On Wednesday, February 26, the new Phillies’ announcers, Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs, made their announcing debut when the Phillies played a rain-shortened game against the Toronto Blue Jays. They certainly got off to a good start, and play-by-play man, Tom McCarthy, did a nice job directing traffic (three in a booth can be difficult). With that said, I thought you might be interested in the tips I give to a “newbie” when we are going to work together for the first time:
MY TOP 10 ANNOUNCER TIPS
1. BE PREPARED
a. Follow all the games each week so you get a feel for the top players, the teams, and the conference.
2. BE NATURAL
a. Try to stay conversational and relaxed.
b. With TV, the pictures can speak for themselves – just try to add interest to the game.
c. Relax and respond to the situation and the play-by-play guy.
3. KNOW THE NAMES
a. Learn the proper pronunciation prior to the game. Take time to find the names before talking about a play. It is not a panic situation. There is time to find the number and the name in the program. This will become second nature to you with experience.
4. DON’T HESITATE TO BE HUMOROUS
a. The only caution is try not to demean a player; you certainly can point out a mistake (but it is still better to give the player who did the right thing more air time).
5. IF YOU THINK YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN’T SAY SOMETHING – DON’T!
6. POINT OUT AND CLARIFY
a. You can truly add to the game by pointing out things, emphasizing a player’s skills, clarifying why a play worked, etc.
7. DON’T RESPOND TO THE DIRECTOR IN THE HEADSET – THE PEOPLE AT HOME CAN’T HEAR HIM
a. If a question is asked by the director, work the answer into the conversation.
b. P.S. – the crew will always try to test a rookie and make him answer a question on the air. You’ve been warned.
8. DON’T TALK OVER THE PLAY-BY-PLAY MAN
a. There is ample time to get your analysis in after the play has been called. Relax and jump in at the appropriate time. Remember – “Dead ball is you”; “Live ball is not you”.
9. LISTEN
a. To coaches, sportswriters, players, and play-by-play announcers.
10. BE READY TO BE NOTICED
a. People will eventually get to know you and talk to you at the mall, on the street, at the corner store like you are their friend. I have found that a simple “Thank you” for a compliment and an “I’m sorry you feel that way” or “I hope not to do that again” for a valid criticism works pretty well.
b. Remember – you are a representative of RCN.
ALSO, REMEMBER – PEOPLE TUNE IN TO WATCH THE GAME – YOU SHOULD, HOPEFULLY, JUST ADD TO THEIR ENJOYMENT!!
I have been so fortunate to work with the likes of Dick Tracy, Tom Stoudt, John Leone, Mike Joseph, Scott Barr, etc. They truly understood what our roles as announcers are. I already get a sense the new Phillies’ announcers do, too.
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
1. Speaking of the Phillies, they ended the Philadelphia championship drought (NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB) of 25 years in 2008 when they won the World Series. None since for any franchise and, the way the four professional teams are looking, it could be another long time before a Philadelphia team wins the overall championship again.
2. Did you know that Allen High School is the 7th winningest boys’ basketball program in Pennsylvania with @1680 wins? Central Catholic is 10th. By the way Reading is #1 and Chester is #2.
3. I enjoy watching Villanova basketball these days because of Darrun Hilliard of Liberty High School. This is what a Philadelphia sportswriter said about Hilliard after a Feb. 2, Sunday game with Marquette:
No. 8 Villanova beat Marquette 73-56 in Philadelphia. The leader, offensively speaking, on Sunday was junior guard Darrun Hilliard. Hilliard made seven of his eleven shot attempts, finishing with a game-high 26 points to go along with four assists and three rebounds. Averaging 13.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, Hilliard’s versatility is one asset that has helped propel Villanova to the top of the Big East. Hilliard’s a capable perimeter shooter, as evidenced by his 5-for-8 afternoon against Marquette and the fact that he’s shooting 40.9% from deep on the season. He’s also good off the dribble, and from a decision-making standpoint Hilliard committed just one turnover on Sunday.
Not bad for our local kid!
4. Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman broke the Central school career scoring record on Friday night with his 34 points giving him 2,052 points. Larry Miller (1960-64) of Catasauqua holds the Lehigh Valley boys’ record with 2,722 points. One other Lehigh Valley player is ahead of Abdur-Rahkman by just 25 points, but that is my trivia question on Friday night. Tune in for the answer.
5. Congratulations to the Parkland, Central Catholic, and Notre Dame boys for their District Championships. Ironically, they all repeated as champions. Also, to the girls’ champions – Parkland and Bethlehem Catholic. Bethlehem Catholic was, also, a repeat champion. It is now time for the PIAA state playoffs. Please join us.
