Editorialist

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….

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.

Another Ode to Sir Charles

Posted on by mdrew3380

In an earlier post on this blog, I delved into the many reasons why Charles Barkley is such a forceful figure in the world of sports media. So, here we are again. Why, you ask? Why not?

There are so many things aspiring sports broadcasters can learn from Barkley. The more you watch him, the more you come to appreciate the persona that he portrays on the air. What you see is what you get. He is one of the rare members of the media who actually is the same person on and off the air waves. It’s such a refreshing delight to watch.

In my previous post on Barkley, I neglected to include what I consider to be one of his finest moments yet in broadcasting. You’ll recall the situation in which Charles got in some mildly hot water for making fun of San Antonio Spurs fans. Earlier this year, the issue came up again on TNT’s Inside the NBA. Not only did Barkley not shy away from addressing the matter, he handled it with extreme dignity. Take a look.

 

With each passing day, I always try to think to myself, “Be more like Charles Barkley.” When it all comes down to it, the man has absolutely no fear about how other people think of him. This gives him a tremendous amount of personal liberty in his work and allows his true passions to shine for the world to see. I will never ceased to be amazed at the courage and tenacity with which Charles approaches his work.

 

 

 

And Suddenly It All Made Sense

Posted on by mdrew3380

No matter the career you choose to pursue, you’ll very likely reach a point where you’re looking for a sign(s) to tell you that you’ve “made it.” Why? All humans want to be liked in some way or another and know that they’re headed in the right direction. It’s simply who we are.

I took over the lead play-by-play job at Westfield State less than a year ago. Last February, I had the chance to broadcast a basketball game with Joe Meehan (the man who preceded me) for the final time. For me, it was incredibly gratifying to get the opportunity to express to Joe on the air how grateful I was to him for all the help he had given me over the previous two years. So what?

Well, as the game drew to a close, I got out my thank-you message to Joe and managed to get through it without stumbling. “Phew”, I thought. The game ended and we began to pack up all of our broadcast equipment. As we were planning to leave the arena, Joe told me something I will never forget.

First, he told me how much he appreciated my kindness. But then, he said, “You’re the right guy for this job. Just make sure you enjoy it.” ‘Wow”, I thought. That was the moment. The moment when I started to realize what this job really meant to me. My heart started beating at a faster pace and I could feel goosebumps forming on my spine.

Without getting overly sappy (if that’s possible now), this memory is the first thing I think of whenever anyone asks me why I want to be a broadcaster. In the end, the games you do, while certainly worthy of credentials, are not the be-all end-all. Broadcasting has opened many doors for me to connect to people in ways I would have never thought possible. For me, this story serves as a poignant reminder that my job doesn’t just entail covering games; it allows me to become a better person. How cool is that?

 

 

Get Used to This

Posted on by mdrew3380

As I have previously discussed in this blog, the business of sports broadcasting is incredibly cut-throat. This is especially true when it comes to the viewing/listening public. Let’s face it; the vast majority of people who watch a sporting event are incredibly passionate about one of the teams playing in that event. Thus, when listening to the game broadcasters, they hear only what they want to hear and consider any form of excitement the broadcasters show about the other team a form of on-air bias. The bittersportspills blog captures this issue quite well.

In this post, the writer is frustrated with what he heard during a game the Cowboys and Seahawks played last month (a game Dallas won 30-23). The Cowboys are one of the most polarizing, attention-grabbing teams in America, which naturally brings about some resentment amongst fans. In this particular case, the writer feels that Troy Aikman (Fox’s lead NFL analyst) went too far in his praising of the Cowboys, despite the fact that Dallas managed to win a game in which it was a massive underdog. Upon hearing this, the writer switched away from Fox immediately as he apparently “could only stand it for a minute.”

This is where it truly gets tough for broadcast teams. Oftentimes, it seems that no matter what you say, it will rub someone the wrong way and shape their opinions of your work. Joe Buck (Fox’s lead NFL and MLB voice) has often talked about this problem, as he has been the subject of much Internet hatred and vitriol over the years. As someone who constantly gets called out by fans for being “in favor” of one team over another, he is a very qualified voice to listen to on this subject. (Skip to the 9:38 mark of this video to see what I mean).

