Okay, it isn’t a dash through an airport, or a dark and stormy night driving home (although there was one of those back from Lafayette a couple weeks ago). Nor was it the wrong city on the right day.
This one is a giggle from right here in Crawfordsville.
I had the radio station van for a run to Danville to cover a Legion game one day last weekend.
Needing gas, I pulled into one of the stations out by the interstate before going to Illinois (where gas is about a dollar per gallon more).
The filler nozzle is on the left side of the van as you look at it.
I was standing beside the van, on that side, when a female voice entered the story.
“Where are you out of?” was the question.
I noticed that she was looking right at me, so I just said, “From right here in Crawfordsville.”
Her reply was not what I had anticipated.
“Never heard of you.”
Nothing like someone letting a little air out of your tire.
But, hey, it is what it is.
“Okay,” I replied. I had zero desire to engage any further.
But she wasn’t done.
“Are there other radio stations here in town?”
Now I have to be at least polite. I was in a company car and didn’t need that phone call or email.
“Yes, ma’am.” I said. “Actually there are three. There is WCVL, which was the original station, and there is WIMC. They play classic rock.”
I looked down at the side of the van and it said WCDQ Country on that side.
“And then WCDQ is the country station. They are all owned by the same company.”
Then it got funny.
“WIMC? I listen to that station all the time.”
So I had to walk her to the other side of the van where those WIMC call letters were emblazoned on the side.
“I love the music. So are you an announcer?”
“I kind of am an announcer, ma’am. I do some sports on the radio.”
“What is your name?”
It’s Jeff Nelson ma’am.”
“I listen to you doing games! You and like Brett and Rob!”
“Yes ma’am, we all do a few high school games during the school year. If fact, I’m heading to Danville, Illinois right now to do a Legion baseball game on WIMC.”
So now it’s gone from the brush-off to a fan club meeting.
“That’s great,” she said. “I got to meet an announcer. I’ll listen for a while tonight.”
I wish I would have had a free trinket to give her.
“Thanks for listening ma’am. It was very nice to talk to you.”
So just remember, while they might not have heard of you in one fashion, they might know you from some other angle.
Lots of Legion baseball on the air this weekend as Post 72 hosts their big 12-team invitational. After pool play the last couple days, there is a single-elimination tournament for the top eight teams on Saturday and Sunday. Last year, several of the teams that got to the State Finals were in this event, and I have no doubt that at least a few of this year’s field will be in Rockport in two more weeks.
The playoffs for Post 72 start next week with games in Terre Haute starting on Thursday.
Another chance to get the station van out and find some more folks who have never heard of me.
Safe travels.
Jeff Nelson is a frequent contributor to the Journal Review and works professionally for Fox Sports working with the Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts and many more professional teams.
