My WGA Strike Timeline...

The WGA Strike is officially over. Which for me means, alright, nothing. But for friends who are working on shows, tomorrow it's back to work. This post is not totally golf centric, but I figured I'd at least share a few highlights and lowlights from the past four months...

November 5th, 2007

8:00AM -- The strike begins and thousands of us hit the picket lines. And by "us", I don't mean me. I, embarrassingly, had already committed to playing in a charity golf tournament that day. I might have not felt so guilty about it, but we shoot a scramble score of 67 to not even sniff 4th place.

November 6th, 2007

11:30AM -- While driving to CBS-Radford Studios, the place I worked for over 3 years, I call another writer who had picketed the required 4 hours the day before to see if he has any advice. He says he's so exhausted from one day of picketing that he has already called the WGA and asked, "Is there anything else I can do?" I make fun of him for being a complete wimp.

2:02PM -- Barely halfway done with my shift and I can barely walk. I've already switched from the heavier "Writers Guild on Strike" white sign to the much lighter "Writers Guild of America" red sign. You want me to chant? Forget about it. I ask someone if it's too early to cave to the studios demands. It's amazing, about half the time I play golf, I walk and carry my bag over my shoulder. There's no rational medical explanation, but walking in a circle for the same amount of time is much, much harder.

There and then I decide -- I must find something else to do.

November 7th, 2007

After exchanging emails with ESPN's golf editor Jason Sobel earlier in the year, I drop him another line and ask if with this strike thing there's any chance I could write a piece or two for their site. For some still inexplicable reason, he says sure. Even more amazing, despite ESPN being owned by Disney (one of the companies we're striking against), the Writers Guild gives me their blessing. I hang up before they can change their mind.

November 9th, 2007

Today is the first and biggest rally of the strike. It's truly an amazing turnout -- from writer friends who are barely able to pay their rent to giants in the field like Cameron Crowe. The march ends up shutting down one of LA's main arteries. But before the road is closed, a car drives by and honks support. A friend of mine yells out, facetiously, "We're winning!"

November 10th, 2007 -- January 17th, 2008

We're not winning.

January 22nd, 2008

Negotiations resume after the Directors Guild signs their new deal and the studios inform the WGA we can use that as a platform for our new contract.

January 27th, 2008

Tiger Woods wins the Buick Invitational by eight shots. 2008 might not be so bad after all.

February 9th, 2008

At a big meeting near downtown, the WGA discusses the specifics of the deal they have worked out with the studios. While they've made advances in residual payments for online downloads, they fail to address why Delta Airlines was airing an episode I wrote during my flight to Dubai and I don't get anything for it. Heck, it actually cost me money since they were charging $2 for the headphones to watch it. And yes, I'm a loser, I watched it.

February 12th, 2008

92.5% of the members vote to end the strike. I of course forget to vote because I'm hitting balls at the driving range at the time, a fact that makes me think that, at least for 2008, my heart and my mind are clearly more focused on golf, not TV.