I'm on my way in a few minutes to Binghamton, NY.
The trip takes three hours. But it takes me back 40 years.
The city celebrates 40 Years of Hockey tonight. Actually for me, it is 37 years since I moved into Binghamton, NY as a freshman at the State University of NY at Binghamton, now called Binghamton University.
Being a hockey nut from NY City who grew up in Madison Square Garden's blue seats, I loved going to the sparkling new Broome County Veteran's Memorial Arena to watch the North American Hockey League's Broome Dusters fight with other NAHL teams.
Being a journalism student who wanted a career as a sportswriter, I wrote a few freelance pieces on the Dusters in Susquehanna Magazine, the Sunday section of the Press and Sun-Bulletin. I covered games as sports editor of Pipe Dream, the school's paper. Then I interned at the Press and S-B as a senior.
And then I got a job covering the Dusters, who became the Binghamton Whalers. And it was my start to a career that landed me at the Morristown, NJ Daily Record covering the NJ Devils and finally the NY Daily News covering the NY Islanders, the NY Rangers, and eventually the NY Giants.
I started MeiGray in 1997 and left the business after 18 seasons ... and obviously I have a soft spot in my heart for Binghamton. So I will be bringing the old jerseys I began collecting in 1979 (my collection started because I wanted one gamer for every team I covered).
I will be bringing 37 years of fond memories, 37 years of stories, 37 years of hockey .... and there will be many old friends who will be bringing their 40 years of nostalgia.
Should be awesome. I can't wait.
Barry,
ReplyDeleteThe Broome County Arena hasn't changed much over the years except for having advertising in every possible space (which is everywhere in sports today). I'm SUNY-Binghamton '85 and I certainly read your pieces in the Press & Sun-Bulletin back in the day. I was a regular visitor to the Arena from 1981 to 1985. That Binghamton Whaler team in 1981-82 was really fun to watch. I try to take my kids to Binghamton once a year (we live in Westchester) to see a game. We were last there on December 22nd.
David
Thanks for buying and reading the paper back then, David.
DeleteIt was certainly fun covering that 1981-82 team, and it helped my career as a New York Daily News sportswriter in two important ways.
Paul Messier played for that Whalers team and I met his kid brother, Mark, that season. Mark had a pretty good career, too, in hockey.
And the quiet, little goalie, Ken Holland, ended up doing pretty well for himself as an NHL executive!!!
Hi Barry. This is Tom Koeppel, former Sun-Bulletin intern sports writer from SUNY Binghamton. You and I first met during a Binghamton Whaler post game locker room meeting with then NHL all-time scoring leader Gordie Howe. Because of your considerate efforts, you helped me get the gig with the newspaper. We played hand ball in the Sun-Bulletin parking lot with Jerry Sullivan, now a stellar Buffalo News sports columnist. I just moved to Brooklyn after a thirty year life in Portland, Oregon. You can e-mail me. Altamonttom@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteHi Tom,
ReplyDeleteSorry, I just saw this. Don't know why I missed it before. Great hearing from you ... and I remember those handball days well. I still have scabs on my knees!!
All the best, Barry