About

I joined the television community five years ago and the most common thing I hear from friends, family, acquaintances, is this:

 

“Why did you get into a career like that?”

 

I tell them because it makes me happy.

 

For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a professional athlete. I poured countless hours into playing, preparing, and most importantly not taking inventory of the looming cliff on the horizon. Luckily, before my high school career came to an end, I realized a mildly athletic 5-foot-9 kid probably wasn’t going to play running back in the NFL.

 

That’s when the sports television dream was born. Or, more specifically, that’s when I noticed how much fun Stuart Scott and Scott Van Pelt seemed to have hosting SportsCenter.

 

With that in mind I began my quest to find a place in sports media – navigating through the journalism school at the University of Colorado and ending up with a job at what felt like the edge of the world in Grand Junction, Colorado. And yet, that elusive sense of belonging evaded me.

 

I knew plenty about sports, learned a lot about journalism, and earned the first job in what I hoped was a life-long ascent. But what I needed was a ‘why’ – a reason to be in sports media.

 

The answer is so simple yet so easy to lose sight of.

 

At the core of my motivation to pursue this career is a ravenous desire to enjoy every day I’m alive – at work or otherwise. That hunt for smiles dictates the way I do the job.

 

When done right an audience can feel that happiness. For example, the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz is one of ESPN’s most valuable properties as both a radio show simulcast and podcast because of the way the show connects with its listeners.

 

They don’t stick to sports, they aren’t serious, much of what they do is nonsense – but they engage in a way that makes it feel like I’m re-connecting with friends every time I listen. That’s the type of person I want to be – someone the audience returns to because they get to know the real, genuine me.

 

That might explain why my favorite part of the media process is talking to people. I’ll admit I’m very average at networking, but when given the opportunity to connect one-on-one with somebody I shine.

 

For example, leading up to the Colorado state high school wrestling tournament in 2017 I did a story with a pair of excellent twin brothers – one of whom was seeking his fourth straight state title. The other was in search of his third because of a minor weight discrepancy two years before.

 

The other brother won his third state title, and then proceeded to watch his twin reach a crowning achievement in the sport of high school wrestling – winning four straight state championships.

 

As the crowd applauded the four-time champ, I stood by his brother in the dark stadium underbelly while he sobbed. Stricken with guilt over missing weight, he allowed me to capture and convey that most human emotion to our audience prior to doing a more general media availability because of the relationship we had built.

 

Making people feel comfortable enough to be open and honest during an interview is something I pride myself on, and it stems from that desire to be genuine.

 

Five years later, I continue to learn and grow. I hope to find my place in this ever-changing sports media landscape, and have fun along the way. Whatever the future holds, I intend to greet it with a smile.