In the world of professional sports media, you need to be prepared for anything. Overtime changes headlines and buzzer beaters affect narratives as sports provides change at a moment’s notice. Jorge Sedano was already working for ESPN Radio covering the NBA Finals when he got a phone call that required change, leading to an opportunity of a lifetime stepping in for his teammate and friend Lisa Salters.
Prior to Game Two of the NBA Finals, Salters stepped away from her duties with ABC to attend to a family medical issue. In the moment, Sedano was called into action, prepared for anything, albeit with a heavy heart.
“When it was determined that she [Salters] wasn’t going to come back, they asked me to do it. Of course, I said yes,” said Sedano. “I’ve been through what she’s going through. I’ve lost a parent, so I know how challenging that is. I felt bad considering what she was dealing with, but on the other side you’re excited for the opportunity. You do this because you want to do the work at the highest level.”
After eight seasons covering NBA games for ESPN, Sedano said he was honored to be asked to fill in for Salters. For three games of the NBA Finals, Sedano shifted from sidelines on radio to television. Salters eventually returned to the sidelines on the ABC telecast for Games Five through Seven as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in seven games.
Accepting the Challenge During the NBA Finals
The opportunity for Sedano wasn’t a first on television, but it was his first during the NBA Finals. Recalling his experience, he felt confident about his work, noting the major differences in working sidelines on radio compared to television covering the biggest event of the NBA calendar.
“On radio you’re basically a professional eavesdropper,” explained Sedano. “You have very limited opportunities on radio. You’re basically trying to peek into the huddles to see if you can get any information [on] what the coaches and players’ interactions are,” said Sedano. “With television, there’s a lot more planning that’s involved because people are building graphics for you and building packages for you depending on what it is. There’s a lot more work because of the visual elements of it.”
While adjusting to the top team during the NBA Finals was a challenge, Sedano was no stranger to the members of the broadcast team. The relationships and chemistry Sedano developed over the past eight years working regular season games with Mike Breen, Richard Jefferson, and Doris Burke provided a sense of normalcy in a somewhat chaotic moment.
“That is the beauty of mixing us up during the regular season,” explained Sedano. “God forbid something like this happens; you know how to dance with each other. There is no awkwardness. There’s no trying to fit in. Everyone knows how to do their job together because they worked together.”
This year’s NBA Finals was filled with adjustments, not just in the play on the court but also literally on the court. The broadcasts of the series were filled with criticism and complaints. Outcry over signage, logos, and style of the presentation was a larger talking point in media circles than the games themselves.
Sedano, who also hosts afternoon drive on ESPN Los Angeles with co-host Scott Kaplan, said that he tried not to pay attention to the feedback of the broadcasts because of his focus covering the Finals. He did note that conversation did arise while hosting programs on ESPN LA 710 and didn’t stray away from the conversation.
“I feel like we live in a world where everybody’s a critic now and everybody’s got a megaphone for it on social,” explained Sedano. “I just tune most of it out. On the talk show sometimes my co-host or producers will ask questions and I’ll be honest with them about stuff… The logo thing, you hear it a little bit every year but certainly this year was more amplified.”
Striking the Balance Is a Team Effort
Sports radio has been the foundation of Sedano’s expansive sports media career. Elevating from his beginnings in Miami at the turn of the century to hosting nationally on both FOX Sports Radio and ESPN Radio and landing at ESPN Los Angeles in 2016.
For much of his career, Sedano has always balanced hosting on sports radio with calling play-by-play and working game broadcasts. The work balance requires Sedano to have a strong and dependable co-host on his sports radio programs, which he found with veteran host Scott Kaplan when they were teamed together in 2020.
“He’s fantastic. I’ve known him for 25 years. I was his intern at one point, so that’s how far back our relationship goes,” explained Sedano. “He’s so willing to play a role, and we all play a role on the show. His role is to stir the pot and bring a lot of the fun. Whereas I bring more of the ‘snark’ and the information. We like to call it sports infotainment.”
Sedano believes the north star guiding the Sedano & Kap program is an emphasis on fun, while not shying away from tough conversations when they arise. The city of Los Angeles recently has been the epicenter of the news media’s coverage of protests arising from ICE raids within the city limits. With a mindset that sports radio tends to be the escape from the realities of daily life, Sedano noted the difficulty in balancing discussions about games with other items potentially top of mind for their local listeners.
“We don’t hide from it. Certainly, when it crosses over into sports in any capacity,” Sedano said. “Overall, our position on the show since we’re being guided by fun is that we try to be the distraction. We’re not shying away from letting people know, ‘Hey, this is what transpired today.’ We just give the facts, keep it very simple. Maybe a brief comment but certainly keeping it in a news-like format when those situations arise.”
There Are No Bad Questions for Those Who Desire To Listen
Having fun as a north star has been traditional for Sedano in every line of work throughout his career. After a quarter century in sports media, the 47-year-old Sedano has done more than most of his peers. While he looks forward to continuing his role with co-hosting on ESPN LA and continuing to work the NBA broadcasts on ESPN Radio, his passions lie in calling play-by-play.
“I’ve been self-taught in a lot of ways. I came in as a radio guy and learned the artistry in the nuances of television. Radio helped in regard to a lot of those talk shows, it’s very similar except you’re just doing it on camera,” explained Sedano. “The beauty of play-by-play, I didn’t know what to expect when I got in. I was so flattered by the amount of people who are so great at it, who were willing to take my call and help me learn the nuances of it.”
For the last four years, Sedano’s path has led to several play-by-play opportunities calling NBA, NFL, and college football games on ESPN Radio and, more recently, television play-by-play for college football contests. The feedback that he has received has not only guided his approach but also has fueled his desire to continue working the craft.
“Reps are the most important thing, but if you have a game plan coming in and you have questions, and I had a million of them. To be able to reach out to someone like [Mike] Breen, Mark Jones, and Dave Pasch has been invaluable,” said Sedano. “I’ve asked them about anything. They’ve allowed me to kind of fast-track this thing where I feel like I’m getting pretty good at it.”
Always a student of the game, Sedano continues to soak in his studies while gaining experience at the same time. When preparation meets opportunity, Sedano doesn’t lean on luck, instead aspiring for more and testing himself to continue growing within a sports media landscape that is constantly changing.
“Hopefully I continue to get more and more of those opportunities amongst different sports, because that’s where I’d like to take my career on television,” explained Sedano. “I’m very happy with what I’m doing with ESPN LA and Good Karma Brands in Los Angeles. I’d like to do those two things for the rest of my career.”
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
