Remission....Me and a Billion Buddies Swimming in my Pool.

Last week the doctor told me that I'm in remission.  I have to say that this sure sounds good.  I mean we talked about not having any traceable cancer in my system, but then in the next sentence he says that there may be a billion cancer cells in my body, they just aren't detectable.  Uggh.....a billion seems like a lot.

Add to that I'm continuing my treatment.  You see the extra treatments will knock down some of those billion little buddies I have swimming around my body.  I hate to have them eat and run, as in eat the good cells and then swim and look for more good cells, however I'll deal with the extra treatments even if it means saying good bye to my billion buddies.

Remission is sort of like hitting the pause button in your life.  The clock stops on the "you have x to y months to live" calendar.  Will it ever start again?  I suspect no one knows for sure.  This whole experience is sort of a virtual reality trip.

I know I had surgery, but I really didn't have any pain before or after.  I know I have had some side effects, but I don't really dwell on the past at all, therefore it's all behind me.  I know I had and have cancer, but for the most part I only see it on the screen and I don't feel pain from it.  As far as I know any discomfort I have now is no different than the discomfort I was having just from getting older.

Everyone says, "you look great" or "I can't believe you have cancer and are having chemo."  I get that totally.  I didn't lose my hair, I lost weight but have gained some of it back.  And I have always looked younger than I am.  So again I don't think you can see it in me.

So remission is sort of a waiting game.  I can begin to think seriously about making long term plans.  I  have started thinking about things I would love to do in my life.  Things like, white water rafting.  Visiting Yosemite National Park along with Crater, Yellowstone and other National Parks.  A trip to Rome, Venice and Florence  While we are at it, how about Paris, Switzerland, and London?  Maybe golf in Scotland or Pebble Beach?

I need to close a big deal, then put that cash aside for a "big trip."  Or perhaps one of our local multi-millionaires or billionaires might just throw a $100,000 my way.  I would be a gracious recipient and even send post cards if you like!!

See that is the difference being in remission and not.  You truly begin making some significant plans. I have to admit over the past year I would go to a movie and see the previews and ask myself, "will I be here to see that movie?"  Things like the next Star Wars or Indiana Jones.  Two of my all time favorites.

And of course important life events that come up.  Nieces and nephew graduations, marriages, babies, etc.  I have thought a lot about this over the last year or so.  More than ever before.  I really had never paid attention to how life goes on when someone passes away.

I mean I know it's true.  The world keeps spinning, the sun comes up every day and the seasons pass.  But in addition to that Survivor keeps adding new seasons,  60 Minutes still has stories to tell, the Illini keep playing (and losing).  While is may seem like the world turns "because" of us, in truth is turns in spite of us.   A humbling reality.

That should be comforting to my friends and family.  There will be a tomorrow  Hopefully I will have left a piece of me to remember, here is where I'm sorry I didn't make the commitment to get married and have a child.  But, there are others to carry on my legacy.  Family, friends and students I have mentored.

Don't think I'm throwing in the towel in any way here.  I'm in remission.  But I still have those billion little buddies swimming inside me.  Let's just hope we stay friends and they don't get tired of my swimming pool.  Or perhaps the drugs will help them relocate someplace else. 

TV-2's Brent Musburger. He's young, enthusiastic and rising to the Top.

(This is another story I wrote when I was Sports Editor in High School.  This story was published on April 11, 1974, so I was the ripe old age of 16.)

He's a Chicago sportscaster for WBBM-TV as well as being a radio commentator during most o the week and on weekends he handles the CBS Sports Spectacular.  His name is Brent Musburger and he has come close to achieving national fame.  But interestingly enough he hasn't always wanted to be a sportscaster.

Musburger clearly states that is was an "accident" that he became a sportscaster.  He was a writer for the old Chicago American and in 1968 he was assigned to cover the Olympic Games in Mexico City.  While down in Mexico, Musburger was contacted by WBBM-Radio and was asked to do nightly reports on the games for the network.

His work at Mexico impressed the management so much that he was asked to leave the newspaper and do radio commentaries.  He agreed and one thing led to another, including rating problems on their TV News, so one again he was asked to change jobs and go to TV2 to work as a sportscaster.

