One night during my salad days in New York, I had seats for a Knicks game in the upper deck at Madison Square Garden. My friend David Hale and I had gone on a beer run and we were returning to our row in the nosebleed section just as the announcer blared over the PA, “And now, our national anthem!”
As it happened, David and I were passing under the American flag. So we stopped there, put our hands over our hearts, and listened to the anthem.
Suddenly, 20,000 people were staring up at us—well, this is what it felt like to me—and they were singing their hearts out. It was as if they fricking loved us.
Man, I felt what it was like to be Bono from U2, or maybe Springsteen. And I liked it a lot.
But before I go on here, the really big-deal sportswriter Mike Lupica told me his favorite national-anthem story from his days reporting at Madison Square Garden. The PA announcer at the Garden, John F. X. Condon, bellowed, “And now, Gladys Gooding will play our national anthem.” Some wise guy in the crowd shouted, “Gladys Gooding sucks!” John F. X. Condon didn’t miss a beat. “Nevertheless, she will now play our national anthem.”
Anyway, I’ve gradually become comfortable speaking in front of very large crowds. President Clinton and I did a couple of events with over 10,000 people. I spoke before 50,000 or more Gators at a University of Florida graduation. It’s kind of cool being a rock star. I could get used to it. If only I could sing.
But here was my very best thrill in front of a crowd. It happened at the Children’s Choice Book Awards. I had been nominated for the Children’s Author of the Year Award. My son, Jack, was around twelve. He’d told me, “No offense, Dad, but Rick Riordan”—author of the Percy Jackson series—“is going to win.”
Sue and I took Jack to the awards show anyway. And I won! Jack jumped into my arms and gave me a hug and a kiss. “You did it, Dad! You did it!”
I did indeed. I was Bono for an audience of one, my son, Jack.