On any sports team, there are a wide variety of positions. Some players have an array of different talents and can play many spots. They are utility players. Others excel at only one position or aspect of the game. They are specialist.
This past weekend, I learned I am a specialist.
Now, obviously I'm not talking about sports here. I am one of the least athletic people I know. I'm using this sports-flavored comparison to describe my abilities when it comes to covering sports.
Here's how the story goes.
I was sitting on press row in Worthen Arena early Friday evening watching the Akron Zips dismantle the Ohio Bobcats in the 2002 Mid-American Conference Women's Volleyball Tournament. As the game was about to end, WCRD's assistant sports director Joe Hatcher approaches me about doing color commentary on the radio for the Ball State/Eastern Michigan match that was minutes away.
Now, I'm not one to pass up an opportunity to try new things. Well, maybe I am, but in this case, I quickly replied, "Sure," without giving the matter a second thought.
Something inside of me kept saying, "But Cole, you are not experienced in radio and your voice sounds like it was created for a Muppet. What are you doing?!" I was able to quiet that voice as I have done so many times before by thinking of happy thoughts, like monkeys on tricycles.
Besides, I know the Ball State women's volleyball team. I've written about them for the Daily News all season. I've been to most of the matches. I talk to the team afterwards. I go over the stats on a weekly basis. I know this team. I'll have plenty to say.
So I plopped the headset on and prepared for what would surely be my triumphant Ball State radio debut. Looking back on it, it reminds me of that scene in basically every horror movie where one of the innocent teens says, "I'll be right back."
Joe went over some of the fundamentals with me real quick before the match started and then we were off. He rattled off a recap of the previous match and talked a little about what Ball State and Eastern Michigan had each done to reach this point. It was going great. Then he tossed it to me.
I don't think I ever really heard the question. All I know is that my name followed it and that meant I was supposed to say something clever or insightful. My mind raced like a hamster on a flaming wheel.
What should I say? Should I talk about the current winning streak? Or how about how the Cards have not lost to a MAC opponent in Worthen in over 50 matches? What about Stephanie Keller getting snubbed from the all-conference squad? WHAT?!
After what seemed to me like an eternity of dead air, my throat produced a short "yep" and that was it. Well done, McGrath. You'll go far in this business.
For the most part, the rest of the match went better. I actually threw together a couple of complete sentences. It was tough though, and I was glad when Ball State put the match away quickly.
It wasn't all bad. From that experience I learned that I should stick to print journalism and leave anything with talking up to people that can think much faster than I apparently can. I am a print specialist, and that's fine with me.
When I went back the next day for the championship match, I saw Joe start to walk over to me. I thought, "Great. I probably broke something yesterday to go along with my terrible performance." I was wrong.
Joe asked me, "Do you want to do color again?"
Smart people learn from their mistakes. All I had to do was think back to the previous night for a myriad of reason as to why I should have said, "No." There was the stammering, the mixed metaphors about waking up in your backyard (Don't worry. It confuses me too.), the general incompetence, etc. I am not a smart person.
"Sure," I said.
Horror films need sequels, right?
Write to Cole at cpmcgrath@bsu.edu
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