The PXPU Podcast with Tony Castricone: from Play by Play University

The following is an AI-generated article recapping today’s full-length podcast. For more nuanced discussion on each topic, please listen to today’s members-only podcast, and subscribe for more exclusive content like this.

I want to share an experience that fundamentally changed my approach to interviewing coaches. It happened recently, during the weekend of October 21st, when circumstances forced me to conduct a coach's show with significantly less preparation than usual. What I learned from this experience applies whether you're doing a dedicated coach's show or conducting production meeting interviews as a TV broadcaster.

We were coming off a bye week, during which I had planned a surprise birthday trip for my wife to San Diego. The timing worked out perfectly - I have to thank the Big 10 conference for that scheduling coincidence. I spent the weekend focused on family and didn't watch any football. This meant that by the time our next coach's show came around, our previous game - a 24-point loss - was nine days old. I knew I wouldn't spend much time rehashing that game, instead focusing on the bye week activities and the upcoming Indiana game.

The challenging part came when I flew home with my son, dropped him off with the babysitter, and went straight to the coach's show. I walked in significantly less prepared than usual. In fact, it was probably one of the least prepared shows I've done in my seven years as the voice of the Huskies. I was essentially running on institutional knowledge alone.

On today’s episode of the PXPU Podcast, we talk to ESPN Radio’s Ian Fitzsimmons, who has become an integral member of ESPN Radio’s College Football Game of the Week as a third member of the broadcast crew from the sidelines.

Ian has used his fun-loving personality to create a ton of authentic connections with the players and coaches he covers to become one of the most well-sourced reporters in the industry.

On today's episode:

* (02:36) Early career stories

* Host's internship experience with Fitzsimmons

* Origin of "Tolstoy" nickname from over-preparing show notes

* Working with Kirk Herbstreit

* (04:47) Career advice and persistence

* "No means maybe or later" philosophy

* Story of pursuing Dr. J interview for six months

* Discussion on handling career setbacks and moves

* (08:06) Building professional relationships

* Balance between persistence and being annoying

* How to read social cues and maintain professionalism

* Organic relationship building examples

* (13:07) Working with Sports Information Directors (SIDs)

* When to use proper channels vs. direct contact

* Building and maintaining professional relationships

* Story about relationship with Ben Hartsock

* (20:27) Path to ESPN Radio

* Linda Cohn connection

* Role of preparation meeting opportunity

* Importance of luck combined with hard work

* (25:27) Sideline reporting insights

* Approach to being a field-level analyst

* Working as part of three-person broadcast team

* Importance of knowing personal limitations

* (29:25) Excellence in sideline reporting

* Importance of observation and listening

* Taking time to go "ears off" and observe

* Example of correctly reading player interactions

* (34:49) Closing thoughts

* Discussion of Theodore Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena"

* Importance of humility in broadcasting

* Value of field-level perspective

Coming up on future episodes:

* Ashley Adamson from Big Ten Network talks about acquiring and telling great stories

* Joey McMurry, voice of Oregon men’s basketball on becoming versatile and having a lot to offer at a young age

* A vocal coach

* A mental performance coach

* And much more!

Subscribe to the podcast and leave us a 5-star review!

The following is an AI-generated article based off the podcast episode above. Click play and listen to the full episode for more context on today’s topic.

I want to talk about two things that I've heard many coaches discuss over the years - the only two things you can actually control. You can't control your talent level. You can't control where you start. You certainly can't control where you end up with 100% certainty. But there are two things you can control regardless of whether you're trying to be a good professional, athlete, broadcaster, spouse, or anything else: attitude and effort.

Alright, crew! Tyler Polk submits his 3rd quarter call of a high school hoops tournament game last year between Beaver Falls and Shadyside Academy in Pennsylvania. Let’s take a listen and let him know what we think!

Give Tyler a follow on X or on LinkedIn, or check out his website at www.tylerjhpolk.com.

Thanks for sending this in, Tyler! It’s fun listening to your TV work, and as a guy who does both radio and TV, you did a good job of getting the style and the vibe right for the medium you’re broadcasting.

Some basic critique etiquette:

* No fluffy false positives. When you say something positive, it must be sincere. Positive feedback implies that the announcer would be well served to replicate that performance as consistently as possible in the future.

