EWU broadcaster Larry Weir has had a wild travel schedule in recent weeks
EWU football and basketball play-by-play guy, Larry Weir, had his life made regrettably easier when Eastern failed to make the FCS playoffs.
Although he might really want to be working Saturday in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs somewhere in the U.S.A., Eastern Washington University play-by-play broadcaster Larry Weir may like not having to race to from and through airports.
Weir's recent schedule of travel on planes, trains, automobiles -and even buses - is enough to make one's head spin as he chased both EWU basketball and football teams across the West.
His crazy schedule began on Nov. 10 when he actually flew with the football team to and from Grand Forks, N.D. to cover football. He was home by 7:30 p.m. - and a rare night in his own bed - on Nov. 11.
The next day, however, it was wheels up at 9:45 a.m. for a trip to Seattle to call the Eagles and University of Washington men's basketball game.
At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Weir waited for other Eastern staff and then caught the light rail to the UW. "The light rail lets out just in front of the football stadium so it's just a short walk over to basketball," Weir said.
After the game Weir reversed the process in time for an 11:20 p.m. plane that took him back to Spokane.
"Monday morning I was out in Cheney early to do my pregame interviews for football on Saturday because I wasn't going to be there between Friday and the football game (with Portland State)," Weir said.
It was back to Spokane International Tuesday morning, Nov. 14 for the trip to San Jose and eventually Stanford where he called Eastern's 67-61 upset win over the Cardinal later that night.
"There was even a bus involved in that one because I rode the team bus from the hotel," Weir said.
They all made the hop to Las Vegas on Wednesday for the Friday meeting with UNLV, leaving Weir to wonder and hope the Runnin' Rebels and Eagles do not go to overtime.
"This is where it gets a little tricky," Weir said last Friday from Las Vegas. "I fly out at 10:45 tonight (Nov. 17) to Seattle, get in there at 1:30 in the morning, it's not worth going to a hotel," Weir said. His bed would either be a bench or a piece of the floor in the Seattle airport.
Next he caught an early 7 a.m. flight to Spokane on Nov. 18. "Then I gotta' get some laundry done," Weir said, plus look after some details for his mother who is in a skilled nursing situation in Spokane.
The frequent flier saga began again following Eastern's snub in the FCS playoffs as Weir was bound back to Vegas to broadcast a Nov. 19 afternoon basketball game with Georgia State.
Now, without having to figure out how to then make it out of Salt Lake City where the Eagles play the University of Utah Nov. 24 in order to be mic-side for Saturday football, playing the new "Where's Weir" game got a lot easier.
Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.
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