There is nothing more magic than sports play-by-play on the radio. The greats create the picture of a game so vivid that you believe you are actually there. Here are 6 problems that I am currently hearing on live sports broadcasts:
Creating the image – Radio is theater of the mind. There are basic questions that need to be answered: Who is on the left and the right of the quarterback? Where is the running back? How is the defense lined up? I know. These are basics and are often missing from broadcasts. I recently heard a broadcast where there was a last-minute touchdown for the victory. All I heard was the broadcast team screaming. I know that the team scored the crucial touchdown, but who did it? What was the story of the play? I have no idea.
Personal Pronouns – Recently, I was driving and listening to a major college’s broadcast. In describing the team, I heard: Us, We, Them and They. This was in two sentences describing players from the same team.
Clichés – There is a professional team’s announcer who I have met. This guy can do a great job. Over time, he has added frequently unclever clichés to describe the action. It is a terrible crutch. He uses the clichés so frequently that it distracts from the action on the field.
Homerism – While you are the Play-by-Play crew for the local favorites, do not let the excitement keep you from telling the story. Being a homer is part of the job, but do not let it detract from an amazing broadcast.
Marv Albertitis – There is only one Marv Albert. He is brilliant, unique and powerful. Keep that in mind. He is Marv Albert. Find YOUR voice. Vin Scully, Chick Hearn, Ray Scott were play by play guys from a bygone era who did things in a minimalistic manner. Vin Scully told Dan Patrick that knowing when to say nothing was important.
Have Fun – Your team’s fans are working, escaping a family event and their team means the world to them.
If you are a part of a sports broadcast team, you are very fortunate. It is a dream job. The easier that you make it for the listener to understand what is happening, the more value you present.
Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He recently served as program director for WHO/KXNO in Des Moines, IA. Prior to that role he held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Little Rock, Greenville, Hunstville, and Joplin. Peter has also worked as a host, account executive and producer in Minneapolis, and San Antonio. He can be found on Twitter at @PeterThiele.