"I miss writing," stated Musburger, "I think it's a great talent,but I'm still able to do some of it, although it's a completely different style when you are writing for the verbal word."

I'm not at professional broadcaster.

He also misses the time that he had before when he was writing.  "In my business, with four radio shows, two TV shows and three radio commentaries, it real thins me out over the day", said Brent.  "I would say that my being a TV sportscaster is more luck,  I didn't study broadcasting at Northwestern and I don't consider myself a professional broadcaster at all."  He claims to be a "communicator" of the sport world rather than a broadcaster.  

CBS Sports Spectacular

Recently Musburger has found himself to be "nationally recognized" through his efforts as host of the CBS Sports Spectacular.  As was the case for Brent in local broadcasting , the national show cam to him by "accident".  When the time came to do the Spectacular, Musburger made it clear to the network that he would love to do it as long as he didn't have to leave Chicago.

"It's a dream for me to do a show like that, where I get to do a variety of things," states Musburger, "I get to meet a lot of people and see a lot of things."

The CBS Sports Spectacular though has been called "an effort by CBS to keep up with ABC's Wide World of Sports on the weekend sports scene.  "CBS Sports Spectacular is the result of the tremendous success of the Wide World,"  said Musburger.  "ABC does the best job of covering Olympic type sports; gymnastics, swimming, track and field." he adds.

Brent feels that one of the reasons for ABC's success is because of ABC's "showcase" happens to be sports whereas CBS's is their prime time programming.  Musburger stated that "if you were to look at an ABC prime time show and compare it with a CBS show you'd see a difference, CBS pumps more money into prime time.  At the same time, if you compare a sports show on ABC with a show on CBS you'd see the same difference, except in the case ABC puts the money into the sports telecast rather than CBS."

We don't try to keep up with ABC.

"There isn't anyway we at the Spectacular can keep up with ABC because they spend more money than we do an consequently they have better talent," continues Musburger. He goes on to say that, "Ther isn't anyone at CBS sitting around saying that we have to keep up with ABC. . .  we hold our own against them."

Although the viewing public only sees a sportscaster like Musburger for 5 or 10 minutes a day, it doesn't mean that he spends the majority of his day waiting for his telecast.  Musburger works about 10 hours a day, spending most of his time planning, producing and writing his sportscast.  But it is true that much of his work is done at the last minute.  "I try to put things off as long as I can, so I can give sports reports that are up to the minute," states Musburger.  "Some people have called me disorganized because of that," he continues, "But I maintain that the beauty of this business is that is is up to the moment."

For Musburger this means that many times scripts for the telecasts aren't written until 10 of 15 minutes before hand and many times much of the material read is straight off the wire service.  "I take it down as close to the sportscast as I can," stated Brent, "without putting my technicians in a bind, because they have to know it I have video-tape to run and things like that."

He's a very busy man though, even without his local sportscasting.  "On an average work week, when we've got the Sports Spectacular on Sunday, I work two or three days in Chicago and then go on location for the Spectacular," says Musburger.  "It's a kind of schedule that I won't be able to work all my life, but it's great for me right now," he commented.  

But interestingly enough Musburger claims to be getting more that just "attention" from the Sports Spectacular.  "I'm gaining a lot of experience.  By the time I get finished there won't be a major sport that I haven't done on television at least once."

The other side of Brent

Musburger is a man who is very dedicated to his work.  But there is another side to Brent that very few people see.  "Sports does not sell the 10 o'clock news," he emphasizes.  "Statistics sow that maybe one out of four persons that watch the broadcast are interested in sports.  In other words there are 75% who watch the news alone and don't care about the sports."  He continues by stating, "It's not as if I'm working on a sports section of a newspaper where anyone that picks it up is automatically passionate about it.  I'm dealing with an audience that for the most part could care less and I try not to drive them away."

Brent says that he "worries about people who think that he is unaware of the outside world."  Many times he has been told to shorten his broadcast and sometimes even to eliminate it due to a special report such as a murder.  But this doesn't even phase Musburger.  "I realize that someone's death is far more important that a score that I might put up in a situation like that.  I'm very aware of what's going on in the world."

"On the other hand, when I think that I have an important story, such as the death of Peter Revson, I expect to be given some extra time."

