Byline: Mike Waters Staff writer
Of all the things Samaki Walker had to worry about as he attempted to tape a segment on the Philadelphia 76ersAE signing of free agent Elton Brand, the last thing he expected to deal with was an overly efficient air conditioner.
As Walker, a 10-year NBA veteran, projected energetically with his hands, the air conditioner fluttered the pages on the desk in front of him. Finally, a camera-man offered a pen to hold down the papers.
Welcome to Sportscaster U.
Walker, along with current NBA players Eric Snow of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Casey Jacobsen of the Memphis Grizzlies and Adrian Griffin of Seattle/Oklahoma City represent Sportscaster UAEs first graduating class. The four players have come to Syracuse University to take part in a mini-broadcasting camp with the goal of turning their experiences here into a career.
oMy interest started when I was a freshman at Stanford,o said Jacobsen, who just finished his fourth year in the NBA. oI love talking about sports. I could do it for hours, but itAEs different in front of a camera.o
The National Basketball Players Association came up with the idea of Sportscaster U to help NBA players interested in broadcasting learn more about the industry. The NBPA brought the idea to Syracuse University where the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications has produced the likes of Bob Costas, Sean McDonough and Mike Tirico.
ESPN play-by-play announcer Dave Ryan and Syracuse radio play-by-play announcer Matt Park, both adjunct professors at SU, put together the program, which seems like a crash course in sports broadcasting.
Most of the players arrived in Syracuse on Sunday. They toured Alliance Bank Stadium and taped a mock report from the ballpark after the Syracuse Chiefs game was rained out. On Monday, the players got a taste of studio work, taped a segment opining about the 76ersAE signing of Brand and ran through an NBA pre-game show. The course will wrap up today with each player taking part in a broadcast of Game 6 from the 2008 NBA Finals.
oTheyAEre going to leave here with their heads spinning,o Park said. oWeAEre putting so much into about two full days.o
As Walker taped his segment, Jeff Lamp and Debbie Rothstein of the NBPA sat in the back of the studio. Lamp said Sportscaster U is part of the players associationAEs program to help players transition out of the league. Two years ago, the NBPA developed a mini-MBA business program at Stanford. There is also a coaching internship program.
Sportscasting, said Lamp, is a natural career move for many athletes.
oWhen we get feedback from players on their post-career interests,o Lamp said, obroadcastingAEs always at or near the top of the list.o
The sportscasting school took a real career spin when Laurie Orlando, ESPNAEs senior vice president for talent development (i.e. she could hire one of these guys), made a guest appearance. The players will all receive a DVD of their work to help them attract jobs in the future.
Park said he expects Sportscaster U to grow in the coming years.
oI think it has a lot of legs,o Park said. oBut we have to do it first to see it work and then build on it.o
Snow, who has spent 13 seasons in the NBA, said he had been a guest on studio shows and post-game shows, but Sportscaster U was giving him a deeper look at broadcasting.
oWhen youAEre just a guest, itAEs made to be as easy as possible,o Snow said. oWhereas here, theyAEre trying to teach you the whole aspect.o
In his solo shot behind the anchorAEs desk, Walker stumbled a few times before getting it right. Par for the course, said Ryan, who served as the segmentAEs producer.
oItAEs been tough,o Jacobsen said, onot that I was expecting it to be easy.o
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PHOTO
Li-Hua Lan/The Post-Standard
NBA PLAYER Adrian Griffin (left) gets instruction from ESPN announcer Dave Ryan Sunday at Alliance Bank Stadium. Griffin is one of four basketball players participating in a three-day program with the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Li-Hua Lan/The Post-Standard
MATT PARK (right), a Syracuse University radio play-by-play announcer, gives some tips on sportscasting to NBA player Casey Jacobsen on Sunday at Alliance Bank Stadium. Jacobsen plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Li-Hua Lan/The Post-Standard
NBA PLAYER Adrian Griffin (right) ponders a script for sportscasting while SU adjunct professor Matt Park talks to another NBA player. The players hope to turn their experiences here into a career.
