Can there be MORE food in the newsroom???

The news must go on--just as the 'official' start of the 'holiday' of your choice has kicked into full throttle.

It's been a long week.

Everyone I've run into in the newsroom has given a huge 'thank God it's Friday' sigh. And of course I have my 'Happy Friday' sign from Chris Tye on display!!

This week and the next two to three weeks that follow will be filled with gift giving and receiving, the exchange of holiday cards, politically correct holiday greetings, a daily check of the schedule as staffers take end of the year vacations, and more food than usual on the newsroom community table --if you can believe!

Today when I arrived, there was a huge meat tray with the works: potato salad, pickles, olives, meat and cheese....on top of the cookies, Malley's candy, and hopefully a full bottle of Pepto Bismol, Tums, or Pepcid!

I made a final trek to the WKYC Company store to get the latest goods--the newest t-shirts, a very cool new sweatshirt that says WKYC Staff, and a few other mugs, caps and mouse pads. You can never have enough wkyc garb. I hope my family feels the same way!!

I've always thought how great would it be to bottle up the feeling of gladness and joy that engulfs the world the few weeks leading up to Christmas. Honestly, we're pretty lucky. Working in a newsroom so close with your fellow co-workers, I think we do capture this feeling year round. Not a bad gig!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

Today's Hidden Gem: Friday Night Fever

A long standing tradition with a rich history: Friday Night Fever.

Friday Night Fever has many differing connotations.

First and foremost, FNF consists of wkyc's high school football coverage every Friday night during high school football season.

It usually kicks off in the end of August and goes deep into October with high school football playoffs and championships.

Our zany cast of "Predictors" share their choices during our 6pm news show.

Back in the day before television news and sports began changing, FNF was in its hey-day!

A time when you had to tune into the television sports shows each weekend to get your sports highlights and final scores.

Well, even with cell phones and video cameras, each school having their own multi-media department or television station, skype, highlights on Facebook or even Twitter, wkyc's Friday Night Fever reigns supreme.

The Channel 3 News crews shoot the clearest, crispest video in town.....shoot from down in the mix with the action, and oftentimes becoming part of the action when the teams barrel into their close proximity.

The sports department works closely with the news assignment desk and the crews in order to efficiently cover as many games as possible and offer our viewers multiple highlights from around Northeast Ohio and sometimes beyond!

At the end of the evening, each crew sends all of their highlights to wkyc.com so our customers can view highlights over and over again....as well as Donovan or Chudowsky's entire Friday Night Fever show.

But, wait. There's more.

The 2nd half of FNF consists of the fun, frivolity, and feeling of family back in the newsroom. It has become tradition on this end as well.

Regardless of how many people are working or how many games we are able to shoot, we do it up right.

Pizza, Chicken, Pasta or Sub Sandwiches....coupled with chips and pretzels, cheese and crackers, soda pop and juice, caramel apples, fruit or salads....whatever people dream up, we'll take it!

The star of FNF--drum roll please--Pat Woodside's con queso dip and any cookie he chooses to whip up!

In the olden days, we had the "Chuckie Doll" out covering the Big Game...we had high school bands live on set....we had huge blow up characters outside the station and Mr. Fever covering Akron Sports.

We've managed to adapt to the changing times as we continue putting our superior sports stamp on Friday Night Fever lead by Sports Anchor Jim Donovan, Dave Chudowsky, and Lynn Olszowy....and then wrap it up with a nice bow chomping on a Pat Woodside Reese's Peanut Butter cookie!

Tune into Friday Night Fever every Friday evening during High School Football, and you too, will see why it is this week's Hidden Gem!!