John Rooke: New England Patriots Announcer, Boston Sports Columnist, Sports Radio Talk Show Host
47-year professional career in journalism, broadcasting, leadership, effective management and instruction. Current announcer of the New England Patriots, WEEI talk Host, 98.5 THE SPORTS HUB host, Sports columnist, Director: Center for Business, Entertainment & Sport Management at Dean College. John brings a wealth of knowledge and conversation to the Blind Knowledge Podcast. This is a must-listen for any sports fans or anyone looking to get into the industry.
Transcript
Hello, my name is Jodi, welcome back to another.
participantTwo (:Additional the blind knowledge broadcast.
participantOne (:It is Friday it is a lovely day it is springtime.
participantTwo (:We're bringing you a new event.
participantTwo (:A brand new interview I guess you could.
participantOne (:Say with the man.
participantTwo (:The method legend his name is John book he's the voice, the Patriots he's a journalist he's director over at Dean college.
participantTwo (:If you know, Dean college, you know that it's a good place to get your education on if you don't check him out at Dean dot edu a little bit about.
participantOne (:Me I.
participantTwo (:Only operate blind knowledge blind knowledge dot com is the spot that's how we have part cast live streaming videos.
participantTwo (:We have a block coming on the way we have nineteen active broadcast and two more being added today.
participantTwo (:So if you wanna check US out of buying knowledge dot com, please do.
participantOne (:And.
participantTwo (:Enough about me and more on to the man the myth and again the legend.
participantOne (:This guy I.
participantTwo (:Look up to John rook a lot because I'm a huge new England Patriots fan I used to go as a kid with my grandfather and now we get to learn more about it.
participantTwo (:So I'm gonna bring them on right now.
participantTwo (:Mister rook, welcome to the show.
participantOne (:Thanks for having me I appreciate it.
participantOne (:Hey.
participantOne (:Thank.
participantTwo (:You for taking the time it's a it's a big plus that's a big plus for everybody and we're gonna we're gonna figure out who the dude is under the cap [laughter].
participantOne (:I, gotta ask.
participantTwo (:You this right off the back.
participantTwo (:How did you get the gig to be the voice of the Patriots?
participantOne (:I don't think it's anything special Ah.
participantOne (:But the true story is is that it was um this was back in like ninety.
participantOne (:One I.
participantOne (:Think I was actually had just been laid off from a TV job and so I was working as a crowd host if you will check Wilson was a long time sports talk radio post in the new England and he was doing live broadcast of his radio show on W p R O in Providence and the guy's a p R O who had hired me already.
participantOne (:The previous year two years previous to that as the radio voice of Providence prior basketball team and they knew that you know, I'm looking for extra things to do and they said Hey why don't you come out and host the show the the check is doing 'cause it's a live broadcast and you know that way during the commercial breaks on commercial books.
participantOne (:You can you know, do trivia with the fans you can interact or whatever it's come out and we'll pay it to do it right I'm like cool, you know, I wanted something to do so keep me active and just so happen in the audience that night with the marketing executives for the Patriots and after the show is over, they pulled me aside and introduce themselves and they had known had known that I had covered the papers 'cause I had worked at a what is now the CVS affiliate in Providence and they said um you know, so have you ever done public and you know public speaking and I said well yeah, actually done quite a bit and I had actually done some public address work for a season in the NBA Ah before that and they said well we we love how you project and love how you interact with the fans and so we're actually looking for a new a stadium voice new public address, announcer for Gillette stadium?
participantOne (:Not for .
participantOne (:Excuse me.
participantOne (:This would have been ninety one.
participantOne (:So this would have still been old Fox .
participantTwo (:Yeah.
participantTwo (:Oh.
participantOne (:Boy.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:You remember those right.
participantOne (:And so uh we it.
participantOne (:So they said we're gonna be additional we're gonna do addition, right Ah, but we wanna make sure that you're part of the addition, because we really like.
participantTwo (:You.
participantTwo (:Got.
participantOne (:One of those and so I said I'm flattered, sure, I'd be happy to do whatever you want to do.
participantOne (:So for an exhibition game a preseason game that year they had me come in and I think there were three other candidates at the time we all did a quarter of the game.
participantOne (:Right.
participantOne (:And so I've got to do the quarter and then the next week they contacted me and said you're the guy you're the one we want and so I got it for I think starting in the ninety two season.
participantOne (:So I've been doing it for thirty one years next year will be your thirty two for me.
participantTwo (:That's just before .
participantTwo (:Right.
participantTwo (:Right.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:Absolutely I was there actually before the craft, bought the team.
participantOne (:Wow.
participantOne (:I was I was there for all of it.
participantOne (:But I was there as well for you know, you know, Bill part sales arrival and you know, all that stuff which was really an amazing amazing time.
participantTwo (:To see.
participantOne (:You know what previously had been a moron franchise develop, but the the change you know, and the and the attitude around the entire franchise changed dramatically when a arrived coach that's Dwayne.
participantTwo (:Charles.
