In 1991, I broadcast a New Jersey State
High School Basketball All-Star Game from Fairleigh Dickinson
University for a cable TV outlet.
I hadn’t met my broadcast partners until a few hours
before the game began. My color man was a former coach
who was familiar with many of the players and it was obvious
he knew the game. The other person was the sideline commentator.
During our production meeting, I mentioned to the director
that perhaps our sideline man, Steve, could grab some
of the many college coaches in attendance for a quick
interview. The director thought that would be a good idea.
After the production meeting, I said to Steve, “P.J.
Carlesimo might be here tonight. He would be good to interview.”
Steve said, with a straight face, “Who’s P.J.
Carlesimo?”
I thought to myself, “We’re in trouble here.”
Since Carlesimo had led Seton Hall to the National Championship
game two years earlier, I assumed Steve knew who he was.
I also assumed that Steve knew something about basketball.
He didn’t. But he did come with his own make-up
bag and hair care accessories. He also had Donny Osmond-like
teeth and liked to smile and preen for the camera.
The game began and during breaks in the action the director
had me throw it to Steve. He interviewed a mascot. He
interviewed a ball boy. He had some nonsensical commentary
on the game that was so bad my color man looked at me
as if he just ate some bad clams. Steve didn’t enhance
the broadcast but he detracted from it.
I’m not sure whatever happened to Steve. I can’t
even remember his last name. He probably became a radio
program director somewhere.
The point to this story is that you must know your limitations.
If you want to be a sports broadcaster, you need to know
sports. The audience will know if you are faking it. You
also owe it to your fellow broadcast partners to be prepared.
If you are assigned to cover a sport that you are not
familiar with then you need to do your homework. I was
once called upon to broadcast women’s gymnastics.
I had plenty of advance notice and for the next few weeks
immersed myself into the sport. Had I not done so and
just showed up to get on TV and grab a paycheck, then
I would have looked like…like Steve.
Bill has more than 20-years of sports broadcasting
experience in both radio and television. He was the basketball
and hockey play-by-play broadcaster for Army for 11 seasons
and announced 5 seasons of minor league baseball. He estimates
he has broadcast well over 1,500 live sporting events
and conducted over 5,000 interviews. Be sure to check
out his website.
