The idea came from Brian Williams, the anchor of the “NBC Nightly News” and “Rock Center.”
“I figured, ‘What is he doing?’ ” Williams said by telephone Thursday. “He must be driving Mrs. Emrick crazy. So we approached him and said, ‘The smaller the better — would you be willing to call a kids’ game?’ ”
Emrick, NBC’s lead hockey announcer, liked the idea of calling a game without a labor dispute involved, and the girls’ game was put on his schedule on Dec. 12 in Troy, Mich., about 45 miles from his house. Williams, a fan of Emrick’s, was looking for a segment for “Rock Center,” and sent a crew to the Troy Sports Center to shoot the St. Clair Shores Saintes-Troy Lady Sting game.
Coaching the Sting was Doug Brown, a former N.H.L. player, whose daughter Lily played right wing.
Before the game, Emrick interviewed some of the girls (aged 9 to 12) and was handed a sheaf of 5×7 cards with anecdotes about some of the players that were compiled by Neal Carter, an NBC News producer.
“One wanted to be a vet and she has hermit crabs,” Emrick said. “I asked what they eat, and she said rolled-up pieces of lettuce.”
One of the girls was missing a xylophone recital to play the game, while a third said she wanted to play for the 2022 Olympic team because she had just seen the film “Miracle.”
He had also asked Mark Johnson, who coached the 2010 United States Olympic women’s hockey team, for some help.
What should he look for? Emrick asked. “A lot of smiles through wire,” Johnson told him. Also, he said, “Two or three on each team will be dominant; for that handful, the light has gone on, because they have the confidence and the skills.”
Emrick took his place at the scorer’s table — he called the game solo — where he could not see much action in the near corners.
He had another problem: the ponytails of some of the girls obscured their numbers.
He called the game, through three 15-minute periods, with his characteristic brio, and felt the joy of children enjoying the game he loves, even if he wasn’t sure how good they were. “It was a throwback to my youth, even though I didn’t play,” he said.
And Williams — whose daughter, Allison, a star of the series “Girls,” played hockey — got what he hoped for: a segment that was to be shown Thursday night at 10 on “Rock Center.”
Williams said: “It’s the sweetest little piece of TV. Doc’s just magnificent.”
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: January 10, 2013
An earlier version of this article misspelled the name of the NBC News producer quoted in the story. The correct spelling is Neal Carter, not Neil Carter.
Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/sports/hockey/mike-emrick-calls-a-girls-12-and-under-game.html?partner=rss&emc=rss