vs. Stars

Should be a fun time. I love going to the Kings games. The crowd is always really into it, I have a great time talking to the wonderful people I work with at the Staples Center, and the games are usually pretty good. This past Saturday, the Kings beat the Blackhawks 2-1 in a shootout. Aside from the fact that it was two teams with great, young talent playing, the crowd was the loudest I've heard so far. The shootout was fantastic to watch.


The Reign have spent much of their first half on the road, and have just four home games during the month of December compared to nine road games. Here are their home games:

Sunday, 12/6 vs. Salmon Kings
Wednesday, 12/16 vs. Condors
Friday, 12/18 vs. Wranglers
Sunday, 12/27 vs. Condors

Aside from that, the job search continues in Southern California. I've sent out some resumes and hopefully will start hearing back from organizations soon. I can't believe how fast this semester has flown by!!

2nd Appearance On "The Sports Desk" Set

This past week, I came into the studio of "The Sports Desk" for the second time to talk with our host, Bonnie, on the air and read highlights. This week, I picked my Top 12 Football plays of the season, edited them together, and read the highlights during the show. Wonder why I picked 12 instead of the usual 10? You'll have to watch the show.

Here's the link to watch this past week's episode: Episode 41.09
My segment is right at the beginning after the intro, starting at 2:05.

I wish I got the chance to cover some more football games live, but the ones I did get to see were a lot of fun to watch. Among five high schools in the city of Torrance, there are so many talented players as well as a high level of rivalry and competition. I never got to see anything similar to this back home, so it was a treat to watch California High School Football this year.

I hope you enjoy my segment! Let me know what you think!

Happy Turkey Day!!

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Hello Blog Family!!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! It's very weird for me being away from home for the first time in my life during the holiday. I love getting together with everyone, usually at my uncle's house in New Jersey, catching up with each other, watching football all day, and eating a great meal. Today, I will not be at my uncle's house, but I'm sure the day will still be fun!

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and while I can't think of them all, here are a few:

1) My family, especially my mom: Everyone has been so supportive of me through my college career and mostly this semester in LA. They always listen to my hockey broadcasts and check in on me to see how things are going. I love you all so much!

2) My friends: I have so many great people both at home, in Ithaca, and here in LA that I have surrounded myself with over the last 3 and a half years. You all have been so much fun to spend time with, have been extremely supportive, and I wouldn't give you up for anything in the world!

3) The Ontario Reign, LA Kings, Citi Cable 3, WNBC-TV, WCBS NewsRadio 880, SportsNet NY, and Steiner Sports: Since I embarked on my college career, each of these organizations has been gracious enough to offer me a job or internship that has helped me progress to the point where I am at now. Without all of the experiences you have given me, I would not be as prepared for the future.

4) Ithaca College: The last 3 and a half years of my life have been the best! When I looked at colleges, IC was at the top of my list, and getting accepted was one of my most exciting moments. From my advisor John Wolohan, to the awesome professors I've had, to the people at Financial Aid who allowed me to make Ithaca happen, to the wonderful people at the two radio stations and ICTV, to my bosses at the Campus Center where I worked, and everyone else I'm forgetting, thank you for making college amazing!

5) The Yankees: Almost every year, I always thank the team I care about the most at the Thanksgiving table. It's been rough the last few years with the Yankees either getting bounced in the first round or missing the playoffs altogether. This year, they won the World Series. Can't really leave them out this time. Thanks for a great season, thrilling postseason, and all the World Series apparel I now get to flaunt!

Alright, I have a date with some turkey, sweet potato casserole, and corn bread from Boston Market this afternoon! Very excited!

McRibs, Green Day, and Basketball

What a start to this Thanksgiving week!!

Okay, so first of all, the World Famous McRib is back at McDonald's restaurants. Don't believe me? Check out these pictures I snapped with my phone at a restaurant here in LA right before I sunk my teeth into heaven.



It might not look appetizing, but it is really good! I used to eat this fairly often when I was a kid with the mother. The story is, my friend Bryan and I saw a sign for the sandwich at a rest stop on the way to San Francisco two weeks ago. We tried to stop there for one on the way back, but they were closed.

Then on Monday, I drove to a McDonald's in Torrance before interning for some breakfast. What do I see? The big "McRib is Back" sign, and my day was immediately off to a great start. I called Bryan, he met me for lunch, and life was good. Unfortunately for my East Coast friends, I think it's only available at select SoCal locations. I'll be sure to eat one or fifty for you!

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Moving on, I was fortunate enough to get tickets to a Green Day concert outdoors at the Nokia Plaza @ LA Live. They were playing as a part of NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly show. The best part? The concert was completely free! My friend Laura and I went to the show not knowing what to expect. Boy were we shocked.

First, there were a ton of people there. Thousands! We had to wait in line forever just to get to the plaza, but once there, we had a pretty good view of the stage as you can see.


The next weird thing was finding out that this was all for their New Year's show. They made us do countdowns and cheer loudly for their cameras like I had to for every TV taping I've been to, as well as wear Happy New Year's hats. It was weird acting like it was New Year's on November 23rd, but it was fun nonetheless.

Eventually, the concert started and it was absolutely amazing! Green Day played 19 songs over an hour and a half, and it was more fun than I could have imagined. Their music was so good. They were very animated and got the crowd involved all show long. Also, they used a lot of pyrotechnics in the show from fireworks to actual shooting fire. It was fantastic to see and nonstop fun from start to finish. I couldn't bring my camera in, but took some shots with my cell phone. Sorry if they're blurry.




As you can see from the setlist of the show, they played a lot of new and old stuff, and even did a brief cover of "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Sweet Child of Mine." They said they had no designated set list at the start of the show.

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The next night, I was back downtown at the Staples Center to watch my hometown Knicks take on the Los Angeles Lakers. I expected the Knicks to get destroyed, and while they played terrible at points, made it a respectable loss at 100-90.

The Staples Center is a great place to watch a Lakers game. The team is the hottest ticket in town, fresh off their NBA Championship last season. The fans are knowledgeable and into the game. It's also pretty cool to see the numerous celebrities that come out to watch the game. In addition to Jack Nicholson (a noted Lakers fan), Stevie Wonder, and Spike Lee (a noted Knicks fan), George Lopez and Richard Lewis were in attendance.




It was also pretty impressive to see the many great players the Lakers have. It shows why they are a championship team. From arguably the best player in the NBA right now, Kobe Bryant, to Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, and Derek Fisher, they are a darn good team. Not to mention, they have Hall of Fame Head Coach Phil Jackson at the helm.

Here are some pictures from the game. To see all of my photos, check out my Facebook Album!






P.S. The Staples Center sells McDonalds, and even they are selling the McRib! Don't believe me, here's the photo with the outrageous prices to confirm it:


I said one of the things I had to do before I came to LA was see a Lakers game. I also said one of the bands I had to see at some point was Green Day. I can now check both of those off the list on consecutive days.