(In a sleepy, unenergetic voice). “He’s at the 10, the 5, and scampers into the end zone for the touchdown.”
Oh my goodness! Who wants to listen to passionless play-by-play?
Passionless play-by-play is lifeless and boring – and a bored audience tunes out. Here are three tips if you’ve been told you need to increase your play-by-play energy:
Read More
Editing my play by-play demos used to be so frustrating.
Either I would find the perfect segment, except it took 45 seconds or a minute to get to the play-by-play. Or if it started in a timely fashion, there was something afterward that I didn’t like.
Read More
Have you ever been doing play-by-play when two, or maybe even three, players on the court share the same last name?
We’re right in the middle of basketball season. I hope the team for which you broadcast is doing well. It’s always more fun to call games for a winner.
The season’s midway point is a good a time to start thinking about updating your basketball demo.
Read More
Years ago, I broadcast a high school football game in the worst conditions imaginable for a broadcaster.
Dense, impossible-to-see-through fog.
At kickoff, the fog was hanging threateningly low over the field. By the second half, I couldn’t see fans sitting five rows in front of the press box, much less the field or even the sidelines.
Read More
When the Washington State University baseball team traveled to San Diego years ago, a family obligation prevented their broadcaster from making the trip. Two days before the series opener, I was asked to fill-in.
I was torn. A chance to do DI baseball was exhilarating. On the flip side, I worried about my ability to do my best with so little time to prepare.
Here are three tips for preparing for a play-by-play broadcast on short notice.
Read More
Have you ever lost your car keys? You know they are somewhere in the house, yet you can’t find them.
Finding NCAA Division II play-by-play jobs can be similarly frustrating.
Aspiring NFL and major college play-by-play broadcasters often see DII as a step towards their goal. Finding those jobs, though, is hard.
Read More
It’s easy to let development of your on-air abilities slip during the grind of a busy broadcasting season. That’s why off-season is the perfect time to put a laser focus on advancing your play-by-play skills.
Here are four suggestions:
In 2003, I was doing play-by-play and sideline reporting for a startup TV network called The Football Network. It was all football all the time, before the NFL Network.
The first several broadcasts we did we wore coats and ties. About a month later, management gave us polo shirts with the company logo and asked us to wear them for our next broadcast. Ironically, the game was in my hometown of San Diego.
Read More
It’s common to hear about strong-armed quarterbacks firing bullets and great outside shooters described as snipers.
But should they be?
With stories of shootings and gun violence becoming alarmingly commonplace, it’s debatable whether words like bullets, guns and snipers are appropriate in sports broadcasting.
Read More
