I've said it before and I'll say it again, an assignment editor is on call 24/7.
You never know when you will run into a news story or have one handed to you on a 'silver' or 'white' platter!
Literally.
I was fortunate to have a long weekend to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.
Rounding off my 4-day weekend, I hit the nail-biter of a Browns' game. We won! Even while at the game, I was reminded of work and what we do. Mark Nolan, right in front of me at every game, gives the game time forecast and revs up the crowd. I see my cameramen running back and forth along the sidelines. This game Barry Wolf and Carl Bachtel were capturing the sights and sounds of the Browns-Panthers Game.
After the game, especially because we won, I met 2 very dear friends for dinner. We wound up going to Crop on West 6th Street.
Low and behold, #77 of the Cleveland Browns, Floyd Womack, was their guest chef. Steve, their actual chef has done this promotion a few times and would love to do it with the Cavs and Indians as well in the future. He invites beforehand a player to be the 'guest chef.' They even meet with him the day before and plan out their menu and start some of the cooking.
Well, this week's guest chef was "Pork Chop" Womack. And what do you think he served up? His famous breaded pork chops! He also made a delicious peach cobbler made with all kinds of spices including nutmeg, cumin, honey, cinnamon, etc....and then topped it off with vanilla ice cream.
My friends and I were sitting at the bar when all of a sudden the players started to arrive to support their fellow player on this fun venture. Josh Cribbs walked in with a big group of people....Joe Thomas.....Eric Steinbach....Brian Robiskie.....Chansi Stuckey.....the players and their families were everywhere. They were enjoying the ambiance, having a few celebratory cocktails, spending quality time with their families & friends, and of course, getting a taste of "Pork Chop" Womack's masterpiece.
It was good. We ordered different meals so we could taste it all. The Pork Chop was awesome! The Peach Cobbler very good. Everything they brought out delicious. We felt like we were 3 judges in an episode of the Iron Chef as each course rolled out on their pretty, white dishes. High marks for presentation, originality, and taste.
As soon as the players started arriving, I grabbed my handy dandy cell phone and called the weekend producer, Carrie, to give her the 411 on what was unfolding around me. Within minutes, she'd sent over one of our cameramen. I filled him in on what I knew, who I knew, and pointed him in the direction of Chef Steve and guest chef "Pork Chop" Womack.
Our videographer Mike Greene went to town. He was having a fabulous time shooting the chefs at work, the various Cleveland Browns dining, and close up shots of course of the primo food.
The guys were not adverse to us shooting them, and heck, very good publicity for Crop Bistro and Bar.
We got a chance to talk to "Pork Chop" who amazingly enough said that his wife does not let him cook at home! She'd rather do all the cooking. He was very interested at how we liked his masterpieces. We did not lie. We told him they were mmmmm good! Gave him two thumbs up!
All in all, it turned out to be a very good story for the late news after Sunday Night Football. A story literally served up to me on a white platter....and the rest is history after just one phone call to get the wheels in motion.
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