participantTwo (:Yeah.
participantTwo (:Interesting fact, Lloyd there.
participantTwo (:Yeah.
participantTwo (:Now the tuna himself and so how long did you actually have that specific gig.
participantTwo (:It's p a.
participantOne (:You still have it.
participantOne (:Okay.
participantOne (:Well I'm sure about that I.
participantTwo (:Wasn't.
participantTwo (:Sure, if you're still going into the season being the the p a I'm, not sorry.
participantOne (:Okay.
participantOne (:Yeah, this will be for.
participantTwo (:Thirty two.
participantTwo (:Well yeah, I mean just just the just the the fact that you have that gig and are able to like that's just such a dream gig for anybody not just a fan, but I think anybody that gets into voice acting is audio.
participantTwo (:Um even like a musician would love that kind of big.
participantTwo (:So man I I look up to you for that one that that's.
participantTwo (:Awesome.
participantTwo (:And and I gotta ask you this.
participantTwo (:So how how is your carrier gone since then like what have you done to turn that opportunity into new opportunities.
participantTwo (:How the how does your road kind of made a page itself?
participantOne (:[laughter] [laughter].
participantTwo (:OK.
participantOne (:You know in the in the broadcast business anybody who's spend anytime in around it knows that it it it eds and flows their bumps in the road there are really great times and they're really downtime there are times when you've got more work than you can check to stick at and then there are times when you're looking for work.
participantOne (:So that's just kind of the nature of the Beast and you have to be able to uh to stick through it and kinda ride through you know, those bumpy times in order to be able to make a crew out of it and I'm very fortunate that I've been doing this as a paid professional now for.
participantOne (:almost.
participantTwo (:Forty seven years.
participantOne (:And I'll.
participantOne (:Yeah, I I started when I was I started when I was three years old, so [laughter].
participantOne (:Well yeah.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:I'm.
participantOne (:Not really I started as a teenager in this business, you know, when the journalism business and my first my first on error job was when I was nineteen.
participantOne (:So that was forty for almost forty five years ago and I'm sixty three now.
participantOne (:So that was something that I kind of fell into and it's another story for another day.
participantOne (:Perhaps another moment.
participantOne (:But no.
participantTwo (:No, this is the moment John I'll.
participantOne (:Right now [laughter] I'll be honest, [laughter].
participantTwo (:Some of it is just.
participantOne (:Kind of useless, you know, banter, but uh the uh to get back to your your original question.
participantOne (:Oh falling into this I I started out in television.
participantOne (:Uh even though my background was in writing I went to school on a journalism scholarship and I wanted to be a sports rider and then I didn't really get into broadcasting until um it was my night to lay out.
participantOne (:Our our newspaper at university of Texas in Austin which is where I went to school and it was my night uh as assistant ports editor.
participantOne (:The daily text and to lay out.
participantOne (:The paper and I got a release at night from the woman's Athletic department, because back of the late seventies.
participantOne (:The woman's and men's Athletic department or separate there was sort of segregated this was just at the time.
participantOne (:Right after title nine Ah had a a you know become prevalent and become law.
participantOne (:You know in the country and they were gonna hold woman's apartment gonna hold the campus wide addition for the very first radio voice of the Texas women's basketball team.
participantOne (:The Lady long and I remember thinking at the time if I could shoot that would be a blast to do even though I wasn't really a broadcast major I was a generalizing major it was but I had just finished an internship this summer before working for a very large radio station in Houston K T R H radio in Houston and so I say I, you know what the hell I'll take a shot I sent him an addition type from some of the stuff that I had done at the radio station in Houston and long behold I got called in the addition was there I won the addition which was amazing to me and I was the very first voice of the Lady longhorns back in nineteen seventy nine and they were preseason rang number one of the nation that year.
participantOne (:So I'll and they ended up getting the first National title.
participantOne (:Well that's right.
participantOne (:Well I was after I graduated one, the first National title and eighty six I think it was under coach Conrad who is a you know, basketball favor now, but um that's how it really all started to be honest with you.
participantOne (:And that's what got me in the broadcasting and then mostly I moved into television from radio after that after I got out of school a.
participantTwo (:Whole different game to that's .
participantOne (:But that's what I know when I got that job doing the radio.
participantOne (:I'm like you know, I think I really wanna take a look at this whole broadcasting.
participantOne (:So I started taking TV stuff as well.
participantOne (:And doing radio broadcast, wherever the campus station doing all that stuff and so I started taking the broadcast labs as well the television and discovered I really liked it really enjoyed it and some of my people that I looked up to in the business joy were TV people TV personalities.
participantOne (:Uh you know, sports anchors at the time, the guy that I really sort of loved to model myself after at the time was a you know, guy that I'm sure that you know, your listings will know her list who you know spent years and years at CVS is the voice of the s e C a wheel call for them from time to time the J tour at a very high level for a long time, but Warren was the weeknight sports guy a W s a a channel eight Dallas and the radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys at the time and so I I I thought you know what better job on the planet is there then the job that he had right.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:Right.