* All criticism should be constructive. When something sounds like it misses the mark, the point is not to demean, but to identify areas for improvement and demonstrate ways to implement positive change.

* Critiques should aim at helping people identify ways to take the next step in their development. It makes no sense to compare a novice to national network announcers who are decades further along in their career.

* Be respectful. Make sure the statements you offer check all three boxes: is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?

We are now taking submissions for our next critique! Send an email to [email protected] with the subject “Critique” and include a link to 5-10 minutes of audio or video, and you might be next on Tell the Truth Tuesday. We will choose from subscribers first, so make sure you click the button below to get more content like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Coming later this week!

* We’ll be releasing our first two dates for the “Office Hours” group Zoom calls! Those are only for subscribers at the Office Hours level, so level up by clicking on the subscribe button below and make sure you’re a part of the fun.

* Shout out to Josh Pos, student at Indiana’s Sports Media program, who did a phenomenal job spotting for us this past weekend during Washington’s game in Bloomington. Great job, Josh!

* Ian Fitzsimmons, ESPN Radio sideline reporter, will talk to us about doing great sideline reports in football, which is what a lot of us do before we ever get our crack at calling football games. Ian is one of the best in the business, and annually gets assigned the CFP National Championship Game.

* Much more!

The following is an AI-generated article recapping today’s full-length podcast. For more nuanced discussion on each topic, please listen to today’s members-only podcast, and subscribe for more exclusive content like this.

As Jim Nantz pointed out, for play-by-play announcers, football games consist of approximately 130-150 plays, each serving as a chapter in the game's story. However, the broadcast encompasses much more than just calling the plays. While the actual play-by-play rarely causes problems for experienced broadcasters, it's often the surrounding elements that can make or break how you’ll end up feeling about a broadcast.

This article examines four critical non-play situations that broadcasters must master: pre-game, kickoff, transitional periods, and handling downtime.

ESPN Radio’s Marc Kestecher taped with us a few weeks back, and I thought this week would be a great time to release the conversation, given that he’s going to be everywhere the next couple months between ESPN’s college football game of the week and its NBA coverage.

On today’s episode:

* (02:54) Kestecher shares his unlikely path to success, describing himself as usually unlucky except in his career

* (03:08) Started as a local broadcaster in Albany and Cleveland

* (03:57) First big break came filling in for Rich Eisen on Yankees-Red Sox game where Pedro Martinez struck out 17

* (04:47) Created demo tape by calling a 76ers game with Fred Carter, who helped for free

* (05:18) Got first ESPN opportunity calling Jimmy V Classic on espnradio.com

* (05:35) Major career advancement came on his 40th birthday, filling in for Jim Durham on Pistons-Hornets game

* (06:01) Positioned himself as studio host since 2004, staying close to national play-by-play

* (06:26) Became lead NBA voice after transitions of Mike Tirico and Kevin Calabro

* (09:41) Discusses importance of believing in yourself: "You almost have to have this belief that you're just as good as anyone out there"

* (13:25) Describes finding his broadcasting voice through experience and repetition

* (14:55) Pivotal moment when a producer told him "you have a sound now"

* (16:08) Emphasizes the value of "less is more" in broadcasting, especially on radio

* (18:24) Details the balance between hometown radio style and network TV approach

* (19:42) Discusses working relationship with analysts John Barry and PJ Carlesimo

* (20:37) Explains "DVR mode" - ability to recreate plays when analyst goes long

* (23:34) Shares techniques for managing voice and energy during big moments

* (24:31) Early career lesson about giving equal energy to both teams' highlights

* (26:22) Discusses voice control techniques learned from Dan Schulman

* (32:48) Details his pre-game preparation routine, including 20-minute focus period

* (33:34) Explains different preparation approaches for basketball versus football

* (36:07) Describes how he organizes and prioritizes preparation materials

* (38:17) Shares process of coordinating with crew to plan storytelling during broadcasts

* (41:33) Discusses challenges of calling multiple sports, particularly baseball's unique demands

* (44:16) Explains differences between college and pro basketball pace

* (45:12) Shares continuing approach to learning football despite not playing

* (47:06) Describes experiencing "blackouts" during great calls, not remembering what was said

* (48:43) Details memorable Celtics-Nets playoff call with Jason Tatum game-winner

* (51:34) Shares story of LeBron James game-winner against Bulls in 2015, including nearly getting crushed by celebrating players

* (52:42) Discusses challenges of courtside broadcasting and using monitors

Please rate and review the podcast and let us know what you think or who you’d like to hear in the comments section below!

