All Hail Roger!

Since I rejoined the on-site, full-time work force, NY1 has become an important part of the morning routine in my small Queens home. While I used to be able to go pantsless any day of the week, Weather on the 1s now tells me how warm my pants need to be.

NY1 in the mornings is anchored by a seemingly kind Canadian called Pat Kiernan. It's a trip to get the occasional "aboot" on a New York newscast. The highlight of Pat's morning on any given day seems to be when we "find out what's happening in your neighborhood." Often these Around Town reports are hosted by Roger Clark.

It is at this point that the missus and I call out to one another: "Honey, Roger's on!" I'm not quite sure I can pinpoint why we love Roger so, but if you'll indulge me, I'll try.

Roger seems a bit beaten down by life. An optimist who's hit a lot of pessimistic roadblocks. He tempers his sarcastic sense of humor for his reporting, but it bubbles up occasionally. He often says something funny, but since he's on TV, i.e. there's no live audience, when he doesn't get his expected laugh, he sort of shrugs like, "Another joke down the drain. What do you idiots know?" And he's got a nice, boistrous laugh of his own, too.

I think the NY1 news teams busts Roger's balls in the newsroom. I get the feeling that when Roger is assigned to play water polo at a community college in Brooklyn, complete with water polo swimwear and cap, his colleagues paste video stills of his report in his cubicle with funny little sayings. Based on the recent sexual harrassment suit that's being leveled against some of the NY1 folks, those funny little saying probably say something along the lines of "I WAS IN THE POOL! I WAS IN THE POOL!"

Sometimes, like when he's playing water polo, Roger seems desperately unhappy in his job, but at other times, he is genuinely enthusiastic about his subjects. His report on the reopening of the Russian Tea Room offered this gem, quoting Tootsie (as he was sitting in Sydney Pollack's booth): "Michael, I begged you to get some therapy." His report of the Vendies (food vendor awards): "Holy... That spice really sneaks up on you! I'm gonna be feeling that for a few days! Good, though!" A report about the cold (the one cold day we've actually had so far): "I'm the only idiot in the city today that forgot his gloves." A report on the Yankees, after their playoff loss: "I'm a Mets fan, they're still in it, and yet here I am at Yankee Stadium. What gives? Well..."

[Note: my Roger quotes are paraphrasings based on memories of his reports while getting ready for work, but are presented to offer a flavor of his reporting.]

He does serious reports on occasion, too, and while he's a perfectly competent reporter, I hope NY1 continues to give him the choice assignments. Kind Canadian Pat Kiernan likes asking Roger follow-up questions, too, and I think they're friends. Or at least Pat enjoys Roger almost as much as I do, and I'd like to be Roger's friend.

The missus and I love you, Roger. Keep up the good work. And if you're looking for a raise at any point, the missus and I represent the coveted 29 to 34 year old demographic.