participantOne (:And so that's who I wanted to be and you know, followed him and a lot of other guys that were working in the Dallas Fort worth market where I grew up and went to high school people that I really wanted to be like so that's what I decided.
participantOne (:I wanted to study and my first job in the business after I got out of school was as a a a sports reporter and anchor for the NBC station in Waco and Temple Texas spent two.
participantOne (:Great years in there and lightning struck and what was the right place, right.
participantOne (:Time through contacts that you make so really in all honesty, the way that you succeed in this business is by networking, you know, it's not you know what you know, but it's who is who you know, and then of course the other that is who knows you.
participantOne (:So I was big into that I was always you know, introducing shaking hands we didn't have social media.
participantOne (:We didn't even have we didn't have email back then obviously.
participantOne (:So it was really difficult to network other than meeting people face to face and going up there to them face to face and checking their hand and going eyeball eyeball let's say if there's anything I can ever do let me know.
participantOne (:Right that's.
participantOne (:How it worked and then two years after being at the station?
participantOne (:Waco I was working in the NBA for the San Antonio.
participantOne (:Spurs.
participantOne (:So that's how it kind of took.
participantTwo (:Off from yeah.
participantTwo (:It took off like a rock .
participantTwo (:Wow.
participantTwo (:And you haven't you haven't slowed down at all [laughter].
participantOne (:Well um a little maybe, but it's because I found you know, I've got an area of the country that I really enjoyed being in I mean and you're talking to a kid who grew up in Texas and you know who in the university of Texas and you know, I consider you know the home for my soul being, you know in Austin Texas and in Fort worth Texas where my family is still a largely located, but I've spent now thirty four through almost thirty five years exactly here in um the northeast because I I I love being in this medium area I've worked in Providence Boston Hartford new York and they're all up and down nine ninety five really easy to get to right that's the whole .
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:It's a unique area of the country.
participantOne (:Very few other geographic blocks of the country where you can say that you can do this and I was just lucky to be in that position and know these people and I happen to work and TV and radio and all these markets you know, I decided I wanted to stay here.
participantOne (:You know, I had my kids here you know, I meant the love of my life here.
participantOne (:Well I mean.
participantTwo (:It came.
participantOne (:Over yeah, exactly and I gotta I gotta be honest, you know, even though I was you know a texting you know born and raised love the great state of Texas, but I love living by the Ocean man all.
participantTwo (:The water.
participantTwo (:Yeah.
participantOne (:Love living by the water there's just something mesmerizing by it and so there's nothing better than a Friday night out on the out on the dock.
participantOne (:You know, shipping a cold one and and watching the sunset man that's that's hard to be what you had it .
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantTwo (:That sounds really good and it's.
participantTwo (:Nice boat, ride by the Doc.
participantTwo (:Just kinda see the stars it sounds that sounds pretty nice for sure.
participantOne (:Yep.
participantOne (:Till totally.
participantOne (:So you were.
participantTwo (:A big sports fan growing up on the .
participantOne (:Oh yeah.
participantOne (:I was total what I would call I was a geeky neutered.
participantTwo (:Gary OK.
participantOne (:[laughter] back.
participantTwo (:Before it was cool.
participantTwo (:Yeah.
participantOne (:Ono question look I called this story to to one of my students in fact earlier today you know, 'cause I class, this morning and I I I mentioned him I said look, you cannot out geek me.
participantOne (:You can't there's just no way because you know, I love the basketball and and I I that's what I normally played and and uh but when I was preteen early teen my grandmother allowed me to have one room in her house that she had set up really as kind of showing room, you know, and I got to put all my stuff up on the wall.
participantOne (:So I had shorts I had status I had graphics I had you know a photos I had newspaper , cause I I was you know, it was crazy, you know, and um it was like um I was playing a you know, the the part of the Princeton professor in a beautiful mind I had all this stuff.
participantTwo (:You know, it was.
participantOne (:The walls.
participantTwo (:And and that's.
participantOne (:How I needed out?
participantOne (:and so she let me do this and she nurtured that and so I, give my grandmother a lot of credit for allowing me to do that to allow me to be a geek and and to feel good about myself and and so I used a lot of that useless knowledge to to get me started when I got in the high school.
participantTwo (:box runs.
participantOne (:Heads I played I played strata Matic dude, I played.
participantOne (:You know, that'll vice and I'm playing strata Matic and I was doing fantasy baseball before fancy base.
participantTwo (:I was just gonna I was just gonna ask about fantasy baseball and um uh you know, it used to be huge probably still is is trading cards.
participantOne (:Oh, my God.
participantOne (:Yes.
participantOne (:And when I finally figured out that they were better off being a not being in the spokes of my bicycle.
participantTwo (:Okay.
participantOne (:When I figured out that you know what these might be worth someday I immediately took him out of those folks and started learning how to preserve them and the funny thing about it is is that my brother my younger brother actually spent a number of years in the sports collectible business one of his business partners in about a decade and a half maybe two decades ago was Bobby Valentine?