The following is an AI generated article about today’s podcast. For the full, in-depth analysis on today’s topic, please make sure to listen to today’s episode.

The Seven Layers of Football Play-by-Play: A Comprehensive Guide

In the world of football play-by-play, the ability to view and describe any given moment through multiple lenses is a crucial skill. This article outlines a theory developed over years of experience in football broadcasting, proposing seven distinct layers or lenses through which a commentator can analyze and describe a football game.

The Importance of Perspective in Play-by-Play

Every moment in a football game can be viewed from various perspectives. The lens through which a commentator chooses to view a play—or the one they happen to be thinking about when a play occurs—determines how they describe it, the words they use, and the context they provide in their analysis.

While good play-by-play focuses on describing what happens and answering the audience's questions, elite play-by-play takes it a step further. It requires a mastery of these multiple perspectives, allowing commentators to tell a compelling story that goes beyond the basic facts of the game.

The Seven Layers of Football Play-by-Play

Today’s PXPU Podcast interview is with Alex Cohen, the long-time voice of the Iowa Cubs, who made his big league debut in July on Marquee Sports Network. What he didn’t expect was another game in September that he’d call in Wrigley on less than 24 hours notice. And what he really, really didn’t expect was that it would be the Cubs’ first no-hitter at Wrigley since 1972!

Show notes:

* 02:22 - Alex's background and career journey in sports broadcasting

* 05:38 - The importance of learning from experienced broadcasters

* 07:17 - Key advice: Smile and have fun while broadcasting baseball

* 08:47 - Discussion on behaving like a champion before becoming one

* 10:16 - How Alex built relationships that led to his MLB opportunity

* 13:00 - Alex's experience getting called up for his first MLB games

* 14:42 - Preparing for his first MLB broadcasts

* 16:50 - Approach to calling his first MLB game: keeping it simple

* 19:17 - Reflections on his first two MLB broadcasts

* 22:49 - The unexpected call to cover a Cubs game on short notice

* 24:58 - Alex's self-assessment of his first two MLB games

* 29:06 - Handling the developing no-hitter situation during the broadcast

* 31:15 - Alex's previous experience calling no-hitters in the minors

* 32:19 - Focusing on the pitcher's performance rather than the no-hitter

* 34:15 - The increasing attention as a no-hitter progresses

* 35:41 - Strategy for calling the final moments of a no-hitter

* 36:45 - Alex's thoughts on his no-hitter call

* 38:00 - Discussion on the pressure of making the perfect call

* 39:50 - Advice for aspiring broadcasters: networking and taking opportunities

Coming up soon on the PXPU Podcast!

* Ian Fitzsimmons, ESPN Radio, on becoming part of the play-by-play call as a sideline reporter

* Ashley Adamson, Big Ten Network reporter and host, on storytelling

* Marc Kestecher, the voice of the NBA on ESPN Radio

* Bill Roth, longtime voice of Virginia Tech football, ESPN Radio freelancer and instructor in play-by-play broadcasting at Virginia Tech

* A professional opera singer on vocal techniques

* A mental performance coach

* Much more!

Who else would you like to hear on the podcast? Please let us know in the comments section below!

Please subscribe, rate and review wherever you get your podcasts!

The following is an AI generated article about today’s podcast. For the full, in-depth analysis on today’s topic, please make sure to listen to today’s episode.

On today's edition of Wednesday Wisdom, we're going to talk about how to handle a blowout because that's something that's pretty fresh in my mind. That was a lot of work on Saturday. The Huskies played at Iowa in Iowa City and that did not go the way that any of us really expected it to be. I thought it was going to be a low scoring game. The line going into the game was Iowa favored by three. The over-under was pretty low, relatively because Iowa had by far the worst offense in the country the last couple of years. Well, it was for one team, Iowa ended up running away with it in the second half. They led by as many as 30. We did get a late touchdown to pull within 24, but those can be really hard games to broadcast, particularly if you're with a home team that is on the losing side.