The One Person You Would Choose To Have Dinner With

Minor league broadcasters find some of the most unique ways to amuse themselves during bus rides and road trips.  This is one reason I've always referred to the minor leagues as a Traveling Freak-Show Circus.

One of my colleagues used to bring his "Book of Questions" on road trips.  We'd sit on the bus and take turns answering questions, such as "Would you rather jump into a pool of snakes or take a bath in a tub of spiders?" Or "Would you run naked through a sell-out baseball stadium if, as a result, you would save ten families from poverty?"  We spent many overnight hours answering these nonsensical questions and then debating the answers.  Oh, the glamour of professional baseball!

One afternoon on the road, a handful of us were catching a leisurely lunch, waiting for the 3:00 bus to the ballpark.  Someone at the table posed the question, "If you could have dinner with one person from history, who would it be?"  You can imagine some of the answers.  Jesus.  Babe Ruth.  George Washington. 

As we cleaned up and prepared to pay the bill, the team clubhouse manager (and current TV actor!) offered his reply. 
     "John Lithgow," he said matter-of-factly.  On that note we paid the bill and headed for the early bus.  That's minor league baseball for you.

Who is the one person YOU would choose?
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Aspiring Sportscasters Need Constructive Feedback!

Every sportscaster can improve.  From the first day we pick up a mic to call a game in front of the TV, until we reach the pinnacle of calling the World Series.
Each day is an opportunity to improve and become just a little bit better.

One of the best ways to improve is to constantly seek feedback from competent, experienced professionals.  No, we're not talking about your wise-guy uncle who has an opinion about everything.  What you need is someone to listen to or watch your material and give you an honest, objective third party who's only goal is to help you improve.  You need constructive, actionable feedback. 

Face it, we all need it.  We can get so much better by listening to our own tapes, but there is a huge value in a third set of ears.  Every sports broadcaster needs an objective critique.

Get yours today, by clicking here. 

If you are not an aspiring sportscaster, please forward this message to your friend or family member who is.  We'd be glad to help them too.  This week only we've got a really special offer for anyone who needs a demo tape critique.  In other words, for all sportscasters.

Please click here to check it out.  You'll be glad you did.
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Sportscasters Learn From Getting Fired

Getting fired is part of the sports broadcasting industry.  Sometimes you deserve it, and sometimes you don't.  But most sportscasters get fired - axed, let go, laid off, canned - at some point in their career.  Sometimes we can turn it into a learning opportunity.

Last week Susannah Collins was let go by Comcast Sportsnet Chicago, where she was covering the  Chicago Blackhawks.  Earlier in the week she had made a verbal flub, which was detailed in our last post.  She handled that situation extremely professionally.
Her firing was the culmination of the increased attention she received after last week's episode, when  the public learned of her past performances in a raunchy "sports" web series that can be found on YouTube. 

This is a wonderful teachable moment for aspiring sportscasters.  Everything you do is part of building your reputation and brand.  Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the like are all potential focal points of prospective employers or fans.  Use them responsibly, and at your own risk.
Collins' firing shines the light on a myriad of issues - women in sportscasting, the role of social media in sports, sportscasting ethics - to name a few.  They bring forth other questions, such as whether her employer knew of her previous role, and whether she deserved to be fired.  

Our point is simply that sportscasters must do everything in their power to protect their good name and reputation.

Base your sports broadcasting career, and life, on a solid moral compass to prevent your career from being needlessly derailed.
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Learn the secrets of the Sports Broadcasting industry from our online Sports Broadcasting course.