Red Sox/Yankees, Bears/Packers, Alabama/Auburn, or choose one of your own, rivalries make sports great. There’s nothing like a fan base getting riled up, ready to watch their team “own” their rival. These games are a television network’s dream, tons of promotion, storylines, and best of all, viewers. While it may be easy on a network executive when one of these games is on the air, it isn’t always easy on the network broadcast team.
Unlike a local telecast or radio broadcast, national television has it a little tougher. Locally, you have pretty much a die-hard audience built in. They know the broadcasters and they know the history of the teams. A fan will come to the telecast or radio waiting to hear what they’ve come to expect, a game call that’s geared toward them. There won’t be a lot of, “yeah, I already know that. What else you got?” moments.
I think the die-hard base already knows what it may get if they are forced to tune into a network telecast of a game against their big rival. They know there will be some stuff that makes them roll their eyes. But what are you supposed to do as a network broadcaster? It’s not a local audience, it’s the entire country that’s tuned into your broadcast. You have a responsibility to not only tell both sides of the story, but to make it relatable to those that aren’t true fans of either team.
To me, the national telecast needs a steady dose of “duh”, because you can’t assume everyone is a fan. It’s not just another game and to me, it’s ok to revisit some of the stories they’ve probably already heard. It’s supplemental but useful in setting the scene. But it will also need some new and fresh stories regarding the rivalry. This is where you rely on talented producers. They are usually able to uncover some new aspect of the rivalry. Whether it be a story about a new player, a new head coach or a new role for someone already involved in the rivalry. Are there players on opposing teams that went to high school together and so on. Teamwork on the production side will make this telecast ‘watchable’ for all.
Look, there are things about this rivalry that are unmistakable. There have been obviously been some great and memorable games. Yes, there have been some blowouts and there have been some upsets. You have to recap them to the viewing audience. For the big fans, it will be a cool reminder (or a sad one depending on the result) and for those just tuning in to watch a game, it will give them a little pretext on what to expect. In other words, it will introduce those that don’t have a particular rooting interest to what this matchup is all about. The hype machine likely has been working overtime in promoting the game, making everyone realize just how big the game is for the teams and the fan bases.
Preparing for one of these games in a network capacity can be a bit challenging. You’re serving basically three audiences. Team A’s fans, Team B’s fans, and those that are just tuned in because they like the sport. How do you serve all three masters?
You really can’t, so you do the best you can. This shouldn’t be looked at as a burden, you may just need to take your normal prep up a notch. I mean, do what you would always do, like talking to the coaches and players to give you that leg up. Knowing ahead of time that you’ll be doing a game with two heated rivals, will give you the chance to talk with former players and former coaches for that extra bit of flavor. Plus, there is plenty of information out there these days for you to use during the broadcast.
If it’s your first time or thousandth time broadcasting a big game, there is that tendency to try and do too much. The game itself is already big, so there’s no need to make it any bigger in your mind. It’s a chore because there’s already extra hype that preceded the game. There’s a buzz in the crowd. If the game has extra meaning, like moving on in the playoffs, or securing a conference title, that adds even more to the equation. Being up for the moment is one thing, but getting too geared up for a broadcast is just as bad as a player being too keyed up for the game. You get outside of yourself and usually you get sped up.
I can recall two instances pretty clearly from my career, where the game was big and I needed to calm myself down. Now, these weren’t rivalry games, but they were big none the less. When I was doing play-by-play for the Padres, the team faced Colorado in a game 163 (where Matt Holliday still hasn’t touched home plate), for the right to go to the playoffs. It was more than just a game. It had a playoff feel. I remember walking up and down the stairs from the broadcast level to the main press box, just to waste some energy.
The other happened while in San Diego as well, preparing for the University of San Diego basketball team playing in the NCAA Tournament. The Toreros were set to face UCONN and I couldn’t wait for the game to start. When we got to the arena in Tampa, I couldn’t sit down. I was too pumped up. Knowing this, all I could think to do was walk around the arena. I walked up into the stands and watched the game that was on the floor before ours. Mentally, I called that game and it seemed to get me back into a good head space.
Being able to relax ahead of any game is important, but for a big game like we’re talking about it’s critical. Get that prep done early. It’s very likely that you’ll know a lot about the teams anyway, so getting the framework done ahead of time will allow you more time to just chill. If you have to, write yourself a note or two on your spotting board. I used to write, “SLOW DOWN” and “BREATHE”, ok, the second one I probably shouldn’t have had to remind myself to do, but you get the idea.
Remember, at the end of the day, this big rivalry or big game is the star. Don’t try to upstage it. You don’t have to.
Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
