1. It’s not always about talent. I had this idea when I was broadcasting in the minor leagues that the best announcers were the ones that would move up the ladder and eventually make it to the big leagues. I learned that sometimes announcers move up because of circumstance. When I was in the Midwest League broadcasting A-ball, a job opened up with a Double-A club. I interviewed and felt really good about my chances of landing the job. I didn’t get it. One of the other candidates convinced the GM to hire him instead because he would work on commission only in the off-season when were selling advertising. I realized that money can be an important factor in the hiring process. So can relationships. When I made the jump to Triple-A, it wasn’t necessarily because I was the most talented, but rather because I had forged a relationship with the GM.
2. Take the time to enjoy the ride. One of my biggest regrets when I was in the minor leagues was that I was so focused on moving up and getting a big league job, that I didn’t take time to appreciate the ride. I worked in and visited some great minor league cities, but I never took the time to enjoy them because I was always looking to get out and move up to the next better opportunity. That’s too bad, because I really worked with a lot of great people in some neat places. It’s great to have future goals and to be focused on achieving them, but take some time to enjoy the present.
3. Don’t compare yourself to other announcers. It’s pretty simple, really. There is always going to be someone out there that is more talented than you and someone that is less talented than you. The sooner you accept that, the faster you will become a better announcer. Early in my career I used to compare myself to the talent level of other announcers in the league. What I should have been doing is evaluating myself against the announcer I was yesterday. How much have I improved? What do I need to work on? It doesn’t matter how good the other guy is, the only thing that should matter to you is how good YOU can be.
