Post by Kevin on Aug 10, 2007 11:36:22 GMT -5
Copied from the Toronto Star
CHASING A DREAM
CHRIS ZELKOVICH
SPORTS MEDIA COLUMNIST
The air at Al Palladini Community Centre, a thick soup of midsummer humidity seasoned with the redolent memories of thousands of hockey equipment bags, gives literal meaning to the phrase ``stinking hot."
As ball hockey players begin warming up on the concrete floor, a lone female fan sits in the stands reading a book. Up in the airless reaches of the arena, a small crew of men prepare for a TV broadcast that will likely be seen only by the players, relatives and maybe some of the late arrivals who help swell tonight's crowd to 11.
For many, this would be some twisted version of hell, but for guys like Steve Clark this is his personal field of dreams. Or in this case, an arena of dreams.
Clark is one of hundreds of men and women who crisscross the province for Rogers Television, working in less-than-ideal conditions for free or a few dollars a night, all in hope of someday, somehow making it big.
``They are a large part of what we do," says Rogers Television Toronto station manager Charles Wechsler, whose station produced 477 sports shows last year and will be getting into high school sports this fall. ``If we can help them further their careers, so much the better."
Further a career is what it's all about for guys like Clark, a high school teacher by day and wannabe Bob Cole by night.
``It's a grind at times and a lot of people have asked me if I'm crazy, but my dream is to broadcast sports at the highest level," he says. ``If this can get me there, it's worth it.
"If not, it's been a lot of fun and at least I can say I tried."
For Clark, following his dream has been time-consuming to say the least. Going back to his university days, he's called basketball, hockey, football, soccer and ball hockey on television and radio. He's driven across the province and worked games as far away as Newfoundland – all for little or no pay.
He says he has no idea how many kilometres he's put on his car pursuing this dream but does know, ``I've lost a lot of money doing this."
He's applied for a lot of big-time broadcasting jobs, but so far has failed to land one. He scored a big victory this summer when he was named play-by-play announcer for the Niagara IceDogs on local cable, a job that won't fatten his wallet but will boost his hopes. ``I'm not giving up yet," he says.
While calling a ball hockey doubleheader on channels whose audiences may be in the dozens may not seem like the fast track to the top, it can be done.
The rosters of Rogers Sportsnet and The Score aren't exactly peppered with those who got their start in places like these, but a handful have made the big time.
Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino is in many ways the patron saint of the cable guys.
``Those are the guys who keep me going," says Clark. ``Sam started this way. Dan Shulman started out doing university radio. It can happen."
Cosentino is living proof that dreams can come true. He's now a regular on Sportsnet's Blue Jays broadcasts.But he started out calling junior hockey games for a radio station that operated out of an RV.
``I was supposed to get $50 a game but usually I did it for the promise of getting paid," says Cosentino. ``You don't do it for the money, that's for sure."
For years Cosentino bounced around the Toronto area doing colour commentary on baseball and hockey broadcasts that few heard.
And though the conditions were less than ideal – he recalls calling senior baseball from the front seat of his Jeep – he wouldn't trade the experience for anything.
``I absolutely loved it," he says. ``And I wouldn't be where I am today without it."
Without the pressure of performing on a big stage like TSN or Sportsnet, Cosentino knew that mistakes wouldn't cost him his job. Working with volunteers also taught him how to think on his feet.
``When you call for a replay and the wrong one shows up or nothing comes on, you learn to deal with it."
Cosentino encourages anyone who has the desire to try it.
``It was more luck than anything that I got a job at Sportsnet," he says. ``If you look at the 20 OHL teams, I would venture to say there are probably 13 guys who could probably do what I'm doing. I just happened to be in the right spot."
When Clark shows up next week for another three hours of play-by-play, he'll be hoping that he might one day be the guy in the right spot.
``I grew up turning the sound down and broadcasting in my head and I admired guys like Bob Cole, Tom Cheek, Vin Scully, Marv Albert more than the athletes themselves," he says.
