Roche: White House Trip Never Gets Old
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's been an honor and a privilege to work in Boston/New England, especially the past 15 years. I've been able to cover a lot of great events.
Some of my favorites? The 2004 Red Sox World Series magical run, the Bruins unexpected Stanley Cup title in 2011, the BC Hockey team's NCAA title in 2001 in Albany ... and many, many more.
One of the spoils of all this success? A trip to the White House to be honored by the President. And, for me, Thursday marks the sixth time I've been.
And it never gets old.
I've been three times with the Red Sox, and they were all great.
The first one was special because of the Sox cast of characters. Johnny Damon, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Kevin Millar, etc. They always had fun. Plus, every politician in Washington seemed to be a Red Sox fan, and they were all on hand.
The other special part of the first celebration on March 2, 2005 was that the Red Sox worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help the late Jackie Robinson be presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor. I was lucky enough to be able to cover both events that day, one at the U.S. Capitol and the other at the White House. The Sox ownership group was at the Capitol for the event and they were proud to see their efforts rewarded. We were then whisked over to the White House in a limo to the next event.
The second ceremony for the Sox was highlighted by President Bush saying, "Manny Ramirez isn't here. I guess his grandmother died again. Just kidding. Tell Manny I didn't mean it." Yes, Manny being Manny, he didn't make the trip.
The third time, last year, with the Red Sox was pretty cool, too. We hopped on a media bus at the team hotel in Baltimore (where the Sox had opened the season the day before) and were a part of a police escort all the way to the White House. Jonny Gomes wore his flashy USA blazer while David Ortiz took a selfie with President Obama. It was also touching to hear the President talk Boston Strong.
All three Sox events were held outside on the South Lawn.
I was able to be on hand when the Celtics were honored in the East room inside the White House back on Sept. 19th, 2008. This was a much smaller and more intimate event because of the much smaller group. Probably the most memorable part is seeing how the Celts players towered over President Bush.
I was also able to cover the Jan. 23rd, 2012 trip that the Bruins took after winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. Unfortunately, what I remember most was Tim Thomas skipping the day due to political reasons and how it took away from the rest of the team getting their due.
As for logistics? That's what I find to be the best part.
Each time you arrive, you get escorted into the White House media workroom where those that cover the President on a daily basis make their home. It's always fun to take a picture or two standing where the President stands each time he addresses the media. I've also been shown the pool which is below the room. It's empty and has the press room floor over it now. It was originally built in 1933 for then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Strange to look at.
Shortly before the event begins, you get escorted out to the South Lawn or Rose Garden or East Room. That walk is awesome as you pass by the West Wing where we've seen the President make "that walk" where he ponders major decisions, etc. When we went to the East Room, you go right through the front door. Going up those steps and in through the door is special as you can feel the history of past presidents and politicians that have been there. When the Bruins had their media availability after they were honored, they did it in a room in the lower level of the White House. I remember seeing the Obamas' dog, Bo, running through the hallway and I immediately texted my daughter.
After any media avails, you then put together stories that will run back home on our WBZ-TV newscasts. It's cool to set up to go "live" on the West front lawn where we've seen network correspondents doing it for years. My favorite part of this? Simply saying, "Live from the White House, I'm Dan Roche, WBZ Sports."
Although, perhaps the worst experience I ever had? After one time uttering the words "live from the White House..." I had a CBS correspondent who was waiting to go on after me say, "You know, saying that gets old in a hurry." I felt like saying, "Listen I don't ruin your time when you come in acting like a school kid at Fenway Park!"
So, as we celebrate the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots on Thursday, it's hard not to think about what an amazing run we've all had and just how lucky we are to have been a part of it - even in a small way.
Follow WBZ-TV's Dan Roche on Twitter @RochieWBZ.
