7. There's More To Life Than SuperCuts
[Next day. Casey is sitting at a table ringside at Madison Square Gardens. Bobbi Berenstein is at his right. Dan is nowhere to be seen.]
NATALIE: Okay, guys, we're on in four.
BOBBI: [Adjusting her earring] So, not that I'm complaining, but why am I here instead of Dan?
CASEY: Ask him. I have no idea. All I know is that he asked not to do it, and Isaac didn't force it.
BOBBI: Do you think Danny's.?
CASEY: Danny's what? Elsewhere? Not wanting to do the coverage for some reason, such as, women's boxing coverage is as ridiculous as the six-hour pre-race coverage of the Kentucky Derby?
BOBBI: No, that Danny's.?
CASEY: Secretly been replaced by Folger's crystals?
BOBBI: [Exasperated] No!
DANNY: [Crouching between Casey and Bobbi, causing them to jump.] She wants to know if you think I've gone off the deep end.
BOBBI: [Hand on throat.] Dan, I didn't.
DANNY: It's okay, Bobbi. I already know you're nuts.
[Bobbi begins to redden and sputter.]
DANNY: Here's the official story--I decided that I didn't want to be here when I heard we were first doing the coverage. However, against my better judgment, here I am.
CASEY: But why didn't you want to be here?
NATALIE: Hate to interrupt, but we're on in fifteen seconds. And Dan, I need you to get out of the way, because we have to get more makeup on Bobbi.
[Dan grins and goes to a seat three rows up and to their right. He sits down next to Isaac.]
ISAAC: I imagine Bobbi's pretty riled right now?
DAN: I did what I could.
ISAAC: Ah, Dan, always modest. Are you sure you want to be here?
DAN: Uh, yeah. Sure. Definitely. Yeah, I mean, I guess so.
ISAAC: Well, so long as you're certain.
[Dan stares at the ring, arms folded on the chair in front of him.]
ISAAC: Did I ever tell you that my oldest son used to play football?
DAN: I think you mentioned it once or twice.
ISAAC: Of course, it was only high school. He wasn't really fast enough or big enough to play college ball. Luckily, he got my brains and Esther's good looks.
[Dan turns to look at him. People file in around him.]
ISAAC: Right. My point. I went to just one of his games.
DAN: Too busy?
ISAAC: No. Not at all. I was already bureau chief by then, so I could afford to skip out a little bit early sometimes. No. As many football games as I'd covered, I just couldn't watch my own son getting the snot beat out of him down on that field.
[Dan remains silent.]
ISAAC: Esther went to all the games instead. And I felt horrible about it, especially when he told me that he thought I wasn't interested in watching him play this game that he loved playing.
[Dan looks like he's going to say something, but decides against it.]
ISAAC: But it would have been wrong for me to ask him not to play. As much as I couldn't stand him not getting hurt, I couldn't ask him not to play.
DAN: It would be like Rebecca asking me not to be a sports newscaster.
ISAAC: Exactly. But it was equally wrong for me not to go to his games. I had to trust that he knew how to play the game well enough to not get seriously hurt.
[The arena darkens. Lights begin flashing, and the announcer is spotlit in the ring.]
EMCEE: Ladies and gentlemen, let's get ready to.rumble!
[Next day. Casey is sitting at a table ringside at Madison Square Gardens. Bobbi Berenstein is at his right. Dan is nowhere to be seen.]
NATALIE: Okay, guys, we're on in four.
BOBBI: [Adjusting her earring] So, not that I'm complaining, but why am I here instead of Dan?
CASEY: Ask him. I have no idea. All I know is that he asked not to do it, and Isaac didn't force it.
BOBBI: Do you think Danny's.?
CASEY: Danny's what? Elsewhere? Not wanting to do the coverage for some reason, such as, women's boxing coverage is as ridiculous as the six-hour pre-race coverage of the Kentucky Derby?
BOBBI: No, that Danny's.?
CASEY: Secretly been replaced by Folger's crystals?
BOBBI: [Exasperated] No!
DANNY: [Crouching between Casey and Bobbi, causing them to jump.] She wants to know if you think I've gone off the deep end.
BOBBI: [Hand on throat.] Dan, I didn't.
DANNY: It's okay, Bobbi. I already know you're nuts.
[Bobbi begins to redden and sputter.]
DANNY: Here's the official story--I decided that I didn't want to be here when I heard we were first doing the coverage. However, against my better judgment, here I am.
CASEY: But why didn't you want to be here?
NATALIE: Hate to interrupt, but we're on in fifteen seconds. And Dan, I need you to get out of the way, because we have to get more makeup on Bobbi.
[Dan grins and goes to a seat three rows up and to their right. He sits down next to Isaac.]
ISAAC: I imagine Bobbi's pretty riled right now?
DAN: I did what I could.
ISAAC: Ah, Dan, always modest. Are you sure you want to be here?
DAN: Uh, yeah. Sure. Definitely. Yeah, I mean, I guess so.
ISAAC: Well, so long as you're certain.
[Dan stares at the ring, arms folded on the chair in front of him.]
ISAAC: Did I ever tell you that my oldest son used to play football?
DAN: I think you mentioned it once or twice.
ISAAC: Of course, it was only high school. He wasn't really fast enough or big enough to play college ball. Luckily, he got my brains and Esther's good looks.
[Dan turns to look at him. People file in around him.]
ISAAC: Right. My point. I went to just one of his games.
DAN: Too busy?
ISAAC: No. Not at all. I was already bureau chief by then, so I could afford to skip out a little bit early sometimes. No. As many football games as I'd covered, I just couldn't watch my own son getting the snot beat out of him down on that field.
[Dan remains silent.]
ISAAC: Esther went to all the games instead. And I felt horrible about it, especially when he told me that he thought I wasn't interested in watching him play this game that he loved playing.
[Dan looks like he's going to say something, but decides against it.]
ISAAC: But it would have been wrong for me to ask him not to play. As much as I couldn't stand him not getting hurt, I couldn't ask him not to play.
DAN: It would be like Rebecca asking me not to be a sports newscaster.
ISAAC: Exactly. But it was equally wrong for me not to go to his games. I had to trust that he knew how to play the game well enough to not get seriously hurt.
[The arena darkens. Lights begin flashing, and the announcer is spotlit in the ring.]
EMCEE: Ladies and gentlemen, let's get ready to.rumble!