At the age of 33 he is starting to achieve some 'national fame,' but he accepts this in stride.  "You know it's nice, because all of us in this business have tremendous egos, but I don't know if I wold like to be recognized everywhere I go like a Johnny Carson.  Sure  I'd like the money and the attention, but he has no freedom at all.  I think he has paid a tremendous price for his fame.  Sure it's nice though, I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't like it."

"I like the kids, the athletes," he continues, "I don't have anything to prove.  I just enjoy being around them.  I love their enthusiasm, it's not about a payday for them, and I really like being a part of their world.  I think they have done for me than I ever have done for them."

Brent Musburger is a very emotional man, he cares about sports, but more importantly he cares about he world around him.  He cares of a a lot of people and the people care back.  Musburger doesn't have to worry about achieving fame, he has already got it.  

A Man's Creed

Good Friend Paul Wineman would share this with the undergraduate brothers at the American Leadership Academy

A MAN'S CREED

Let me live, Oh Mighty Master,
Such a life as men should know;

Testing triumph and disaster-­
Joy---but not too much of woe.

Let me run the gamut  over,

Let me fight and love and laugh,

And when I'm beneath the  clover,

Let this be my epitaph:

Here lies one who took his chances,

In this busy world of men;

Battled luck and circumstances;

Fought  and fell, and fought again;

Won sometimes, but did no crowing;

Lost sometimes, but did not wail;

Took his beating but kept  going;

And never let his courage fail.

--Author Unknown

You Never Know

You Never Know

You never know when someone

May catch a dream from you.

You never know when a little word

Or something you may do

May open up the windows

Of a mind that seeks the light—

The way you live may not matter at all,

But, you never know—it might.

And just in case it could be

That another’s life, through you,

Might possibly change for the better

With a broader and brighter view,

It seems it might be worth a try

At pointing the way to the right—

Of course, it may not matter at all,

But then again, ---it might.

Greg Gumbel, Sportscasting in Chicago at Age 28

(This is a reprint from the Rich South Centurian, June 3, 1974, written by a much younger Todd Salen)

The man known to many as "Channel 5's sportscaster " emerged from the door marked NBC to give our party of four a warm greeting. He led us into the TV studios past the familiar 'Newsfive' set and into an office simply marked sports.

The TV set in the corner was tuned to the CBS afternoon movie, "Dr. Strangelove". Our host, VVMAQ sportscaster Greg Gumbel set down some papers and started us on a grand tour of the studios--past the busy newsroom, into the film editing and video tape rooms, through the studios where Kup's Show and Sorting it Out are filmed, and finally back in the small sports office.

At 5:10 Gumbel sat at his desk to add a few words to his script for the 5:30 news. We sat back and watched the ending of Dr. Stranglove. Gumbel 's sportscast was scheduled for 5:40, so it was necessary to  collect the  scripts and take off for the studios just as the movie ended.

A red flashing light outside the door meant that a live telecast was in process. Gumbel led us into the director's  booth  where he waited for the cue that would send  him  into  the  studio.

The telecast was important that night with the lead story being a press conference with Dick Butkus. Gumbel read through his lines under the ·careful timing of the in-studio director. After about four minutes Floyd Kalber , walked back into place in front of the cameras. The director signaled for a commercial and Gumbel 's part of the 5: 00 news  was over.

At the age of 28, Greg Gumbel is the youngest sportscaster in Chicago and WMAQ is Gumbel's first job in  broadcasting.  After majoring in English in College, he got a job as Lyton's assistant advertising director. After a year he ventured over to Time Inc. and became assistant purchasing director. His next job came 2 1/2 years later when he went to work for American Hospital Supply Corporation in Evanston,   and after about six months as a salesman in Detroit, he was looking for a "way back to Chicago".

Greg heard about an opening at WMAQ and immediately applied for it. It took only an interview

and a tape for NBC to realize that they had what they were looking for and by March 12, 1973 Greg Gumbel  was  part of NBC.

"I was very lucky, lucky to learn about the opening and lucky to be there at the right time." Of course the fact that Greg's brother was also a sportscaster in Los Angeles helped him to get a shot at the job but Gumbel emphasized that, 'If I wasn't good enough they would have said no, even with my brother." Being 28 has its advantages and its disadvantages:    I'm as knowledgeable as anyone on what's happening today. But because I'm 28 someone else is 35 or 45 it would be evident that I'm not as knowledgeable on things that have happened in the past. There are people that can draw a great deal on history and work it into their sportscast, but my being younger and not being around when certain  things  happened prevents me from using the past as a reference.

