Team Engagement
June 20, 2013
As Day One of the Seventh Annual Broadcast Boot Camp at NFL Films in Mount Laurel, N.J., came to a close, the sentiment among the participants was summarized by former Minnesota Vikings running back Doug Chapman. “It’s like going to training camp your rookie year," he said.
The ‘Studio Show’-focused day began with ESPN TV and Radio’s Senior Coordinating Producer of On-Air Talent Development Gerry Matalon presenting the basics of being in the media. Matalon was just one of the many well established broadcasting experts there to offer advice and teach valuable skills and lessons. CBS sportscaster James Brown was also on hand to host an overview of the studio show and offer quick bits of wisdom and advice alongside CBS and NFL Network’s Solomon Wilcots, and ESPN’s John Saunders and Seth Markman (senior coordinating producer in NFL studio production at ESPN). Saunders advised the group to “work on being likable,” a statement that the group continued to hear throughout the day.
This year’s Broadcast Boot Camp participants were made up of 24 current and former NFL players, four of whom are Broadcast Boot Camp veterans returning for “Boot Camp Advanced.” Included in the 24 were Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk, former St. Louis Rams wide receiver and 11-year NFL veteran Torry Holt, and retired Pro Bowlers Ricky Watters, Eric Moulds and Jeff Feagles. Participants had varying backgrounds in broadcasting, some with no experience to others with full-time jobs in the industry. However, when it came time for their first studio shoot, no one was immune to the pressure of performing.
Prior to their set tapings later in the afternoon, the morning was full for the attendants, who were split into four groups to make the rounds and meet with different professionals for various sessions. Howard Deneroff of Dial Global, and Steve Cohen and Ross Tucker of SiriusXM hosted the Radio session, where they played tapes of radio segments, highlighting the do’s and don’ts of radio hosting. Cohen consistently highlighted that “radio makes you better at television,” a statement that many proceeded to write down in their notepads.
Brian Baldinger of NFL Network and Wilcots met with the groups about show preparation and production meetings. The group was able to have a mock-production meeting where they were given three topics to state their cases for: sporting events after national tragedies, pros & cons of the NFL overseas, and mid-majors receiving a BCS bid. Baldinger and Wilcots gave their feedback and emphasized the necessity of making a strong and succinct point when on television. In the editing session, Steve Menzel of NFL Films and Jason Romano of ESPN gave an example of the work that they do, and explained how closely they interact with the producers and hosts. This session drew many questions from the participants, who were very curious about the amount of behind the scenes work that goes into a studio show. The tape study session was familiar for many, as they sat down with NFL veteran Ron Jaworski of ESPN and Greg Cosell of NFL Films to watch tape from the January Divisional Playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers. The tape highlighted the read option, and Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk was able to give a player’s perspective on the tape for his group, highlighting the key factor that sets NFL veterans in broadcasting apart from other sportscasters.
After a full morning of vital lessons and advice, the men suited up for their later set tapings and were taught about vocal awareness and how they present themselves on television and radio by Arthur Joseph of the Vocal Awareness Institute, skills that were able to be put to use shortly after. All participants were put to the test on the radio when they were given the chance to go live on SiriusXM with Steve Cohen, Ross Tucker and Nick Pavlatos. They were paired up with other participants in their groups and given the chance to interview one another on air, and immediately hear feedback on their performance.
Sitting in front of the camera was finally able to shake the typical nerves of steel of the football pros, as they took seats at either Showtime's Inside the NFL or the NFL Network's First on the Field desk to discuss the topics from their show prep session with Baldinger and Wilcots. Two participants taped segments together alongside host James Brown, John Saunders, or NFL Network’s Marc Watts. Behind the cameras, sports media professionals Glenn Adamo (VP of Media Operations at the NFL), Mike Rosenstein (NFL Films Producer), Gerry Matalon, and Quentin Carter (Senior Coordinating Producer at Big Ten Network) looked on at the broadcasters in training and gave useful feedback after taping.
The general consensus after the full day was how valuable and eye-opening each session had been. Many of the men echoed one another by saying how little they knew about the work involved in putting a show together, and how thankful they were for the opportunities afforded by attending Broadcast Boot Camp. As New York Giants punter Steve Weatherford reflected on his day at Broadcast Boot Camp, “[today] has really helped me to understand the craft [of television], and how much work is involved,” Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Charly Martin added, “it’s so valuable to get those reps and be on that stage.” An altogether successful and informative day commenced with tape reviews and rest for the full next day at Broadcast Boot Camp.
Click here for more information about Broadcast Boot Camp.