Month: December 2014

When the lights go down…

Posted on by mdrew3380

light

Poignant emotion. Vivid remembrance. A culmination of a string of hard work. These are the things we generally associate with endings.

But, what is an “ending” really? Is it a “be-all, end-all” moment after which nothing will ever be the same? Or is it possible that it could represent a beautiful, new beginning?

To me, the beauty of an “ending” shines through with about a minute left on the clock, no timeouts and 80 yards to drive for all the marbles. Or the bases are loaded, 2 out, bottom of the ninth. Or there are 5 seconds left, you’re down a point and waiting to inbound the ball. Or the game has just gone to sudden death, and the next goal decides it all.

Sports has a way of creating these endings for us hundreds and even thousands of times a year. It is one of the few outlets in today’s media-driven culture that almost guarantees real, purified drama. As prospective broadcasters, this is what we live for.

Even though we’re not physically involved in the events and games we cover, the adrenaline that pumps through our veins when gritty competition unfolds before our very eyes is unmatched. That feeling is something we are always chasing, and there is simply nothing else like it.

I hope that all of you out there continue to hold your passions for this business near and dear to your heart. After all, the more of us who care, the more sports broadcasting can only grow in its ability to enhance the presentation of sporting events to the public. Be relentless. Make the magic happen.

And now, for some exit music….

She’s got it

Posted on by mdrew3380

andrews

 

Sports broadcasting is often considered a man’s game, what with the primary sports being covered in this country being played by…well, males. But, more women have worked their way into the industry within the last few decades at a slow, gradual rate. Now, there are more females residing in the sports media than ever before. So, what are they saying? Read More

From the roots up

Posted on by mdrew3380

Danvers, Massachusetts is a suburban town just north of Boston in the heart of Essex County. It houses about 27,000 people and boasts one of the top-rated school systems in the state. Full of small-town charm and big-city proximity, Danvers is my hometown.

Growing up in this North Shore town definitely had its perks, but one of them was not always having winning sports teams in high school. Our football team (the Danvers Falcons) was a proverbial laughingstock. The team once featured legendary New York Giants Tight End Mark Bavaro, but that’s about it.They won only one game between my junior (2011) and senior (2012) years. No one wanted to go watch the team play, even on Thanksgiving, when we would suffer our annual clobbering from arch-rival Gloucester.

Our basketball team wasn’t much better. I played on the freshman team and enjoyed my time even though I didn’t play much. But, we weren’t winning. The JV and Varsity teams weren’t either. In fact, they were doing even worse. Despite this, I could notice an incredible level of talent amongst the friends I was playing with. I often wondered if that talent could ever come to the surface.

Finally, in 2012, things began to turn around for Danvers High Athletics. In the spring of my senior year, the varsity basketball team, with the help of many of my aforementioned friends, captured the first state title in Danvers history. The scene was raucous and sent the town into a frenzy it had never experienced before.

 

 

Watching the joy this accomplishment brought to my hometown served as a poignant reminder of how truly awe-inspiring sports can be. As prospective broadcasters, we dream of being on the mic for moments like this. We dream of being blessed with the opportunity to capture such a significant moment that will be etched in history for eternity. We dream of being from a hometown like Danvers.