Every Crew Needs a Bubba and a Turtle

Meet the “glue” guys from the Big Monday crew. They’re top-notch character people, teammates whose sense of humor and attitude makes life on the road so much easier. Being good at their respective jobs is just a bonus.

The man on the left is our Associate Director. Robert Slawsby aka “Bubba,” is a 40-year old father of two based in Riverside, CA. Bubba’s trademarked line of “just happy to be here” has been kind of his fortune cookie through life.

Slawsby’s non-descript career as a football player at the University of Rhode Island led him through a simple twist of fate to the movie set, where he was a football consultant and an extra on the film, School Ties. There he bonded with a couple of up-and-coming actor types (Matt Damon, Ben Affleck) and wound up as their roommate in Hollywood. Bubba’s late 90s Oscar party stories are epic.

While his friends blew up after Good Will Hunting, Bubba got married and moved inland, and swapped his fledgling acting career for a stopwatch and a headset. He spent several years in various capacities on Fox NFL coverage, working on crews with the likes of John Madden, Troy Aikman, and most recently as Tony Siragusa’s sideline producer.

Bubba is a loyal colleague who’s got a legendary appetite. He’ll never hesitate to reach into his wallet to hook up a friend, especially when he’s partying like it’s 1999. I can best describe him as a cross between James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) and Jonah Hill (the fat kid from Superbad). The likeable tough guy/clown.

Bubba is a lifelong Pats and Sox fan so he hasn’t had much to be bitter about in recent years. Maybe one day he’ll tell you the story of how this post’s writer cost the Yankees the 2004 ALCS, and changed the balance of power in baseball.

Robert Slawsby works on ESPN College Basketball, ABC College Football, and many of the big UFC fights.

The shadowy figure on the right is Anthony DeVita, aka “Turtle,” our 27-year old Associate Producer. The Turtle moniker came about a few years ago because of his resemblance to the Entourage character. Since then, he’s lost about 70 pounds, but the nickname remains. Unless you refer to him as I do, “Tortuga” the Italian turtle.

DeVita is based in Connecticut at Worldwide Leader HQ. It’s a great location for him, because it puts him driving distance for two teams that he holds tickets for: his beloved New York Mets (also a Jet fan – talk about a glutton for punishment) and Boston University hockey, his alma mater. DeVita also played golf for the Terriers. He admits his game has “slipped” since the college years to an ugly seven handicap.

Turtle’s also a card shark. His father is a professional poker player and has competed in the World Series of Poker. Turtle says he’d consider playing professionally if he had the bankroll.

DeVita is a human encyclopedia for all things Seinfeld and Springsteen. You’d figure a renaissance man like this would have the ladies ringing him off the hook. But for all the single women reading this out in cyberspace: there’s still room inside Turtle’s shell.

Anthony DeVita has worked College Football, College Basketball, and Grand Slam Tennis expertly for ESPN, where he now is a lead graphics guy.

Waco on the Way

When you’re on a long stretch on the road like I am, the Super Mario-like obstacles that impede your progress become less annoying and more comic.

Some years ago, I stopped complaining about the “now” and focused on the “next” – the only problem about problem-solving is my mind often races in 5th gear when my body is in neutral.

It all started earlier this week when my 2-day business trip got extended to 9 days thanks to the Oklahoma ice storms. The “now” was I wasn’t going to get home for a while. The “next” was a shopping spree at the JC Penney in Coralville, Iowa. I had three more games to produce and I didn’t feel right going to work in sweats.

After 4 days barnstorming in Iowa (I can now identify in some measure with the presidential hopefuls), I headed for the final outpost between the road and home: Waco, Texas.

On my half-filled commuter flight from DFW, some cowboy moved to the empty seat in front of me right before takeoff, then reclined his seat back all the way back as soon as we were in the air. This was a breach of frequent-flying etiquette and I pondered how to let him know.

If it were longer than a 20-minute flight I probably would have kicked his chair or unfolded my newspaper in such a way that he’d be wearing it as a hat. But I let it go.

It reminded me of the best revenge I ever got on a fellow traveler – it was many years ago. This husky 300+ pound guy sat next to me, dominated the armrest, fell asleep immediately and snored in my face for over 2 hours. When the flight was over, he had no clue where his shoes were. That was pretty mean, but it felt so good.

So I landed in Waco about 8:45 on a Saturday night and got to the Hertz counter. But there was no agent. In fact, there was no agent at any counter. But I had a reservation. There was nobody to cry to, so I collected my mountain of baggage and found an airport policeman outside. It was a helpful conversation.

EP: Excuse me officer, I have a reservation at Hertz, but there’s nobody there.

COP: Yeah, she goes home about 6 on Saturdays.

EP: Can I call a cab?

COP: Might take about a half-hour. Waco’s only got one cab company and they’re clear across town.

EP: Who do you have to be to get help around here, George W. Bush?

COP: Well he’s just John Q. Citizen now. If his helicopter lands at this airfield at this time on a Saturday night, he’s SOL. He’ll just have to call his wife to pick him up like everyone else.

I thanked him. I was just as helpless as before, but at least I was smiling. Out of the corner of my eye I caught the American flight crew piling into a hotel shuttle. I jumped in with them even though it wasn’t my hotel. I humped my gear a couple of clicks up to my hotel and got on line to check in. When it was finally my turn, an old woman in wheelchair cut me off – she nearly ran over my foot - and started asking the guy at the front desk a bunch of inane questions.

What was I going to do? Tell off the rude old lady in a wheelchair? The front desk guy took pity and told her “let me check this gentleman in first.” My first victory in Waco. Not even the ATF could take it away from me.

If you’ve never been to Waco, this is a very Christian town. The hotel doesn’t offer laundry service on Sundays. So here I am, at a coin-operated laundromat for the first time since I was an NYC bachelor. Oh, and I had to walk since I don’t have a car.

But the trip will get better. We’re looking forward to enjoying the Super Bowl at Cricket’s. My man Bubba was in Vegas for last night’s big UFC battle and he threw down some scratch for me. Big Monday is at Baylor for the first time in 8 years and it should be a great scene.

And I will be home in 48 hours. But got to finish the job in Waco on the way.