participantOne (:When they and became business partners when Bobby Valentine was actually managing the Texas Rangers?
participantOne (:So yeah, and so I had a bunch of those cards that you know, we kept and I gave off to him and he was able to make some you know, decent profit over the time and my wife right now she's gotta sit hidden stash even not of baseball cards of which oh gosh she's probably got a dozen or more that she could probably get rid of for three figures card, easy I'll.
participantTwo (:Check back in.
participantOne (:Right.
participantOne (:You know we ever take the time to do that.
participantOne (:And I'm actually get the cards rated then I think that you know, they would probably actually be worth some good money.
participantOne (:So unfortunately for me I married a big baseball fan a big baseball card collector.
participantOne (:So that helps.
participantTwo (:That's being .
participantTwo (:You must get a chance to go you know, with some of the socks and the upper action of the socks are the players.
participantTwo (:Do you ever go over to Fenway?
participantTwo (:Just to kinda see the game or.
participantOne (:Yeah, we go to a few games a year I don't really.
participantOne (:You know, mingle.
participantOne (:So much with players, only because as of as a member of the media that's just sort of a bowl , you know, if we you know, you know, we have access to you know, people don't usually get when you're a member of the credential media I mean I have I become friendly with some guys over the years absolutely.
participantOne (:Yeah, you know absolutely.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:I mean that yeah.
participantOne (:There's a line that you have to draw between you know being a friend and being professional.
participantOne (:So you have what we call you know working professional relationships, which you know where you can be friendly, but you know, do we go out and you know, and Butch beers together or do we?
participantTwo (:You know, have general each.
participantOne (:Overs half now.
participantOne (:No, we don't do that.
participantOne (:Do I you know we certainly don't ask for autographs I've.
participantOne (:Never you know ask for anybody for you know a photo either course, nowadays it's easy right with these to get cell fees and things like that, but.
participantTwo (:I'm just you.
participantOne (:Just don't.
participantOne (:Do that, because you're in a position.
participantOne (:That could put them at a disadvantage because they feel like well there being a jerk if they don't say something to you and yet you're in a position that you know, people don't normally get so I've, never ever ever taken advantage of that.
participantOne (:And I I think most media people feel.
participantTwo (:The same , right.
participantTwo (:Yeah.
participantOne (:You don't you don't wanna you don't ever want to put yourself in a position where you have to be critical of someone's performance after you know, Hey they just took the time to post for a picture and give you an autograph how awkward is that gonna be and and plus that roads you're credibility as of the medium I mean because if your body body with someone you can't do your job and if you can't.
participantOne (:How are you gonna have any credibility with your audience, your readership your Lister ship right right?
participantTwo (:Yeah, you wouldn't be able to give them the whole you know, the whole the story you'll be you know, you'd be mixed.
participantTwo (:So.
participantOne (:We draw the line on on that one and so that's sort of a that's sort of the penance, you pay for being you know, relatively close to these guys I mean I can tell you stores uh many stories of occasions where I walk up and down the hallways Angela and uh you know, I'm bumping fish with Tom Brady or I'm stopping and talking for a moment to Bill check or whoever and you know, I they don't really know me from Adam, but they know I hang around there.
participantOne (:A lot.
participantOne (:So they always stop you know with a familiar face or a familiar voice in Mike.
participantOne (:Okay.
participantOne (:And you gotta do you think so.
participantTwo (:John you have um a pretty cool role over at Dean college where you're a director.
participantOne (:Of well.
participantTwo (:What is the what's your actual title over there?
participantOne (:It's kind of an annuity.
participantOne (:So [laughter] it's long.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:I don't wanna mess a a director of the center for business, entertainment, sport manager very cool, a Dean was a you know, kind enough to uh bring me in I had spent the previous ten years first ten years of my teaching where at Emerson college in Boston communications .
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:And and so Dean brought me in two thousand, fifteen two head up this center business, entertainment, sport, management, and that really is a 'cause we have sport management uh we have a sports marketing and we have communications and sports broadcasting all is majors, which is a little unusual because is very small liberal art school.
participantOne (:If you don't know anything about it we've only got twelve hundred undergraduate students a located in little bucolic Franklin Massachusetts.
participantOne (:Franklin just across the border a northern Rhode Island from like one socket Rhode Island if you're looking for a geographic location here.
participantOne (:A Franklin is right on the TV coming out of Boston heading westward.
participantOne (:So it's a great little town.
participantOne (:The campus is beautiful it's what you would consider if you think quintessential new England liberal arts college red brick id.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantTwo (:Yeah.
participantTwo (:It.
participantOne (:That's.
participantOne (:But that's what it is and it's going to little school and a eight years ago or so they made a ten years ago actually is when it first started uh they made the decision that we wanna get into sports.
participantOne (:We wanna teach sports because the business of sports has grown exponentially.
participantOne (:You know, not only in this country, but all over the world as we all know uh it's it's a multi billion dollar industry.
