What Makes a Good Sports Broadcaster Great?

It is a question that has baffled fans and media alike for generations. Some of the greatest sports media personalities have spent years behind the microphone, calling some of the most shocking, astounding moments in the history of sports. Their names resonate across generations: Keith Jackson, Harry Caray, Vin Scully, John Madden, Jack Buck, Al Michaels, Lindsey Nelson, Brent Musberger, Red Barber, Bob Costas, Ernie Harwell and more. So what do these journalists do that makes them, well, great?

There is not, in my mind, any single formula for the creation of a sportscaster. After all, every situation calls for something different. Every sport, every team, every player, and every moment demands a singular level of respect. Sportscasting shouldn’t be about generalization. Unfortunately, this is a trend that, thanks to an overwhelming invasion of clichés into modern sports conversation, seems to be seeping into all levels of American sports consciousness.

• With this in mind, it is important to understand that some of the greatest sportscasters of all time have been multifaceted, calling multiple sports with ease, grace, poise, and dexterity. This is primarily because these people didn’t treat one sport like another. Vin Scully never called a football game like he would call a baseball game, though the trademark, living-room conversational style remained. Even today, some of the best current broadcasters excel in multiple fields. The enigmatic Gus Johnson, perhaps most famous for his breathtaking calls during the NCAA Tournament each March, thrives on Sunday afternoon calling professional football games for CBS. Joe Buck, the son of legendary announcer Jack Buck, deftly pilots his way through both World Series, Bowl Championship Series, and Super Bowl broadcasts with trademark calm.

• Another defining characteristic of the great sports broadcaster is an ability to see the action on the field or court for what it is—a game—while still grasping the event’s importance to the rooting public. Too often, cameras will show the dejected losers, sitting with heads in hands and appearing as if the world has ended. Solemn (and over-the-top) broadcasters often deliver a stirring eulogy for the team and its season. Yet the greatest of broadcasters realize that sports are a game, and nothing more than that. Yet they are able to balance that with the knowledge that oftentimes this game means a lot more to some people. This approach is not without its challenges. Baseball broadcasters must face the reality that rarely is any one game a truly significant affair, not with 162+ games to be played on the year. Yet few and far between, single games do hold greater significance: if a record is about to be broken, if it determines playoff seeding, or if it even has historical implications.

• Silence is golden. A great broadcaster is one who is not afraid to not say anything. There are times when the game speaks for itself, when the action on the field is explanation enough, and when the crowd’s excitement tells a better story than any spoken language ever could. Perhaps one of the most famous examples of this comes from the esteemed baseball broadcasting legend, Vin Scully, who has called Dodger games since the Brooklyn days. The best broadcasters call these games as they would any other, avoiding making their words the story, but instead letting the game speak for itself. Mr. Scully had the privilege of calling Hank Aaron’s 715th home run, yet when the long ball was struck, there was nothing but silence from behind the microphone for a significant span of time. This decision displays the genius of letting the moment tell the story, let the awe was over the viewers and onlookers. Silence by the broadcaster helps the viewing of listening audience feel like it is there, in that moment. This is what sportscasting is all about.

Other small tips:

• Avoiding too many catchphrases, which can backfire, is a good thing, but it never hurts to have a few regulars that the audience can count on. A great home run call is a prime example.
• Don’t be a homer. If you want to understand this more, listen to a WGN broadcast of a White Sox game, in which the announcers will undoubtedly refer to the hometown Sox as the “good guys.” Avoid breathless hyperbole.
• Stay on topic. Stay focused on the game. No one wants to hear inside jokes between the broadcasters.
• Excitement, excitement, excitement.