This past fall Greg was a part of the very successful high school Basketball Game of the Week. '' It was an area that hadn't been tried before on a regular basis, and an area that was difficult to keep up week after week. I'd like to get into play by play a regular basis," commented Gumbel. "I don't have what many people consider and ideal voice f or broadcasting. I don't have a Charlie Jones type of a voice, very deep, I  mean I'd have to drink for three nights straight to get a voice like his! ''

But he liked doing high school basketball, feeling that it was an "innovative" idea "We found out what we could do with a few cameras, a producer-director, and associate director, a man on the  floor and a few technicians and it worked.''

He emphasized, “There is this tremendous void of high school sports, understandably.  You’ve got the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Bulls, the Blackhawks and the Cougars, the White Sox and the Cubs and the Aces and you’ve got the college sports to follow.  With that amount of activity going on its no wonder high school sports get passed on.”

This is a hot bed as far as high school sports go and this was a potential way to at least solve part of it with the “high school basketball game of the week.”  Looking out the window we saw an NBC crew preparing to shoot a live shot from the roof of the 19^th floor for the weather forecast.  “I don’t think that has ever been done before”, laughed Greg.

Gumbel is a busy man, working a Wednesday to Sunday week from 12:00 noon to about 10:30 and presenting two shows daily.  He has a four minute fifteen second slot to fill in the afternoon and three minute fifteen second slot to fill in the night time news.  Gumbel spends much of his time watching what is going on that night in a conference room with four TVs.  “I spend Sundays in there with each TV tuned to a different sport.  This way I get to watch all the channels at once and I don’t miss much of the action.”

His Sportscast

To me the most important thing about my sportscast is to present a visual show. I don't think I’m on there to have people look at me talk, because facts and figures can be read from the newspaper. He feels that "people who tune in to watch the sports are looking in to see something they couldn’t 't  attend. "

TV has to be visual. "It's a different thing to read a newspaper and say Phil Esposito, or Wayne Kashman scored goals, it's a different thing to see how they scored."

Probably a question that rests on the minds of many Greg Gumbel fans who remember NBC's sportscaster of old, Johnny Morris, is what happens to Greg when Johnny comes back from Europe.  "When Johnny  Morris comes back I probably go back to weekend shows and reporting Thursdays and Fridays.  When I started here I signed a contract to do that and I couldn’t possibly quarrel with going back to that because that is what my contract says.” 

WMAQ and Newsfive has suffered some problems in the ratings department in the past year dropping from first to second place in the polls.  “I don’t know if it’s true that this number of people will read, say that ABC now leads the ratings and on the basis of that say that I must be watching the wrong channel and turn to their channel.”

“People will call and say ‘hey I think the only thing good about your newscast is you’ and I’ll say great but why?  And they don’t have a reason.  I’d like to know why so many people watch channel 2 on Saturday night.  Is it because they follow All in the Family and MASH and Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart and Carol Burnett?  By then people may be too drunk to get out of their chair and turn the channel!”

"I  don't  think that a sportscaster will affect the ratings but there are people who are really sports minded  who will say,  well,

"Sportscasters don't effect the ratings”

channel 5 carried this today so maybe  they'll have the highlights or channel 2 carried this.  That’s like saying who has the best sports show in town.  Does it depend on the number of videos you can put into your time allotted?  Or does it depend on the number of live interviews you can put on the air?  Or does it depend on how well you get along with the newsman or your personal appearance?  But again I think it’s a visual thing.  I think people tune in not to see a sportscaster but to see the sports.”

“Floyd Kalber is Dangerous”

“Floyd Kalber is dangerous to be with on live camera because he is extremely knowledgeable in sports.  He is liable to ask any question on sports and it would be a good question.  I could easily not know the answer and say ‘I don’t know, but I’ll find out.’  It’s something that can be a good thing if the newscaster knows what he is talking about or a bad thing if the newscaster turns and says ‘How’d the Cougars do, anybody hit any home runs?’  Fortunately we don’t have that problem.”