participantOne (:No thirty or forty years ago.
participantOne (:Sports was afterthought sports, you know, you can make a little money, but most business people look at sports with some of abuse attitude and just kinda like I I'm, not gonna take it.
participantOne (:Seriously, you know, it's kinda like it was it sports was considered the toll department of life, right now.
participantOne (:It's just it just Hey.
participantOne (:Okay.
participantOne (:Well it's just sports right.
participantOne (:But people don't realize now that you couldn't make.
participantOne (:Serious quid in the sports .
participantOne (:Serious I mean millions billions of dollars I mean what do you.
participantTwo (:Do you think college?
participantOne (:Athlete now.
participantOne (:We're getting paid through you know, name image, and .
participantTwo (:Miller, college athlete, right now.
participantTwo (:It's just more money.
participantOne (:Than anybody is really aware of and so Dean wanted to teach this you know, there's there are jobs out here in this professional industry.
participantOne (:There are jobs here where people can actually do quite well in the sports industry through marketing promotions through a communications.
participantOne (:You know through management through coaching through scouting through Athletic training through so many different aspects of sports Dean did this and they approved the Patriots and they're like you know a how could we work together.
participantOne (:How can we help you?
participantOne (:You know build your own work for US and the craft family to their credit.
participantOne (:Man they're like that's a great idea.
participantOne (:We should do that and so they announced this partnership.
participantOne (:The for the first of it's kind of academic partnership between a a a local school and NFL franchise we're.
participantOne (:The first NFL team to do this and first school to do this with an F L team a and then they hired me soon thereafter to manage this partnership.
participantOne (:This relationship and so it's all about creating our opportunities for our students to come to Dean who wanna work and learn in any of these a particular industries of course we open up our partnership to a lot of other entities as well.
participantOne (:You know hockey baseball basketball businesses all kinds of things.
participantOne (:All over the place, but they they're all touch somewhat by sports and athletics and so that's kinda what I do is I manage this partnership for our students.
participantOne (:I place.
participantOne (:Our students and help position them in internships I teach curriculum you know, we're.
participantOne (:Um uh we have a sports broadcasting a major at deem one of the small schools in the country to have that, but we're able to do that because of of me being there.
participantOne (:The people that I have you know, so my goal has been to make Dean college in Franklin Massachusetts.
participantOne (:Yeah, a small school version really of you know, some of those power houses that are out there like.
participantTwo (:in Missouri.
participantOne (:And Syracuse and you know in some of the big time schools that are out there in my own Omar Texas these are all large schools, but why can't the small school.
participantOne (:Do it largely because the small school as I'm?
participantOne (:Sure you're aware Joe a small school, sometimes doesn't have the uh the personal or or the the inter structure in place in order to be able to sustain a program like that we have that , we have a campus radio station.
participantOne (:We have our digital television studios.
participantOne (:Uh we have someone who has you know, connections and aware with all within the industry myself and the other pre in the other of professors that I work with we're all active in the business we're all still active in the business.
participantOne (:So I can't think of a of a school right now that has more Street friend really in terms of people who are actively working in the business than what we haven't Dean and there's some great programs out.
participantOne (:There I mean you Mazza great sports marketing program B U and northeastern have very good.
participantOne (:You know, communications programs in Boston Emerson obviously is a huge communications program in Boston.
participantOne (:Uh you know, we they have a good calm program in Rhode Island as well.
participantOne (:But I don't think any of those be what we do from top to bottom.
participantOne (:Just because of the personal we have and the opportunities we offer and the relationships professionally that we've aligned.
participantTwo (:With it.
participantTwo (:Seems like it's close net, you know, you have very hands on it must be hands on with such a small amount of um you know, it's just it's just a small.
participantOne (:program.
participantOne (:We are we are very much roll up the sleeves and go to.
participantTwo (:Work, you go right in there.
participantTwo (:Yeah.
participantTwo (:I noticed you guys already have some uh some students that are doing Providence hockey is that true.
participantTwo (:Yeah.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:Yeah, we have well I have a student on Friday nights.
participantOne (:Uh who call talking for the Providence America again for those that are aware the you know, province rooms with e H L if you wait for the that's like AAA basically and I have students at call games on Friday nights.
participantOne (:Yep.
participantOne (:So you know they train they study they work at it and you know, we're not gonna you know, put students out there that can't do the job, but I've got two or three kids who are they can go to work in the pros tomorrow.
participantOne (:They're ready to roll and that's.
participantOne (:What.
participantTwo (:We're doing our.
participantOne (:Students do all the work students.
participantOne (:You know we they do all of our you know, we have you know.
participantOne (:Uh you know, we're in division three Athletic department, so our students call football basketball baseball softball a lacrosse field hockey soccer.
participantOne (:Everything and hockey, even though we don't have a hockey program in Dean.
participantOne (:We online ourselves with because we have a lot of students who either playing Hawking uh who are interested in hockey because Hey we're in the northeast right and um so we have aligned ourselves with several you know, junior programs as well in addition to the , the H L Providence rooms and our students are getting hockey play by play experience.