 

In the end, as broadcasters, we have to be prepared for criticism, whether warranted or unwarranted. It’s part of what comes with a big stage in which we are exposed to countless different groups of people. Like Buck says, the moment we can put our heads down and stop worrying about outside “noise” is the moment we can begin to take the next step in our growth as sports broadcasters.

When the curtain splits…

Posted on by mdrew3380

Embed from Getty Images

 

As a broadcaster, I have always felt a unique connection to people who engage in theatre. At first, it may seem odd to compare the role of a dramatic actor to that of a play-by-play broadcaster, but they are actually more relatable than you think. Most plays begin in the same way I envision broadcasts do: the curtain opens, the lights come up and the spotlight is shined on an individual/group of people whose responsibility it is to convey a specific message to an audience. I understand this metaphor may not be 100% applicable in all situations, but play with me here.

Both broadcasters and actors have to put themselves on the line at the beginning of their performances. I liken this to the “red light” coming on when television shows are filmed. No matter how much rehearsal has been done, there is ultimately one moment of pure, unfiltered truth. Either they rise to the challenge or they don’t. It is this moment that can horrify people for nights on end.

In my personal experience, I have felt many sets of nerves rumble throughout my body before going on the air for a game. I would be concerned for myself if I didn’t. Broadcasting is a performing art and the knowledge that someone out there will be listening to every word I say can be, in a word, frightening. I can only imagine the intense feelings broadway actors must feel knowing they are performing in front of hundreds, sometimes thousands of onlookers. Yet, when I am not working, I find myself craving this feeling of uncertain nervousness. It’s what makes broadcaster and actors so passionate about what they do.

At the end of the day, I have come to truly appreciate the effort that theatrical artists put into their performing skills. I respect the amount of courage these people possess to be completely fearless about working in front of large crowds. The next time you watch a sporting event, make an effort to listen to what the broadcasters say, especially at the beginning of the telecast (i.e. on-camera opens). They are displaying the same bravery that actors portray through their aspect of the performing arts.

Don’t go Out of Bounds

Posted on by mdrew3380

 

As this blog has alluded to previously, the jobs of play-by-play announcer and analyst are essential to the success of a broadcast team. Yet, as much as the two roles have to work together in order to create cohesion, they entail drastically different responsibilities.

The cardinal rule for a play-by-play man/woman is to never get in the analyst’s way. 99.9% of the time, an analyst is a well-spoken person who played the sport he/she is watching and therefore is qualified to explain what is unfolding to viewers/listeners. On the contrary, it is very rare to find a play-by-play person who has played the sport he/she is covering. Thus, the main job of play-by-play people is to describe what they are seeing in the game, give viewers/listeners an idea of basic information they need to know (down and distance in football, balls, strikes, outs and runners on in baseball, etc.) and then get out of the way and allow the analyst to shine. As simple as this process may seem, it is truly a complex art form that doesn’t get appreciated nearly as often as it should.

You may think I’m coming from a biased position here, and in some ways I probably am. But, I have seen so many bad broadcast teams in my years of observing sports media that I will quickly rise to the defense of any team that has proven it can function well together and enhance the broadcasting experience for viewers and listeners. For many years, Pat Summerall (the gold standard for football play-by-play) and John Madden (the comical, yet brilliant analyst who appealed to so many) showed off the strengths of their working relationship to millions of people week in and week out. Coincidentally, Summerall was actually a former kicker for the New York Giants, while Madden was a legendary head coach for the Oakland Raiders. Here are some samples of their work. Just sit back and enjoy…

 

 

Jock Jargon

Posted on by mdrew3380

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Have you ever wondered what goes into the unique vocabulary that sports broadcasters use? Depending on the sport that is being covered, several oddball terms will be thrown out during the course of a broadcast that takes multiple hours. It takes distinct knowledge of the sport at hand to fully appreciate and understand the value of these terms. Yet, as prospective broadcasters, we can also recognize the special value these terms have to our profession.

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Controversy is Power

Posted on by mdrew3380

barkley

 

Throughout his illustrious playing career, Charles Barkley accomplished almost everything imaginable in the NBA. As the bearer of 11 All-Star selections, the 1993 Most Valuable Player award and a spot on Team USA’s Dream Team in the ’92 Olympics, Barkley knows a thing or two about making an impact wherever he goes. After his playing days were through, Charles joined TNT as a studio analyst on their marquee program, Inside the NBA. Fourteen years later, he has developed into the most polarizing figure in sports broadcasting. Read More