Rich Roszel

Zoom, Zoom … Brrr, Brrr

Rich — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:57:19 +0000

As you know, if you’ve been following this blog, I’m an audio guy with the Olympics. This means that before the games, I’m installing and testing circuits in the Commentary Control areas including what’s called the Mix Zone, the place where all the media and press are able to get comments, and even interviews, with the athletes as they come off the course. I took the picture at left a few days ago, just after they had installed the rails separating the different networks’ “spaces.”Since then, they’ve dressed the area up a bit with signs and drapes to make it look more colorful and more “Olympic.” (more…)

Sorry, Shakespear, All the World’s a PARTY

Rich — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:34:14 +0000

Well, somebody (who shall remain Coca-Cola) apparently let it slip out that there would be a party in Whistler to kick off the Olympic festivities. Word spread, and pretty soon everybody in town converged on the village for, well, crowd-related stuff. My boss, Dave, and I got off the bus from the venue, walked through the hotel, and headed to the village for a bite to eat only to discover that you couldn’t even get a seat in a restaurant or bar — much less a bite to eat — for at least 45 minutes if you’re lucky. (more…)

Mr. President, Would you send us some snow?

Rich — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:33:05 +0000

Ed, my colleague in Commentary Control, is from Baltimore, MD. His wife called the other day to report the three feet of snow that had just fallen in the front yard. Ed and I looked at each other. We’ve seen but a few inches of snow falling since we’ve been here in Whistler. Mind you, there’s still a ton of snow on the ground, but no new stuff. (more…)

Wow, what a start!

Rich — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:16:49 +0000

It’s important for me to confess right from the start that my wife and kids are right. I need to get in shape. They may get their wishes granted this month. My venue is perched on the side of a very steep mountain and I had to walk up and down that very steep mountain several times today. Not only that, but our commentators are located on two floors in our building. There’s a bit of running and stair climbing to set up and test each room. Ooooh, I can feel the burn… (more…)

Houston, the Beagle has landed … and he’s one tired puppy

Rich — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:49:08 +0000

Someone once told me that good things come in threes. I’m not sure what good things they were talking about at the time, but I had a day full of threes and, frankly, I’m getting a little tired of them. I should mention, though, that I arrived in Vancouver today. Woo-hoo! Tomorrow I start work at the Whistler Slide Center getting set up for coverage of the luge, skeleton and bobsled events for the 2010 Winter Olympics. But back to the Threes. (more…)

It’s All a Matter of Scale

Rich — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:13:07 +0000

I was amazed to learn today just how much bigger the Summer Olympics are than the Winter Olympics. To me, I love them all and enjoy watching each about the same. Apparently that zeal is not shared around the world. (more…)

Countdown to Vancouver (Repost)

Rich — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:22:46 +0000

I originally posted this article a few weeks ago, but blogs and technology being what they are, the file got corrupted and the body of the article disappeared from my site. Here, therefore, is a repost. Sorry for repeating myself…
Well, I signed my contract on March 26th of last year, and since that time, time seems to have stood still. The contract I refer to, of course, is my employment contract with OBSV, also known as Olympic Broadcasting Services Vancouver, the host broadcaster for the 2010 Winter Games. Once again, as in Beijing, I’ll be one of many audio engineers manning the commentary controls for the broadcasts. In my case, I’ll actually be working in Whistler at the bobsled, luge and skeleton course. (more…)

Did you want a seat … INSIDE the plane?

Rich — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:11:01 +0000

I’m flying out to Vancouver next week courtesy of the Olympics and United Airlines. In preparation for being away from home for a month, I’m trying to figure the best way to pack. I’m reminded of the castaways from Gilligan’s Island and how much stuff they packed for a measly 3-hour tour. (more…)

A quick look at the Whistler Slide Venue

Rich — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:29:50 +0000

This is not a lengthy post compared to what I normally write, but that’s because the article does all the work for me! If you’d like a sneak peak at where I’ll be working during the 2010 Winter Games, here it is directly from the official website.

Finding the right Winter Boots in Georgia

Rich — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:22:12 +0000

One of the smaller details in the correspondence from the powers that be in Vancouver is that I should do my best to find some warm, waterproof winter boots that have high tops and good traction. This is because I will be working in Whistler in February. Whistler, for those who don’t know it, is a ski resort 2 hours north of Vancouver and it gets about 30 ft. of snow per year. I don’t know how much time I’ll spend standing or walking in this snow, but if they say I need boots, I guess I need boots. (more…)