20 Down 36 to go...
The Oregon Ducks are 9-and-11 after their first 20 games.
This weekend in Portland, the team lost three out of four.
Losing those games was a bummer, but it would have been worse to have been travelling with the team. When I ride the bus to and from games, I also have the opportunity to hear most everything Coach Horton tells the players before and after the game.
It is an honor to have that level of trust with the coaching staff because they could ask me to leave before Coach talks - if they thought I would use inappropriate stuff on the air.
I've learned the fine art of running some of the 'on the bus' stuff through the Coach in a pre-game interview or off tape, but before the games.
I enjoy talking to Coach Horton about baseball because he is always willing to sincerely answer my questions. There's alot of stuff goes on in an interview. When you know the Coach is upset about something - or sensitive to an issue - you have to come up with a diplomatic way to broach the subject. For instance, right now Oregon is struggling to find the key hit.
As the guy asking the questions, I have to make sure I address that point, but I can't just blurt out something stupid like, "Geez Coach, what's wrong with the offense?"
Instead, I think I've learned to take a 'big picture' look at things.
Rather than get too wound up with the bad things going on with a team, I am reminded (and like reminding fans) that everything in sports is temporary. Struggles today can turn into successes tomorrow. The team that can't seem to get the key hit will often times work their way out of it.
Experience has also taught me that one hit can open a can of offense because hitting in baseball seems to be contagious.
I'll be there when that key hit comes. I hope you will, too.
Also, I spent the ENTIRE weekend with legendary Jerry Allen, calling those games.
He and I will work the games together for the rest of the season.
Jerry has treated me so well, complimenting my work and teaching me a few things, too.
Its kinda hard being the student again, but this opportunity and the privledge of calling University of Oregon baseball is worth taking a step back and learning from someone like Jerry.
This weekend in Portland, the team lost three out of four.
Losing those games was a bummer, but it would have been worse to have been travelling with the team. When I ride the bus to and from games, I also have the opportunity to hear most everything Coach Horton tells the players before and after the game.
It is an honor to have that level of trust with the coaching staff because they could ask me to leave before Coach talks - if they thought I would use inappropriate stuff on the air.
I've learned the fine art of running some of the 'on the bus' stuff through the Coach in a pre-game interview or off tape, but before the games.
I enjoy talking to Coach Horton about baseball because he is always willing to sincerely answer my questions. There's alot of stuff goes on in an interview. When you know the Coach is upset about something - or sensitive to an issue - you have to come up with a diplomatic way to broach the subject. For instance, right now Oregon is struggling to find the key hit.
As the guy asking the questions, I have to make sure I address that point, but I can't just blurt out something stupid like, "Geez Coach, what's wrong with the offense?"
Instead, I think I've learned to take a 'big picture' look at things.
Rather than get too wound up with the bad things going on with a team, I am reminded (and like reminding fans) that everything in sports is temporary. Struggles today can turn into successes tomorrow. The team that can't seem to get the key hit will often times work their way out of it.
Experience has also taught me that one hit can open a can of offense because hitting in baseball seems to be contagious.
I'll be there when that key hit comes. I hope you will, too.
Also, I spent the ENTIRE weekend with legendary Jerry Allen, calling those games.
He and I will work the games together for the rest of the season.
Jerry has treated me so well, complimenting my work and teaching me a few things, too.
Its kinda hard being the student again, but this opportunity and the privledge of calling University of Oregon baseball is worth taking a step back and learning from someone like Jerry.
posted by Brian at 7:05 PM
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