Michael Patrick’s Musings

I’m just back from a week in Orlando, Florida, where I hosted The Big Show from the MSU Spartan Headquarters Hotel – the Rosen Shingle Creek; and from Walt Disney World Resort’s Hollywood Studios (Inside the former MGM Studios). Disney has a permanent radio station there for visiting radio hosts.

I was also HQ’d at a home owned by Contempo Homes, a group which offers spacious rental homes to vacationers at very affordable costs. My home, just 10 minutes from Disney and a few miles from two new golf resorts: Champions Gate and Reunion. In low season, that home, which could sleep 10, can be rented for as little as $170 per night. That’s $17 per person to have your own kitchen and screen-enclosed swimming pool. You can learn more about it at visitcentralflorida.com.

To learn more about Disney, log on to Disney.com or dial 407-W-Disney.

ShingleCreekResort.com will tell you all about the sprawling, impressive golf resort the Spartans chose as their HQ. I will never forget being asked to give the readings at the MSU Christmas Mass given in one of the ball rooms by Father Mark Inglot, the pastor of MSU’s St. John’s Student Parish, who flew down Christmas Day in order to give the Mass.

One of the highlights of the trip was covering the Wolverines in the Capital One Bowl. I attended the UofM pep rally at the Orange Country Convention Center. The Michigan Marching Band, cheerleaders, team and coaches were there. It was festive and the team appeared to be very excited. It was no surprise they came out gunning for the Florida Gators at kickoff New Year’s Day.

I was very pleased to be near Coach Lloyd Carr on the field as the last seconds of his career ticked off. I have known him since I was in High School in 1983. I was serving detention in the principals office after school when Coach Carr, then an assistant coach for the Wolverines, came recruiting. He asked me what I was doing there and talked with me for about 20 minutes. He invited me to attend the Wolverine’s summer football camp, which I did…for two years.

Coach Carr then accepted my invitation for him to come and speak at my annual High School Sports Banquet…at tiny Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School. What a coup for us! The place was abuzz and I was so proud. He didn’t have to do that.

Any time he appeared close to where I lived, he would invite me to attend his speeches.

Then Coach Carr invited me to be a student manager for the Wolverines if I came to Michigan. Unfortunately, my grades didn’t measure up, even though Coach Carr took me to see the admissions counselor. I ended up going to CMU and, instead of coaching and teaching, went into broadcasting! My collegiate career took me to the University of Detroit and eventually to UofM Dearborn. All the while, Coach Carr left sideline passes for me for every home game. What an education that was watching Bo Schembechler up close!