Stay Humble
2014 Houston Open. I recall this event as the first that I did with NBC producer Tommy Roy.
We stayed in a hotel near Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport; the neighborhood was dicey. There was a shooting about two blocks away on the second night we were there. The area around the host venue, the Golf Club of Houston in Humble, Texas, was better. There was a surprisingly good sushi joint and an unsurprisingly good Mexican place.
Roger Maltbie, the longtime NBC on-course announcer, invited me to join his party for dinner one night. He claimed that the neighborhood around the golf course was home to an incredibly good French restaurant called Chez Nous.
As Roger said more than once that night, “I guess they have no zoning laws in Texas.” The restaurant was in a house, basically, surrounded by other houses, and if you didn’t know where you were going, you’d never, ever find the place. It was also one of the best meals I’ve ever had on the road. If you’re ever in Humble, I cannot recommend Chez Nous enough.
Roger was well-known to the owners of Chez Nous, so when he called to make a reservation, they gave him a very private table in a side room of the restaurant -- what I suspect was the sun porch, back when the house was still a house. There was actually a glass door between Roger’s table and the rest of the main dining room. The party consisted of Roger, Frank Nobilo, NBC lead golf announcer Dan Hicks, and me.
Late into our meal, as we were investigating the Chez Nous wine list, a goateed gentleman came bursting through the glass door. He was either Scottish or Irish; his blood alcohol level had rendered his accent indecipherable. His patient wife apologetically trailed. This guy had seen Roger and was hell-bent on getting his autograph, no matter what.
Our visitor turned to his left and saw Dan Hicks. He turned to his right and saw Frank Nobilo. He obviously knew Roger. He swung his head towards me and hesitated; he knew he “should” know me, but he doesn't. I'm junior varsity. But at this point, he's committed. Also, he's hammered.
He starts with Roger and tells him how much he loves his work. He is thrilled to meet Frank. He recognizes Dan's voice from golf and the Olympics. And, again, a hesitant look in my direction; I give him a friendly smile and say nothing. He asks us all to autograph a menu.
The next morning, when he woke up, he saw this:
"Roger Maltbie"
"Dan Hicks"
"Frank Nobilo"
And:
"Steve Sands."
