SCARY BARRY'S JOURNEY TO THE 2013 PRO BOWL PART 2

By

Scary Barry Rodriguez

January 23, 2013

Kopolei , Hawaii - Scary Barry and Superbowl Wayne headed down the highway from Honolulu bound for Kopolei High school where the AFC/NFC Pro Bowl practices was being held. The weather was overcast and I hoped that it would remain that way for the duration of the practice. Coming from the mild  climate of the San Francisco bay area to the humid heat of Hawaii can be uncomfortable at times.

At the high school a gate is positioned across the driveway to limit access for the general public. In this case we are talking about the many football starved fans waiting outside for a glimpse of their favorite players as they arrive. Dan and Dean our cameramen positioned themselves outside the fence to the practice field to film the arrival of the AFC squad. At approximately 8:35 am two big buses arrived on site with the AFC squad.

All the media awaited for the moment  the players  stepped off the buses. Then it was here they come ! Action ! Cameras ! Daniel and Dean immediately started filming the moment for posterity. Superbowl Wayne stepped out in front and began raising the excitement level , shouting encouragement . The Scary one was just one of many media persons lining both sides of the path to the practice field. My time in the spotlight would come later.

 The players all gathered around John Fox , from the Denver Broncos , who was coaching the AFC squad in the Pro Bowl. Then the players went through 7 on 7 drills and various other activities. On the side lines the camera crews were taking shots and media observers and NFL officials mingled. Interviews come after the end of the practice sessions. The interview scene always resembles a rugby scrum. Scary Barry and everyone else has a small window of opportunity to grab as many interviews as possible as the players leave the practice field. The NFC practice , a short time after the AFC practice ended, involved the same process.

The weather evolved from rain then humid sunshine within a short period of time . Then it was water bottle time ! Newbie media can easily be overcome by heat exhaustion if they don't hydrate. Heavy duty sun screen is a must ! Due the heat light activity is tiring after a couple of hours. No matter what, later on you will need a long nap ! That is part of the glamor of media work. You run around chasing down interviews , follow the changing guidelines for the press and avoid stepping on any VIP's toes.

Our crew consisted of Superbowl Wayne, myself and Justin to do the interviews. Daniel and Dean handled the cameras . It was a Hawaii Five O sports media gig , managed by Super Bowl Wayne , the boss. Super Bowl Wayne is a media institution in Hawaii !
Its go,go,go all the time ! In these practices he who hesitates is indeed lost ! After the end of the AFC and NFC practices Scary Barry joined the fray chasing down his targeted interviews , with cameraman Daniel following closely behind. Its elbow your way in, announce your presence and do the interview ! No time to wait around ! Oh , there he is ! Lets go ! Theres no time to contemplate your navel and meditate ! Super Bowl Wayne makes sure we don't miss anyone. Justin , who is only eighteen years old , holds his own against his much older competitors by interviewing many top players. I'm lucky to bag Andrew Luck , the much heralded quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. Payton Manning , who he replaced , is also there representing the Denver Broncos. 
 
Then its all over ! Time to turn everything down , shakes some hands and get out of town ! Tomorrow it will be the same ! Pro Bowl week is a nonstop experience for the assembled media. Soon after the practices Scary Barry nodded out in his car. Two hours later I almost felt human again ! Good thing Super Bowl Wayne consented to driving on the way back. ! Tomorrow is Military Base day at        Hickam Air Force base. Day one of practice on the way to Pro Bowl Sunday .

Peace and Love.....................................................Scary Barry