The conversation then turn to a lighter side of Gumbel as mistakes on live tv were brought up. ·"My first time on the air was really amazingly smooth, I was really nervous. But there have been times when I have started to talk about the Bulls, and the Blackhawks film came on. I said Chet Walker drove the baseline and hey that's not the Bulls! and of course everyone in the studio breaks up".

"A couple of times I've gone on with the pages on my script out of order, that's fun.  I'll start reading something and the director in the booth is looking and he doesn't see where I am. He starts throwing papers around trying to find out where I am because maybe he's supposed to roll a film and he hasn’t done it yet.  I cause a few heart failures once in a while_''

He continued by stating that "I was searching around for the right way to read a script  on the air and I  noticed that Floyd Kalber  moves one page to his left and reads it on his left then he moves to the page on this right, so I tried that. Well I used to read one page and turn it over, and read the next and turn it over. So, I moved the page to the left and the director said five seconds, so he snapped his fingers and I completely ignored that page. I had skipped a whole page and in the booth they didn't know what I was doing. I felt bad afterwards but they said it's all part of learning. ''

Being only 28, Gumbel has a large part of his life ahead of him.  Although there are no plans for the immediate future he does plan to stay in broadcasting.  “I would never want to leave it now.  I find myself putting in more hours, more basic hard work and more time in broadcasting, but it seems like less.  I love my work and I’d never want to leave.”

“The first thing I’d like to do is become proficient at what I’m doing now and while I think that I’m improving, I don’t think that I’m where I’d like to be.  I still get nervous once in a while about things that professionals like Charlie Jones don’t even care about.  Hopefully, I’ll work for NBC.”

Greg Gumbel is a youngster in the broadcasting world but he has some advantages in the business.  He’s a dedicated man, a searcher of the facts and a perfectionist.  But most importantly he is a human being, very aware of the public and the public’s image of the people in TV.  He does everything he can to make the public believe that TV personalities are not superhuman.  It’s this understanding of the public that is going to make Greg Gumbel a top sportscaster.  Maybe once the public notices him like he notices them they will realize he is already one of the very best.  

20 things you may not know about me

1. I grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago, although I lived in Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo before that as my father was moved from Ford plant to Ford plant designing assembly lines. 

2     When I was 16, I interviewed two young sportscasters in Chicago, Brent Musburger and Greg Gumbel.  (perhaps my printed interviews got the attention of the network?) (I was sports editor of my school paper 3 years)

3.     The next year I marched in the St. Patrick’s day parade…………in Dublin

4.     In college here at the U of I,  I produced 2 benefit concerts with Harry Chapin, raising over $20,000 for his charity, World Hunger Year.

5.     I also helped set a world record for vertical beer keg stacking with money going to MDA.

6.     Even though I graduated from the UI, I was the founder of my fraternity chapter at the University of Michigan

7.     I worked on the Michael Jackson Victory Tour

8.     I worked back stage at the first Farm Aid concert at Memorial Stadium

9.     I have played basketball against Charles Barkley and was with him the first time he ever played golf.  Charles said twice "Salen is the toughest defender I ever faced"

10.  I refereed the state finals in 4 A Girls Basketball 3 times. 

11.   I worked on the Urbana Sweetcorn Festival for 19 years, was the director 5 times and cooked the corn for 5 years, over 150,000 ears cooked.

12.  I am the co-founder of Austin’s Day, a day of service in memory of Austin Cloyd, killed in the Virginia Tech shootings. This year will be the 10^th anniversary.

13.  I am Executive Secretary of Champaign Rotary Club

14. I have been the Chapter Adviser of Phi Kappa Psi at Illinois for 31 years

15.   I wad Chairman of the UI Board of Fraternity Affairs, the sanctioning committee for the UI Greek System.

16.   I have facilitated over 15 I Programs for the UI Leadership Center

17.   I spent 6 years working for the UI DIA and worked directly with Augie Garrido the winningest coach in college baseball history, Richard “Itch” Jones, who took SIU to the College World Series and current UI Coach Dan Hartleb.