participantOne (:All over the place.
participantOne (:So it's working out.
participantOne (:Real well, so it's exciting.
participantTwo (:Stuff and you know how to handle on.
participantTwo (:Are you are you an actual professor there as well or do you have like actual alternate professors comes in or or special guest?
participantTwo (:All.
participantOne (:All of the above I I run the sports broadcasting programmed Dean.
participantOne (:Uh so we have right now again you're talking about uh you know about eleven to twelve hundred undergraduate student at Dean.
participantOne (:Uh our communications program has about ten percent of those and out of those a out of that ten percent we've got between fifty and sixty sports broadcasting majors.
participantOne (:So we've got you know, so some version ng you know a Joe Bucks , yo .
participantTwo (:Yes.
participantOne (:We do and you know, and and you know, these kids are all you know out in the summertime working summer baseball programs I just uh you know, one of my former student she's got a job.
participantOne (:Is the pay by plate voice of the ?
participantOne (:Point North Carolina.
participantTwo (:Well that's great.
participantTwo (:It sounds like a great opportunity for the students as well.
participantTwo (:I wanna swing back over more to your career.
participantTwo (:So so we can learn a little bit more and hopefully inspire some of these students of yours when , maybe they'll check US out, right here on the blind knowledge Bob.
participantTwo (:Yeah, shout out to you guys over there at college, but can you give US I don't know, maybe two or three really spectacular?
participantTwo (:Highlight moments within your career.
participantOne (:Sure.
participantOne (:Well first of all I'm very lucky to work for an organization, that's one six super balls, so in my time I've actually hosted and been at the mic for eight AFC championship games and seven of those we've one.
participantOne (:So each of those have been you know signature moment for me.
participantOne (:I was just and I was just mentioning in fact the one of the first ones that I did back when the the Patriots a two thousand, one two thousand and two with two thousand and two, so would've been the first year Gillette stadium for the uh the season opener that year you know when you know, you play the the Thursday night game right Sheraton John was the musical guest at .
participantOne (:He made the appearance there and uh I believe the game we were broadcasting on I I wanna say it was on a B C I can't.
participantOne (:Remember the time if it was an ABC game ESPN ABC.
participantTwo (:you'll, see he's he's up on.
participantOne (:Above the the he's above the in Joan, you know, I'm overlooking where actually where the Optum club is now you know anything about and and you know, all the spots on it, so I had to wait for a key from ABC and so I'm going lied to a worldwide audience, introducing Sir .
participantOne (:That's .
participantTwo (:That's the kind of stuff I was wondering and hoping for with this question because that is like a life changing highlight moment, whether.
participantOne (:You are a.
participantTwo (:Sports broadcast or a journalist or just a person in general doing whatever to picking up trash if you're able to see a highlight moment, like that that is huge.
participantTwo (:Alright.
participantTwo (:Give me another one John.
participantTwo (:What what else we got here?
participantOne (:A well that moment actually led me to you know getting other a voiceover work, you know a with NBC with the s p n with with several other entities, so that was a Parkin itself just because you know you're you're working with cruise you're working with producers and like Hey.
participantOne (:You sound good I got a project that you might be interested in it.
participantOne (:So that kind of started you know uh you know, voice over stuff and and that's something that I'll probably try to look to do a little bit more of uh when I testing and teaching 'cause you can kind of do it almost a little bit on your on your own time at least more so on your own time.
participantOne (:Um you know as a broadcaster uh you know you know for Providence college in the big East it's you know, major college high major division one basketball I'd have to say that the Friars winning and and the team being .
participantOne (:Those are all signature moments when I was a younger man.
participantOne (:Uh in fact it was my first year as an answer for the San Antonio.
participantOne (:Spurs the NBA I'm all of twenty three years old.
participantOne (:When I got this job, but it was a good you know the right place, right time?
participantOne (:Uh took advantage of it and it was the night that the spores a clip.
participantOne (:The Midwest division championship so it was my first case of winning a title and this for the stores you know if you know anything about you know the stores the NBA back in that early eighties timeframe, they were already successful, but they were winning division titles.
participantOne (:They were getting the to the Conference finals and they couldn't be the Lakers.
participantOne (:Um couldn't be the Lakers now the stores actually what for NBA team because I think center point time that well after unfortunately I left the team and moved up to the northeast, but um uh they were becoming old had attached so it wasn't any big deal.
participantOne (:They were trying treated as you know, Hey been there done that right.
participantOne (:So I went into the locker room, right after I.
participantOne (:Got off the air and um because one of the marketing guys said Hey, you know, I need you in the locker room.
participantOne (:Could you come in and help me out with something I'm like sure you know cause back then you know you helped out everywhere it was really a mom and pop shop?
participantOne (:The way that they ran things but I enjoyed it 'cause I learned so much about how professional franchises run right and so I go into the locker room and George room.
participantOne (:The ice man himself he's sitting you know standing right there.
