2011 – Thanks For The Memories

What a Year!

As we prepare for a new year, I’d like to take a moment to thank you for a great 2011.  What a year it’s been!  Before we start planning for 2012, a brief recap is in order.

-    Although ‘Glory Days’, the reunion of the 1985 Bears in Chicago occurred in late 2010, our work for Brenda Bushell and Legacy Events continued into 2011.  We produced the 3-hour live event at the Arie Crown Plaza in Chicago and the 1.5 hours of content that aired on WMAQ – NBC 5 afterward.  Lasting memories?  The euphoria of the live crowd after the live event and the disappointment that the television audience never saw the Super Bowl Shuffle performed live by the likes of Willie Gault and Jim McMahon.  The song belongs to the widow of the producer of the original video and she would not allow its use…One final thought:  This was the last time Bears fans had a chance to see and hear from Dave Duerson who took his own life a few months later.  Thinking of his son who was there that night, I’m glad we were able to give him this moment.

-    November and December are mostly home-based with productions of the Capital One Bank YMCA Turkey Trot and the Metro PCS Dallas White Rock Marathon.  Both events benefit showcase DFW as a place that gives back to the community and both events recognize the importance of social responsibility.  My thoughts are always with the kids who benefit from the YMCA programs and the children who find new hope and new limbs at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.   Check out the profiles on our site and you will see what I mean.  We are truly blessed to be able to tell these stories.  And we would be remiss not to thank people like Gordie Ecktenkamp and Sarah Byrom at the Y, Melinda Wenk, Bob Walker, Becky Britt and the staff at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children and Don Hazen and Jerry Cadigan at WFAA-TV.  These friends are invaluable.  And while we’re at it, congratulations to Phil Baker and Marcus Grunewald at the Metro PCS  Dallas White Rock Marathon.  There is not a better organization in any marathon anywhere.  Thanks for letting us be part of this very meaningful event.  If you haven’t seen our 3-hour live telecast, it’s not really about running, it’s about the spirit of a region supporting Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

-    In February we produced a live Madden Bowl event as part of Super Bowl XLV.  The snow and ice slowed us down, but the show went on without incident.  Well, except for the fans who figured out how to access the live chat feature on the game and wrote some profane messages that showed up on air.  No one in the truck saw these messages and we didn't hear about them until the show ended.  Regretfully, it was a fitting end to a very difficult week in north Texas with snow, ice and the coldest week in Dallas since 1983.  But at least the Steelers lost!

-    February also had us on another ESPN event – the BassMasters Classic in New Orleans.  We produce the features for the telecast and our 7th Classic for ESPN was by far the best!  Lasting memory?  Taking the Classic trophy down to Bourbon Street – for a little night life and photo opportunities with the ‘fans’.  It's the most fun that trophy will ever have…sitting on Kevin Van Dam’s mantle has to be boring.   Thanks to Jerry Vaillancourt at ESPN for bringing us into this event back in 2005.  And to Mike McKinnis and Tim Schick for continuing to call on us for Classic duty.   We love the Classic and to catch up with the greatest anglers in the world.

-    February also marked the end of a two-year run producing content for the Super Bowl XLV Host Committee.  Tony Fay is a savvy marketing guy who understands the value of video in marketing big-time events like a Super Bowl.  We did so much over two years it’s hard to remember it all.  But working with Roger Staubach is hard to beat.  Getting him and Nolan Ryan , Tony Romo, Dirk Nowitski and TCU head football coach Gary Patterson to sing for us on camera, may be the single greatest producer accomplishment ever!   (See ‘This Kiss’ video tribute for Faith Hill on this website…)

-    In the spring and summer we co-produced a series for the Weather Channel with CSE out of Atlanta called Weathering Disaster.  It was really amazing to meet these families affected by hurricanes and tornadoes and learn from them about what it takes to come back from tragedy.  We have so many strong families all around us and while each has a different way of dealing with tragedy, I believe faith is important, as is having a strong support team around you when disaster strikes.   Lasting memory?   Sam George from Harrah, Oklahoma, agreeing to relive his experiences after a tornado took his home a year earlier.  When we got to the site where his house once stood he was shaking like a leaf and very pale.  It took courage to do what he did, but he did it to help others going through the same thing.  Sam is the best.  Just like Laura Rae and the team at CSE.  The series was sponsored by Farmers Insurance and under the category of strange coincidence; we lost about 85% of our equipment to a break-in while in Yorba Linda, California.  Just like the subjects in the series we were made whole and can attest to the importance of carrying good (replacement value) insurance!

-    In late summer and fall we spent nearly six weeks in Canada, launching a new sports network for TVA, a French-speaking network in Montreal.  It was one of the hardest assignments ever, launching a network in 4 months, hiring staff, putting in an infrastructure, studios, shows, website and managing the expectations of the corporate bosses, racing the clock to beat the competition and launch a product with real legitimacy, with connected talent and with real journalism taking place.   News boss Serge Fortin is a tour de force, refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer and willing the network to life with his own refusal to listen to those (like me) who felt it might not be accomplished within the timeframe.  You keep learning in this business and I learned never to doubt people like Serge, who are more than type ‘A’ bosses.   They are like field generals on the battlefield who make you do the job whether you want to or not.  They have no time for petty issues and demand that everyone give their best.  I have decided that more bosses need to be like Serge.  Too many bosses are soft, politically correct and unwilling to push their people this way.  In the U.S., ‘Human Resource’ correctness has taken the fight out of most managers.  I’m thankful I had the chance to watch a network appear out of nowhere knowing I will likely never see anything like this in my lifetime.  Thanks to Serge for teaching the coach another lesson.  And cheers to everyone at TVA for being so hospitable to the dude from Texas who barely spoke a word of French.  Merci.

-    Finally, throughout the year we are coaches at CNN, working with anchors, reporters and producers on professional growth on the air and in the newsroom.  The more I coach at CNN, the more I realize there’s a lot of factual information that helps people improve, but the biggest factor is having someone to talk to, someone to listen to and then, instilling confidence in those I coach.  Best memory at CNN?  Working with the CNN Fellowship and coaching broadcast journalists from around the world.  They come from Israel, Japan, South Africa, India and many countries in between.  They all have the same reaction…CNN is amazing, a free press is awe-inspiring, Atlanta is too hot and Americans are too fat, literally and figuratively!  Thanks to Sonia Tucker-Mimick for inviting us to participate again in 2011.

Capital One Bank, Junior Achievement, CBS Sports, Shermco Industries and Emmitt Smith Enterprises are clients we are working with on an assortment of projects for early 2012. It is an interesting blend of broadcast, corporate and network television clients that we serve.  We look forward to helping each of them this year with content and coaching that we believe will make a real difference.  Every year I am a bit anxious about being able to duplicate the previous year’s business.  For once, I’d just like to stop and say thank-you to all our clients and to my partners Kevin Spivey and Barry Nash for everything they do. 

You are the best!

Happy New Year from Silver Horn Entertainment!

Tony