Play-by-play

Is national title game broadcast prep different than normal?


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About this time a year ago, I was wondering if I would get the chance to ever to call another game, much less a national title game.

When my situation in Columbus, Ohio, changed, I went searching for work, and was fortunate enough to land a freelance job calling Division II Ashland University men’s and women’s basketball. It was not the “glamour” gig that I had calling Ohio State games, but it was a good way to stay alive and kicking in the business. (Maybe another blog sometime)
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Play-by-play
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Is doing PBP for ESPN3 a path to broadcasting PBP for ESPN?


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A sportscaster had the opportunity to call a handful of games this basketball season on ESPN3. He is hopeful it will lead to a chance to broadcast games regularly for ESPN.

Do ESPN3 games lead to opportunities with ESPN? Maybe. This topic was recently explored in the STAA forums, with great insight provided by someone who has helped produce many E3 productions.

Your chances for moving up to ESPN partly depend on who hired you to do ESPN3 games.
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Play-by-play

5 tips to take your play-by-play from good to great


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Play-by-play broadcasters all have access to information about fundamentals – time and score, ball location, etc. What sets apart great broadcasters is discovering and implementing advice that isn’t available to the masses. A great way to do that is to ask industry pros to critique your work.

great play-by-play

Many sportscasters have shared with me critiques they have received from some of the top play-by-play broadcasters in the industry. Today, I want to share them with you.

Here are 5 tips to take your play-by-play from good to great:
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Play-by-play

17 tips for rocking your 2017 Jim Nantz Award reel


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If you plan on applying for the 2017 Jim Nantz Award and STAA All-America program honoring the nation’s most outstanding collegiate sportscasters, start thinking now about what’s going to make you stand out.

Jim Nantz Award

Every year, the same errors in broadcasting fundamentals cause many applicants to not rank as high as they might have hoped. The broadcasts you do this Fall and Winter will help you win the award in the Spring.
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Play-by-play, Sports Anchoring, TV Sports Reporting

3 steps to surviving a solo football broadcast


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The first time I had to broadcast a football game by myself was 1989, McPherson (KS) High School versus Ark City. For a reason I don’t remember, my regular analyst was unavailable that night. What I do remember is what I felt.

Sheer. Terror.

football broadcast

At that point, my football play-by-play experience was limited to a handful of games. Carrying a two-hour broadcast by myself seemed impossible. I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. As it turns out, the things I learned that night carried me though the rest of my football play-by-play career.
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Play-by-play