18.   My beautiful and brilliant sister, Kristina Salen, used to be CFO of ETSY and is now CFO of United Artists, and CFO of WWE

19.    I have produced 16 musicals for CUTC and Champaign Park District.  And  I can’t sing, dance or act. 

20.  My nephew Arlo is a super hero

The Lessons you learn when you are given an expiration date

This past year has certainly been the most challenging so far in my life.  For those that don’t know I was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer just about a year ago.  In that meeting the doctor speculated I had somewhere between 6 and 24 months left.  This diagnosis wasn’t necessarily on my new year’s resolution list.   I had only been in the hospital one night in my life for wisdom teeth removal. 

The word spread and before I knew it I was the center of attention.  People were sending notes and calling that they were adding me to their prayer groups, family was scheduling time to come and stay with me and friends were bringing meals and other things to the house.  This …. was out of my comfort zone. 

The Sunday before I went in for surgery a new program called the Journey was starting with our congregation.   As I sat in the church Pastor Mark encouraged everyone to take the first step, praying, by remembering Becky Fox, another church member who had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and I in their prayers.  Again..out of my comfort zone.  But, I took a deep breath, and knew God needed to use me right then. 

I won’t go into a lot of details on the treatments and medical procedures.  Truly it could have been a lot worse.  God has held me in his hand throughout this year and I am a different and maybe a better person today than a year ago.  But I have learned some lessons that I want to share with you.

1.    Hug the people you love and make sure they know it.  It has crossed my mind several times in the past year that this may be the last time I see people on this earth.  I am not trying to be morbid.  But at least I know I’m not immortal.  I think we forget sometimes there are no guarantees there will be a tomorrow.   So many of us shy away from telling the people we care about that we love them.   God really wants us to share this, maybe more than anything else.  So whether you are Joe Cool, too tough for emotions or Miss Prim and Proper, let your guard down.  You can’t fake this, but you can cross the comfort line zone here. 

2.    Speaking of which, remember that cancer is not contagious.  It interesting to see how your friends react to the diagnosis.  Some are drawn to help and some quickly turn away.  I theorize that enthusiastic people shy away from anything that is not positive.  I understand, I think I was one of those people until this year.  Not that I’m not positive now.  It’s just that I understand my own limitations. 

3.    Thank God for each day.  Time flies.  We all face this trap.  Take a minute, thank God for today, and enjoy this beautiful earth we share. 

4.    Open your heart to the people who want to help.  Our community is gracious, helpful, giving, and understanding.  They want to help.  My natural reaction is “I can handle it myself.”  As Pastor Marc talked about a few weeks ago, I needed to step out my boat and have faith that God would keep me safe.  I did, and people came.  They took care of my family, my dog, my house.  They came and came and came and filled my house with love and the holy spirit.  It’s selfish to not let them help.  Open your heart.

5.    Don’t stop living your life.  The best advice my doctor gave me was to not stop doing the things I love.  He said, “I’ll give you some great medicine, but the best medicine is surrounding yourself with the things you love to do”  I’ve done this.  I blessed with so many opportunities God has given me. 

6.    Finally and I think most importantly.  I want each of you to have as much faith in your prayers for yourself as you do when you pray for others.  So many people have come up to me and told me they are praying for me.  It’s humbling, amazing, and truly overwhelming at times.  I can tell people are totally committed to “making me better”.   Yet at times I wonder if they are as confident in trusting their own needs with God.  How faithful are you?  Do you trust God to answer your prayers?  Do you pray with the same intensity and confidence for yourself as you do for others?  Are you “ALL IN”?  At this point I believe I'm in God’s hands.  I’m not stressed.  Every day is a blessing.  I have wonderful friends, a loving family and a community of caring and gracious caretakers and doctors.  

7.     So you may be asking how can I help.  Naturally you can continue to pray.  Another way is to support the American Cancer Society.  For the next two months I have volunteered to help the American Cancer Society fund raise in their Coaches vs  Cancer program.  I’m joining 10 other business leaders to help spread the message and raise funds.  For example, did you know that the American Cancer Society will provide rooms to families with a member getting hospital treatment?  I didn’t know that.  It’s a wonderful organization focused on research and supporting patients and families with cancer.  I’m blessed to have a great family and all of you as well.  However for those that don’t have support,  the American Cancer Society helps to fill the gap. The website to donate is www.main.acsevents.org/goto/toddsalen