What a week this will be...

The excitement and the stress is starting to pick up. Don't get me wrong: I'm living my dream by going with the Timbers to Atlanta and calling their semifinal first leg...but that doesn't mean it's without difficulties. There are a lot of things and a lot of people that go into a broadcast, and they need to be publically thanked.

Firstly, Marc Kostic, the Timbers media relations maven, has been instrumental these past few weeks. He's the one responsible for talking with his counterpart at wherever we're going, and making sure we have all of our technical needs met to do a broadcast, which isn't easy. Especially when he's fielding daily nervous calls from me, freaking out about things not working.

Secondly, I need to thank my employers, NewsRadio 750 KXL in Portland, for not only letting me use their backup studio and some eqiupment for our broadcast last Friday in Vancouver (and potentially again this Friday), but also for letting me miss three days of work this week to travel with the Timbers, and doing it with understanding and good humor. As many of you can attest, it's not easy to come in on Monday morning and say, "I'm on an airplane Wednesday afternoon, see you later."

Most of my prep work on Atlanta is done, and I'll start previewing the matchup tomorrow. We're wheels up from PDX just before 3 tomorrow, with a brief stopover in Dallas on our way to Georgia. Much like the Carolina trip, it'll be another fun series of American MD-80 trips with no audio or video offerings, except the 737 we get from DFW to Atlanta tomorrow (for the four of you who, like me, find those kind of things interesting).

I'll post again from the airport tomorrow, and hopefully have a minipodcast for you by tomorrow night.

--John