participantOne (:His locker I I think he you know there was no like celebration.
participantOne (:There.
participantOne (:Wasn't any like you know, stuff there was no thing.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:These guys were like they were froze and I was showing all of that and my Buddy was over standing next to ice.
participantOne (:So I she's sitting there and uh you know, and I said Hey, congratulations I a and so he said you wanna picture, let me see now.
participantOne (:Do I want a picture that's a loaded question.
participantOne (:But I said you know, I shouldn't be doing this he's like now you work for the team.
participantOne (:So Jim uh my my Buddy the marketing guy he has the camera in hand already and I'm sensing the set up because I see guys start to cover around where we're we're we're doing you know the the photo and so I said I'm taking this picture I'm, you know, shaking with solar handshake, right.
participantOne (:And then as soon as Jim snaps it he goes.
participantOne (:Okay.
participantOne (:We're.
participantOne (:Good immediately.
participantOne (:Blue guy start jumping and yelling.
participantOne (:And I get dealt with Sean and peer and and that's when the celebration starts.
participantOne (:And I, you know of course I'm wearing a tying a blazer.
participantTwo (:And .
participantOne (:Oh I I that's I had my my work clothes, cause I've just gotten off the television I was doing the the cable TV coverage of the stores when they cliched you know, the mid West division title that night and so it was it was a set up they just said Hey, let.
participantTwo (:Me call.
participantTwo (:Let me call.
participantOne (:The rookie in here 'cause I was the rookie to everybody.
participantOne (:And I'm always a rookie with the last name, like I, got right.
participantOne (:And a they set it up for me it was one of most memorable points.
participantOne (:I will ever have that you know, I got dos with deer and Champagne by the stores when they they're in the Midwest division title a nineteen eighty three nineteen eighty three.
participantOne (:Oh.
participantTwo (:That's pretty cool.
participantOne (:Yeah, pretty cool.
participantTwo (:You know.
participantTwo (:And even through a even through moment like that, you still go to celebrations even to this day.
participantOne (:Try to act like you've been there.
participantOne (:You know.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:And that's I think that's you know the way that you should do it, but I I never get told it never get I mean everything that we've done every challenge game you know that we've posted Angela every game that I get a chance to broadcast in the post season.
participantOne (:You know on radio TV uh you know, everything that we do it's it's a pleasure it's a privilege it's truly been a perk professionally to me and I will never ever ever take it for granted 'cause.
participantOne (:So many people don't get a chance to experience that I'm one of the very lucky ones.
participantOne (:That's.
participantTwo (:A beautiful thing.
participantTwo (:Right.
participantTwo (:There.
participantTwo (:How about some inspiration or or some advice for any inspire US expiring broadcasters?
participantTwo (:Voice over um voice overs.
participantTwo (:I don't know the proper linguistics is there but no just someone trying to get into the industry or maybe it's just in the industry, maybe working on five or up work.
participantTwo (:Just trying to find work.
participantTwo (:You know what kind of advice would you give them.
participantOne (:Network, your ass off I I really can't put anymore.
participantOne (:Simply you know, you know, I it's it's.
participantOne (:So much easier nowadays to the network.
participantOne (:You know with the Internet.
participantOne (:So you can you know, do that you know through social media?
participantOne (:You know as long as you can take social media.
participantOne (:You know, seriously for a moment or two because I was a lot of people use it to goof on others and to pick on others and use it for the wrong reasons, but social media.
participantOne (:Great tool LinkedIn is a marvelous tool.
participantOne (:Uh and so so I I.
participantOne (:Try to connect with as many I.
participantOne (:Usually don't turn down request on linked and even if I don't know, people, because I know, people wanna make professional connections and.
participantTwo (:You just don't know.
participantOne (:When you might be able to use somebody yourself, you don't know when you might be able to connect with somebody that might be able to help you?
participantTwo (:Yeah.
participantOne (:So you know, Lincoln is great and then you know, and then I use Twitter professionally Twitter can be assessed pool.
participantOne (:Sometimes just like it can be but but I use Twitter professional and I.
participantOne (:Try to keep things above board and I found that I don't you know, follow every you know, Tom Dick and Harry out.
participantOne (:There, but at the same time I wouldn't expect everyone to follow me either unless you felt like you could gain some use from following me and and look I use social media for entertainment purposes.
participantOne (:Like everybody I do some of them you know really make me you know, L O L right I mean I love it and and it's fun because it's a great way to spend some idle time, but I try not to get too caught up in it and I remember that I'm there for a reason I am there for a professional purpose as well.
participantOne (:So you know, and of course Twitter is for a lot of news outlets and news entities break stories anyway and so that's why I I follow a lot of people on Twitter, but between Twitter and LinkedIn.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:I.
participantOne (:Keep a Facebook profile profile.
participantOne (:Yes.
participantOne (:I.
participantOne (:Have an instant Graham profile, but that's about as much as I.
participantOne (:Can handle I, never got on to tick tock and I'll tell you why.
