Fox Sports' SHANNON SPAKE spent the weekend in and around N.Y. covering the Giants' 24-3 win over the Redskins on Sunday. Despite her busy schedule, which included a trip to Giants practice, a conference call with Redskins coach JAY GRUDEN, production meetings and filming for her "1 Up 1 Down" digital short, Spake still found time to sit in on the Howard Stern Wrap-Up Show, attend a live Peloton class and have dinner in the city with a friend. Spake spoke with THE DAILY upon returning home to Charlotte about what her typical gameday looks like, as well as making time to be a present mom while traveling on the job.
6:15am: I woke up and went to the gym, where I worked out for about 45 minutes in the hotel. I walked over to Starbucks and got a coffee, then went back up and got ready.
9:15am: Our crew met in the hotel lobby to go to the stadium.
10:30am: I had an audio check because I was in the pregame show this week. Once I know I'm going to be in the pregame show, my producer and I talk about what we think is the biggest storyline. Obviously, (Giants QB) DANIEL JONES was a huge story this weekend. I had the opportunity to get on the phone with (Duke football coach) DAVID CUTCLIFFE, who coached both he and ELI MANNING in college. We felt like that was something other people didn't have and certainly something that extended the story forward.
11:05am: My hit in the pregame show ends. Once that is over, that's the time that I walk around and try to talk to some players. Still, being a mom, I'm constantly trying to remain present in Charlotte as well because I think being present in my kids' lives even though I'm not there is super important. I FaceTimed with my one son on the field. He was trying to get me to approve an app on his iPad.
11:15am: I said hello to both head coaches. I like to have them identify me so that when I'm running toward them at halftime or coming out of the locker room, they have already identified me for the day. They have a lot going on. So, it's just something I do. I think it's important. This is gameday. I like to say hello to them and not just roll up on them at halftime.
12:00pm: An hour, 45 minutes before kickoff, the guys are in their uniforms. They're in helmets and everything and going through their team drills. At that point, I kind of see them as off-limits. They are in the mode.
Spake rehearses her opening on-air report about a half hour before kickoff of most gamesFOX SPORTS
12:35-12:40pm: I do my rehearsal for my opening spot. In the game, I like to give people something to look for, and so I told the story of what Cutcliffe told me he saw from Daniel Jones in the first game he played at Tampa, in terms of the way he handled the offense, the way he handled the line of scrimmage, the way he handled the huddle. I write all my stuff. I come up with the flow of what I'm going to say.
1:00pm: We're on the air and I do my open. I'm down there, giving injury reports and letting my producer know what's going on so that the camera can either catch a shot of it, or the guys in the booth can talk about it. But if there's a lot of action going on on the field, you want to stick with that. I had my eyes on Daniel Jones all day, obviously what Eli was doing when Daniel came off. I'm constantly talking to my producer and relaying that information.
2:25pm: Halftime. I immediately have the coaches going into the locker room. College is a little different because you have the band coming on. You have a lot longer of a halftime than in the NFL. So, you've got to get over to the sideline and right after that happens, I'm doing my open to the third quarter. I'll try to eat something small right after I do that third quarter open.
3:55-4:00pm: We got off the air, so I jumped in a car, went to the airport and caught a 5:24 flight home.
7:30pm: I got home. I hung out with my family, watched some TV with my kids, had something to eat and went to sleep around 9:15pm.
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