Planes, pains and automobiles: ESPN adventures en route to Cleveland

Marc Stein

Then there’s Stein, who began his journey from Oakland, CaLif. – site of Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Sunday – with a detour to Southern California to commemorate the one-year anniversary of his father Reuven’s passing with family members. Weather cancelled his redeye flight through Chicago, giving him a late afternoon arrival today.

“I was schooled from a very young age by many mentors at the Orange County Register to keep your suffering to yourself in this job,” Stein said. “When you are going to a game, especially a game as momentous as this, you don’t complain about your conditions or your travails. The public doesn’t want to hear it. And the public has a great point because we have the greatest jobs in the world.”