participantTwo (:I, just don't have the time for me as a talker though.
participantTwo (:Well it would be an interesting, you know.
participantOne (:all of my student from tick tock, because that's just.
participantTwo (:The generation talk.
participantOne (:You're all tick talkers and I get it, but I tell them guys I've got more than I.
participantOne (:Can handle.
participantOne (:So if you want to reach me on social media best thing I can tell you is either exit Twitter handle or be follow me in on .
participantOne (:You know, and and and then then we can converse that way we can do business that way we can share that way.
participantOne (:We can promote that way.
participantOne (:But I find that instant is probably at least a a sort of a medium ground I'm, not you know, so square that you know, I I mean I, do have a Facebook profile, but I use I use my Facebook, mostly for personal stuff you know.
participantOne (:Um and I find that most old people.
participantOne (:Calling world they use Facebook.
participantTwo (:For that as well.
participantTwo (:So.
participantOne (:I know a lot of people are on Facebook , because of that because younger people tend to go to more some of the newer social media, a outlets that are out there which is fine.
participantOne (:So I find the instructions kinda halfway in between which is why I keep a an active, you know, Mister Graham profile and try to go that route.
participantOne (:But I didn't get on snap shop didn't get on I don't I I won't.
participantOne (:Do tick tock.
participantOne (:Um and it's not because I hate it I just don't have the time for it I feel like if I'm gonna put an effort into it I need to put some effort into it and keep up the profile.
participantOne (:You know, instead of I, somebody will actually follow me.
participantOne (:Right.
participantOne (:And if I don't feel like I, could do that I'm not gonna waste your time as well as mine.
participantOne (:So that's why I chose I keep Facebook for personal stuff even though some professional stuff to slide over a and then a Twitter and Graham for an I shouldn't consider Lincoln 'cause it is social medias.
participantOne (:Well, a Lincoln is all professional it's strictly professional, which is what I like about it.
participantOne (:So I would say network using you know, your social media profiles like that.
participantOne (:And we talk to people, but don't reach out to people and say Hey can I have a job.
participantOne (:Yeah.
participantOne (:The way to do it reach out to people and say you know, Hey I really, you know, love what you do follow you for a while and hopefully you have and you're not you know, like you know, lying to him and just say Hey, you know you got any advice for someone who's trying to break into this.
participantOne (:You know engage people that's really all you need to do you know uh because a lot of people love to give their opinions.
participantOne (:A lot of people love to give their opinions opinions.
participantOne (:Are like belly button everybody's got one buttons.
participantTwo (:So it's, just.
participantOne (:Engage them ask them opinion and you'd be surprised how many people would love to give you their take?
participantOne (:And and and uh I think in that in that instance, then if you develop some kind of relationship, a and something pops and they remember you from a previous occasion Hey guess what you're already halfway ahead of the game.
participantOne (:This is how you get gigs.
participantOne (:Oh that's.
participantTwo (:Good advice.
participantTwo (:I'm actually gonna take on some of that advice because I'm always looking to um get further into this industry and and see if I can make it um you know, an on going full time carrier John rook I'm gonna let you go man 'cause I know you got things to do.
participantTwo (:And I.
participantTwo (:So appreciate you taking the time I'm.
participantTwo (:So glad we could finally get this to happen.
participantTwo (:Well I'm I'm.
participantOne (:I'm to ask me.
participantOne (:So thank you for the time and thank you for the great line of questioning the chance to you know, promote what we do with Dean and little about what I still do professionally I've had a great ride I'm looking forward to a few more years and Hey if I can help by all means.
participantOne (:Um you follow me on Twitter at J R broadcaster, right that's.
participantOne (:Also, my handle on Graham at J R broadcaster.
participantOne (:Finally linked into you wanna find me a Lincoln as well.
participantOne (:I'll be happy to you know to hook up with that way and and uh you know, like I said that's a great tool to do that and I am all about networking that's one thing that I I really preach.
participantOne (:So I'm happy to be a a contact for for anybody that feels like they want a little bit of a boot, you know, in their in their er er industry travels .
participantTwo (:Gonna go right now.
participantTwo (:John let's.
participantTwo (:See you next time.
participantTwo (:Thanks.
participantTwo (:There he goes there.
participantTwo (:He goes.
participantTwo (:Wow.
participantTwo (:That's a guy that I look up to and had to look up to.
participantTwo (:Because I used to go to Patriots games as a kid with my grandfather my uncle yeah.
participantTwo (:And it's like who's doing the voiceover who's that guy.
participantOne (:The loudspeaker for another.
participantTwo (:Patriots first down as John book man he's a broadcaster.
participantTwo (:He's voice Patriots he's a journalist he's, an all around Goodfellow and he's over Dean college to check out.
participantTwo (:Dean college.
participantTwo (:If you look to get in broadcasting this is another addition, another episode another groovy time here on the blind knowledge podcast checks out over blind knowledge dot com.
participantTwo (:My name is J e B I am gonna go check you next time.