``I guess doing the same thing as guys I admired, albeit on a lesser stage, keeps me going, too."
CHASING A DREAM
CHRIS ZELKOVICH
SPORTS MEDIA COLUMNIST
The air at Al Palladini Community Centre, a thick soup of midsummer humidity seasoned with the redolent memories of thousands of hockey equipment bags, gives literal meaning to the phrase ``stinking hot."
As ball hockey players begin warming up on the concrete floor, a lone female fan sits in the stands reading a book. Up in the airless reaches of the arena, a small crew of men prepare for a TV broadcast that will likely be seen only by the players, relatives and maybe some of the late arrivals who help swell tonight's crowd to 11.
For many, this would be some twisted version of hell, but for guys like Steve Clark this is his personal field of dreams. Or in this case, an arena of dreams.
Clark is one of hundreds of men and women who crisscross the province for Rogers Television, working in less-than-ideal conditions for free or a few dollars a night, all in hope of someday, somehow making it big.
``They are a large part of what we do," says Rogers Television Toronto station manager Charles Wechsler, whose station produced 477 sports shows last year and will be getting into high school sports this fall. ``If we can help them further their careers, so much the better."
Further a career is what it's all about for guys like Clark, a high school teacher by day and wannabe Bob Cole by night.
``It's a grind at times and a lot of people have asked me if I'm crazy, but my dream is to broadcast sports at the highest level," he says. ``If this can get me there, it's worth it.
"If not, it's been a lot of fun and at least I can say I tried."
For Clark, following his dream has been time-consuming to say the least. Going back to his university days, he's called basketball, hockey, football, soccer and ball hockey on television and radio. He's driven across the province and worked games as far away as Newfoundland – all for little or no pay.
He says he has no idea how many kilometres he's put on his car pursuing this dream but does know, ``I've lost a lot of money doing this."
He's applied for a lot of big-time broadcasting jobs, but so far has failed to land one. He scored a big victory this summer when he was named play-by-play announcer for the Niagara IceDogs on local cable, a job that won't fatten his wallet but will boost his hopes. ``I'm not giving up yet," he says.
While calling a ball hockey doubleheader on channels whose audiences may be in the dozens may not seem like the fast track to the top, it can be done.
The rosters of Rogers Sportsnet and The Score aren't exactly peppered with those who got their start in places like these, but a handful have made the big time.
Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino is in many ways the patron saint of the cable guys.
``Those are the guys who keep me going," says Clark. ``Sam started this way. Dan Shulman started out doing university radio. It can happen."
Cosentino is living proof that dreams can come true. He's now a regular on Sportsnet's Blue Jays broadcasts.But he started out calling junior hockey games for a radio station that operated out of an RV.
``I was supposed to get $50 a game but usually I did it for the promise of getting paid," says Cosentino. ``You don't do it for the money, that's for sure."
For years Cosentino bounced around the Toronto area doing colour commentary on baseball and hockey broadcasts that few heard.
And though the conditions were less than ideal – he recalls calling senior baseball from the front seat of his Jeep – he wouldn't trade the experience for anything.
``I absolutely loved it," he says. ``And I wouldn't be where I am today without it."
Without the pressure of performing on a big stage like TSN or Sportsnet, Cosentino knew that mistakes wouldn't cost him his job. Working with volunteers also taught him how to think on his feet.
``When you call for a replay and the wrong one shows up or nothing comes on, you learn to deal with it."
Cosentino encourages anyone who has the desire to try it.
``It was more luck than anything that I got a job at Sportsnet," he says. ``If you look at the 20 OHL teams, I would venture to say there are probably 13 guys who could probably do what I'm doing. I just happened to be in the right spot."
When Clark shows up next week for another three hours of play-by-play, he'll be hoping that he might one day be the guy in the right spot.
``I grew up turning the sound down and broadcasting in my head and I admired guys like Bob Cole, Tom Cheek, Vin Scully, Marv Albert more than the athletes themselves," he says.
``I guess doing the same thing as guys I admired, albeit on a lesser stage, keeps me going, too."
